Can someone help me understand a passage from a book?

Question

"The reader will perceive that I am treating the subject rather from an economic than a dietetic point of view, and he will not venture to put my abstemiousness to the test unless he has a well-stocked larder."

does this mean that the readers that see that the author is not talking about economy, but diet WON'T put his sparse diet to the test unless he has a lot of food?

what does he mean by 'put to the test'? and is he really saying that some people may think that he is not talking of economy but of dietetic things?

Answer 1

It is difficult to know what the author means without seeing the previous passages, but he appears to be saying that you can save money by eating up what you have in stock

Answer 2

i agree. it is difficult to ascertain what the author is saying without reading more of the passage. it could also be that the author does not want to consume food for dietary reasons but he states that the reader might think its for a matter of money. he then says that no one will question why is so frugal with food unless they have alot of it, in which case they wouldnt understand why someone would not want a "stocked larder"