82. All the cereals that have been discussed up to this point require
cooking; but there are many varieties of cereal food on the market that
are ready to eat and therefore need no further preparation. Chief among
these are the cereal foods known as _flakes_. These are first made by
cooking the grain, then rolling it between rollers, and finally toasting
it. The grains that are treated in this way for the preparation of flake
foods are wheat, corn, rye, and rice. It is well to remember this fact,
because the trade name does not always indicate the kind of grain that
has been used to make the food. In another form in which cereals,
principally wheat, appear on the market, they are cooked, shredded,
pressed into biscuits, and then toasted. Again, cereals are made into
loaves with the use of yeast, like bread, and after being thoroughly
baked, are ground into small pieces. Wheat generally forms the basis of
these preparations, and to it are added such other grains as rye
and barley.
83. The toasting of cereals improves their flavor very materially and at
the same time increases their digestibility. In fact, cereals that have
been subjected to this process are said to be predigested, because the
starch granules that have been browned in the toasting are changed into
_dextrine_, and this is one of the stages through which they must pass
in their process of digestion in the body. However, the housewife should
not allow herself to be influenced unduly by what is said about all
prepared cereals, because the manufacturer, who has depended largely on
advertising for the sale of his product, sometimes becomes slightly
overzealous and makes statements that will bear questioning. For
instance, some of these foods are claimed to be muscle builders, but
every one should remember that, with the exception of rye and wheat,
which build up the tissues to a certain extent, the cereals strengthen
the muscles in only a slight degree. Others of these foods are said to
be nerve and brain foods, but it should be borne in mind that no food
acts directly on the nerves or the brain. In reality, only those foods
which keep the body mentally and physically in good condition have an
effect on the nerves and the brain, and this at best is an
indirect effect.