The diet is selected to meet average requirements. Nothing better than the Army Ration has as yet been devised. About 11 per cent, of it is proteid, about 10 per cent, fat, about 46 per cent, carbohydrate, the remainder being water, mineral matter, ash and refuse. The ration is ample in garrison but seems to fall slightly below what is necessary in active field service. This is largely due to the impossibility of carrying along or caring for leftover food which, in consequence, must be thrown away. <Callout type="tip" title="Pro Technique">This can be met only by careful supervision of quantities and equivalents used.</Callout> It is not necessary or desirable that the company commander limit himself to the particular articles enumerated in the ration. Substitutes are provided for, and to give variety should be used. For beef, can be substituted mutton, veal, pork, game, fowl, fish, liver, beef hearts, sweetbreads, ham-butts, eggs or sausage; for potatoes, carrots, turnips, salsify, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, green peas and beans; for dried fruits, fresh fruits when available, for cof- fee, hot or cold tea and cocoa; for dried beans, dried or split peas, lima beans or lentils. All such substitutions may be made without materially affecting the almost perfect balance of the ration or markedly increasing the cost. In handling the ration, the savings made on one component of the ration may be used for the purchase of similar articles not found in the ration table. For instance, if the 18 ounces of bread, per man per day, on which the ration allowance is based, are not purchased from the commissary the fund saved may be used to purchase oatmeal, etc. <Callout type="warning" title="Safety Hazard">With the savings on coffee one can purchase tea and cocoa.</Callout> The principal savings should be made on the bread and meat allowance. Meat savings are made by purchasing a variety of meats from the packing house, the tendency being to purchase those of less value than beef. In this way the meat diet is varied, a considerable saving in money is made and the men are issued a variety of food articles not otherwise obtainable. For instance when the cost of beef was 11.29 cents per pound, in the fiscal year 1915-1916, we could buy numerous substitutes and make a saving on each. The quantity of bone, cartilage and inedible parts in beef is about one-fifth of the carcass weight and computations are usually based on this amount. If one-fifth is added, the price of the edible part of the beef will be 13.55 cents per pound. <Callout type="important" title="Critical Rule">If we can, therefore, purchase meat or meat products with no inedible or refuse portions, we may pay about one-fifth more for it than the value of the article replaced and not lose.</Callout> This fact enlarges the list of outside purchases thus insuring a still greater variety. It has been found from experience that if messes expect to subsist the men on the ration allowance, nothing should be permitted to go to waste. Especially is this true in the case of food left over from previous meals. All such left-overs should be used up in the next twenty-four hours. Potatoes left over should be used in meat balls, hashes, potato cakes, croquettes, and hash; corn in corn chowder; tomatoes in tomato and maca- roni soup; beans and peas in soup or in salad with celery and lettuce. From left-over bread can be made croutons, cutting the bread into small cubes and toasting in the oven. It is used in bread pudding, plum duff, bread dressings, or put in the oven, toasted crisp and then run through a meat grinder, the crumbs resulting therefrom being used for breading beef steak, fish, meat balls and croquettes. These crumbs may also be used as pie filler and in the preparation of batter cakes, muffins, etc. Such things are all inexpensive. Capt. Bach summarizes certain points as follows: I. Look in your garbage cans and incinerator daily to see if good food or thick potato peelings are in them. <Callout type="beginner" title="Clarification for Newcomers">Be present at at least two of the meals of your company to see how the food is served and that the men take no more on their plates than they can eat.</Callout> Taste the food yourself. 3. Carefully check once each week the standing of the mess as to its financial condition. 4. Have your mess sergeant (after consultation with the cook) prepare a bill of fare for the ensuing day, check this and see that balanced meals are provided. See that the cooks prepare the articles shown on the bill of fare. 5. Look through ice boxes or refrigerators, see that they are clean and that left-over foods are properly cared for. 6. <Callout type="risk" title="Dangerous Mistake">Insist that meat be boned before it is cooked; that the bones be put in the stock boiler for at least twelve hours before being burned in the incinerator.</Callout> This stock can be used for soups, gravies, etc. 7. Have potatoes sorted as soon as received from the commissary and rotten ones thrown out. 8. See that the bread served is cut in small pieces. This will save you at least 25 per cent, of your* bread cost. Let the men come back for more if they want it. 9. Do not let the cooks throw away good food. Utilize left overs. Bills of fare for one week illustrative of a balanced and palatable ration are given on pages 43-46 of the "Manual for Army Cooks." A sick animal has hair that is rough, staring and dingy; the muzzle is hot and dry, eyes are congested and watery. It has accelerated pulse and respiration, and ruminates irregularly. Animals below the following minimum weight should not be accepted: beef, 550 lb., cows, 365, calves, (i month) 150, sheep, 48. The butchered animal's viscera should be inspected. The following are the characteristics of healthy beef which has been cut at least an hour (fresh meat is always dark): bright, clear, cherry red color, marbled with fat; it is firm and elastic, but to the touch is soft and very smooth. It should not pit nor crackle on pressure. It should exude a bright red juice. A purple color indicates that the animal has died of disease; a pale, moist appearance that the animal was very young and sickly, a dark, stringy appearance that it was old. The fat should be reasonably plentiful, firm in consistency and oily to the touch. The cellular tissue should be very white, without infiltration, and without exudation of fluid when cut. The odor of the meat should be fresh and not disagreeable. The marrow of the long bones of the hind legs is firm with a light pink color, that of the fore legs is yellowish, with the consistency of honey. The pleurae are glossy, transparent, glistening. The arteries contain no blood. The lymphatic glands are of normal size, of an amber color on section. The cut surface is glossy and regular, and allows but a small quantity of fluid to exude. Poor meat is flabby, pale, thin, of a washed-out color, blood stained or spotted, or even mahogany; frequently infiltrated with bloody infiltration; not infrequently it has a greenish tinge, sometimes in spots only. The odor is stale, sometimes acid or foetid, as if it had been treated with chemicals. At times the surface has a spoiled appearance. Decomposition always begins in certain limited areas. To test the full volume of the meat, plunge a knife in to the bone, through a cut made in the surface. The knife should not touch the edges of the superficial cut. If the knife can be withdrawn without resistance of the tissues, it indicates that the meat has begun to decay. Also the odor of the knife on withdrawal will indicate the condition of the deeper parts of the meat. If only the superficial part is affected, this should be cut away, and the remainder used. In old animals the fibres of the meat are long, thin and dry; in very young ones they are soft, pale, spongy, or if the animal be very young, gelatinous. The fibrous tissue in spoiled meat is of a dirty white color and infiltrated, the marrow is more or less fluid, sometimes brownish and does not fill the osseous canal. Fat is scant, pale, injected, scarcely oily to the touch and appears like coagulated oil. In some undesirable carcasses the glands are enlarged, injected, suppurating or caseous. The vertebro-costal glands, the intercostal glands near the sternum, in the 3rd, 4th and 5th interspaces, the large gland near the shoulder blade and the retro-pharyngeal and maxillary glands especially are liable to be affected in diseased animals. Of the total weight of an ox, from 50 per cent, to 54 per cent, should be meat; of a cow 46 per cent, to 54 per cent, (being greater in young animals), of a calf 60 per cent., of a sheep 50 per cent. To calculate the weight that should be available add four-sevenths of the total weight to the total weight itself, and divide by three. To determine the number of rations that an animal would furnish, divide the weight on the hoof in pounds, by two and one-fifth, i.e., each kilogram of the living animal represents one ration. The weight of cooked meat is generally 35 to 38 per cent. Meat should be distributed by auto trucks provided with suspension apparatus and hooks. These trucks should be ventilated through screened openings. If suspended transport is not available, the floor of the vehicle should be covered with a clean cloth and contact between the sides of beef avoided by placing straw between them. Compression is an important element in accelerating the decomposition of food. These vehicles should be ventilated as above noted. Meat cloths should be washed after each usage and the wagon cleaned with sodium carbonate solution. No other supplies should be transported with meat as it rapidly assumes their odors. Changing meat from one wagon to another should be done as seldom as possible. If possible this should be done in the shade. Meat should be cooked within 48 hours at most after removal from refrigeration. If delivery of the meat is delayed and there is no occasion for its immediate service, it should be cut into small pieces and boiled ten minutes, after which it is removed, salted and suspended in a sack — not kept in a closed vessel. In warm weather, quarters of beef, when received by organizations, sometimes appear to be tainted. The outside of the meat is wet and rather slimy and the odor is that of spoiled meat. Frequently however all that is necessary is to remove the disagreeable odor. The meat itself may be perfectly sound. The odor can be removed by washing the outside of the meat with a solution consisting of I gallon water, i pound salt, i pint vinegar and 2 tablespoonfuls of baking soda. If, after washing thoroughly with this solution, the meat is fresh and sweet it may be used with perfect safety.
Key Takeaways
- Careful ration management can save money by using substitutes and leftovers effectively.
- Proper meat handling and storage are crucial to prevent spoilage and ensure food safety.
- Inspecting animals for health before slaughter is essential to avoid serving diseased meat.
Practical Tips
- Utilize leftover foods creatively to reduce waste and stretch rations further.
- Inspect meats thoroughly before cooking, as some can be salvaged by proper cleaning.
- Use a variety of food sources to maintain balanced meals without exceeding budget.
Warnings & Risks
- Do not allow cooked meat to sit for too long; it should be consumed or stored properly within 48 hours.
- Avoid using meat with an unpleasant odor, as it may indicate spoilage even if the exterior appears fine.
- Be cautious of animals that appear sickly or underweight before accepting them for slaughter.
Modern Application
While many of the specific ration types and equipment mentioned in this chapter are outdated, the principles of careful food management, waste reduction, and meat inspection remain relevant. Modern survivalists can apply these techniques to ensure they have balanced meals with minimal waste, even when resources are limited.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How should leftover foods be handled according to the manual?
Leftover foods should be used up within 24 hours by incorporating them into new dishes. For example, potatoes can be turned into hash or croquettes, and bread can be made into croutons or pudding.
Q: What are some signs of a sick animal that should not be accepted for slaughter?
A sick animal will have rough, staring hair; a hot and dry muzzle; congested and watery eyes; an accelerated pulse and respiration rate; and may ruminate irregularly. These signs indicate the animal is likely diseased and should not be used.
Q: How can meat be preserved for longer storage?
Meat should be distributed using vehicles with ventilation, and stored in small pieces that are salted and suspended rather than kept in closed containers to prevent spoilage. Additionally, the meat should be cooked within 48 hours of delivery.