The Allinson Vegetarian Cookery Book | Page 4

but there are a
number of dishes introduced which can hardly claim to be hygienic; it
has to be left to the good judgment of the readers to use them on rare
occasions only, and it will be better for the health of each individual if
the plainer dishes only are prepared for the daily table. I wish here to
impress on vegetarians, and those who wish to give the diet a trial, not
to eat much pulse; this is the rock on which many "would-be
vegetarians" come to grief. They take these very concentrated,
nitrogenous foods in rather large quantities, because they have an idea
that only they will support them when the use of meat is abandoned.
They are foods which, to be beneficial to the system of the consumer,
require a great deal of muscular exertion on his part. The results to
persons of sedentary habits of eating pulse foods often are indigestion,
heavy and dull feelings, and general discomfort. In my own household
butter beans, the most concentrated of all foods, come on the table
perhaps once a month, lentils or peas perhaps once a week. None but

those persons who have strong digestive organs should eat pulse foods
at all; and then only when they have plenty of physical work to do. I
have known several people who tried vegetarianism who have given up
the trial in despair, and, when I inquired closely into the causes, the
abuse of pulse food was generally the chief one.
I will now give a list of the composition of the various foods, which
may be instructive and useful to those to whom the study of dietetics is
new, as well as to vegetarians who may wish to use it for reference.
The list is copied from a little pamphlet by A.W. Duncan, published by
the Vegetarian Society in Manchester.
BUTCHERS' MEAT AND FISH.
Flesh F.
100 Parts Albuminoids. Gristle, Fat. Extractives, Mineral
Water. Contain Ossein, etc. &c. Matter.
Mutton Chop 7.6 1.2 42.0 4.1 1.0 44.1 Mutt'n C.Bone -- 18.7 9.0 --
40.1 32.2 Beef 8.0 7.0 30.0 -- 5.0 50.0 Pork 4.5 5.5 50.0 -- 1.5 38.5
Fowl 14.0 7.0 -- -- 2.5 76.5
Mackerel 13.5 12.5 2.2
3.1 68.7
Herring 10.0 7.0 --
2.0 81.0
Bacon 8.1 65.2 3.8
0.6 22.3



Heat-producers
100 Parts Flesh- Starch, Fat. Mineral Indigestible
Water. Contain formers. Sugar, &c. Matter. Fibre.
GRAINS.
Wheat, White
English 11.0 69.0 1.2 1.7 2.6 14.5 Fine Flour,
from
white
soft Wheat 10.5 74.3 0.8 0.7 0.7 13.0 Coarse Bran 15.0 44.0
4.0 6.0 17.0 14.0 Household
Flour, J.B. 16.2 69.0 1.1 0.7 0.5 11.8

Oatm'l, fresh
Scotch 16.1 63.0 10.1 2.1 3.7 5.0 Buckwheat,
husk
free 15.2 63.6 3.4 2.3 2.1 13.4 Pearl Barley 6.2 76.0 1.3 1.1 0.8 14.6
Barley Meal 11.7 71.0 1.7 0.5 0.1 15.0 Rye flour 10.5 71.0 1.6 1.6 2.3
13.0 Maize 9.0 64.5 5.0 2.0 5.0 14.5 Rice, cleaned 7.5 76.0 0.5 0.5 0.9
14.6
PULSE.
Peas 22.4 51.3 2.5 3.0 6.5 14.3 Lentils 24.0 49.0 2.6 3.0 6.9 14.5
Haricots 23.0 52.3 2.3 2.9 5.5 14.0
NUTS.
Walnuts[F] 12.5 8.9 31.6 1.7 0.8 44.5 Filberts[F] 8.4 11.1 28.5 1.5 2.5
48.0 Cocoa Nut,
solid kernel 5.5 8.1 35.9 1.0 2.9 46.6
ROOTS AND TUBERS.
Potatoes, K. 1.8 20.6 0.2 1.0 0.7 75.7 Turnips,
white 0.5 4.0 0.1 0.8
1.8 92.8 Carrots 0.5 5.0 0.2 1.0 4.3 89.0 Parsnips 1.2 8.7 1.5 1.0 5.6
81.0 Beetroot 0.4 13.4 0.1 3.0 0.9 82.2 Jerusalem
Artichokes 2.0 14.4
0.5 1.1 2.0 80.0 Onions 1.5 4.8 0.2 0.5 2.0 91.0 Radishes, C. 0.5 1.0 --
1.1 2.2 95.0
LEAVES, STEMS, STALKS, AND WHOLE PLANTS.
Cabbage 1.5 5.8 0.5 1.2 2.0 89.0 Sea Kale 2.4 2.8 -- 0.6 0.9 93.3 Celery
1.2 3.8 -- 0.8 0.9 93.3 Mushrooms 5.0 3.8 0.7 0.5 -- 90.0 Lettuce 0.7
1.0 0.2 1.0 0.5 96.0 Watercress 1.7 2.7 0.5 1.3 0.7 93.1 Irish Moss 9.4
55.4 -- 14.2 2.2 18.8 Rhubarb[A] 0.9 2.1 -- 0.5 1.1 95.1
FRUITS.
Apples 0.4 12.0 1.0[B] 0.4 3.2