Breaking
FoodNerdy Recipes Management System
Tag

eat

Browsing
Food

Eat The Kernels: You Should Not Throw Away These Fruit Seeds

You can easily eat the pits from many fruits, even some varieties that you might not expect to eat. We’ll show you which seeds you can eat – and how healthy they can even be.

For most people, throwing away the pits of watermelons or apples is quite normal. You can also eat them and not only minimize leftovers, but also benefit from the valuable ingredients.

Eat the kernels too: Concern about the hydrocyanic acid

Again and again we are warned against eating the seeds of certain fruits. The so-called amygdalin is particularly important. Amygdalin becomes toxic hydrocyanic acid in the body and is found primarily in the seeds of the following types of fruit:
Apple
apricot
avocado
pear
date
cherry
mango
nectarine
peach
plum
In fact, hydrocyanic acid can lead to poisoning and even death. Nevertheless, you don’t have to worry about it if you want to eat fruit stones more often in the future. In most cases, in order to poison yourself, you would have to ingest extremely large amounts of seeds: for example, it would take over 200 apple seeds to become poisoned. You can find more information on the amygdalin content of these types of fruit in a study by the University of Leeds.

We usually don’t eat the large pits of cherries, nectarines or plums anyway. But even here you would have to eat several of them at once – and grind them first because you would simply excrete them without chewing.

Grape seeds – rich in antioxidants

Many customers prefer seedless grapes. The kernels of all things contain valuable nutrients.

From a health point of view, the flavonoids contained are particularly interesting. These are among the secondary plant substances and have an antioxidant effect in the body: They protect our cells by binding free radicals, can reduce inflammation and strengthen the immune system.

Many scientific studies deal with the medical potential of grape seed extract, such as a Turkish study from 2018. Of course, the ingredients in the bare seeds are much less concentrated than in the extract. Nevertheless, it is worth not throwing away the grape seeds, but to chew them up and eat them.

Eat apple seeds – not poisonous, but healthy

As mentioned, apple seeds contain a certain amount of amygdalin. But you don’t have to worry about prussic acid poisoning.

You can confidently eat the entire core, which also contains valuable nutrients. The kernels contain additional fiber and some phytochemicals.

By the way: As with most kernels, apple seeds are simply excreted if you swallow them whole. If you want to benefit from the nutrients, you have to chew the seeds thoroughly.

Pears: eat the cores too

The situation with pears is very similar to that of apples: There is also a small amount of amygdalin in the seeds, but you don’t need to worry about that.

Instead, you can easily eat the already small seeds. There are also antioxidants in the form of secondary plant substances.

Watermelon: eat the seeds

Watermelon seeds are rich in magnesium, iron, folic acid and unsaturated fatty acids. They also contain vitamin A, vitamin C and proteins. Therefore, these seeds are too good to throw away.

You can simply eat the watermelon seeds raw. It is important here again that you chew them up properly. This is the only way your body can access the valuable ingredients. In addition, unchewed watermelon seeds are said to be difficult to digest.

Alternatively, you can also prepare a delicious snack from the kernels by first drying them and then roasting them in a pan or in the oven with a little oil and salt – not only a delicious snack for in between, but also as an ingredient for soups or baked goods use.

Citrus seeds are edible

Whether lemon, orange or grapefruit: You can also eat the seeds of citrus fruits. They also contain secondary plant substances and fiber.

Lemon seeds are said to contain traces of salicylic acid. This is the main active ingredient in aspirin. It is doubtful to what extent you can benefit from the pain-relieving effect of a few lemon seeds.

Eat the avocado stone or not?

Avocados are hyped as a superfood. The creamy fruit contains a lot of unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. The core, on the other hand, usually ends up in the garbage or on the compost. That’s doubly a pity: On the one hand, it also contains plenty of nutrients from which we can benefit in terms of health. On the other hand, avocados have such a bad ecological balance due to transport routes, cultivation conditions and water requirements that we should at least use the whole fruit.

While some praise the stone as a miracle cure because of the healthy nutrients, there are also dissenting voices: Because the avocado stone also contains the bitter substance persine, which can be deadly in larger quantities. Again, the dose makes the poison: eating an entire avocado seed at once would not be a good idea. A small piece could in turn have positive effects, such as preventing cardiovascular diseases or stimulating the metabolism.

The best way to eat the kernel is to grate it finely with a kitchen grater and mix the pieces into your muesli, salad or smoothie. You can also use them to make tea.

Eat papaya seeds – against parasites in the intestine

The papaya is another tropical fruit that, at best, can be imported from southern Europe. The many black seeds in the middle of the fruit are usually thrown away in this country. In tropical countries, on the other hand, it is common to eat them to prevent or fight parasites in the intestine.

This effect is due to the enzyme papain, of which the seeds contain plenty. This specifically attacks parasite eggs by converting their proteins. This was scientifically proven in a pilot study.

In addition, papaya seeds are particularly rich in antioxidants, which – as already mentioned – are beneficial to our health in many ways.

In terms of taste, the seeds are more reminiscent of black pepper than of a sweet fruit with their sharpness. It may take a little getting used to at first, but in combination with the pulp they produce an interesting taste. But take it slow and don’t eat all the seeds at once – that could overwhelm your taste buds and your digestion. A few seeds will do for starters.

You can also dry and grind the seeds and use them as a pepper substitute.

Some also swear by swallowing the papaya seeds whole. Due to the fiber layer that encases the slippery kernels, they should slide through the intestines and clean them like swollen psyllium husks. However, there are no studies on this so far.

Since papaya has traveled such a long distance, the general rule is: Eat it seldom, and then eat it organically.

Eat the seeds too: Everyone does it with these fruits and vegetables

There are numerous types of fruit whose seeds we all eat – simply because they are so small that they can hardly be sorted out. These include, among other things:
Berries, for example raspberries, blueberries, strawberries
figs
kiwis
The same applies to some types of vegetables, such as:
cucumbers
eggplants
tomatoes
zucchini
But it is also perfectly normal and healthy to eat the kernels of nuts and so-called stone fruits. Because here the core is what we understand and consume as a nut:
hazelnut
walnut
macadamia nut
chestnuts
Hemp seed (also called hemp nut)
almonds
brazil nut
pecan
pistachios
cashew nuts
Passion fruit and pomegranates are another special case: the edible part consists almost exclusively of seeds. Only the shell is not edible here.

Keep Reading
By
health

Eat Healthy

Health is more than the absence of disease. According to the WHO definition, someone who is in complete physical, mental and social well-being is considered to be healthy. This article gives you 11 tips on how to get closer to this state through your diet, and another part focuses on exercise and the mind. A first tip in advance: Taking our advice calmly can also contribute to your health.

Avoid sugar as much as possible!

Sugar consumption impairs the performance of the immune system: bacteria, viruses, fungi and other parasites then have an ideal gateway to your body.

Incidentally, it doesn’t matter whether you eat refined white sugar, raw cane sugar or honey. Neither of these sugars is healthier than the other. Brown sugar is colored and whole cane sugar and honey also contain negligible amounts of minerals. In fact, the human organism does not need any additional sugar. Basic foods contain – in the form of carbohydrates – the amount of sugar that the human body needs to function. For everything else, it is true that the body can cope with small amounts, but it quickly becomes too much. The consequences include Tooth decay, obesity, a rapid drop in blood sugar levels and, as a result, a spiral of cravings and more sugar begins. In the worst case, there is a risk of diabetes.

Tip: Also watch out for hidden sugars in finished products. As a rule of thumb, anything ending in – ose is a sugar.

Fasting relieves!

Fasting isn’t just for losing weight. When you temporarily go without food, your body mobilizes its reserves. Toxins are broken down and cells are renewed, and a chain of beneficial biochemical processes is triggered. Fasting has been shown to reduce inflammation, has a rejuvenating, regenerating effect and lowers high blood pressure. A variant of fasting is juice fasting. If a longer fasting cure is too much for you, you can try intermittent fasting. This involves either not eating for 16 hours a day for a short period of time or eating normally for five days and reducing the calorie intake to around 1000 kcal for two days.

Eat local and seasonal!

These two factors often go hand in hand. The advantages are manifold. Regional foods are fully mature, do not have high Co2 emissions under their belt, are less packaged and motivate people to cook fresh. In addition, seasonal foods are often cheaper because there is a lot of the product available at the right time. Last but not least, demand and supply are in synergy with regional food. Nature sets the table exactly as you need it: Fresh wild herbs in spring detoxify and replenish the reserves of vitamins used up in winter, juicy melons and cucumbers quench summer thirst and thanks to the rich harvest in autumn provide the vitamin reserves for the barren winter. Numerous winter vegetables provide a high dose of vitamin C. Such a life in harmony with nature ensures your health and wholeness.

Cook yourself!

Industrially manufactured finished / convenience products fool us into thinking that we save a lot of time when we use them. The truth is, it’s possible to cook a simple, delicious meal in half an hour. Ready meals contain too much fat, too much sugar, artificial flavors, preservatives, and other additives that can harm you. They are also poorer in vitamins than fresh food. Cooking for yourself promotes your mindfulness and your connection to the environment.

5. Eat a lot of raw food!

….but not exclusively. Raw fruit and vegetables contain the full amount of the plant’s vitamins, minerals, fiber and secondary plant substances such as carotenoids and flavonoids. These are considered important antioxidants. With a pure raw food diet, it can happen that you take in too little fat, which is essential for the utilization of vitamins A and K, so keep it in moderation.

6. Eat sprouts and wild herbs!

Sprouts contain all the boost of vitamins and minerals needed to grow and mature a plant. You can take advantage of this concentrated concentration of life force. Wild herbs offer a similar density of vital substances. They are mostly archetypes of our conventional vegetables, which are bred more for size and ease of processing and have lost their taste and nutrients over the centuries.

7. Avoid animal proteins and eat plant-based foods!

Animal amino acids from meat, fish, milk and egg are more similar to human protein and are therefore easier to digest and absorb. At first glance, this seems more efficient. However, animal proteins have the disadvantage that we take in a lot of saturated fats and cholesterol with them, which are unhealthy. Studies show that replacing animal with vegetable variants can prevent heart and circulatory diseases, cancer, as well as obesity and diabetes. Vegetable proteins are found in legumes such as beans, peas or lentils, as well as in wheat germ such as barley grass.

8. Drink enough!

Adequate intake of fluids is of course also part of the meal. The drinking recommendation of the German Society for Nutrition is two to three liters of water for a healthy adult. It is not recommended to drink more because the water then flushes valuable minerals out of the body. Anyone who drinks a glass of lemon water or a spoonful of Oxymel dissolved in a glass of water in the morning does something for their metabolism or specifically for their health. Many people swear by juice-based fasts. This is where the health benefits of fruits and vegetables come back to the table. But be careful with tempting juices and smoothies from the supermarket shelf. Not everything that is there contains 100% fruit or vegetables. Watch out for added sugars and flavorings. Even without added sugar, there is usually a high proportion of natural fructose here.

Many tasty herbal teas can support your drinking habits or be used for medicinal purposes.

9. Avoid alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine

All right, it’s not news. Nevertheless: All three contain cell and nerve toxins and have a harmful effect on your organism. They weaken your immune system, put a strain on your liver, nervous system and kidneys. Think about why you need these stimulants and find other ways to relax, be relieved, rested, or motivated.

10. Take control of your own food!

The beauty is that by tending to your harvest yourself, you can take care of many of the above points. Gardening is a healthy way to exercise outdoors. It’s a good feeling to be out in the fresh air, to have more autonomy over what you eat and to know under what conditions the food that later ends up on your plate was grown. You don’t have to be self-sufficient to do this. If you don’t have your own garden, a spot on the sunny windowsill will suffice. There you can grow tasty herbs or crunchy sprouts. Cool cellars are suitable for allowing aromatic edible mushrooms to sprout. If you want to go even deeper but don’t have your own garden, you can rent an allotment garden or a meine ernte vegetable garden. In some cities there are also community gardens and garden projects in which several parties work together. It’s fun and the workload and experiences are shared. No matter how much you can and want to devote yourself to growing food, each step creates a bridge between you and the environment in which you live.

11. Keep it up!

The state of research is also changing rapidly in relation to nutrition. Reading articles about nutrition from time to time refreshes your own motivation to keep the topic of health in your hands. Trying out different foods, dishes, ingredients and preparation techniques is fun, encourages a varied diet and boosts your creativity. Have you ever dried fruit or fermented vegetables?

Keep Reading
By
Food

Eat Pumpkin Raw? Information And What You Should Pay Attention To

Many pumpkin dishes are part of the autumn season. But did you know that you can also eat pumpkin raw?
Pumpkin soup or pumpkin puree are classics, but if you’re looking for more variety, you can also eat pumpkin raw. You can eat many types of pumpkin uncooked without worry, but to be on the safe side, you should still follow a few tips before doing so.

Eating pumpkin raw: when is it safe?

There is a rule of thumb when eating raw pumpkins: edible pumpkins are good raw vegetables, but you should stay away from ornamental pumpkins! Because ornamental gourds contain the bitter substance curcurbitacin, which is toxic even in small amounts and can cause nausea and tachycardia, according to the Federal Center for Nutrition (BZfE). The best way to recognize a decorative pumpkin is that it is much smaller than its grocery store relatives and often a much more striking color and shape. It is also marked as such in the store.

On the other hand, you can eat almost all types of pumpkin available in the supermarket raw without hesitation. According to the BZfE, the toxic curcurbitacin was mostly bred from them by the producers. The following pumpkins taste best in raw recipes:

nutmeg squash
Butternut Squash
Hokkaido pumpkin

Already knew? You can not only eat pumpkin from the shops raw, but sometimes also with the skin! For example, you can save yourself the trouble of peeling the Hokkaido pumpkin before processing it.

Better not to eat pumpkin from the garden raw

While growing your own pumpkins in the garden is a good idea, it’s best not to eat your harvest raw. Because even if you use seeds from which a pumpkin should actually grow, so-called reverse mutations can cause poisonous cucurbitacins to form again in the pumpkin. This crossbreeding is particularly dangerous because you often cannot tell with the naked eye whether the bred pumpkin is poisonous or not.

Incidentally, such a mutation can also occur if you use your own seeds from the previous year. Even with tested organic seeds, there is a risk that your pumpkin will crossbreed with a poisonous ornamental pumpkin that may be growing in your neighbor’s garden. That’s why it’s best to play it safe and only eat pumpkin raw if you bought it from a store.

Eating raw pumpkin: This is how you do the taste test!

A certain residual risk also remains with purchased pumpkins. Before you can safely eat pumpkin raw, you should always do a taste test. In general, only use pumpkins that you bought in a grocery store.

This is how the taste test works with raw pumpkin:

First cut off a small piece of the raw pumpkin. Refrain from seasoning the pumpkin, otherwise you will no longer be able to perceive the pure taste.
Now put the piece of pumpkin in your mouth and see if you notice a bitter taste.
Don’t swallow the gourd, instead spit it out after the test.
If the pumpkin tastes bitter, it may contain harmful bitter substances.
In this case, do not eat the pumpkin raw and do not cook it either! It is better if you dispose of the pumpkin on the compost to be on the safe side.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Porridge is Healthy: 8 Good Reasons to Eat Porridge For Breakfast

Porridge is healthy, tasty and nutritious. Here you can find out what makes oatmeal so good for your health and why you should eat it more often for breakfast.

Porridge is healthy: Oatmeal as a new food trend

In recent years, porridge has shed its dusty image and developed into a real food trend. Oatmeal is nothing new, though. Porridge was already widespread in the past as a cheap and filling breakfast, especially among the poor. Today, porridge is more popular than ever – rightly so, because porridge is extremely healthy and nutritious. Oatmeal provides us with important nutrients and provides a lot of energy for the day. Here you will find eight good reasons why porridge should be on your breakfast table more often.

1. Porridge fills you up for a long time
2. Porridge promotes digestion
3. Porridge lowers the cholesterol level and protects against civilization diseases
4. Porridge provides us with healthy proteins
5. Porridge contains important vitamins and minerals
6. Porridge provides healthy fatty acids
7. Porridge is naturally gluten-free
8. Porridge is variable, tasty and cheap

Keep Reading
By
Food

Can You Eat Coffee Beans?

We usually consume coffee beans in ground and brewed form – namely as a coffee drink. But is it safe to eat the beans?

Roasted coffee beans to eat instead of drinking.

Most coffee lovers use coffee beans to brew their beloved coffee. The coffee beans are ground and mixed with water. But can you eat coffee beans? We do not find the question surprising. Something that is used to prepare one of our favorite drinks must also be used differently and, above all, enjoyed. Finally, time brings more and more offers of edible coffee beans.

Of course, roasted coffee beans can be consumed without hesitation. Despite the energizing effect, they are not toxic or harmful in any way. However, the same rule applies here as with all foods: you should eat them in moderation and not in bulk.

You can imagine that there is not only a lot of caffeine in the brewed coffee, but also in the coffee beans. For comparison, a cup of espresso has the same caffeine content as 15 to 25 coffee beans. Hence our advice: do not eat too many coffee beans at once. It is better to enjoy a small amount and in peace. About 30 minutes after consumption, the caffeine in the coffee beans begins to take effect. The effect usually wears off after about two to four hours. In rare cases, however, it lasts up to ten hours. It also makes a difference whether you are a smoker or a non-smoker, because the effects of caffeine last longer in non-smokers.

Of course, depending on the composition of the beans, they taste a little different. Some taste a bit sour, others rather bitter or mild. Some even find the taste of coffee beans hearty. You just have to try it out there and find your own favourite. In any case, the full aroma of the coffee beans tastes good when they are crushed and thus quasi ground. Fortunately, with this type of coffee enjoyment, you cannot burn your tongue or spill it in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Coffee beans are now part of many drinks and dishes. Whether alcoholic, as with sambuca or in a vinaigrette for the salad or in desserts such as cake, pudding and quark – the brown bean must not be missing.

If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a try! It is worth a try. Afterwards you can always treat yourself to a liquid coffee specialty.

Keep Reading
By
Cooking Tips

To Peel Persimmons or Not? This is How You Eat Them Properly

Whether or not it is necessary to peel persimmons depends on several factors. In this article you will learn how to best consume the sweet exotic fruits and what you should bear in mind when doing so.

Whether you peel persimmons or not depends on your preferences. Basically, the skins of the persimmons are edible and you can eat the orange fruits with their skins.

Unripe persimmons do not taste good due to the high tannin content. Therefore, when shopping, you should consider whether you want to eat the persimmons right away or in a few days. In this article, you will not only learn how to eat persimmons correctly, but also how to recognize and influence the right degree of ripeness.

The persimmon is the sweet fruit of the persimmon tree and originally comes from Asia. Persimmon trees need warmer growing areas because they are not frost-resistant. There is therefore no significant commercial cultivation of the orange fruit in Germany. Most of the growing areas are in China, Korea and Japan.

There are now also European kakis on the market, for example from Spain. In order to avoid long transport routes, you should prefer these fruits to those from Asia. If possible, buy kakis in organic quality: they are free of chemical-synthetic pesticides.

Peeling persimmons: you should know that

You don’t have to peel persimmons to eat them. However, there are a few basic things you should keep in mind if you want to eat persimmons with the skin on.

Use organic persimmons as their skins are untreated. In principle, however, you can also eat the skin of conventionally grown fruits.
You should always wash fruit thoroughly before eating. More about this here: Washing fruit properly: What to do about pesticides on the skin?
Depending on the type of persimmon, the skin varies in thickness. Thick-skinned specimens taste better peeled.
This is how you eat persimmons correctly

Wash the persimmons thoroughly with cold water.
Halve the fruit lengthwise.
Remove the hard carpels and the light-colored base of the stalk.
Cut the fruit lengthwise into four or eight wedges.
Whether you peel the kaki or eat it with the peel is up to you. If you want to peel the persimmons, cut the flesh off the skin, similar to a melon.
Scoop out persimmons

When persimmons are fully ripe and very juicy, they are easier to spoon than to cut:

Wash the persimmons thoroughly with cold water.
Halve the fruit lengthwise.
Using a small spoon, scoop the insides of the persimmon straight out of the shell.

Recognizing the right degree of ripeness of persimmons

In order to withstand the long transport routes, the harvested persimmons are usually still unripe. Unripe persimmons contain a high proportion of the vegetable tanning agent tannin. When you eat them, this gives you a furry sensation in your mouth. However, tannins are not harmful to health. As it ripens, the sugar content in the persimmon increases and the orange fruit tastes juicy and sweet.

In addition to the actual kaki, you will also find the cultivated forms in the trade

honey apple
persimmon and
Sharon.
The cultivated forms contain significantly less tannin and you can therefore eat them in a harder state.

This is how you can tell that the persimmon is ripe

The persimmon is ripe when it is very soft. The persimmon has reached the perfect degree of ripeness when the pulp shimmers through the skin with a glassy sheen. Fully ripe persimmons yield slightly when pressed lightly with your fingers. The shell should not show any brown spots or dents.

Transport and store ripe persimmons

When fully ripe, the persimmon is very sensitive to pressure. Therefore, make sure that you pack ripe persimmons to protect them from pressure when you buy them, so that you can transport them home safely. Store ripe persimmons refrigerated and eat within a day or two.

Allow unripe persimmons to ripen

If the persimmon is not yet ripe, you can store it next to bananas or apples for a few days. These secrete ethylene, which stimulates other fruit to ripen faster.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Why You Shouldn’t Eat Nuts That Taste Bitter

Bitter-tasting nuts can have negative health consequences. We explain how you should deal with bitter nuts and which regional nut varieties are best for consumption.

Bitter nuts can be harmful to your health. They may contain mold or toxins. If the nuts are also stored warm and moist, they can release so-called mycotoxins. These are certain mold toxins that are produced during the metabolism of mold. A distinction is made between different mycotoxins, including aflatoxin, for example.

If nuts are discolored or have a bad odor, do not eat them. But beware, the mold in mycotoxins can sometimes be recognized neither by its appearance nor by its smell. However, a bitter taste or discoloration are signs of mycotoxins.

This is why bitter nuts can be bad for your health

According to the Federal Office for Consumer Protection, mycotoxins can affect the kidneys or liver, cause diarrhea or vomiting, weaken the immune system and, in the worst case, even promote the development of cancer. Therefore, you should definitely spit out bitter nuts immediately.

According to the agency, pistachios and peanuts are primarily affected by mycotoxins. Occasionally, however, the mold fungi can also be detected in walnuts and almonds. Therefore, you should be particularly careful with these four strains. Also make sure to always store nuts in a dry and cool place.

Nuts are healthy – if they don’t taste bitter

Nuts are a healthy snack in and of themselves, as long as they don’t taste bitter. They are mainly made up of fat and protein, which are good for the cardiovascular system. At the same time, they contain important dietary fibers that have a positive effect on digestion. However, many nut varieties have a poor ecological balance due to their long transport routes.

Nuts that are also grown in Europe include walnuts and hazelnuts. Almonds mostly come from California, but there are also Italian or Spanish ones. Therefore, for the sake of the environment, you should pay attention to the country of origin of the nuts. An organic certification guarantees you organic cultivation without the use of chemical-synthetic pesticides. With the Fairtrade seal, you also support decent working conditions and fair wages.

Keep Reading
By
health

5 Common Arguments to Eat Meat – NOT

As a vegetarian or vegan, you are often confronted with arguments as to why a meatless diet is unhealthy, unnatural or even harmful to the environment. What is it about these statements? We have collected five of the most common arguments for meat and formulated counter-arguments.

Claims like “The rainforest is on fire for tofu!”, “Athletes need meat!” or “If God hadn’t wanted us to eat meat, he wouldn’t have made it so delicious!” probably every vegetarian has: in and vegan:in heard before. We can do no more than argue about God and his plans. But if statements are demonstrably false, you don’t have to let them rest. How to dispassionately counter some of the most common arguments for eating meat:

Humans are carnivores?

Humans are carnivores, vegan diet is unnatural.

Some of the most popular arguments against vegetarians and vegans revolve around how natural a meat-free diet is. Sentences like “People are carnivores, you can see that from their teeth” are also often used. But: Humans are definitely not pure meat eaters (= carnivores). After all, even the biggest meat lovers eat a piece of fruit or vegetable from time to time. This is also important, because unlike carnivores, humans cannot produce vitamin C themselves and have to get it from food.

Furthermore, if we were pure carnivores, we could swallow large chunks of meat almost without chewing. In carnivores, digestion begins in the stomach, while humans start digesting in the mouth. An enzyme in the saliva that breaks down starch helps us with this. And starch is not in meat, but in plants.

Admittedly, from a biological point of view, people are not herbivores (=herbivores) either, but omnivores (=omnivores). That is, our physical characteristics—including how our teeth are constructed and how they work—allow us to eat both animal and plant-based foods, depending on what is available.

Unlike our ancestors who hunted and gathered, today we have choices. We don’t starve if we don’t eat meat, thanks to farming and storage facilities. We also don’t have to put as much energy into foraging – and making up for that loss with food. We’re also getting older, which is why it’s important to look not only at short-term satiety, but also at the long-term health pros and cons of a diet.

If you want to be physically fit, you need meat?

People need animal proteins, especially athletes.

“If the [construction worker] only gets meat once a week and only salad, he falls off the scaffolding on the third day.” This quote from the Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger made the rounds in the summer of 2020. The politician is right on one point: You cannot have a balanced diet from lettuce alone. Luckily, there are a lot of other plant-based foods, also to provide us with the proteins that athletes love.

The documentary “The Game Changers” shows that you can also achieve top performance with a purely plant-based diet using the example of various top athletes. The science journalist Bas Kast even comes to the conclusion in his book “The nutrition compass: The conclusion of all scientific studies on the subject of nutrition” (buy** at Thalia, bücher.de or Buch7, among others) that vegetable proteins are healthier than animal ones. Various studies provide evidence that meat consumption increases the risk of various lifestyle diseases.

The vitamin B12 thing

Vegans need to supplement vitamin B12, meat eaters don’t.

If you have to take vitamin B12 as a dietary supplement, it cannot be a sensible diet – many have certainly heard this argument as well. It’s true, vegans should supplement with vitamin B12. Some plant-based foods also contain vitamin B12, but in a form that, according to experts, cannot be used by the human body.

But where does the vitamin B12 in meat come from? For poultry and pork, the answer is: from dietary supplements. Because just like in humans, vitamin B12 is formed in the large intestine of animals, but they excrete it without using it.

Ruminants, on the other hand, can use the vitamin B12 they produce in their own bodies. To do this, they must be sufficiently supplied with the trace element cobalt. In industrial agriculture, cows often lack this requirement, which is why they are often dependent on nutritional supplements.

On this basis, it is entirely justified to ask the question whether one cannot simply take vitamin B12 oneself in the form of food supplements and skip the detour via the animals.

Vegans eat industrial goo?

Meat substitutes are unnatural chemical food.

Vegan food consists of flavor enhancers, artificial flavors and other additives? This is true for some plant foods, as it is for many processed animal products. And as with an omnivorous diet, such products should be the exception rather than the rule when it comes to eating healthily.

Meat substitutes make it easier for many people to switch to a plant-based diet. They are practical if you want to prepare a vegan alternative to a meat dish without much effort. In the long run, however, many health-conscious vegans refrain from replacing meat, sausage and cheese 1:1 with vegan substitutes. Instead, there are, for example, Bolognese made from lentils, vegetable skewers when grilling and hummus on bread. Tofu is also available in its natural state, and even with processed meat substitutes, the list of ingredients is not always as long and cryptic.

Even if vegans treat themselves to a few vegan sausages at a barbecue party (if they are possible again): Before calling them industrial goo, one should consider whether it is really being vegan that decides how natural or unnatural one eats. Didn’t you just eat a bratwurst with a similarly long list of ingredients, plus ready-made barbecue sauces, chips and cola? If so, then maybe it’s best to keep your mouth shut.

Does the rainforest burn for tofu?

Vegan diet harms the environment.

If we all stop eating meat, where are we supposed to grow all the vegetables to keep us full? Some people are probably asking this question. If rainforests are already being cut down to plant soy, wouldn’t the problem get worse with a switch to a plant-based diet?

Many who ask these questions forget that pigs, cattle and chickens also have to eat. Very few of these animals graze on green mountain meadows that are unsuitable for growing food. Instead, large areas of arable land are required for the cultivation of animal feed. This means that the area required for animal food is higher than for plant food. When animal husbandry decreases, areas are freed up on which we can grow food for human consumption or on which we can reforest.

The increasing hunger for cheap meat has led to forests being cut down in order to grow animal feed in huge monocultures. Depending on the source, 75 to 85 percent of the soy harvested worldwide is fed to animals. So much for the claim that vegetarians and vegans are destroying the rainforest. Incidentally, the soy for meat and milk substitutes often comes from Europe.

After years of eating meat and other animal products, it can be difficult to reduce or even stop eating them altogether. But hiding behind false arguments no longer counts as an excuse.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Eat Nasturtium: 3 Tasty Recipes

You can eat nasturtium not only as a decoration in the salad – there are many other ways to process their flowers and leaves. In this article, we’ll give you a few ideas on how to use the spicy herb.

You can not only eat the leaves and flowers of the nasturtium as a pretty decoration in the wild herb salad or smoothie. The hot and spicy taste, which comes from the mustard oil glycosides contained in the wild plant, also refines many other dishes. We’ll show you how to add spice to simple recipes for pesto, quark or spreads with the herb and how you can eat healthy nasturtium more often in everyday life.

Eating Nasturtium: These parts are edible

In Germany, it is mainly the parts of the nasturtium that grow above ground that we eat. If you are unsure how to properly prepare and eat the flowers, leaves and seeds of the nasturtium, we have compiled the most important information for you here:

Blossoms: The edible blossoms of the nasturtium are particularly beautiful to look at and are therefore often used raw as a decoration in salads or soups. You can also pickle the nasturtium flowers in vinegar. You can use the resulting blossom vinegar to refine dressings and sauces.
Leaves: You can eat the young leaves of the nasturtium in particular as a tasty topping for bread or in a salad. Because of its sharp taste, you should use the herb a little more sparingly than, for example, the milder-tasting watercress. You can not only use the leaves of the cress in salads, but also work them into quark or pesto.
Seeds and buds: dried, you can eat the rounded seeds of the nasturtium as a good substitute for pepper. The unripe, closed buds, on the other hand, can easily be preserved in vinegar and salt and later used as a substitute for capers.
By the way: The nasturtium originally comes from the Andes in South America. It is also common among the locals of this region to eat the tuberous nasturtium bulb. It is roasted like a potato or mashed.

Eat nasturtium as a delicious pesto

If you want to use as many parts of the nasturtium in a recipe, you should process the herb into pesto. In this way you can keep the freshly harvested leaves and flowers for a long time and eat the nasturtium even in autumn and winter.

The following recipe is enough for a glass full of pesto (350 milliliters).

Ingredients:

150 gfresh nasturtium (leaves and flowers)
120 mlolive oil
3 tsp salt
1jar with screw cap

Directions:

Thoroughly wash the leaves and flowers of the nasturtium and roughly chop them.
Pour the olive oil over the chopped flowers and leaves and add the salt. Mix everything thoroughly once.
Pour the nasturtium pesto into a boiled and cleaned glass jar. Be careful not to trap any air bubbles and leave some space at the top of the glass.
Top up the jar with more olive oil until the pesto is completely covered. Close the jar tightly and store in the refrigerator.

Refine spreads with nasturtium

Of course you can also eat nasturtium pure on your daily sandwich. If you want to make a seasonal spread yourself instead, you can easily incorporate the aromatic cress blossoms.

The following recipe is enough for one serving of spread (three tablespoons).

Ingredients:

1 handful of nasturtium flowers
3 tbsp cream cheese
a bit of salt

Directions:

Rinse the nasturtium blossoms gently under running water and dry them in a salad spinner.
Put the flowers in a bowl with the cream cheese and salt and puree everything thoroughly with a hand blender.

Eat pickled nasturtium seeds as a substitute for capers

You can pickle the seeds of the nasturtium instead of capers. To make the salty and sour snack yourself, you only need a few ingredients.

For a small jar of pickled nasturtium seeds, you need to follow the steps below.

Ingredients:

1 handful of nasturtium seeds
2 tsp salt
some vinegar

Directions:

Put the nasturtium seeds in a boiled mason jar and sprinkle with the salt. Be careful not to fill the glass to the brim.
Cap the jar tightly and shake vigorously. Put it in the fridge for four to five days, shaking the contents regularly.
Rinse the drained seeds and boil the jar again with hot water. Then fill the drained caper substitute back into the glass.
Boil some vinegar in a saucepan and then pour it into the glass with the seeds. Allow the jar to cool briefly and then place it in the fridge for a week or two. Before you can eat the pickled nasturtium seeds, you should drain them thoroughly.

Keep Reading
By
Cooking Tips

Eat Cabbage Raw?

Savoy cabbage is becoming more and more popular as a vitamin-rich superfood. But did you know that you can also eat savoy cabbage raw? In this article, we will show you what to look out for and introduce you to two delicious raw savoy cabbage recipes.

Savoy cabbage soup and savoy chips are real vitamin C bombs, especially in winter. If you want to rediscover the green vegetable, you can also eat savoy cabbage raw. Well washed, you can easily use the freshly picked savoy leaves as raw food or process them in many ways. Nevertheless, you should follow a few tips so that you can tolerate the raw savoy cabbage well.

Eating Savoy cabbage raw: That’s why it’s healthy

The savoy leaves contain many useful ingredients such as vitamin C and mustard oil glycosides. The heat-sensitive vitamin C, in particular, is quickly lost when cooking, which is why it is best to eat savoy cabbage raw in order to supply your body with as much of the vital nutrient as possible. You can cover your daily vitamin C requirement with just 100 grams of raw savoy cabbage.

However, you should be careful if savoy cabbage causes you severe flatulence even when cooked. In this case, you should better not eat savoy cabbage raw. When uncooked, cabbage has a particularly high content of mustard oil glycosides, which increases these unpleasant side effects.

You can eat these parts of the savoy cabbage raw

In principle, you can eat all of the above-ground parts of the savoy cabbage raw, because none of them are poisonous in any way. However, it is better to remove the stalk of the savoy cabbage, as it is usually too hard to eat raw. If the savoy cabbage comes straight from your garden, you should also remove the outer leaves of the cabbage. These are often less tender and more dirty than the inner savoy leaves and therefore do not taste quite as good raw.

By the way: Even if the outer leaves of the savoy cabbage are less suitable for eating raw, you can use them in a savoy stew or freeze the savoy for later.

Eating cabbage raw: You should pay attention to this

Before you can eat the savoy cabbage raw or process it further, you should definitely wash the leaves thoroughly. Not only will you get rid of dirt and soil, but you’ll also make sure there aren’t any small insects hiding between the leaves. If, on the other hand, you buy the savoy cabbage in the supermarket, you must note that you should only eat organic savoy cabbage raw. So you can be sure that no chemical-synthetic pesticides were used on the leaves during cultivation.

In addition, you should only eat savoy raw if it is really fresh. So make sure that the savoy cabbage still looks nice and crunchy and doesn’t have any wilted leaves or foul-smelling dark spots.

Keep Reading
By