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Eating Fennel Raw: What Speaks For and What Against

Fennel deserves a place on every plate. Eating it raw is especially healthy. We will tell you which valuable ingredients raw fennel contains.

We are most familiar with fennel as a tea against gastrointestinal complaints. In fact, fennel has always been considered a medicinal plant that can provide relief not only for flatulence and digestive problems. While it is a must in Mediterranean and Asian cuisines, fennel rarely finds a place on the menu in this country – unfortunately. Because fennel is aromatic and versatile.

Fennel contains the essential oils fenchone, anethole and myrcene, which are responsible for the light aniseed scent and taste. Anethold gives the fennel a sweet note, the fennel also makes the fennel taste a bit bitter.

You can prepare fennel in a number of ways: steam, roast, bake, grill, pickle or make into a soup. The easiest way to do this is to eat raw fennel. The crunchy vegetables also retain their valuable ingredients when processed raw. Heat can reduce the levels of certain vitamins, such as vitamin C.

However, fennel also contains substances that are not heat-sensitive, on the contrary: some substances, such as vitamin A, can be better absorbed by the body if they have been prepared with heat.

That’s why you should eat fennel raw

Fennel contains many important nutrients. The white-green tuber contains minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron. Among other things, these substances ensure strong bones, a functioning oxygen transport system, and healthy hair and nails.

The essential oils are particularly effective substances. They have a positive effect on some gastrointestinal complaints. If you want to do something good for your stomach or your digestion with fennel, it is advisable to eat raw fennel. Because the essential oils evaporate quickly in the heat.

Fennel is also rich in vitamins. It contains vitamin C and B vitamins. These vitamins are heat sensitive. On the other hand, the vegetables also contain vitamin A, which can only be properly absorbed by the body after it has been heated.

Fennel therefore contains substances that can and cannot tolerate heat. Raw fennel is extremely healthy, but there’s no harm in cooking fennel from time to time. A cooking method that is very gentle is steam cooking. Only a few vitamins are lost in the process.

Here’s how you can eat raw fennel

Preparing the fennel for consumption is simple:
If necessary, you can remove the outer 1-2 very tough fennel leaves. With fresh fennel, however, this is usually not necessary.
Wash the fennel thoroughly and cut in half.
Remove the woody stalk and cut off the stalks. You can save these for soups.
The tender fennel green is also edible, you can chop it finely and use it as a topping for salads or sandwiches.
You can grate, grate or dice the fennel leaves into thin strips.

Raw fennel is suitable, for example…

As a vegetable snack: You can simply use thicker strips for dipping humus and the like.
In a salad: Finely chopped or chopped, fennel goes well with other raw vegetables, nuts and a light dressing.

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Cooking Tips

Eating Cauliflower Raw: You Should Pay Attention to This

Cauliflower is very healthy and can also be eaten raw. Here you can find out why raw cauliflower is particularly healthy and what you should pay attention to when preparing it.

Eat cauliflower raw: popular raw vegan ingredient

When you eat cauliflower raw, the vegetable retains all of its healthy nutrients. The vegetable is easy to digest, so eating raw cauliflower is generally safe.

Only people with thyroid disorders and iodine deficiency should not consume too much raw cauliflower or other raw cruciferous plants. Under certain circumstances, these can inhibit the absorption of iodine in the thyroid gland. As a result, the body can produce or excrete fewer thyroid hormones.

Cauliflower is easy to prep and stays fresh longer than lettuce. In raw vegan cuisine, it is used grated, for example, in a Bolognese sauce. The cauliflower flakes are also suitable as a quick rice-like side dish that you don’t have to cook.

You can also simply prepare the cabbage as a salad. Simply chop the fresh cauliflower with a kitchen grater. Then wrap it in a fresh kitchen towel and vigorously squeeze out the moisture. Mix in a few more vegetables and a dressing – and the salad is ready. This not only tastes good, but is also suitable as a souvenir for a picnic or a barbecue party.

Eat cauliflower raw and get healthy nutrients

The delicious cabbage is rich in fiber but it also contains many important vitamins, such as:
Vitamin A,
B vitamins (B1, B2, B6),
Vitamin C, (especially in Romanesco)
vitamin E
and vitamin K
Cauliflower also contains other important nutrients such as magnesium, calcium and potassium.

Cauliflower is one of the cruciferous vegetables that have mustard oil glycosides. These are secondary vegetable oils that are released when crushed. Among other things, they are responsible for the pungent taste of radish. Cauliflower can also taste slightly spicy if you eat it raw.

However, most of these valuable substances are heat-sensitive – which means they are lost when you cook cauliflower. Therefore, it is usually recommended to cook the vegetables only briefly and gently. But you can also eat it raw.

Tip: You can recognize a fresh cauliflower by its green leaves and the fact that it releases moisture when you chop it.

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Food

Eating Raw Eggs: You Should Pay Attention to This

You can contract salmonella at any time by eating or processing raw eggs. Therefore, when eating raw eggs, caution is everything.

Raw eggs in food: risk of salmonella

Many perishable foods that come from livestock can be contaminated with Salmonella – including chicken eggs. Most people eat raw eggs more often than they think: they are in desserts such as tiramisu, pudding or mousse au chocolat, in fresh mayonnaise, in drinks with protein foam and in raw batter. Ice cream can also contain raw eggs.

Who should be careful with raw eggs?

Salmonella is ingested through the mouth. You can pick them up in two ways: Either they are stuck inside the egg because the chicken’s ovaries are affected. If you process such raw eggs in food, the salmonella can get into your body. Or the pathogens are on the eggshell – if you touch them and then put your fingers to your mouth, you can become infected.

As a rule, healthy adults do not develop salmonellosis that quickly – a diarrheal disease with headaches and abdominal pains, vomiting or fever. They only become infected when they ingest 10,000 to a million germs. However, significantly fewer germs are sufficient for infants, children, old and weak people.

Particularly severe disease progressions such as sepsis are rare. However, if you lose a lot of fluids, you may need to go to the hospital. At body temperature, salmonella multiply at breakneck speed. Therefore, the only way to prevent infection is by handling raw eggs properly.

Hygiene rules for raw eggs

If you want to prepare a meal with raw eggs, you should know: Salmonella is something like the cockroach among the microbes. They survive almost everything – freezing, drying out, subsequent cooling and heat. It only kills the bacteria if you heat them to at least 70 degrees for a longer period of time. With these tips you can protect yourself from salmonella infection from raw eggs:
Use only fresh, undamaged eggs for your meal and chill them in the fridge. They should not be older than ten days. You can calculate the age of the egg using the best before date, which is set at 28 days after laying.
Don’t put raw eggs on your countertop and then put any rags or kitchen towels that come into contact with them in the laundry.
Store the finished food in the refrigerator and only interrupt the cooling chain for a short time.
You should fry scrambled eggs well, fried eggs on both sides. Soft eggs should remain in boiling water for at least five minutes.
Wash your hands! If you clean your fingers thoroughly, you can greatly reduce the number of bacteria on them.

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Lifestyle

Kosher Eating: What the Jewish Dietary Laws Mean

Kosher food is the designation for food that is permitted under kashrut. The kashrut is a religious food law. Many rules relate to the consumption of animal products.

Kashrut are traditional religious law regulations. They regulate which foods believing Jews are traditionally allowed to eat. The kashrut divides food into “kosher” and “treat” – permissible and impure.

There are several reasons for this distinction. The Jewish Museum in Berlin indicates the conscious lifestyle of religious people. Medieval scholars would have explained that non-kosher food harmed the body or soul, while rabbis attributed the divine origin of kashrut to the reason.

Kosher food: clean foods

Kosher foods are those foods specifically classified as clean or permissible by the kashrut.

Plant-based foods such as fruit, vegetables or grains are kosher. However, it is important to ensure that no insects, snails or similar animals hide in them. These must not be eaten. Special rules apply to Israeli products, i.e. products from the “Holy Land”, for example for cultivation.

The following foods of animal origin are also kosher:
Meat from ruminant mammals with cloven hooves.
Animals that live in water and have both fins and scales.
Eggs from kosher animals are also kosher if no traces of blood are found in them.
Honey is an exception as it comes from non-kosher animals but is itself considered kosher.

Non-kosher food: mature foods

“Do not boil a kid in its mother’s milk” (Ex.23:19) is a quote from the Book of Exodus found in the Torah and the Bible. This sentence illustrates an important principle for combining foods according to the Jewish dietary law:
Dairy products and meat should not be eaten together. Therefore, kosher households have two sets of dishes and pots: one for dairy and one for meat. The combination of the products is not permitted.

Blood is always dripping. Therefore, only meat that no longer contains blood is considered kosher food. This ensures a special method of slaughter, the slaughter. In Germany, slaughterhouses are only allowed to be slaughtered with a special permit, which can be granted for religious reasons, as the SWR describes.

Combine kosher: parwe always works

Parwe means something like neutral in the Jewish diet. Foods that you can combine with kosher food in any way are neutral. With vegan products you are on the safe side in this respect: fruit and vegetables are parwe. In addition to vegetables, kosher fish and kosher eggs are also parwe.

The Central Council of Jews describes that vegetable products that replace milk are also parwe. Soy drink, which is popular with many vegans, can also replace the kashrut according to milk, bypassing the above regulations for combining dairy products. Vegetable substitute products can not only be combined kosher, but are also more environmentally friendly than animal products. Appropriate: According to the FAZ, Israel is the most vegan country in the world.

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Lifestyle

Healthy Eating During Pregnancy

Healthy nutrition during pregnancy is important for the good development of the child. But what can you eat during pregnancy and what not? What is certain is that a balanced and healthy diet is good for both mother and child. Therefore we have collected important tips.

Pregnant women should eat consciously. Because the need for nutrients increases. Consequently, there are foods that you should eat more of, such as vegetables and legumes. Meanwhile, you should avoid other foods, such as raw meat or eggs.

That is why a balanced diet is important

Nutrition during pregnancy is an important issue. Because the child’s organism is still developing. And the growing body needs suitable nutrients for healthy development. Consequently, regular exercise and a healthy diet during pregnancy will have a positive impact on the health and well-being of the child in the long term.

But what shouldn’t you eat during pregnancy and what should you eat? As a rule, the recommended diet for all people applies to pregnant women. Accordingly, the regular consumption of vegetables, fruit, and whole-grain products is advisable. You should also eat low-fat dairy products and meat, as well as oily sea fish from time to time. In addition, pregnant women should ensure that they consume the nutrients folate and iodine during pregnancy. And the drinks should be zero or low calories.

Important nutrients during pregnancy

If you are pregnant, you should eat more consciously and not necessarily more. Because the energy requirement is hardly increased in the first phase of pregnancy and increases to 200 to 300 calories in the second phase. In contrast, the need for nutrients increases. And nutrients are very important for the healthy development of the child. For example, an iodine deficiency can negatively affect a child’s brain development.

Healthy diet for pregnant women

There is a lot to consider and pregnant women keep asking themselves “What shouldn’t you eat during pregnancy and what should you eat?” Our table should give you a first insight. Here is a selection of foods that are particularly recommended due to their vital substances. Also, read our article about important vitamins for women. Please note that the foods listed here are of course not the “only right” foods for pregnant women. Nevertheless, your diet should contain healthy and high-quality foods. Therefore, when shopping, pay attention to organic quality goods.

1) Pseudocereals provide protein

Gluten-free pseudocereals, like quinoa or buckwheat, are a great alternative to wheat flour products, which you’re better off reducing during pregnancy anyway. Pseudo-cereals during pregnancy are ideal. Because they contain a lot of protein and iron. Therefore, you should integrate them into your diet during pregnancy.

2) Diet during pregnancy with avocado

The popular superfood avocado is rich in valuable omega-3 fatty acids. The fruit also contains a high proportion of folic acid and vitamin B6. So if you are pregnant, you can often prepare wholemeal bread with avocado or an avocado dip.

3) Eat fish when pregnant

Especially in the case of iodine deficiency, various sea fish, such as haddock or redfish, is a good way to meet the need in abundance. In addition, fish contains a high iron content and is rich in the important vitamin B12. Also, see our article on cravings during pregnancy.

4) Broccoli for iron supply

As is well known, tastes differ when it comes to broccoli. However, it remains undisputed that broccoli is also a healthy source of vital substances for you during pregnancy. Because it has very high iron content and is particularly recommended. Please also note our article on tips for correcting the iron deficiency.

5) Eat eggs when pregnant

If you are pregnant, chicken eggs are good food for you. In addition to valuable proteins, they also offer an above-average proportion of vitamin B12 and folic acid. However, you should never eat them raw! Our natural home remedies for stretch marks are also interesting.

6) Oats against morning sickness

A high proportion of vitamin B6 is said to reduce morning sickness. Therefore, foods like oats or whole grains can be good home remedies for morning sickness. In addition, they provide important nutrients for the development of the child. So they are well suited for a healthy diet during pregnancy.

What not to eat during pregnancy?

In addition to the numerous important nutrients for a healthy pregnancy and a good development of the child, you should avoid some foods and ask yourself: What shouldn’t you eat during pregnancy? Because what many women do not know before their first child is that some otherwise harmless foods can become dangerous for the child during pregnancy.

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Food

Cucumber Tastes Bitter: When to Stop Eating it

If the cucumber tastes bitter, caution is advised. We explain to you how long the vegetables can be kept, where the bitter taste can come from and when you should stop eating cucumbers.

That’s why cucumbers sometimes taste bitter

Originally, cucumbers were rich in harmful bitter substances, the cucurbitacins, which are typical of the pumpkin family. Modern breeds now contain very few of these bitter substances. That’s a good thing, because according to the Federal Center for Nutrition (BZfE) they can be toxic to humans in higher concentrations.

Cucumbers from the supermarket are usually not bitter. If you grow cucumbers in your own garden, they may develop bitter substances, for example due to incorrect fertilization. The cucumbers then taste bitter.
This can also be the case if you buy home-grown cucumbers that have been incorrectly fertilized at an organic farmer’s market or in an organic store.
If a cucumber tastes bitter, you should stop eating it. Symptoms such as stomach cramps or diarrhea can occur if you consume too many of the harmful bitter substances.

Shelf life and storage of cucumbers

Cucumbers are sensitive to cold. It is therefore best not to store them below ten degrees Celsius, otherwise they can become watery and soft.

If you want to store cucumbers in the fridge, use the crisper drawers. It is usually not as cold there as in the rest of the refrigerator. Otherwise, store the cucumbers in a cool room with high humidity.
It is best to eat the cucumbers fresh. If you can’t use them fresh, you should only store them for a few days before using them.
Cucumbers are not suitable for freezing. They lose their structure in the process and become mushy when they thaw again.
Cucumbers are sensitive to ethylene. Therefore, do not keep them with fruits like apples that emit ethylene or they will spoil faster.
When buying cucumbers, make sure they aren’t bruised or damaged if you don’t want to use them right away.
In principle, as long as the cucumbers don’t taste bitter, are too mushy or moldy, you shouldn’t throw them away. You can also roast or stew slightly older cucumbers as a side dish or use them in a cucumber salad.

Cucumbers belong to the gourd family and originally come from northern India. They have about 97 percent water content and are very low in calories at twelve kilocalories per 100 grams.
Healthy ingredients such as provitamin A and various minerals are located directly under the skin of the cucumber.
You should therefore not peel cucumbers, just wash them thoroughly. When buying cucumbers, also pay attention to organic quality so that no synthetic pesticides and other pollutants get into your body.

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