Page:The Road to Wellville (1926).djvu/73



expenditures are investments in health and happiness, if wisely made. Thrift lies in getting full nutritional value for the money spent. Inexpensive foods are often more wholesome than luxuries. For instance, milk and cereals supply proteins more cheaply than meat and “throw in” more mineral salts and vitamins. Also the cheaper cuts of meat, cooked in savory stews and pot roasts, are just as nutritious as expensive cutlets and tenderloins.

For vitamins, humble cabbage and canned tomato can hold their own in any company, competing even with the orange. The latter has the advantage of being at its best served raw. There is no temptation to cook it and destroy the vitamin C. Its flavor, fragrance, and mild acidity make its frequent appearance on the menu welcome, especially at breakfast. The cheaper sources of vitamin C should be used often for luncheon and dinner.

Vegetables and fruits should be used abundantly in the season when they are most plentiful and cheapest. This means economy but also ingenuity and good cookery to prevent monotony of service. Canned vegetables may be used combined in the menu with fresh raw foods. Carrots and potatoes, onions and turnips, and the faithful cereals we have always with us.