A properly balanced diet contains a regular supply of fat. The ideal diet determined by weight, height, occupation and general health of the individual contains just sufficient quantity of fat and carbohydrates to give the required amount of heat and energy. In popular terms, one-fifth of the diet should consist of fat. Much of this may be fat of vegetables or meats, but some of it should be butter fat or its equivalent, especially for children because of the vitamines it contains. Scientists agree that oleo oil also contains the growth-promoting elements.

The necessity of fat in the diet has been proven by numerous experiments. Animals lacking certain fats do not grow and cannot reproduce. Disastrous results have attended nations where shortage of supplies made it impossible to include the necessary fat in the diet.

Fats supply a large part of the heat and energy required, an ounce giving two and one-half times as much heat and energy as an ounce of carbohydrates. Butter, oleomargarine, nut margarines, pure leaf lard, bacon, salt pork, the fats of beef, mutton, pork and fowl, vegetable fats and oils and peanut butter are our principal sources of fat. A certain percentage is found in all nuts, cereals and vegetables. For the average healthy person fats are not difficult to digest if not taken in too large quantities and if the fat is properly used in the food.

SPREADS

Butter, oleomargarine, nut margarine and peanut butter are the spreads in general use. In a well balanced diet these may be used interchangeably. The food value is principally in the heat and energy furnished, which is practically equal in all the spreads. Butter and highest grade oleomargarine contain certain growth elements not found in the nut butter, but milk or the average well varied diet corrects this.

Butter is one of the best sources of fat for the daily diet. High grade creamery butter, such as Cloverbloom, is made in the heart of the rich dairy districts, from sweet pasteurized cream.

Oleomargarine has a well recognized place among spreads, due to a growing understanding among intelligent housewives as to its composition and the ideal conditions under which it is made. It is made by churning pure, sweet animal oils and vegetable oils in pasteurized milk and salting to taste. Since the housewife knows that materials used in oleomargarine are used daily in one form or another in her home and that it is given Government Inspection, oleomargarine has become a most generally used spread.

The vegetable or nut margarines are made from pure cocoanut and peanut oils churned in pasteurized milk. They are daily growing in public favor. The low moisture content of nut margarine and the care in preparation make it a rich and tasty spread. Nut-ola is the popular Armour nut margarine.

Peanut butter, although used as a spread, has become universally known as one of our most excellent protein sources to replace meat. Easily digested, it is not only popular with adults, but a good food for children.

THE PROPER FAT FOR EVERY COOKERY USE

For shortening purposes, fats are used to improve the texture of the product. The fat in the mixture protects the starch grains from the moisture until the proper time in baking, allowing the leavening agent to act and the starch grains to swell, resulting in a light even-textured product.

It is possible to use a great variety of fats for cooking. Animal fats have been popular shortenings. Recent fat shortage has acquainted us with the value of vegetable fats as shortening and in spreads. Armour’s vegetable fat is Vegetole. It contains the same fuel value and has the same shortening value as lard. Pure Leaf Lard or vegetable fats are the ideal shortenings. Salad Oil, highly refined vegetable fat, Oleomargarine, Nut-ola, butter, and drippings from bacon, ham, beef and pork are used with entire satisfaction for shortening purposes.

The fats best suited to deep frying and sautÉing are those which have a very high burning point. For general “all purpose” satisfaction, pure leaf lard ranks first. There is an Armour product especially suited to every cookery need.

FATS

Bacon drippings may be substituted for lard in frying, baking, or in gravies, providing the drippings are clarified and not too strong. A great many people prefer the flavor of bacon drippings to any other shortening.

Beef suet drippings, for reheating meats or for frying or shortening purposes, take the place of lard and are much more economical.

Pork fat, left from roast, chops or ham, can be used in the same manner.

Mutton drippings need no longer be set aside, since the housewife has learned how to sweeten them.

Smoky kitchens indicate the improper use of fat in cooking. Too high a temperature causes a chemical change to take place which results in smoke and disagreeable odor, and also renders the fat less digestible.

Put cold fat into a cold pan before placing it over the heat. Bringing into contact with the hot pan frequently results in burning the fat.

For deep frying and sautÉing, care should be taken not to heat the fat to too high a temperature, as burning decomposes the fat and renders it less digestible. In deep fat frying, place the food to be fried in the hot fat a small amount at a time. The addition of the cold food reduces the temperature of the fat.

Do not pile fried articles. Drain on unglazed paper.

Strain fat after using, save, and use again.

When fat is not hot enough, when mixture is too rich, when mixture is too moist, and when too much soda or baking powder has been used, deep-fried foods will take up too much fat and be greasy.

A piece of soft bread will brown in 40 seconds in deep fat that is just hot enough for cooked articles, or in 60 seconds in fat at the right temperature for uncooked foods.

Fat is too hot if it smokes.

To clarify the frying medium for second or third use, melt, add raw potato cut in quarter inch slices, and allow to heat gradually; when it ceases to bubble and the potatoes are well browned, strain through double cheesecloth, placed over the wire strainer into a pan.

SALAD OIL USED IN COOKING

Vegetable salad oil meets all the requirements for a rich, delicately flavored oil for salad dressing. Highly refined cottonseed oil and cocoanut oil are American products, made from highly refined vegetable oil. Both have proved entirely satisfactory and economical as salad oil. Highly refined cottonseed oil for frying has a high smoking point, and, properly used, gives off no unpleasant odor.

HOW TO USE FATS

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF ARMOUR FATS