Human Foods and Nutrition

Contents: Preface. Introduction. 1. Nutrition is now a science. 2. Our food needs are measured by the nutrition yardstick. 3. Many American diets lack necessary nutrients. 4. Proper nutrition is necessary for energy. 5. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins supply energy. 6. There is a variety of proteins in our foods. 7. Minerals perform two of the three functions of food. 8. The vitamins are the most recently discovered nutrients. 9. Each of the vitamins has definite functions in the body. 10. There are seven basic food groups. 11. Meals should be planned. 12. Digestion is a story of chemical change. 13. Many health aspects are related to our food. 14. Normal body weight makes for health. 15. Food production and conservation contribute to nutrition. 16. We need to safeguard our food. 17. You cannot believe everything you hear about food.

"The purpose of this book is to offer its readers a thoroughly adequate and up-to-date view of the human foods and nutrition.

The need for better nutrition is not limited to those individuals who are ill fed or to the millions whose diets are borderline in character. Nutrition concerns all the people all the time, and it probably concerns more people more directly than any other problem or activity.

Through this book we seek to meet the following general objectives of nutrition education:

To become sufficiently informed about the scientific knowledge of foods and nutrition to be able to exercise sound judgement in food habits. To develop an understanding of how to appraise one's daily food intake to determine its adequacy. To develop the habit of selecting a well balanced diet. To develop an understanding of the principles involved in food production, food conservation, food sanitation, and related problems. To develop co-operation between the school, the home and the community in furthering desirable food and nutrition education."  (jacket)