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Fruitcake is an ancient goody, with the oldest versions a sort of energy bar made by the Romans to sustain their soldiers in battle.

The most they can hope for these days, she said in a recent telephone interview, is a can of peas, some cheese and an energy bar distributed as a family’s rations by the United Nations once a week in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where they fled to in early December to escape Israeli bombardment farther north.

They were an important food source for Native Americans, who used them in puddings, sauces, breads and a high-protein portable food called pemmican — a carnivore's version of an energy bar, made from a mixture of dried meat and rendered animal fat and sometimes studded with dried fruits.

To replenish lost salt, it doesn’t take much—one-quarter teaspoon will do—and any salt-containing energy bar or snack also replaces lost electrolytes.

He often kicks off character games with a performance of his own, setting the energy bar high and challenging his students to reach it.