Vegetables

No other food is so universally used by all classes as the vegetable. No daily ration seems complete without it, no matter how elaborate the other foods may be. None live so largely on a meat diet that they do not feel the need of the accompanying vegetable to make their meal satisfactory. And to those who have adopted a fleshless diet it becomes, more than ever, an important part of their dietary and greater dependence is placed upon it in the making up of the daily ration. Greater thought and care must then be accorded its preparation and more attention paid to the part it plays in each meal.

Their Value

Vegetables are valuable because of their cellulose which, as before stated, serves as necessary bulk; because of their richness in the mineral salts so essential to the blood and tissues; because of the great amount of vitamines they supply, without which the organic processes could not be carried on; and because of actual caloric food value, this last much more abundant in some vegetables than others. The leaf vegetables are of special value because of their complete proteins and growth producing vitamines. See chapters VI and IX.

Botanically vegetables may be classified as follows:

1. Roots - as carrots, turnips, beets, parsnips.

2. Tubers - potatoes, onions, etc.

3. Leaves - lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, asparagus, spinach, greens.

*4. Seeds or Legumes - peas, beans, lentils, peanuts, soy beans.

*In this class may also be placed the grains.

The bulk of most vegetables is cellulose; exceptions being the potato, sweet potato, the winter squash and the legumes. The cellulose of some vegetables is tougher and more indigestible than that of others; for instance, that of the cabbage, the parsnip, corn, and vegetable oyster. The cellulose of vegetables is often more digestible raw than cooked, as for example cabbage which can be eaten raw by many who find it impossible to take it cooked.

The Value Of Potato

The potato, though poor in cellulose, is especially rich in alkaline salts and for this reason is useful in conditions where it is desirable to render the blood alkaline. This, no doubt, is the reason why the combination of "meat and potatoes" has always been so satisfactory; the acid ash of meat metabolism being neutralized to an extent by the alkalinity of the potato.

An Iron Tonic

All vegetables are rich in salts; green vegetables are particularly valuable for the iron salts they contain, thus being very helpful in cases of anemia. The iron obtained in this way is appropriated by the body to a much greater degree than that taken as "iron tonic" out of a bottle. The green coloring matter of plants is known as chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the respiratory and starch making portion of the plant and is essential not only to plant life but to animal life as well.

Haemoglobin, the red coloring matter of the blood, is analogous to the chlorophyll of the plant, and just as chlorophyll is necessary for plant life so is haemoglobin necessary for animal life. Green vegetables contain substances closely related to the red of the blood and the quality of the haemoglobin of the blood with its iron content may be altered materially by a deficiency or an abundance of these important and vitalizing foods.

Fat-Soluble Vitamine

Vitamines are present in these green vegetables in large amounts, thus making them invaluable as an article of diet both for the invalid and for the person in normal health, for the child as well as for the adult. For the child they are especially valuable because of the "fat-soluble" vitamine contained in them, which has to do with normal growth and development. (See chapters VII and IX).

Hot Weather Food

Green vegetables contain much water, as high as from 80% to 92%. For this reason an animal feeding largely upon leaves and green vegetables drinks much less water than one subsisting upon a diet of grain. For this same reason green vegetables are especially good as "hot weather food." However, they should be obtained as freely as possible at all times of the year.

Spring Fever

In cities and countries where green vegetables can not be obtained during the winter months people often suffer the results of a vitamineless diet. Dr. Evans, a noted health writer, says that one-half of the people in the cities have a touch of scurvy every winter. This may account for the epidemics of spring fever so prevalent as winter ends, and the use of liver pills and blood purifiers at this time of the year. All vegetables, however, contain vitamines and when green vegetables can not be obtained and fruits are expensive, the proper preparation of winter vegetables may supply necessary vitamines.

The question of the preparation of vegetables is a most important one. Uncooked vegetables contain the highest percentage of vitamines and such vegetables as carrots, turnips, cabbage, as well as lettuce, water cress, tomatoes and celery, etc., may be eaten raw with great advantage, care being taken to insure thorough mastication. These prepared in the form of salads may be served in a most attractive way. (See recipes, Chapter XXII.) In this way they may to a great extent take the place of fruit.

A Waste

The process of cooking unfortunately often greatly lessens the nutritive value of vegetables. It is possible, however, to so prepare and cook them that they will not lose their nutritive and vital elements, and it is very important that this be accomplished.

The ordinary method of vegetable preparation includes the removing of the skins and those parts containing the tough, more fibrous portions of cellulose such as celery tops, asparagus butts, peapods, etc. These parts, however, contain many of the valuable salts and vitamines and often a comparatively large amount of protein. For example, the greater part of the protein nourishment lies with the salts and vitamines just underneath the skins of such vegetables as the potato, the carrot, etc., and so is lost when these are thrown away. Carrot tops are said to be particularly rich in calcium or lime salts.

When vegetables are boiled a considerable portion of the remaining nitrogenous elements and vitamines passes into the broth and not infrequently is thrown down the sink, instead of being used where it is so often sorely needed in the supplying of body needs. When potatoes are peeled, allowed to stand in cold water and then boiled, they lose about 50% of their protein and 40% of the mineral matter and vitamines. As usually prepared and cooked, carrots lose 40% of their protein food value and 25% of their sugar. The cooking of other vegetables results in about the same loss. In this way much of the delightful flavor is lost, and the vegetables lose to a great extent their satisfying palatability.

These losses may be prevented in a number of ways. Vegetables may be cooked without paring. They may be baked, boiled or steamed, the skins being removed just before serving, or eaten, as in the case of baked potatoes. In boiling, the water should never be thrown away, but should be saved as a basis for soups and gravies. As a variation, and for those members of the family not able to handle cellulose well, the vitamines may be secured and served in the form of these delicious vegetable broths and purees.

An Economy

The vegetables having been thoroughly cleansed with a brush may be cut up and cooked without paring, or the parings may be cooked by themselves (see recipe 23, Chapter XXII), and in this way the nutritive elements extracted. This being a process of extraction instead of retention the cooking should be more prolonged than otherwise and at a lower temperature, as e. g. simmer, which takes place at about 190° F instead of 212° F, the ordinary boiling point. At this lower temperature a somewhat prolonged cooking of one to one and a half or even two hours does not destroy the vitamines but quite thoroughly extracts the food elements from the vegetable. Pressing through a colander or sieve will separate the skins and cellulose and leave practically all nutritional elements in the broth or puree. The elements thus extracted contain the meaty savor which is an appetizer and tonic.

Vegetables As Protein Food

Delicious soups may be made in this way, and from the standpoint of economy they are well worth while, as parts are used that ordinarily find their way to the garbage can. Outside lettuce leaves, celery tops, the tougher portions of asparagus, and even peapods may be boiled and from these portions will thus be obtained food elements that will greatly increase the total value of the vegetable. (See recipes, Chapter XXII.) Prepared in this economical way the vegetables no longer remain simply carbohydrate food, but may be made to supply to the body a comparatively large portion of nitrogenous material. It is interesting to note that, while the total food content of vegetable is often low, that of this low total, a high proportion may be protein, in the case of the leaf vegetable ranging from 25 to 50%. How important that none of this be lost!

Do Not Overcook

In cooking vegetables care should be taken that they are cooked until tender, but that they are not over-cooked or allowed to become water soaked. Unless a broth is desired, only enough water should be added to properly moisten the vegetable so that when cooking is complete there will be no excess to throw away. Cooking is often prolonged much beyond the necessary time and this at a high temperature which devitalizes the food and in no way increases its tenderness or desirability. The prolonged subjection to heat may even toughen it, as in the case of peas. Vigorous boiling longer than thirty minutes is said to destroy vitamines. Spinach is often cooked one to one and a half hours, when cooking from 20 to 30 minutes is usually quite sufficient leaving the vegetable much more desirable as a food, rich in vitamines and iron salts. (See recipe 51, Chapter XXII).

The actual energy value of vegetables varies within rather wide limits from the cabbage containing 2 to 5 calories to the ounce to the bean furnishing a food supply of 65 calories to the ounce.* Vegetables should be considered real food rather than merely a relish, and they may assume a place in the role of nutrition that they have never had when housewives learn to prepare them in such a way as to retain all their food elements.

*"We may safely compare the cost of the cereal grains or the legumes with each other, or with the tubers such as the potato, or the sweet potato, or with the root foods. It is not possible to compare the cost of any of these with milk or the leafy vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, Swiss chard, collards, Brussels sprouts, onions, lettuce, celery tops, spinach, turnip tops and other vegetables employed as greens. Milk and the leafy vegetables are to be regarded as protective foods.

The leaves should not be regarded as foods of low value because their content of protein, fat and carbohydrate is low, and the content of water high. . . . But they have a peculiar value which makes them stand in a class by themselves among the vegetable foodstuffs." - MeCollum.