Food Guide for War Service at Home / Prepared under the direction of the United States Food Administration in co-operation with the United States Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Education, with a preface by Herbert Hoover

by United States Food Administration; Katharine Blunt; Florence Powdermaker; Frances Lucy Swain

THE SITUATION IN THE UNITED STATES

The United States has great resources of vegetable oils, cottonseed, peanut, corn, and olive oil. It is this apparent plenty that makes it so difficult for many to visualize the shortage abroad. We are shipping about one-third of the lard which we produce, and large quantities of oleo oil for oleomargarine. Although the exports of butter in 1917 have almost been doubled since the preceding fiscal year, it is relatively unimportant, representing only about 1 per cent of the production. We are shipping cottonseed oil also, but this requires tank-steamers, which are scarce. In general, as the oils are much more difficult to handle and impossible for the armies to use, we must ship the solid animal fats.

The Individual's Part in Fat Conservation. Although at present there is butter and lard on the market, the need for conserving it is important, just as in the case of meat. Waste of any kind should be abhorrent to all of us at this time. There probably has been a greater waste of fat than of any other commodity, but it is encouraging to note that this waste has been decreased by conservation. The amount of fat in city garbage has gone down all over the country. In Columbus, Ohio, the fat in the garbage was almost 50 per cent less in 1917 than in 1916. In fourteen large cities with a total population of over 5,000,000 nearly 40 per cent less fat was recovered in March, 1918, than in March, 1917.

Not only can fat be saved by carefully avoiding every bit of waste, but less can actually be used. Fry food less, and bake, broil, or boil them more. Use vegetable oils. In a long view of the food situation, it is the animal fats that cause gravest concern, because of the years necessary to build up a herd. We must send as much fat abroad as possible, and create reserves for periods of shortage with a minimum depletion of our herds.

CHAPTER VI

SUGAR

Of all the foods which it is necessary to conserve, sugar is the easiest to do without. If the war and what it means has become part of a person's consciousness, he wishes only the bare essentials. Sugar is a luxury of former times which has become a commonplace to-day. The average use in the United States was 83 pounds per person last year—1-2/3 pounds a week—less than one hundred years ago the yearly consumption was 9 pounds. Sugar was a rare luxury. It will do no harm to regard it so again.