"In order to judge the value of foods fairly not only the protein but the energy also must be compared. To supply energy cheese is one of the best of food products. On the basis of energy supplied, 1 pound of cheese equals—
1.98 pounds of sirloin steak.
2.61 pounds of round steak.
2.52 pounds of fowl.
1.17 pounds of smoked ham.
1.29 pounds of fresh ham."
All these discussions have applied to whole-milk Cheddar cheese. With minor reductions, much the same figures will hold for Swiss, Limburger, Brick, Munster, Edam.
On the other hand, very little has been published until recently on the skimmed-milk cheeses. The food value lost in skimmed-milk has at times been enormous. Many households purchase milk by the bottle, use the top-milk as cream and lose a part of the remainder. Similarly creameries have wasted tons of skimmed-milk. The recovery of the protein of this milk for human food is both good economy and an important addition to the dietary. The United States Department of Agriculture has recently published the following: "Cottage cheese is richer in protein than most meats and is very much cheaper. Every pound contains more than three ounces of protein, the source of nitrogen for body building. It is a valuable source of energy also, though not so high as foods with more fat. It follows that its value in this respect can be greatly increased by serving it with cream, as is so commonly done."
It is an open question whether the decline of cheese-making in America is not due to our failure to develop the use of skim and part-skim cheeses. The whole-milk cheeses are very rich in fat. Use of such cheese in quantity in connection with ordinary foods quickly leads to the ingestion of too much fat. The skimmed-milk cheeses are primarily protein food and as such substitutes for lean meat.
"The following table shows that cottage cheese is much cheaper than most meats in furnishing protein for the diet.
"For supplying protein, one pound of cottage cheese equals:
1.27 pounds sirloin steak.
1.09 pounds round steak.
1.37 pounds chuck rib beef.
1.52 pounds fowl.
1.46 pounds fresh ham.
1.44 pounds smoked ham.
1.58 pounds loin pork chop.
1.31 pounds hind leg of lamb.
1.37 pounds breast of veal.
"In addition to protein, energy for performing body work must be furnished by food. As a source of energy also, cottage cheese is cheaper than most meats at present prices. The following table shows the comparison when energy is considered.
"On the basis of energy supplied, one pound of cottage cheese equals: