For many reasons it is impossible for a housewife to make an exact calculation of the amount of nourishment which she gives her family. The figures in even the most carefully made tables are, of necessity, averages or approximates, for food varies in quality in different localities and at different seasons. Moreover, the figures in the various government reports upon food values and in books giving such statistics differ somewhat, nevertheless, there is sufficient general agreement upon which to base an intelligent effort to make wise as well as agreeable menus.

On this account, a housewife who is neither very learned nor very experienced can yet wisely regulate her menus by keeping in mind the general character of a day's nourishment and helping out her lack of chemical knowledge with a table of food values such as the one below. The general aim in providing food, as has already been said, is to furnish all the varieties of nourishment which the body requires and the chief ones in about the proportion of a fifth protein to a fifth fat to three-fifths carbohydrates. That is, either the per cent. of protein or the per cent. of fat multiplied by three should about equal the carbohydrates. This is, of course, a very rough and general way of estimating, but I believe it to be a practical way to begin the study and application of a branch of difficult and as yet slightly established knowledge.

Transcriber's Note: The column title "Carbohydrates" was shortened to "Carb." to make table less wide.

Food Materials. Refuse. Water. Protein. Fat. Carb. Ash.
Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent.
Beef:
Chuck ribs 16.3 52.6 15.5 15.0 .... 0.8
Ribs 20.8 43.8 13.9 21.2 .... .7
Rib rolls .... 63.9 19.3 16.7 .... .9
Round 7.2 60.7 19.0 12.8 .... 1.0
Rump 20.7 45.0 13.8 20.2 .... .7
Shank, fore 36.9 42.9 12.8 7.3 .... .6
Porterhouse steak 12.7 52.4 19.1 17.9 .... .8
Sirloin steak 12.8 54.0 16.5 16.1 .... .9
Corned beef 8.4 49.2 14.3 23.8 .... 4.6
Canned corned beef .... 51.8 26.3 18.7 .... 4.0
Dried and smoked beef 4.7 53.7 26.4 6.9 .... 8.9
Veal:
Breast 21.3 52.0 15.4 11.0 .... .8
Leg 14.2 60.1 15.5 7.9 .... .9
Leg cutlets 3.4 68.3 20.1 7.5 .... 1.0
Mutton:
Flank 9.9 39.0 13.8 36.9 .... .6
Leg, hind 18.4 51.2 15.1 14.7 .... .8
Loin chops 16.0 42.0 13.5 28.3 .... .7
Lamb:
Breast 19.1 45.5 15.4 19.1 .... .8
Leg, hind 17.4 52.9 15.9 13.6 .... .9
Pork:
Ham 10.7 48.0 13.5 25.9 .... .8
Ham, smoked 13.6 34.8 14.2 33.4 .... 4.2
Shoulder 12.4 44.9 12.0 29.8 .... .7
Shoulder, smoked 18.2 36.8 13.0 26.6 .... 5.5
Loin chops 19.7 41.8 13.4 24.2 .... .8
Bacon, smoked 7.7 17.4 9.1 62.2 .... 4.1
Salt pork .... 7.9 1.9 86.2 .... 3.9
Sausage:
Bologna 3.3 55.2 18.2 19.7 3.8
Pork .... 39.8 13.0 44.2 1.1 2.2
Frankfort .... 57.2 19.6 18.6 1.1 3.4
Poultry:
Chicken, broilers 41.6 43.7 12.8 1.4 .... .7
Fowls 25.9 47.1 13.7 12.3 .... .7
Goose 17.6 38.5 13.4 29.8 .... .7
Turkey 22.7 42.4 16.1 18.4 .... .8
Fish:
Cod, dressed 29.9 58.5 11.1 .2 .... .8
Cod, salt 24.9 40.2 16.0 .4 .... 18.5
Halibut, steaks 17.7 61.9 15.3 4.4 .... .9
Mackerel, whole 44.7 40.4 10.2 4.2 .... .7
Shad, whole 50.1 35.2 9.4 4.8 .... .7
Herring, smoked 44.4 19.2 20.5 8.8 .... 7.4
Salmon, canned .... 63.5 21.8 12.1 .... 2.6
Sardines 5.0 53.6 23.7 12.1 .... 5.3
Shell fish:
Oysters .... 88.3 6.0 1.3 3.3 1.1
Clams .... 80.8 10.6 1.1 5.2 2.3
Crabs 52.4 36.7 7 .9 .6 1.5
Lobsters 61. 30.7 5.9 .7 .2 .8
Eggs: 11.2 65.5 13.1 9.3 .... .9
Dairy Products:
Butter .... 11.0 1.0 85.0 .... 3.0
Whole milk .... 87.0 3.3 4.0 5.0 .7
Skim milk .... 90.5 3.4 .3 5.1 .7
Buttermilk .... 91.0 3.0 .5 4.8 .7
Condensed milk .... 26.9 8.8 8.3 54.1 1.9
Cream .... 74.0 2.5 18.5 4.5 .5
Cheese, full cream .... 34.2 25.9 33.7 2.4 3.8
Flour, Meal, etc.:
Entire wheat flour .... 11.4 13.8 1.9 71.9 1.0
Graham flour .... 11.3 13.3 2.2 71.4 1.8
Wheat flour, roller process, high and medium grades .... 12.0 11.4 1.0 75.1 .5
Low grade .... 12.0 14.0 1.9 71.2 .9
Macaroni, vermicelli, etc. .... 10.3 13.4 .9 74.1 1.3
Wheat breakfast food .... 9.6 12.1 1.8 75.2 1.3
Buckwheat flour .... 13.6 6.4 1.2 77.9 .9
Rye flour .... 12.9 6.8 .9 78.7 .7
Corn meal .... 12.5 9.2 1.9 75.4 1.0
Oat breakfast food .... 7.7 16.7 7.3 66.2 2.1
Rice .... 12.3 8.0 .3 79.0 .4
Tapioca .... 11.4 .4 .1 88.0 .1
Bread:
White .... 35.3 9.2 1.3 53.1 1.1
Brown .... 43.6 5.4 1.8 47.1 2.1
Graham .... 35.7 8.9 1.8 52.1 1.5
Whole wheat .... 38.4 9.7 .9 49.7 1.3
Rye .... 35.7 9.0 .6 53.2 1.5
Sugars, etc.
Molasses .... .... .... .... 70.0 ....
Honey .... .... .... .... 81.0 ....
Sugar, granulated .... .... .... .... 100.0 ....
Maple syrup .... .... .... .... 71.4 ....
Vegetables:
Beans, dried .... 12.6 22.51 .8 59.6 3.5
Beans, lima, shelled .... 68.5 7.1 .7 22.0 1.7
Beans, string 7.0 83.0 2.1 .3 6.9 .7
Baked beans, canned .... 68.9 6.9 2.5 19.6 2.1
Beets 20.0 70.0 1.3 .1 7.7 .9
Cabbage 15.0 77.7 1.4 .2 4.8 .9
Celery 20.0 75.6 .9 .1 2.6 .8
Corn, green, edible portion .... 75.4 3.1 1.1 19.7 .7
Cucumbers 15.0 81.1 .7 .2 2.6 .4
Lettuce 15.0 80.5 1.0 .2 2.5 .8
Mushrooms .... 88.1 3.5 .4 6.8 1.2
Onions 10.0 78.9 1.4 .3 8.9 .5
Parsnips 20.0 66.4 1.3 .4 10.8 1.1
Peas, shelled .... 74.6 7.0 .5 16.9 1.0
Peas, canned .... 85.3 3.6 .2 9.8 1.1
Potatoes 20.0 62.6 1.8 .1 14.7 .8
Rhubarb 40.0 56.6 .4 .4 2.2 .4
Sweet potatoes 20.0 55.2 1.4 .6 21.9 .9
Spinach .... 92.3 2.1 .3 3.2 2.1
Squash 50.0 44.2 .7 .2 4.5 .4
Tomatoes .... 94.3 .9 .4 3.9 .5
Tomatoes, canned .... 94.0 1.2 .2 4.0 .6
Turnips 30.0 62.7 .9 .1 5.7 .6
Fruits, Berries, etc.:
Apples 25.0 63.3 .3 .3 10.8 .3
Apples, dried .... 28.1 1.6 2.2 66.1 2.0
Bananas 35.0 48.9 .8 .4 14.3 .6
Grapes 25.0 58.0 1.0 1.2 14.4 .4
Lemons 30.0 62.5 .7 .5 5.9 .4
Muskmelons 50.0 44.8 .3 .... 4.6 .3
Oranges 27.0 63.4 .6 .1 8.5 .4
Pears 10.0 76.0 .5 .4 12.7 .4
Raspberries .... 85.8 1.0 .... 12.6 .6
Strawberries 5.0 85.9 .9 .6 7.0 .6
Watermelons 59.4 37.5 .2 .1 2.7 .1
Apricots, dried .... 29.4 4.7 1.0 62.5 2.4
Dates 10.0 13.8 1.9 2.5 70.6 1.2
Figs .... 18.8 4.3 .3 74.2 2.4
Raisins 10.0 13.1 2.3 3.0 68.5 3.1
Nuts:
Almonds 45.0 2.7 11.5 30.2 9.5 1.1
Chestnuts 16.0 37.8 5.2 4.5 35.4 1.1
Cocoanuts 48.8 7.2 2.9 25.9 14.3 .9
Cocoanut, prepared .... 3.5 6.3 57.4 31.5 1.3
Hickory nuts 62.2 1.4 5.8 25.5 4.3 .8
Peanuts 24.5 6.9 19.5 29.1 18.5 1.5
Walnuts, black 74.1 .6 7.2 14.6 3.0 .5
Walnuts, English 58.1 1.0 6.9 26.6 6.8 .6
Chocolate .... 5.9 12.9 48.7 30.3 2.2
Cocoa, powdered .... 4.6 21.6 28.9 37.7 7.2

A table given as this one, in percentages instead of quantities, may seem at first sight too indefinite to be of much service to a housekeeper who naturally wishes to know the quantity of food to give her household as well as the proportions of its composition. I have purposely avoided giving a food table which deals with quantities because I believe this one to be more useful to a beginner. One's first calculations in food values can hardly be other than approximate and inexact. Not many girls, when they begin their housekeeping, have either the time or the ability to make the calculations which even the simplest schemes for computing a dietary require. Besides, an effort to provide scientifically correct meals on the part of a housewife to whom the effort is unfamiliar and difficult is apt to produce monotony in the meals, worry in her, and disregard and forgetfulness of the family's particular tastes.

A first and simple step for her to take is to make herself familiar with the chief value of different articles of food and of the more usual combinations. When she takes this last matter into consideration she will find that many combinations which are traditional, which were probably made merely by instinct, are, when tested, palatable wisdom. For instance, bread is a very complete food in itself except that it is a little lacking in fat, but people have been spreading butter on it for centuries, and thereby completing it.

Consider the traditional combination of baked beans and brown bread. Referring to the table we find beans a fairly well-balanced food, but a little lacking in fat. In brown bread neither the protein nor the fat come anywhere near being a third of the carbohydrates. Therefore, when we combine these two articles we shall be a little lacking in protein and a good deal lacking in fat. Butter on the bread will help this last difficulty and the wisdom of our ancestors will help out the rest. What did they combine with these two? Codfish cakes, to be sure. And in these there is codfish which has a good deal of protein in it; egg which has protein and fat; butter which is chiefly fat and potato which is chiefly carbohydrates. We might make a diagram of it, like this:

Cod fish Protein
EggProtein Fat
Butter Fat
Potato Carbohydrates

As a dish to combine with two articles somewhat lacking in protein and fat, we may feel ourselves content with this.