Page:800 proved pecan recipes- their place in the menu (IA 0519PECA).pdf/32

 mented by fresh fruits and vegetables will supply his needs in these respects, and will give him more of the toning up effect of mineral salts and vita- mines than any other diet. It is to be remembered, however, that pecans are a highly concentrated food, and therefore it is well to assure a supply of cellulose and water, in which they are naturally lacking, through the use of green vegetables and fruits.

The most advanced students of nutrition have not been satisfied to measure food alone by calorie value. They have not been satisfied to know only how much protein a certain food contained, they have asked, “What is the nature of the protein? How readily available is that protein?” They have not been satisfied to compare the pecan with the egg—usually considered as the acme of food value—and note that the pecan has almost an equal percentage of protein; nearly twice as high a percentage of fat, and a far higher calorie value. And the more they investigate, the more evident does the superiority of the pecan as a staple food become,

Consider for a moment the protein of the pecan. For centuries it has been said that “bread is the staff of life,” and that whole wheat bread is the most healthful form of bread. Yet the percentage of protein in a pecan is practically equal to the percentage of protein in whole wheat flour; and is almost double the percentage in buckwheat or rye; and one and almost a half times the percent-