A properly balanced diet contains a regular supply of fat. The ideal diet determined by weight, height, occupation and general health of the individual contains just sufficient quantity of fat and carbohydrates to give the required amount of heat and energy. In popular terms, one-fifth of the diet should consist of fat. Much of this may be fat of vegetables or meats, but some of it should be butter fat or its equivalent, especially for children because of the vitamines it contains. Scientists agree that oleo oil also contains the growth-promoting elements.
The necessity of fat in the diet has been proven by numerous experiments. Animals lacking certain fats do not grow and cannot reproduce. Disastrous results have attended nations where shortage of supplies made it impossible to include the necessary fat in the diet.
Fats supply a large part of the heat and energy required, an ounce giving two and one-half times as much heat and energy as an ounce of carbohydrates. Butter, oleomargarine, nut margarines, pure leaf lard, bacon, salt pork, the fats of beef, mutton, pork and fowl, vegetable fats and oils and peanut butter are our principal sources of fat. A certain percentage is found in all nuts, cereals and vegetables. For the average healthy person fats are not difficult to digest if not taken in too large quantities and if the fat is properly used in the food.
SPREADS
Butter, oleomargarine, nut margarine and peanut butter are the spreads in general use. In a well balanced diet these may be used interchangeably. The food value is principally in the heat and energy furnished, which is practically equal in all the spreads. Butter and highest grade oleomargarine contain certain growth elements not found in the nut butter, but milk or the average well varied diet corrects this.
Butter is one of the best sources of fat for the daily diet. High grade creamery butter, such as Cloverbloom, is made in the heart of the rich dairy districts, from sweet pasteurized cream.
Oleomargarine has a well recognized place among spreads, due to a growing understanding among intelligent housewives as to its composition and the ideal conditions under which it is made. It is made by churning pure, sweet animal oils and vegetable oils in pasteurized milk and salting to taste. Since the housewife knows that materials used in oleomargarine are used daily in one form or another in her home and that it is given Government Inspection, oleomargarine has become a most generally used spread.
The vegetable or nut margarines are made from pure cocoanut and peanut oils churned in pasteurized milk. They are daily growing in public favor. The low moisture content of nut margarine and the care in preparation make it a rich and tasty spread. Nut-ola is the popular Armour nut margarine.
Peanut butter, although used as a spread, has become universally known as one of our most excellent protein sources to replace meat. Easily digested, it is not only popular with adults, but a good food for children.
There is an Armour Oval Label Product for every need of fat in the diet or in cookery