Protein from the Past

Think all this worrying about protein is a modern problem? Think again: this column from 1943 covers the problem of supplying families with adequate protein, combined with the problem of food scarcity during wartime famine. Think you've got it tough food-wise? And even though it's old, the column is filled with sensible guidelines and advice which are still considered true today.

So for those who are worried that their grocery habits are costing them in the protein department and can't get their heads around the concept of protein shakes and supplements, here's an old-fashioned way to compensate for a meatless diet:

If a man eats one egg, a quart of milk, half a cup of dried beans or soybeans, a cheese sandwich, a serving of fish or shellfish, a dish of whoelgrain [sic] cereal and four slices of bread, two of them wholewheat, a day he will get enough protein, even without any meat. 

In addition, the article offers some helpful advice for people cooking for themselves, even if protein isn't their main concern.

Make your family menus by the week if possible. Think first of what the family likes to eat and how much money you have to spend. Write out your menus and market list. Now study them. Do they supply enough nutrition for buoyant health? Check. Have you provided for the reasonable taste preferences of individual members of the family? Have you selected foods you know how to cook well? Check.

 Keep this World War II-era advice in mind as you try to clean up your dietary habits. Just because it's seventy years old doesn't make it any less relevant to you and your health, or to your wallet.

Mrs. Gaynor Maddox. (March 29, 1943). No One Will Starve Even Without Meat For There Are Varied Protein Sources. The Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved 2012-02-10 from http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gTUbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gUwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3904,4726171