 Substitutes, such as the wheat-based rice substitute, ptitim, were introduced, and versatile vegetables such as eggplant were used as alternatives to meat.Additional flavor and nutrition was provided from inexpensive canned tomato paste and puree, hummus, tahina, and mayonnaise in tubes.Meat was scarce, and it was not until the late 1950s that herds of beef cattle were introduced into the agricultural economy.