Mineral matter is supplied in sufficient quantity in almost all classes of foods.
Cereals and legumes supply nutrients at less price than any class of foods; therefore a vegetarian diet involves less expense than the mixed diet. An entirely vegetarian diet, however, gradually induces a condition of muscular weakness in many people, resulting in a loss of strength. A well-proportioned mixed diet is best to give strength and activity of both body and mind.
Meat, eggs, and milk, which usually supply the proteins, are the most expensive foods, and when these, for any cause, are eliminated, a large proportion of proteins should be supplied by the legumes.
Wheat
Perhaps no food is as commonly used as wheat in its various forms. It is composed of:
1. The nitrogenous or protein compound, chiefly represented in the cerealin and the gluten of the bran. This is removed from white flour and from much of the so-called “whole wheat” flour.
2. The starch—the center or white part of the kernel.
3. The fats, occurring chiefly in the germ of the grain.
4. The phosphorus compounds, iron, and lime, found in the bran.