EGGS

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VALUE OF EGGS AS FOOD

DESCRIPTION OF EGGS AND PLACE IN THE DIET

1. Eggs are of great importance in the diet, and to appreciate this fact
fully the true nature of this food must be understood. For domestic use,
the eggs of guinea hens, turkeys, ducks, and geese occasionally find
favor, but as eggs laid by hens are the kind that is commonly used, it
is to such eggs that this Section is devoted. A hen's egg may really be
considered as an undeveloped chicken, because it contains all the
elements required to build the body of the chick and provide it with the
energy it needs to pick its way into the world. When it emerges from the
shell, it is fully developed, and in a short time it begins an
independent existence, seeking and finding its own food. The fact that
eggs store so much nutritive material explains to some extent why they
are a valuable source of food for man and why they are used so
extensively. However, as in the case of milk, the elements that eggs
contain are not in just the right proportion for the sole nourishment of
a human being, so they must generally be used in combination with
other foods.

2. Most persons are familiar with the appearance of eggs, but in order
that satisfactory results may be obtained in their selection, care, and
cooking, it will be necessary to look into the details of their