The Sunday Notes
Sackman tells the reader to read these. “Each chapter has a brief introduction, written from the standpoint of health; nearly every Sunday has a note, also written with health in mind.” On the page they are easy to miss — a paragraph of prose at the foot of a Sunday, after seven days of dish names. Together they are the argument of the book.
Balanced Meatless Menus—Summer: Week One
In these menus butter may be used when desired, whether mentioned or not. The same is true of salad dressings. Salads may be dressed to suit, but it is best to omit vinegar, using instead lemon juice or some other tart fruit juice.
Balanced Meatless Menus—Summer: Week Two
Some will say that menus like these do not contain sufficient nourishment, but it is a mistake to eat a great variety at a meal. Enough in quantity may be taken to suffice. All the elements necessary are found in these menus.
Balanced Meatless Menus—Summer: Week Three
These menus are for individuals in good health, or at least in fair health. Those who are truly ill need expert advice and supervision until they learn what to do for themselves. Such dishes as noodle custard with mushrooms and asparagus tips, and certain desserts would perhaps not be given to them.
Balanced Meatless Menus—Summer: Week Four
No matter how good the foods are and how well they are combined, if they are not well masticated and insalivated trouble may ensue. One of the most important dietetic rules is: Eat slowly and masticate well.
Balanced Meatless Menus—Summer: Week Five
This chapter has been devoted to meatless menus. Many believe that if they omit meat and fish from the dietary that will insure health, but this is a mistake. Especially bad are the "mock" vegetarian roasts made of legumes, grain, oil and perhaps vegetables. They are very difficult to digest.
Balanced Meatless Menus—Winter: Week One
Navy beans are very nourishing but somewhat difficult to digest. Those who can digest them may soak them and boil or bake them and use them as the main part of their meal. With them take only some cooked succulent vegetables and a raw vegetable salad.
Balanced Meatless Menus—Winter: Week Three
Those who are fond of lentils may boil or bake them after soaking. Season to taste and serve in the same combination as that given for navy beans.
Balanced Meatless Menus—Winter: Week Five
Many are fond of peanut butter. They may use it in place of dairy butter. It is a very nourishing food but a little more difficult to digest than the dairy butter.
Balanced Menus with Meat—Summer: Week One
Meat or fish may be permitted in every dinner, but those who wish to do well by themselves will not eat meat daily in hot weather. Eggs, or cheese, or milk, or nut meats or large servings of either lima beans or butter beans will take the place of meat.
Balanced Menus with Meat—Summer: Week Two
Many believe that meat is very nourishing and essential to growth, strength and health. This is a mistake. Meat is eaten so extensively because it is a habit. Ordinarily meat is not very nourishing but it is rather stimulating; it also produces autointoxication in the body more quickly than any other food.
Balanced Menus with Meat—Summer: Week Three
In preparing meat-vegetable stews cook the meat in one kettle and the vegetables together in another until done; then mix meat and vegetables and bring to boiling point. This method of cooking leaves all of the foods digestible.
Balanced Menus with Meat—Summer: Week Four
Shortcake is usually eaten after a heavy meal, which is a mistake. Shortcake should be taken as a meal in itself or else it should be eaten with a salad or with some cooked succulent vegetables or perhaps after partaking of some soup. To take shortcake after a meal of meat, bread and potatoes overtaxes the digestive apparatus.
Balanced Menus with Meat—Summer: Week Five
It is best to select only the lean meats for summer consumption. Pork should seldom be eaten during this season. If ham is taken it is best to trim off the fat. Use no greasy thickened gravies and never cook vegetables with grease, which includes fat meats.
Balanced Menus with Meat—Winter: Week One
The fresh vegetables are better than the canned ones and should be used when obtainable. Fresh vegetables are in the market the entire year now and as the country becomes better settled they will be reasonably priced at all seasons.
Balanced Menus with Meat—Winter: Week Two
It is customary to serve plenty of the canned fruits in winter. Fresh fruits or good dried ones are preferable. If care is not exercised the canned fruits easily ferment.
Balanced Menus with Meat—Winter: Week Three
Those who have heavy aluminum ware can do what is called waterless cooking. They can heat the roaster or the kettle very hot and sear the meat and then turn the flame low and allow the meat to cook until it is very tender.
Balanced Menus with Meat—Winter: Week Four
To some the term "waterless cooking" seems ridiculous because they think that this is impossible. But vegetables can be cooked by this process so that they are very delicious. Wash them, cut them up, put them in the thick aluminum kettle, heat it well and then turn the flame low and the vegetables will be nicely cooked. Use very little seasoning or none at all when cooking in this way.
Balanced Menus with Meat—Winter: Week Five
We do not recommend coffee. When the term Café noir or demi-tasse or Café au lait are used, prepare a coffee from which the caffeine has been removed, or one of the cereal coffees.
Meatless, to Gain Weight—Summer: Week One
If you desire chocolate and have only cocoa on hand remember that cocoa plus fat equals chocolate. Two tablespoonsful of cocoa and a teaspoonful of butter mixed will give approximately the food value of an ounce of chocolate. The flavor is almost exactly the same as that of chocolate.
Meatless, to Gain Weight—Summer: Week Two
If there is no sour cream on hand when sour cream dressing is desired, add some lemon juice to sweet cream and this will make a satisfactory substitute.
Meatless, to Gain Weight—Summer: Week Three
Milk helps to increase the weight but there are many who do not relish fresh milk nor do they care for the naturally clabbered milk. They can make a very nice milk product by taking fresh milk and adding enough lemon juice to thicken the milk, which occurs through curdling.
Meatless, to Gain Weight—Summer: Week Four
Lima beans and butter beans are very nourishing. During the summer season the fresh ones are in the market and they make a very nice addition to the menu of those who desire to gain weight. Do not cook them in grease but dress them with butter or cream after they are cooked.
Meatless, to Gain Weight—Summer: Week Five
Consequently, those who are trying to gain weight may make free use of butter, corn oil, cotton seed oil or olive oil. The various oils may be used in dressings such as mayonnaise, if that is desired.
Oil may be used to dress both fruits and vegetables and some even eat it with their bread or other starchy foods.
Meatless, to Gain Weight—Winter: Week One
Ordinarily navy beans should be eaten with plenty of vegetables and nothing else. When a person is gaining weight another starch may be used in the same meal. Please remember that the menus for gaining weight are not balanced. The same is true of the menus for reducing weight.
Meatless, to Gain Weight—Winter: Week Two
The reason is that they are helpful in adding flesh. Milk in combination with other foods is fattening; cream is even more fattening. If thickening is added to the soup, that makes it even more nourishing.
Meatless, to Gain Weight—Winter: Week Three
Oil is the most fattening of all the foods we have. For this reason oily dressings may freely be used by those who are attempting to add a few pounds to their weight. Acid tends to reduce weight and for this reason acids should be used sparingly in the dressings.
Meatless, to Gain Weight—Winter: Week Four
Gingered figs served with whipped cream There are a few of the fruits which are very nourishing and hence fattening. The rule is that the sweeter the fruit the more fattening it is, and in accordance with this rule sweet prunes, raisins, figs and dates are the most fattening fruits. Bananas are about as nourishing and fattening as white potatoes.
Meatless, to Gain Weight—Winter: Week Five
Butter may be used freely by those who desire to grow heavier. It is one of the most nourishing of foods. If it were not for the salt and water contained in the butter this fat would be as nourishing as olive oil.
With Meat, to Gain Weight—Summer: Week One
It is necessary to drink enough to give the body a sufficient amount of fluid to balance the food intake. It is never well to drink to excess, but those who are gaining weight can with benefit drink an additional glass or two of water or fruit punch each day.
With Meat, to Gain Weight—Summer: Week Two
In many instances it is the excessive exercise that keeps them thin. Reasonable exercise is good, but in gaining weight do not go to extremes.
With Meat, to Gain Weight—Summer: Week Three
Many fail to gain weight because they worry and fret and give way to anxiety so much. It is far easier to gain weight when the mind is tranquil than it is with the emotions upset. Cultivate serenity of mind.
With Meat, to Gain Weight—Summer: Week Four
Many have the idea that meat is very helpful in gaining health, strength and weight. It has no great virtue in these lines. Meat contains considerable protein and hence it gives one compound to the body, but it is not as important as most persons think.
With Meat, to Gain Weight—Summer: Week Five
It is a racial habit with us to consume great amounts of meat. But please remember that lean meat is not especially fattening. An ounce of pecans contains as much nourishing or fattening material as four ounces of ordinary lean meat. It is best not to eat meat every day in summer time.
With Meat, to Gain Weight—Winter: Week One
We have called your attention to the fact that the combinations here given are recommended only for gaining weight. For instance, potatoes and rice pudding are both starchy and under ordinary circumstances not to be eaten in the same meal.
With Meat, to Gain Weight—Winter: Week Two
Butter is a very fattening food. Because it contains some water and salt it is not as fattening, ounce for ounce, as olive oil or any other edible oil, but it ranks next to them.
With Meat, to Gain Weight—Winter: Week Three
Olive oil has the highest reputation and a very honorable history but peanut oil, cotton seed oil and corn oil are also good foods and very fattening.
With Meat, to Gain Weight—Winter: Week Four
Frying is always bad because fried foods are so difficult to digest. Frying sears the food cells so that the digestive juices have difficulty in breaking them down, and for this reason it is a poor method of cooking.
With Meat, to Gain Weight—Winter: Week Five
Many will say that they fry their foods in butter or olive oil and hence that it is not harmful. The truth is that it is just as injurious to fry in butter or vegetable oils as it is to fry in lard. It is the frying itself that is bad; not the origin of the fat.
Meatless, for Reducing—Summer: Week Two
Another method of reducing is to eat nothing but juicy fruits three times a day, but no sugar is to be added.
Meatless, for Reducing—Winter: Week One
A small amount of starch may be consumed while reducing, and a little of this is permitted in these menus. Those who wish to reduce very fast can omit all potatoes, breadstuffs and other starches.
Meatless, for Reducing—Winter: Week Two
Nuts are among the most fattening and nourishing of foods, but a few of them may be eaten for variety's sake while reducing. If they are taken in large amounts and frequently they maintain the weight.
Meatless, for Reducing—Winter: Week Three
All dressings containing edible oils are fattening. If the one who is reducing hungers for them, take them occasionally but not in large quantities.
Meatless, for Reducing—Winter: Week Four
Prunes, raisins, figs, dates and bananas are also fattening, but this does not mean that those who desire to lose weight need to tabu all of them.
Meatless, for Reducing—Winter: Week Five
Bran muffins should contain as little flour as possible to act as binder. Flour is fattening, and so are bran muffins rich in flour. Shortening and fatty dressings should be reduced to the minimum while the person is losing weight.
With Meat, for Reducing—Summer: Week One
Natural gravy is the unthickened liquor that results from roasting meat. It is often very fat and then it should be skimmed. If flour or starch is added the gravy is fattening, and often difficult to digest.
With Meat, for Reducing—Summer: Week Two
Some fattening foods are permitted in these menus, but their quantity is limited, and hence a person can reduce in spite of them. For instance, when triscuits are recommended the number of biscuits is limited.
With Meat, for Reducing—Summer: Week Three
Less food is needed when the weather is warm than at other times, for no food is needed for heating purposes when the mercury climbs high.
With Meat, for Reducing—Summer: Week Four
Nuts are mentioned in these menus. Those who are reducing should not eat more than one ounce of nut meats at a time, for the nuts are so nourishing that large portions will prevent the loss of weight.
With Meat, for Reducing—Summer: Week Five
A reminder: Those who are reducing should take oils and fats sparingly. Those who wish to reduce quickly should omit these foods entirely for a month or two. Sweetening is also contraindicated during rapid reduction.
With Meat, for Reducing—Winter: Week Two
Many have the habit of eating between meals; they also taste foods while preparing them. This should not be done by those who wish to reduce.
With Meat, for Reducing—Winter: Week Three
Bread eating is largely a habit. Many think they should add bread to the menus, whether it is mentioned or not, but this is not to be done. Omit the breadstuffs when they are not specified.
Fruit, Starch and Protein Menus: A Week of Menus
Those who follow the menus in this chapter often complain of losing weight at first, but sooner or later they can adjust themselves through learning how much food they need. The sweet fruits (such as prunes, raisins, figs, dates and persimmons) are very nourishing.