| Cereal is the name given to those seeds used as food | | | | deference to the opinion of such people, it may be |
| (wheat, rye, oats, barley, corn, rice, etc.), which are | | | | stated that the difficulty often lies in the fact that the |
| produced by plants belonging to the vast order known | | | | grain was either not properly cooked, not properly |
| as the grass family. They are used for food both in | | | | eaten, or not properly accompanied. A grain, simply |
| the unground state and in various forms of mill | | | | because it is a grain, is by no means warranted to |
| products. | | | | faithfully fulfil its mission unless properly treated. Like |
| The grains are pre-eminently nutritious, and when well | | | | many another good thing excellent in itself, if found in |
| prepared, easily digested foods. In composition they | | | | bad company, it is prone to create mischief, and in |
| are all similar, but variations in their constituent elements | | | | many cases the root of the whole difficulty may be |
| and the relative amounts of these various elements, | | | | found in the excessive amount of sugar used with the |
| give them different degrees of alimentary value. They | | | | grain. |
| each contain one or more of the nitrogenous elements, | | | | Sugar is not needed with grains to increase their |
| gluten, albumen, caseine, and fibrin, together with starch, | | | | alimentary value. The starch which constitutes a large |
| dextrine, sugar, and fatty matter, and also mineral | | | | proportion of their food elements must itself be |
| elements and woody matter, or cellulose. The | | | | converted into sugar by the digestive processes |
| combined nutritive value of the grain foods is nearly | | | | before assimilation, hence the addition of cane sugar |
| three times that of beef, mutton, or poultry. As regards | | | | only increases the burden of the digestive organs, for |
| the proportion of the food elements necessary to | | | | the pleasure of the palate. The Asiatics, who subsist |
| meet the various requirements of the system, grains | | | | largely upon rice, use no sugar upon it, and why should |
| approach more nearly the proper standard than most | | | | it be considered requisite for the enjoyment of wheat, |
| other foods; indeed, wheat contains exactly the | | | | rye, oatmeal, barley, and other grains, any more than it |
| correct proportion of the food elements. | | | | is for our enjoyment of bread or other articles made |
| Being thus in themselves so nearly perfect foods, and | | | | from these same grains? Undoubtedly the use of |
| when properly prepared, exceedingly palatable and | | | | grains would become more universal if they were |
| easy of digestion, it is a matter of surprise that they | | | | served with less or no sugar. The continued use of |
| are not more generally used; yet scarcely one family in | | | | sugar upon grains has a tendency to cloy the appetite, |
| fifty makes any use of the grains, save in the form of | | | | just as the constant use of cake or sweetened bread |
| flour, or an occasional dish of rice or oatmeal. This use | | | | in the place of ordinary bread would do. Plenty of nice, |
| of grains is far too meager to adequately represent | | | | sweet cream or fruit juice, is a sufficient dressing, and |
| their value as an article of diet. Variety in the use of | | | | there are few persons who after a short trial would |
| grains is as necessary as in the use of other food | | | | not come to enjoy the grains without sugar, and would |
| material, and the numerous grain preparations now to | | | | then as soon think of dispensing with a meal altogether |
| be found in market render it quite possible to make this | | | | as to dispense with the grains. |
| class of foods a staple article of diet, if so desired, | | | | Even when served without sugar, the grains may not |
| without their becoming at all monotonous. | | | | prove altogether healthful unless they are properly |
| In olden times the grains were largely depended upon | | | | eaten. Because they are made soft by the process of |
| as a staple food, and it is a fact well authenticated by | | | | cooking and on this account do not require masticating |
| history that the highest condition of man has always | | | | to break them up, the first process of digestion or |
| been associated with wheat-consuming nations. The | | | | insalivation is usually overlooked. But it must be |
| ancient Spartans, whose powers of endurance are | | | | remembered that grains are largely composed of |
| proverbial, were fed on a grain diet, and the Roman | | | | starch, and that starch must be mixed with the saliva, |
| soldiers who under Caesar conquered the world, | | | | or it will remain undigested in the stomach, since the |
| carried each a bag of parched grain in his pocket as | | | | gastric juice only digests the nitrogenous elements. For |
| his daily ration. | | | | this reason it is desirable to eat the grains in connection |
| Other nationalities at the present time make extensive | | | | with some hard food. Whole-wheat wafers, nicely |
| use of the various grains. Rice used in connection with | | | | toasted to make them crisp and tender, toasted rolls, |
| some of the leguminous seeds, forms the staple article | | | | and unfermented zwieback, are excellent for this |
| of diet for a large proportion of the human race. Rice, | | | | purpose. Break two or three wafers into rather small |
| unlike the other grain foods, is deficient in the | | | | pieces over each individual dish before pouring on the |
| nitrogenous elements, and for this reason its use needs | | | | cream. In this way, a morsel of the hard food may be |
| to be supplemented by other articles containing an | | | | taken with each spoonful of the grains. The |
| excess of the nitrogenous material. It is for this reason, | | | | combination of foods thus secured, is most pleasing. |
| doubtless, that the Chinese eat peas and beans in | | | | This is a specially advantageous method of serving |
| connection with rice. | | | | grains for children, who are so liable to swallow their |
| We frequently meet people who say they cannot use | | | | food without proper mastication. |
| the grains, that they do not agree with them. With all | | | | |