Breaking
FoodNerdy Recipes Management System
Tag

should

Browsing
Food

Cooking or Soaking Chickpeas – You Should Know That

Cooked chickpeas are delicious, healthy and add variety to your diet. We show you how you can easily prepare them yourself and when you have to soak the chickpeas.

The chickpea, which originated in Asia, came to Europe in the Middle Ages and is very popular today. Whether in curries, salads, falafel or hummus – the buttery-nutty-tasting legume gives many dishes an oriental touch and is also very healthy.

Never eat chickpeas raw

Organic chickpeas are commercially available in two forms:

as a pre-cooked preserve in a jar or in a can
raw and dried
If you are in a hurry, you can use the pre-cooked chickpeas directly. Do not throw away the chickpea water from the jar or can, you can use the aquafaba as vegan egg whites.

Dried chickpeas, on the other hand, have to be soaked and cooked first. If you cook the raw chickpeas, the toxin phasin they contain is destroyed and makes the valuable legume safe for us to eat. Caution: You have to throw away the soaking water in which the raw chickpeas were, because the toxin phasin dissolves in the water during soaking. The chickpeas and the cooking water can only be eaten after cooking.

Soaking chickpeas – time-consuming, but useful

Soaking the chickpeas takes time. It is best to plan one night for this. However, the time investment pays off: If you have soaked the chickpeas, they will be easier to digest. In addition, it shortens the subsequent cooking time considerably and thus allows energy-saving preparation that is gentle on vital substances.

How to properly soak chickpeas:

In a saucepan, cover the chickpeas with twice the amount of water and let them soak for at least 12 hours.
During the swelling period, the chickpeas absorb a lot of water. You may have to add a little more water if necessary.
Discard the soaking water afterwards to remove any residue of the toxin phasin.
Rinse the chickpeas thoroughly with fresh water.

How to properly cook chickpeas

You can boil the chickpeas in water the classic way:

Place the soaked chickpeas in a pressure cooker.
Cover them with fresh water. Make sure that the top third of the pressure cooker remains free.
Close the pot and set steam pressure level 2.
If the lid starts to hiss, turn off the stove or reduce the heat significantly.
After 20 minutes, open the lid as instructed in the pressure cooker instructions.
The chickpeas are done when you can easily mash them with a fork.
Put the chickpeas in a colander and rinse them with fresh water.
Tip: If you don’t have a pressure cooker, the peas will need to cook longer—at least an hour. Basically, the longer the chickpeas were soaked beforehand, the faster they will cook. That saves energy. If you let them soak in water for 24 hours, the cooking time in the pressure cooker is reduced to just ten minutes.

The cooking time also depends on whether you need the chickpeas buttery soft for making hummus or still al dente for use in curry or salad.

Another rule: the fresher the chickpeas are, the shorter they need to cook.

Chickpeas – not only delicious, but also healthy!

Chickpeas not only taste delicious, but are also extremely healthy. Chickpeas have these nutritional values:

With their high fiber content, they promote healthy digestion.
They have a high protein content and are therefore a vegetable protein source.
The legumes contain notable amounts of iron, zinc and magnesium.
Chickpeas are low in calories and fill you up at the same time.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Losing Weight Vegan: What You Should Pay Attention to

You can be vegan for many different reasons – animal welfare, environmental protection, health and also the desire to lose a few pounds can be a motivation. But do you really lose weight with a vegan diet? How does it work and what should you pay attention to?

Can you lose weight on a vegan diet?

Yes, you can lose weight with a vegan diet – but there is no guarantee. Because theoretically you can lose weight with any diet – if you don’t just eat chocolate, chips, cola and ready meals.

But the vegan diet has clear advantages: It often includes a diverse and varied selection of vegetables, legumes, fruit, cereals and whole grain products, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils. A study showed: A vegan diet could mean 8.1 million fewer deaths per year. According to the researchers, more than half of these avoided deaths could be attributed to reduced consumption of red meat (beef, pork, sheep, goat) and about a quarter to increased fruit and vegetable consumption.

In addition, vegans often live healthier lives in general: They smoke less often, drink less alcohol and exercise more. To what extent diet is decisive here, or whether healthy people generally opt for a vegan diet more often, is not known exactly.

Losing weight vegan: what do you have to pay attention to?

Long-time vegans know their way around and know what to look out for. But if you are just starting out on a vegan diet, you should consider a few things. Some nutrients are not included in a vegan diet, or only when you are familiar with them. These include vitamin B12, vitamin B2, vitamin D, protein, calcium, iron, iodine, zinc, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids.

With the exception of vitamin B12 – which vegans should supplement or take in with the help of fortified toothpaste – it is possible to absorb these nutrients with a balanced, varied diet. However, one should consciously ensure that all nutrients are present in the diet.

The vegan nutrition poster or the vegan nutrition pyramid from the animal rights organization Peta can be helpful. In our article “Vitamins from plant sources”, you can find out which vitamins are in which vegan foods. A regular medical blood test is also useful, it shows possible deficiency situations.

Losing weight vegan: The energy balance is crucial

If you want to lose weight – whether vegan or not – you have to use more energy than you take in. That doesn’t mean you have to waste your time counting calories and starving yourself from now on. It often helps to gradually change small things and slowly strive for a healthier lifestyle.

How much energy you use varies from person to person and depends on body weight, body composition, gender, age, health, the temperature around us and, crucially, physical activity. There is little you can do to change most of these things – except for your physical activity. This means that if you want to lose weight, you have to move.

Nothing happens without movement

You don’t have to exercise five days a week – it’s often the small things that can make a big difference: climb the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator, walk or bike short distances, and go for a short walk during your lunch break .

Yes, even in winter. Remember, temperature also plays a role in energy consumption. The colder it is outside, the more energy your body uses to keep you warm. In addition, the cold air – and if you’re lucky, a few rays of winter sun (vitamin D) – is good for your health.

Try to integrate regular physical activity into your everyday life: maybe you like swimming, running, cycling, dancing or enjoy a team sport? Whatever your sport, plan time for it every week. If you have doubts about going through with it, then arrange to meet up with friends – you can motivate each other.

What am I actually eating?

Let’s get to the energy you absorb. It can clearly be influenced by your diet. And here, too, it is small steps that can make a big difference. A good way to find out where to start is by keeping a food journal (there are good food journal apps out there now too).

If you regularly write down what you eat, you’ll probably find a few things you can work on. Don’t try to eat as little as possible – it is especially important for vegans to eat enough. Be careful what foods you eat.

Clean eating: not just a trend

Eat as clean as possible, i.e. mainly unprocessed food! There are now plenty of finished products with too much salt and additives for vegans too. It’s better to ignore them and try to eat as much fresh and unprocessed food as possible: lots of things can be conjured up from vegetables, fruit, legumes, seeds, grains and nuts.

How about a homemade spread on freshly baked bread with hemp milk, almond milk or a smoothie and an energy ball for dessert? Vegan food accounts on Instagram offer a good source of inspiration.

Carbohydrates? Yes, but whole grain

Carbohydrates make you fat? Not necessarily. If you only eat croissants, white bread and sugar, you certainly won’t lose any pounds. But if you eat foods that have complex carbohydrates in them — like cereal, bran, beans, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, brown rice, potatoes, vegetables, or soy products — your body will take longer to digest, your blood sugar won’t spike as much, and you will stay full longer. Also read the article on proper nutrition in the following box:

Healthy snacks instead of Cheat Day

Cheat Day is a trend that is particularly widespread on social networks and on YouTube: starving six days a week – and on one day pizza, fries, cola, chocolate, ice cream (and everything else that you have forbidden yourself) in cram yourself in. Such regular, planned binge eating is not a good idea.

It’s better to treat yourself to something every now and then. Delicious homemade brownies made from kidney beans, energy balls or homemade Nutella. The advantage of making it yourself: You can decide for yourself how much sugar you use.

Drink lots and lots!

In addition to food, drinks also play a role in weight loss. A very simple rule of thumb is: drink water, and drink enough water so that you never feel thirsty. With sweet drinks such as cola, sprite, iced tea, but also with juice and ready-made juice spritzers, you absorb unnecessary energy, so you should avoid these and drink water instead. You can drink the tap water in Germany without hesitation. If you can’t go without flavor, spice up your water with ginger, cucumber, herbs, or lemon.

Listen to yourself: intuition and mindfulness

What does this esoteric stuff have to do with losing weight, you might be wondering. Probably more than you think. Before you just start eating at the next meal, be careful and listen to yourself: Are you hungry or just hungry? Are you stressed or relaxed? Take your time to eat and be aware of your body. Celebrate the food and present it beautifully. Eating is a beautiful thing and we want it to stay that way for you. When you feel full, stop eating.

Incidentally, stress and weight are often linked: while some people hardly eat at all during stressful times, others stuff themselves with sugar and fat. Make sure to consciously relax every now and again in your everyday life, even short units – ten minutes after getting up, during your lunch break or just before going to bed – can help to lower your stress level.

Vegan lose weight with patience

Conclusion: Don’t think of the vegan diet as a diet that can help you lose a lot of pounds in a short period of time. It will not work. As soon as you eat like before, you have the pounds back on your hips. Instead, try to see your diet change as something long-term and use it! Try out new recipes, get inspired and discover the diversity of vegan nutrition. Give yourself and your body time to adjust, and don’t freak out about it.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Cook Mushrooms: You Should Pay Attention to This

Mushrooms are healthy and tasty all-rounders that can be prepared in a variety of ways. We will show you which method has which advantages.

Mushrooms are a very popular type of mushroom used in many cultures in different dishes and prepared in different ways. As they are easy to grow in the dark, mushrooms are available from us all year round. In nature, however, they are only in season in late summer.

Mushrooms are healthy: They consist of about 91 percent water and are therefore extremely low in calories. They’re high in the healthy electrolyte potassium — about the same as bananas, which are famous for it. Among other things, potassium is responsible for keeping your nerve cells and their conductivity healthy.

Mushrooms also contain minerals such as:

iron
magnesium
zinc
Vitamins such as B1, B2 and folic acid

There are white and brown mushrooms that hardly differ from each other in terms of their ingredients. The white ones just taste a little nuttier and the brown ones a little stronger.

Cook mushrooms

If you want to prepare mushrooms, you should consider a few points beforehand. This includes buying quality produce and cleaning the mushrooms.

What you should consider when buying:

Make sure the mushrooms are fresh. Canned or jarred mushrooms don’t have nearly as many nutrients as fresh mushrooms, and they taste completely different.
Mushrooms can be bought all year round, but these “cultured” mushrooms are often treated with pesticides. So make sure to buy them organic.
The wild mushrooms are in season here in late summer. However, you should only collect them yourself if you are an experienced mushroom picker, as they can easily be confused with the dangerous death cap mushroom.
To clean mushrooms, you can use a brush or clean kitchen towel to gently rub them. Bought mushrooms usually have little soiling. More about this here:

Cook mushrooms raw

Like other vegetables, mushrooms can also be eaten raw. Not only does this have the benefit of making them quick to prepare, they also retain all of their nutrients.

If you have never eaten raw mushrooms, you should not overdo it: some people do not tolerate raw mushrooms very well, which can lead to flatulence. They are best eaten raw in a salad.

What you need to prepare a vegan mushroom salad:

250 g mushrooms of your choice
5 tbsp olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice (from a fresh lemon)
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
2 garlic cloves (chopped or pressed)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 half bunch parsley (chopped)
(optional, not vegan: 3 tablespoons grated parmesan)
Recipe:

Clean the mushrooms and cut them vertically into very thin slices.
For the dressing, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and garlic in a bowl.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Now add the dressing and the roughly chopped parsley to the mushrooms.
Gently fold them in to avoid breaking the mushrooms.
A simple salad for a summer barbecue is ready!

Fry mushrooms

If you fry mushrooms, they lose some of their nutrients due to the high heat. On the other hand, they unfold their full, strong and nutty aroma.

To fry the mushrooms, you need a large pan so that they are well heated on all sides.

What you need for fried mushrooms:

250 g mushrooms of your choice
2 tbsp butter
3 garlic cloves (chopped or pressed)
2 shallots (chopped small)
Salt and pepper to taste
a handful of freshly chopped parsley
Recipe:

Clean the mushrooms and quarter them.
Heat the butter in a pan until it starts to sizzle.
Now add the mushrooms and spread them out in the pan so that they don’t pile up.
After about four minutes, add the onions and garlic.
Fry the whole thing for about three more minutes.
Season the fried mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste and fold in the parsley.

Steam mushrooms

Mushrooms are often prepared and served steamed: due to the relatively low heat, they retain more nutrients than when fried. Here they also develop their aromatic taste strongly and absorb spices and herbal aromas well. If you leave out the oil and fat, the mushrooms are also far lower in calories. Steamed mushrooms can be served both with meat and vegetarian, for example, with pasta.

Ingredients for stewed mushrooms:

250 g mushrooms of your choice
1/2 cup your choice of chicken, beef, or vegetable broth
3 garlic cloves (chopped or pressed)
2 spring onions
fresh or dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Recipe:

Clean the mushrooms and roughly cut them into thin slices (Different slices will steam different degrees and make your dish taste more rustic.)
Cut the spring onions into small rings and set the green part aside for the time being.
Peel the garlic and briefly fry it and the white end of the spring onions over medium heat.
Add the broth to the pan and heat until it begins to simmer.
Now add the mushrooms and turn the heat to low.
Season with salt, pepper and oregano.
Toss the mushrooms well in the pan until they have completely absorbed the liquid.
Finally, mix in the green of the spring onion. Now you can serve them with your favorite dish!

Grill mushrooms

Whether with meat or completely vegetarian, the grilled mushrooms with herb butter are the star on the grill. They are particularly easy to make and spice up every barbecue party. Another advantage of this preparation is that you can always put a new portion on the grill. So you can always serve hot and fresh mushrooms to guests.

What you need to prepare the grilled mushrooms:

particularly large mushrooms
homemade herb butter
garlic (pressed)
How to prepare grilled mushrooms:

Clean the mushrooms and remove the stems.
Use a spoon to spoon the herb butter and crushed garlic into the well.
Put the mushrooms in e.g. a grill board, grill paper or a grill grid so that they don’t fall over and the butter runs out. Avoid aluminum foil or an aluminum tray. Aluminum is not only harmful to the environment, it also ends up in your food when heated. We will show you various grill alternatives to aluminum foil:

After about ten minutes, the mushrooms should be ready.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Brussels Sprouts are Healthy: That’s Why You Should Eat the Regional Winter Vegetable More Often

What makes Brussels sprouts so healthy is not only plenty of vitamin C. When bought regionally, the winter vegetable is also a sustainable food.

Brussels sprouts belong to the cruciferous family and have been cultivated in Europe for around 200 years. At that time, farmers in Belgium began to grow the cabbage variety – which is why the florets are also called “Brussels cabbage”.

Brussels sprouts are a particularly digestible variety of cabbage that usually does not cause bloating or abdominal pain. Its strong aromatic flavor becomes milder after the first frost: then the sugar content increases and the cabbage tastes sweeter and less bitter. But whether strong or mild – Brussels sprouts are always healthy.

Brussels sprouts: Healthy thanks to vitamins and minerals

Numerous important vitamins and minerals make Brussels sprouts healthy (data from the USDA per 100g):

Vitamin C (85 mg) strengthens the body’s defences. 100 grams of Brussels sprouts contain about 85 milligrams of vitamin C.
Vitamin B-6 (0.2 mg) strengthens the immune system, among other things.
Vitamin A (38 micrograms) primarily supports bone formation, the skin and visual performance.
Vitamin K (177 micrograms) regulates cell growth and is important for blood clotting. Attention: Vitamin K inhibits the effect of vitamin K antagonists, which are contained in some medicines. If you are taking such medications, you should not consume too much vitamin K.
Potassium (389 mg) controls the transmission of stimuli in our muscles.
Calcium (42 mg) strengthens our bones and teeth.
Iron (1.4 mg) primarily transports oxygen in the blood.
According to research by the NDR, the vitamin C content in frozen Brussels sprouts is higher than in fresh ones. It depends on what “fresh” means. If you harvest Brussels sprouts in your garden and process them directly, the vitamin C content will be higher than fresh Brussels sprouts that have been stored in the cold store for some time and have been transported.

Brussels sprouts as part of a healthy diet

Not only the high amount of vitamins and minerals make Brussels sprouts healthy. It also contains other substances that promote our health:

Bitter substances stimulate digestion and soothe the gastric mucosa. They can even relieve mild abdominal pain.
Together with iron and vitamin B, folic acid (folate) promotes healthy blood formation.
Studies indicate that Brussels sprouts may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

With just under four grams of protein and fiber per 100 grams, Brussels sprouts not only provide important energy, but also fill you up in the long term and get your digestion going.

So it pays to include Brussels sprouts in your diet. Especially in winter it is an important supplier of health-promoting substances: it is one of the few regional vegetables that are still growing.

Brussels sprouts: Healthy and sustainable winter vegetables

Healthy Brussels sprouts are in season from November to January. It is a good alternative to vegetables that have to be imported from warmer regions in winter. However, only around 15 percent of the Brussels sprouts in the supermarket come from Germany. The rest comes mainly from the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain and France. Regional Brussels sprouts have a low carbon footprint, making them a sustainable food.

Tip: When shopping, pay attention to where the Brussels sprouts come from. At weekly markets or in organic supermarkets you can often find fresh Brussels sprouts on a stick from local farmers and you can shop regionally.

Cook Brussels sprouts properly

Its valuable ingredients make Brussels sprouts so healthy. To preserve them, you should prepare Brussels sprouts as fresh as possible. When buying, make sure that the florets are firm and light green. At room temperature, the florets wilt quickly. They will keep in the fridge for several days if you wrap them in a damp cloth.

Before processing Brussels sprouts, first remove yellow or loose leaves. Then you should clean the Brussels sprouts, remove the stalks and cut them in a cross shape. This way they cook evenly. Then you can prepare the florets:

Blanch Brussels sprouts: Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and add the Brussels sprouts. Leave it in the boiling water for about three minutes. Then drain it and let it cool in ice water for another three minutes. You can freeze blanched Brussels sprouts.
Boil and prepare Brussels sprouts: Place the florets in a saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Then turn down the heat and put a lid on the pot. After five to seven minutes the cabbage will be al dente.
You can process the cooked florets as you wish – let yourself be inspired by our healthy Brussels sprouts recipes, for example.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Vitamin D: This is What You Should Know About the Sunshine Vitamin

Vitamin D is extremely important for our body – and very popular as a dietary supplement. Their manufacturers like to suggest that it is absolutely necessary to use vitamin supplements to meet the vitamin D requirement. What’s behind it? We explain everything you should know about the vitamin.

Vitamin D actually describes a group of D vitamins, of which vitamin D3 is the most important variant. The fact is: our body can produce the fat-soluble vitamin itself with the help of sunlight, but can also absorb it from food. But is this combination enough to provide us with the “sun vitamin”?

What do we need vitamin D for?

Anyone who has ever broken a bone may remember the well-intentioned advice of their doctor that effervescent calcium tablets from the supermarket only help if you combine them with the “installation aid” vitamin D.

The vitamin is particularly responsible for

healthy bones
Strong muscles
strong immune system
Research is currently being carried out into whether vitamin D is also important to support certain functions of the cardiovascular system or to protect us from cancer. The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) created an overview of the current study situation, according to which, among other things, the vitamin D status can have a positive or negative effect on the risk of respiratory infections.

How does our body absorb the vitamin?

Our body can produce vitamin D3 itself from the UV-B light contained in sunlight. All you have to do is go out in the sun with uncovered skin, i.e. without sunscreen, or stay outdoors long enough. How long depends on your skin color and the latitude where you are. Of course, the weather and the time of year and day also play a role. In our latitudes, vitamin D formation is possible from March to October, according to the Robert Koch Institute (Rki).

In any case, it is important to be outdoors regularly and to let the sun touch your skin. The recommendations range from 25 minutes a day (March to October) to five minutes several times a week. The Federal Office for Risk Assessment (BfR) writes: “It is recommended to expose yourself to the sun for a total of approx. 5 to 25 minutes per day with your face, hands and larger parts of your arms and legs uncovered.”

Important: Always keep in mind that staying in the sun for too long without sun protection can lead to sunburn and, in the worst case, to skin cancer. Therefore, do not stay unprotected in the sun for too long at a time.

Vitamin D in winter and vitamin D deficiency

The fact that the sun’s rays are lower in the winter months does not mean that there is an immediate deficiency in vitamin D. The body can store the vitamin D and use these reserves to compensate for the need in the winter months relatively well.

However, if you start the winter with a poorly filled vitamin D store, a deficiency can occur that has a harmful effect on our health. Certain diseases and medications can also inhibit the absorption of vitamin D3.

Vitamin D overdose: side effects

An overdose of vitamin D can only result from the wrong dosage of dietary supplements and vitamin D preparations.

Both Stiftung Warentest and Öko-Test have warned in recent years that vitamin D preparations are often overdosed and mostly unnecessary.

As far as the bones are concerned, the motto “a lot helps a lot” should not be assumed with the preparations, because an overdose does not lead to particularly strong bones, but on the contrary to a leaching of calcium from the bone substance and thus to osteoporosis.

The calcium released from the bones then accumulates in the body’s soft tissues and can thus impair the function of many important organs such as the heart, lungs, muscles, tendons and blood vessels. Kidney problems can also develop as a result, such as kidney calcification or the formation of kidney stones. In the long term, overdosing can even lead to kidney failure.

Other possible symptoms of a vitamin D overdose:

Constipation, abdominal pain and vomiting
loss of appetite and weight loss
high blood pressure
psychoses
headache
muscle and tendon pain
fatigue
confusion
dizziness

If you take vitamin D supplements, you should take these symptoms seriously because they can lead to serious physical impairments in the long term.

Daily requirement of vitamin D

Although vitamin D3 has such important functions in the body, a daily dose of just 20 micrograms is enough to cover our daily needs. However, it is possible to cover 80 to 90 percent of the daily vitamin D requirement in our latitudes by spending time outdoors, so that the requirement actually taken up with food (or with food supplements) is usually lower.

The BfR writes that an intake of 20 micrograms per day is only recommended “if the body does not produce vitamin D itself”.

With age, however, the body’s ability to produce the vitamin from sunlight decreases, but at the same time the need for it increases with regard to osteoporosis and mobility. It therefore makes sense for seniors to have regular medical examinations and advice on whether it is necessary to take vitamin supplements.

Unfortunately, the way we live today means that many Germans are not optimally supplied with vitamin D because they spend less and less time outdoors. But that doesn’t mean that you have to take nutritional supplements right away – and certainly not on your own.

The consumer center writes, citing a study by the Robert Koch Institute (Rki) from 2019: “Most Germans are far from a clinical vitamin D deficiency, which also has health effects.”

The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) only recommends vitamin D preparations if an improvement in the vitamin D status cannot be achieved either through self-synthesis or through diet.

Which foods contain the vitamin?

You can get around 10 to 20 percent of the vitamin D you need from food. Because it is fat-soluble, the sun vitamin is particularly found in

fatty fish such as salmon and herring
Liver (cod liver oil or beef liver)
egg yolk
Mushrooms, for example chanterelles and button mushrooms
Cheese like Gouda

There are also foods, such as dairy products and margarine, that contain added vitamin D.

Vitamin D test: for “reasonable suspicion”

Anyone who doubts that their own body is sufficiently supplied with vitamin D can have this tested by a doctor.

However, the BfR recommends: “Since a large proportion of the healthy German population cannot be assumed to have a vitamin D deficiency, the vitamin D supply should only be determined if there is reasonable suspicion of a deficiency situation or in persons at risk.”

In any case, before you reach for tablets or other preparations, you should have a vitamin D test done by your doctor. Like all dietary supplements, vitamin D preparations should really only be taken if a deficiency has been diagnosed by a doctor – otherwise you risk serious side effects.

Important to know: If the doctor considers the suspicion of a deficiency to be justified, the health insurance company will take over
cost of the test. According to Oko-Test, a test on your own account costs between 20 and 30 euros.

Anyone who just feels a little listless and tired in winter does not necessarily suffer from a vitamin D deficiency.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Freeze Baby Food: What You Should Consider

Baby porridge is great to freeze in advance. This saves you a lot of time and effort. We tell you what you should consider when freezing.

Freeze baby food: Here’s how

The homemade baby food should be frozen as fresh as possible, but completely cooled. You can speed up the cooling process by placing the porridge in a cold water bath.
Boil the freezer containers before you fill them with the baby food.
All containers that are expressly declared as freezer-safe are suitable for freezing. This could be Emsa glass food storage containers, for example, available from **memolife – they are certified as suitable for baby food. Or frozen cans made of bioplastics, available at **Avocadostore.
Freeze the porridge in portions that match your baby’s typical food intake. That way you won’t defrost too much porridge at once later. If your baby eats very little porridge at first, you can also freeze the baby porridge in ice cube trays and then store the frozen cubes in a freezer box.
Freeze leftovers from the jar

If you fed jars of food from the supermarket and have some leftovers, you can also freeze the rest.
It is important that the porridge in the glass has not come into contact with a used spoon. Scoop out a portion of the porridge from the jar with a clean spoon. Pour the rest into a freezer-safe container and freeze.

Tips and hints for freezing baby food

Always work with clean utensils.
Do not fill the freezer containers completely, especially if they are made of glass. The contents expand when it is cold.
Label the containers so you can keep track of the contents and shelf life. Homemade porridge can be kept for up to two months at -18 degrees Celsius.
Be sure to seal the containers tightly before freezing them.
Porridges with avocado, melon, banana and potatoes do not freeze well. After defrosting, the consistency and/or the taste change. You should prepare these foods fresh.
Even cooked spinach should not be refrozen and thawed if it is baby food. When warming up, bacteria could convert the nitrate contained in it into nitrite, to which babies could be sensitive.
You should only add other ingredients such as oil and (mild) spices after defrosting.

Defrost frozen baby food

Only thaw the pulp just before you are about to give it. It should not be left in the fridge overnight to thaw as bacteria can grow and multiply there.
Instead, thaw it in a hot water bath. Make sure it is evenly warm all over before giving it to your baby.
Once thawed, you should not refreeze it.

Why freezing baby food is worthwhile

Homemade baby porridge only contains ingredients that you have selected and are familiar with. If you cook in advance and freeze the porridge, you can always offer your baby baby porridge that you have cooked yourself – even if time is short. If necessary, all you have to do is gently heat the frozen portion.

By freezing, you make the baby food durable and safe without artificial preservatives, because bacteria don’t stand a chance in the cold. In addition, the good nutrients are retained. What’s more, you don’t have to throw away good food. You can freeze the porridge in suitable portion sizes and don’t have to dispose of valuable food (leftovers).

Keep Reading
By
Food

Eat Cheese Rind or Not? You Should Know That

Whether you can eat the cheese rind depends on various factors. Here you can find out when you should avoid the cheese rind and when you can eat it without hesitation.

Eat cheese rind?

The cheese rind fulfills a number of important functions, as it protects the cheese from dirt, mold and keeps it from drying out. The rind also gives some types of cheese their typical aroma.

There are different types of cheese rinds. The naturally ripened rind is created when the wheel of cheese is bathed in salt water during production and then stored dry. In addition, some types of cheese are sprinkled with salt and regularly turned, brushed and rubbed with brine during ripening. Depending on the type of cheese, this forms a more or less hard rind. You can basically eat this naturally occurring rind – even particularly hard rinds such as that of mountain cheese, Emmental or Parmesan are suitable for consumption. However, the bark is not for everyone, because it is sometimes very hard and tastes very intense. Whether you eat the bark or not is up to you.

In contrast to the naturally ripened rind, some types of cheese are also covered with an artificial rind. This usually consists of paraffins, plastic or wax and is therefore not edible. This is the case, for example, with Gouda or Edam. Corresponding products must be provided with the notice “Plastic coating not suitable for consumption”.

Can you eat cheese rind with noble mold and goo?

Certain types of cheese are treated with special mold cultures, such as soft cheeses such as Camembert, Brie or blue cheese. You can eat these without hesitation and they give the cheese its special aroma.

The same applies to types of cheese with smear, which you can generally also eat. Bacterial cultures are added here, which form the typical smear in yellow or red smear cheese. Examples are Munster cheese or Limburger with the typical red smear.

Plant ash is also sometimes used to protect the cheese from mold. The vegetable charcoal, or activated charcoal, is listed as E153 in the list of ingredients and you can also eat it (an example is the French Morbier).

Natamycin: cheese rind with preservative

The rind of certain cheeses is partially treated with the preservative natamycin (E235). The preservative has an antibiotic effect and is used to prevent mold growth. It is also used, for example, in medicines to treat fungal infections.

Although the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) rates natamycin as negligible in terms of resistance problems, you should still not eat cheese rinds with the preservative. Check the packaging for this, because cheese treated with natamycin must be labeled accordingly. It’s best to ask at the cheese counter – the only thing that often says there is “conserved”. By the way: Organic cheese is basically free of natamycin.

When not to eat the cheese rind

The Baden-Württemberg State Center for Nutrition recommends that pregnant women and people with a weakened immune system should refrain from eating naturally ripened bark and smear. These can contain listeria – i.e. bacteria – which can be dangerous without an intact immune system. The same applies to raw milk cheese, by the way.

Conclusion: Unless the cheese is marked with a note that the rind is not suitable for consumption, you can eat the rind (if you are not part of a risk group).

Buy cheese: preferably organic or vegan

When it comes to animal products such as cheese, always look for organic quality whenever possible. Not only can you avoid natamycin in the bark, but you ensure that no synthetic chemical pesticides end up in your food and in the environment. In addition, the housing conditions for animals with organic seals are often better than with conventionally manufactured products. You can find organic products, for example, at the market, in the shop around the corner or delivered in an eco box. Particularly strict organic seals include those from Demeter, Naturland and Bioland.

Vegan cheese as an alternative:

There are now also many vegan cheese alternatives – this not only benefits animal welfare and the environment, but you also have to worry less about the rind.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Olive Oil Lifehack: You Should Definitely Know This When Buying

The quality of olive oil depends largely on a very specific factor. With our life hack you do everything right when buying olive oil.

Olive oil is not just olive oil. The quality of the popular edible oil depends on various criteria. In another article, we have summarized ten tips for you on how to recognize good olive oil.

In general, we recommend looking for organic quality when buying olive oil. You can be sure that the oil is not contaminated with chemical-synthetic pesticides. In addition, by consuming organic products, you support ecologically sustainable agriculture that treats the earth’s natural resources with care. The organic seals from Demeter, Bioland, and Naturland are particularly recommended, as they stipulate stricter criteria than the EU organic seal.

Additionally, you can recognize the quality of olive oil with the following simple method.

Olive Oil Lifehack: How to recognize good quality

This life hack is very simple: you can already tell from the packaging when you go shopping whether an olive oil is of high or inferior quality.

Simply note the following information:

Olive oil in a clear glass or plastic bottle is a no go. This has to do with the fact that vegetable oils are very sensitive to light, heat and air. These environmental influences very quickly trigger an oxidation process in the olive oil. The result: Rancid olive oil with drastically reduced levels of healthy nutrients such as antioxidants and polyphenols.
The quality of olive oil suffers even more in plastic bottles – whether they are dark or transparent. This is because the chemicals in the plastic, such as plasticizers, migrate into the oil over time. This not only changes its taste, but is also potentially harmful to health, according to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment.
Olive oil in metal packaging should also be consumed with caution. According to consumer advice centers, metals can become detached here over time, migrate into the oil and impair its quality. In addition, metal packaging is often coated with the plastic bisphenol A, which can also be released into the oil and is even potentially harmful.

Olive Oil Lifehack: Conclusion

You should definitely avoid packaging made of plastic, metal or clear glass when buying olive oil.

According to a study, dark bottles made of green or amber glass are the most suitable containers for olive oil. If you then at least pay attention to the organic seal and the addition “extra virgin”, you can be pretty sure that the olive oil in your shopping basket is of good quality.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Eating Fish: You Should Definitely Pay Attention to This

Eating fish regularly is a matter of course for many people. But there are a few things that you should urgently pay attention to: from avoiding overfished species to pollution and aqualtur – we’ll explain what you need to know.

Eating fish is considered healthy and many find fish fingers, fish fillets or smoked fish delicious. However, when we look for information on the origin of fish on the Internet, the pleasure is quickly over: many species are overfished, there are repeated reports of pollutants in fish, aquaculture is not a good alternative and the seals can hardly be relied on. Should we therefore give up fish altogether? In fact, there are many good reasons to eliminate fish and other seafood from our diet.

If you still want to continue eating fish, you should at least keep a few things in mind. In the following you will get an overview.

Eating sustainable fish – without overfishing

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), almost 35 percent of the world’s fish stocks are now overfished. Around 60 percent are already being used to the maximum, so more is not possible without also being overfished. The fish guide from the WWF and the new fish guide from the consumer advice centers will tell you which species can still be fished sustainably in which fishing areas. Unfortunately, Greenpeace’s fish guide, which has long been considered particularly strict, has not been reissued in recent years.

In the last published version in 2016, only carp was recommended without reservation. The WWF and consumer advice centers take a similar view today: Here, too, carp from European aquaculture has a green rating.

According to the WWF, you can eat some other types of fish if they were fished in certain fishing areas (FAO) and/or with certain fishing methods. For example:

Arctic sea shrimp from the Northeast Pacific off Canada (FAO 67), caught with traps
Tropical shrimp from Southeast Asia or Europe from aquaculture
Halibut from Europe from aquaculture
Herring from the Northwest Atlantic off the USA (FAO 21), caught with purse seines, and from the Northeast Atlantic (FAO 27), with numerous exceptions
Pacific salmon from the Northeast Pacific off Alaska and Canada (FAO 67)
Brown trout from Austria from aquaculture
Mussels from Europe from aquaculture or linen culture
Nile perch or Victoria perch from Lake Victoria in Tanzania (wild caught)
Rainbow trout from Denmark from aquaculture
Char from Europe from aquaculture
Anchovy from the NE Atlantic in Bay of Biscay (FAO 27) from pelagic otter trawls or purse seines
Hake from the Northeast Pacific off Canada and the USA (FAO 67), caught with pelagic otter trawls
Coley (saithe) from the NE Atlantic off Iceland (FAO 27) caught with gillnet gillnets or bottom longlines
Western Pacific tuna (FAO 61, 71) caught with hand lines or fishing lines
Tuna (Yellowfin) from the Eastern and Southwest Pacific (FAO 77, 81) caught with hand lines or line lines
Tuna (albacore) from the Pacific (FAO 61, 67, 81, 87), and from the Northwest and Northeast Atlantic (FAO 21, 27) caught with hand lines, fishing lines or trolling
Catfish (African and European) from aquaculture (closed recirculation systems, pond systems) in Europe

The WWF and consumer organizations agree that you should never eat the following wild fish:

european eel
all shark and ray species
orange roughy, alfonsino
Bluefin tuna
In contrast to the WWF, the consumer advice centers also generally advise against mussels, North Pacific, southern and Atlantic bluefin tuna, Markele, sturgeon, Atlantic salmon, redfish and squid.

Wild Fish Seals give you additional hints as to which fish you can eat. The most well-known is certainly MSC, but some organic associations such as Naturland now also have seals for wild fish. At the end of the article we will introduce you to the most important seals.

Wild-caught fish: The method of catching is crucial

So when you want to eat wild fish, it’s not just about where it was caught. The “how” is also crucial. Greenpeace has a list of the different trapping methods and their advantages and disadvantages. Here are some examples:

Trawl nets: These sometimes huge bag-shaped nets are one of the most popular fishing methods in deep-sea fishing. There are trawls that are pulled over the bottom and those that can fish the sea between the water surface and the bottom. The problem with trawl nets is that there is sometimes a lot of bycatch. In addition, bottom trawls rip up the bottom, destroying coral reefs that are extremely important as ecosystems, among other things.
Gillnets: These fine-mesh nets are so called because fish get caught in them with their gills. One type of gillnet is a gillnet that is placed vertically in a fixed location. Unlike trawl nets, gillnets have less bycatch and leave less damage to the surrounding ecosystem. On the other hand, the fish often hang in the mesh for days before the nets are hauled in. Unlike gillnets, driftnets float around. They are now banned as they often cause large amounts of bycatch, but driftnets are still used in illegal fishing.
Purse seines: The ring-shaped nets are placed around a school of fish to enclose it. This method is often used to catch tuna. The problem is that tuna and dolphins often travel together. Fishermen therefore like to locate and circle dolphins. In the meantime, however, there are firm rules that dolphins that are caught must be released immediately.
Fishing: There are different types of fishing. They usually consist of a short line with a hook that has a bait on it. Fishing is considered to be particularly gentle because bycatch can be recognized immediately and released again and because ecosystems are hardly damaged.
Traps: Fish traps are nets with openings just large enough to allow the desired species of fish to enter but not exit. This can avoid a lot of bycatch.

Aquaculture fish: the better alternative?

Anyone who thinks that you can hardly eat wild fish without major concerns, but you can eat fish from aquaculture, is unfortunately wrong. Neither endangered stocks nor by-catch are an immediate problem for farmed fish from aquaculture. Nevertheless, aquaculture is unfortunately not the ultimate solution, as this form of farming brings with it its own problems:

A big problem is that the fish are often fed fishmeal made from wild fish. Despite aquaculture, the fish stocks are massively affected.
Since many fish are kept in a confined space in aquaculture, the floor beneath them is covered with a particularly large amount of fish excrement. In addition, the fish are often treated with antibiotics. The use of chemicals puts additional strain on the surrounding ecosystems. This is especially true for farms whose water is in direct exchange with seawater.
There are fish farms in tropical and subtropical waters, for which mangrove forests have to give way. These forests are the habitats of many species and also spawning grounds for many wild fish.
When fish escape from aquaculture, they can transmit rampant diseases to wild fish there. In addition, farmed fish are often kept in places where they are not native. When they mix with native stocks, they can upset the delicate balance of ecosystems.
For these reasons, you should not eat fish from aquaculture without hesitation. As in the case of wild fish, seals such as the ASC and Naturland seals can also offer you orientation. You can get more information at the end of the article.

Eating fish – is it really healthy?

Eating fish is generally considered very healthy. They contain, among other things, some vitamins, minerals, many proteins and omega-3 fatty acids. However, fish not only absorb harmless substances from the water: there are repeated reports that fish are contaminated with various pollutants. Here is the most important information:

Most wild fish are caught so young that they are hardly contaminated with pollutants. An exception are older predatory fish, such as tuna and sharks (which you shouldn’t eat anyway). From a certain age, however, these must be regularly checked for pollutants such as mercury, lead or cadmium. Nevertheless, you should eat such fish only rarely, if at all, and avoid them completely during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
A special case are herring and salmon from the northern Baltic Sea: some of them are heavily contaminated with the toxin dioxin.
There are also reports of pollution in farmed fish. Ethoxyquin, which is probably carcinogenic, is particularly problematic. It is banned almost everywhere in the food industry, but may still be added to fishmeal as an additive until 2020. In 2018, both Stiftung Warentest and Öko-Test found increased ethoxyquin concentrations in tests on farmed salmon, but no longer in 2021.
In recent years, reports of microplastics in the sea have repeatedly attracted attention. A study of fish from the North Sea and Baltic Sea has shown that more than five percent of the fish have microplastics in their digestive tract. In North Sea shrimp, even 63 percent were affected. It is not yet clear whether the microplastics are harmful to humans, even in these concentrations. One problem is certainly that plastic often contains harmful plasticizers and that many plastics can bind and accumulate some toxic substances very well.

Eat better fish: Seals offer orientation

MSC: The oldest seal for fish from sustainable wild catches is the MSC seal, which was founded in the late 1990s. MSC stands for Marine Stewardship Council. The seal was initiated by Unilever and WWF, but acts independently according to official information. Around 3,000 products in Germany now bear the MSC seal. The key points of the seal are that no stocks may be overfished and that gentle fishing methods such as fishing or traps must be used. Unfortunately, however, MSC does not make any specifications for animal welfare and inadequate for working conditions. In addition, a test by Stiftung Warentest has shown that stocks can sometimes be overfished and MSC cannot always trace the path of its certified products.
Naturland (wild catch): The Naturland seal for wild fish sets stricter rules. There are also regulations on fair working conditions. So far there are some fishing areas with certified fish in Germany, off the Azores and in Tanzania.
ASC: The counterpart to the MSC seal for farmed fish is the seal of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, from which around 1000 products are now available in Germany. ASC-certified farms must be located in suitable locations, the water quality must be checked regularly and the use of antibiotics should be limited. However, fishmeal and genetically modified soy are permitted as food.
Naturland (aquaculture): Naturland is once again imposing stricter rules: the fish need enough space, the surrounding ecosystems must be protected, fishmeal may only be used from the remains of edible fish, genetic engineering is not permitted.
Bottom line: fish with the ASC and MSC seals is better than fish that is not certified at all. But it is even better if you want to eat fish, if possible rely on organic associations such as Naturland – even if unfortunately not many types of fish have been certified by them so far. Otherwise, the purchasing guides from Greenpeace and consumer advice centers offer good orientation.

Ultimately, the most important thing is that you treat fish for what it is: a luxury that should only end up on the table occasionally, if at all.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Eggs and Their Shelf Life: You Should Know That

The shelf life of eggs depends on various factors. Here’s how long to store eggs and how to preserve them.

Raw Eggs: This is their shelf life

Eggs can be kept unrefrigerated for about 20 days from the laying date. Their shell protects them from germs. If you want to store them longer, you have to keep them in the fridge.

If you want to know how long the eggs you have bought will keep, you can always use the best before date printed on the egg code on the egg carton. According to the Federal Center for Nutrition, the best before date is 28 days after the laying date. The egg cartons usually also state when you should start refrigerating the eggs.

If the best-before date has passed, you don’t have to throw the eggs away right away. Instead, you can easily find out if the eggs are still good with the egg test. To be on the safe side, the AFCN recommends always cooking the eggs at at least 70 degrees if the best-before date has already passed. This kills any salmonella and other pathogens.

In order for eggs to last as long as possible, you should always store them in a clean and dry environment. If you find eggs with damaged shells in your egg carton, you should use them the same day and cook them well. You should also cook eggs that have feces or feathers on them as quickly as possible and store them separately from the other eggs.

Food that contains raw eggs should always be kept in the refrigerator and consumed within a day.
You can store raw egg yolks and egg whites in the refrigerator in a clean, sealed container for 2-3 days.
By the way: Where your eggs come from usually has no influence on their shelf life. In any case, you should pay attention to this. It is best to buy organic eggs that, in addition to the EU organic seal, also carry the seal of an organic association such as Naturland. This is how you support species-appropriate animal husbandry. In the meantime, you can also find eggs in many shops from farms where the male chicks are not shredded, but also reared.

Extend the shelf life of eggs: This is how you can preserve eggs

There are several ways you can extend the shelf life of your eggs past the best before date:

Freezing: You can freeze the yolk and egg white separately in airtight containers. According to AFCN, egg yolk keeps in the freezer at minus 18 degrees for six to ten months, egg white even for up to 12 months.
Hard-boiling: Hard-boiled eggs will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. In order to keep them as long as possible, you should not put off the eggs after cooking. Rinsing the eggs in cold water while they are still hot can cause fine cracks to form in the shell, allowing bacteria and germs to get into the eggs. That’s why the consumer advice center recommends refrigerating quenched eggs and using them within two weeks. If you haven’t quenched the eggs, they will keep for at least four weeks in the refrigerator. By the way: coloring for Easter does not affect the shelf life of eggs.
Pickling: For centuries, people have been preserving eggs by pickling hard-boiled eggs with their shells in brine. Since brine is also known as brine, eggs preserved in this way are called brine eggs. Brine eggs can be kept for about two weeks, but become saltier over time.

Keep Reading
By