BREAD.

Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19565, 2 May 1935, Page 12

BREAD.

GREAT NUTRITIVE VALUE. WEIGHT REDUCING QUALITIES. '(By the Wheat Research Institute.) ■Most, people eat what they like, ■when they like, and as much as they like— 1 while 'bread or brown, calorics and vitamins have no interest for them. They are 'the sensible and lucky ones. Their luck is the greater that, they do not need to read this article in the, improbable event of their having commenced it. It is not for them. But while these people form the great majority, there are at the ends of the scale 'two sets of people who have -to consider what they eat and how much of it. First, there arc those people who, because of bad times, small means, or large families, wish to know how they can spend their money so as to get the greatest nutritive value for their expenditure on food; and there arc those people who from their mode of life, or from sedentary occupations, tend to become over-weight and so prejudice their health or offend their sense of beauty-

Kinds of Nutrients.

Foodstuffs consist of three main hydrates typified in the"' pure 'form by starch and sugar, and in a fairly pure ; ■ form by the dry matter in potatoes Then there are the proteids,« almost pure m Mio dry matter of white of fe‘- egg and fairly pure in the dry matter of lean meat; and, 'third, there are the ... fats, such as butter. 'Beside these there are various vitamins. No food •that we commonly use contains only j one of these Ingredients, although many of them have one ingredient preponderantly. For instance, bread ■contains 53 per cent, carbohydrate i/ and 7.8 per cent, proteins, and medium rump steak 16 per cent", proteins and 25 per 'Cent, of fats, the remainder In both cases being chiefly water, j.,'- The object of eating food is to provide energy for the body. The g : .‘ energy-giving power of food is mea- ;!■? sured In a unit called a calorie. Other ;P things being equal, the most valuable food Is that which produces the most • calories, and the most economical • food 13 that whloh produces the most y calories per penny. The fats give the - most calories per pound, and then a long way behind come the carbohydrates and the proteids almost equal. Pure fat contains 4160 -caiorles per pound; pure carbohydrate oontains 1810 calories perpounl; pure protein contains 1780 calories per pound. The following figures show the calories per pound of some copimon •foods. The figures are based on average values. For instance, it is average bacon that is considered; if it were fatter than usual its calorific value wo.uld be higher, and if leaner, then lower. Calories per -pound: 'Butter 3500. bacon (fat) 2700, cheese (wbolo milk) 2000, rump steak 2000, bread 1040,-fish G'9o, eggs 650, chicken 360, milk 300, potatoes 300, apples 195. The figures show: (1) The high calorific value of 'the foods containing ' much fat such as butter, fat bacon, cheese and meat; (2) the low calorific value of foods containing, much water, . such as tnllk, .potatoes and fruit; and (3) the outstanding cheapness of bread and potatoes per unit of energy.

Mixed Diet; '■ v , . It is not of course suggested that man can live by bread alone—or potatoes alone. Besides food for energy, there must be provided food for other purposes, tout bread is the cheapest basis for the best mixed diet. For instance, a daily diet for a working man 'can too made up as follows: Bread (lilb) 240 z, toutlor 2oz, lean meat 2oz, green vegetables 4oz; white vegetables, potatoes, artichoke, parsnips 4oz, milk (Jpint) lOoz, egg 1(1'). 2oz, fruits, apples, pears, etc.,:

lib. This diet provides the requisite proportions -of carbohydrates, pro-, telns, fats and vitamins. It provides the 3000 calories needed by ihe working man, and its basis is bread, which makes up exactly half the' diet, exclusive of the fruit. And the cost of the (bread Is only one-quarter of the whole diet,. 'Bread is the cheapest kind of nutrient that we can buy.

Control of Excess Weight.

To some people, 'however, the chief point O'? importance' about their food is not the cost of it, but its effect in producing excess weight. if more food is eaten than 'is required for perfect'maintenance then the'superfluous flesh put bn will be in almost direct ratio. If more fodcj than is required ifor perfect; health is eaten, then, for instance, an ounce of rump

-steak, with Its usual amount of fat, will put ion twice as much fat as an ounce of-i bread will, and an ounce of butter will put on three and a half times as much fat as an ounce of bread. The Idea that bread and potatoes are fattening is an entire misconception. This does not mean that butter and meat are to he entirely avoided by thrvso wishing to reduce weight. 'Butter contains essential vitamins; meat contains essential animal proteins; and much -harm can he done toy ■neglecting these essential foods- The difficulty with persons of excess weight Is to satisfy the cravings of appetite, and at the same time to eat food that does not tend to produce excessive fat, and bread is one of the foods that best fulfils these opposite demands. i

Reduction of weight by restricting food is a process that requires considerable care from a health point of view. Of course, If one is decidedly overweight the 'best thing is to take exercise at skipping—skipping meals. But if any one near his normal weight reduces his intake to 1800 or 1500 calories per day the diet must be carefully balanced if health Is to be maintained, and the best thing to do is to got a medical man to indicate the food required. If this Is done it will be found that * considerable proportion of the diet prescribed is made up of bread.