e diet. The pleasant acidity of many fruits,
their delicate aroma, their beautiful form and coloring, the ease of
preparing them for the table, are qualities for which we may legitimately
prize them, though we may not spend money for them until actual nutritive
requirements are met. Dr. Simon Patten, in his _New Basis for
Civilisation_, ably expresses the value of appetizers: "Tomatoes, the
hothouse delicacy of the Civil War time, are doing now what many a bloody
revolution failed to accomplish; they have relieved the monotony of the
salt pork and boiled potatoes upon the poor man's table. The clear acid
flavor of the canned vegetable lightens ugly heaviness and adds tonic
gratifications for the lack of which men have let each other's blood."

As already remarked, those who have plenty of highly flavored meat are apt
to be satisfied by it or to demand stronger flavors (coffee, catsup,
pickles, and tobacco) than those found in fruits and vegetables. They are
also apt to spend so much money on meat that they have none left to buy
what seem to them unimportant items in the diet, and to have a much less
wholesome diet than they might have for the same money. Studies of
expenditures in many families show that a good rule to insure a well
balanced diet is to spend no more money for meat than one does for fruit
and vegetables. Also, it is well to remember that vegetables are usually
cheaper than fruits and that dried ones may largely take the place of
canned or fresh ones. For wholesome and economical living, have fruit of
some kind at least once a day and make the main dish of one meal a
vegetable dish whenever possible. Thick cream soups, souffles, creamed or
scalloped vegetables, are all substantial and appetizing. The way to learn
to like such foods is to keep trying. One may learn contentment with the
proverbial dinner of herbs more easily by realizing that one is building
valuable bricks into the house of diet; and in the present emergency one
may, by selection of fruits and vegetables of high energy value, save less
perishable foods for our soldiers and allies. The knowledge that a banana
is equivalent in calories to a large slice of bread or a small pat of
butter becomes tremendously significant; that an apple, an orange, four
prunes, four dates, or a cup of peas, may not only take the place of bread
but actually add something which the bread does not contain, means that we
may be the gainers from our own sacrifices, wit