Breaking
FoodNerdy Recipes Management System
Tag

shouldn’t

Browsing
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
Food

Gelatin: That’s Why You Shouldn’t Use It

Gelatine is not only found in gummy bears, but also in many other everyday products. In this article you will find out what makes the gelling agent gelatine so problematic.

In the supermarket you can find gelatine in powder form or as thin sheets. In addition, the animal gelling agent is found in a number of different finished products. As a rule, gelatine is used as a gelling agent (e.g. in gummy bears). However, companies also use gelatin to improve the volume or texture of foods. This is particularly the case with reduced-fat diet products.

You can find gelatine in these products, among others:

Creams, yoghurt and quark dishes
glaze
Sweets (like marshmallows, liquorice, or chocolate kisses)
granola bars
Aspic and aspic
animal products
Capsules for medicines or dietary supplements
Cosmetic products (such as shower gels, face creams or masks)
The food industry also uses gelatin as an aid to clarify juice, wine, cider, vinegar and lemonade. The mixture of animal substances can also be found in foreign beer. In these cases, the animal substance does not have to be indicated on the list of ingredients. After all, undeclared gelatine can also be found in other products where you wouldn’t expect it. For example, it is part of rolls of film, coated printer paper or match heads.

Gelatine: Made from animal materials

Gelatine is a mixture of substances made from proteins of animal origin. As a rule, the substances come from the connective tissue of slaughtered animals. For the production, slaughterhouse waste (such as hides, bones, tendons, cartilage or ligaments) is boiled in water. The final gelatine product then consists of…

84 to 90 percent animal protein
one to two percent of mineral salts,
to a tiny proportion of water.
According to the manufacturer, the majority of gelatine in Europe comes from pigs. A small part is also made from the carcasses of cattle and fish. As a rule, companies do not have to state which animal the gelatine comes from, according to the consumer advice center. Information is only mandatory for the rare fish gelatine.

Criticism of gelatine: problematic animal husbandry

Since gelatine is made from the remains of killed animals, it is extremely problematic:

Animal husbandry: Especially the factory farming and a lack of species-appropriate animal husbandry cause criticism. This is particularly the case with gelatine from conventional animal husbandry. Here the needs of the animals are often completely ignored. Injured or even dead animals often lie in the middle of the barn between the other animals. Even an organic seal on gummy bears with gelatine is not necessarily a guarantee for the well-being of the animals. You can find out more about this topic here: What do the animals get from organic animal husbandry? Another problem with gelatine is that manufacturers produce the mixture from different slaughterhouse waste. So you never know for sure which region or farm the gelling agent comes from.
Transport: In order to be slaughtered, pigs, cattle etc. sometimes have to travel long distances to the nearest slaughterhouse. The animals are crammed together in a very small space, where they have to endure hours or even days. Injuries, dehydration, stress or overheating occur time and again when transporting animals. Animals often die during or immediately after transport.
Slaughterhouse: During slaughter, workers or machines stun the animals with gases, for example. Animal rights activists criticize that the animals suffer from severe shortness of breath and slowly and painfully lose consciousness. Also, not all animals are adequately stunned, leaving some fully conscious when the slaughter machines cut their artery or plunge them into the hot scalding bath. A lack of controls and violations of animal welfare are repeatedly uncovered.

Other disadvantages of gelatine: eco-balance, water consumption & Co.

The production of animal products such as gelatine brings with it other ecological problems:

Large areas are required for the cultivation of animal feed, on which food for humans could be planted directly. In this way, many more people could be fed, according to studies.
As more and more land is needed for forage, humans are clearing more and more forests, destroying wild grass and forest areas and driving animals out of their habitat.
Due to the transport of animals and the import of animal feed, gelatine also has a very poor eco-balance, as there are high levels of CO2 emissions in the manufacturing process. Factory farming is thus significantly involved in progressive global warming.
Agriculture also uses a lot of water for the cultivation of animal feed and the supply of animals for slaughter. However, this is another important resource that is becoming increasingly scarce (more on water scarcity).

Keep Reading
By
Food

10 Foods You Shouldn’t Store in the Fridge

Tomatoes, lemons etc.: These foods do not belong in the refrigerator

Storing food properly is almost an art – and the refrigerator is not always the best solution. Not everything stays fresh longer in it. Many foods are harmed by the cold, some simply do not need it cool.

Store tomatoes in the fridge? Please do not!

Tomatoes lose their aroma in the refrigerator and can mold more quickly. It is best to keep them in the cellar or in the pantry – a temperature of around 15 degrees is ideal.

If a cool room is not available, tomatoes are still better off at room temperature than in the fridge. This also applies to other types of vegetables that contain a lot of water, such as cucumbers, peppers, aubergines and zucchini.

Food that doesn’t belong in the fridge: Bread

Bread is best stored at room temperature in air-permeable containers. Without air, moisture builds up and the bread starts to go moldy.

Clay pots are ideal for storage. Wooden bread boxes are also recommended, as bread dries out less quickly in them.

Olive oil does not belong in the fridge!

Olive oil can become flaky in the refrigerator. This is reflected in the warmth, but it doesn’t have to be.

Protected from light at room temperature (e.g. in a cupboard), olive oil keeps for many weeks – by then a bottle is usually gone anyway.

Lemons better not in the cold

Lemons and other citrus fruits don’t tolerate cold – after all, they come from warm regions. Lemons, oranges, grapefruit, etc. do well at moderate room temperatures, but they prefer it a little cooler.

You should store citrus fruits openly so that they have contact with air.

Garlic and onions

Garlic and onions are best kept in a cool, dark and dry place, such as the basement. It’s too cold for them in the fridge.

If you don’t have a cool room available, it’s best to store garlic and onions in a clay pot that gives them enough room to “breathe”.

Avocados shouldn’t be in the fridge

Like bananas, avocados are usually bought unripe. “Hard” avocados should be left to ripen and soften at room temperature. It is best to eat up ripe specimens as soon as possible.

Store bananas in the fridge?

Bananas quickly get brown spots in the fridge because the cold damages their cell tissue. They will keep for about three to four days at room temperature if you protect them from direct sunlight.

This also applies to other exotic fruits such as mango, melon or pineapple – better not in the fridge.

Booze

Anyone who has spirits such as vodka, whiskey or other spirits with more than 35 percent at home does not need to store them in the refrigerator. Sealed bottles last practically forever.

Even when the bottles are open, it takes time for the alcohol and aroma to evaporate. Storage in the basement or at room temperature without direct sunlight (e.g. in a cupboard) is sufficient.

Tabasco etc

In addition to chilies, hot sauces usually only contain vinegar and salt – these are excellent preservatives. That’s why Tabasco & Co. don’t have to be in the fridge even when they’re open.

In a light-protected place (in the cupboard) they last for many months.

Store honey in the fridge? Unnecessary!

Honey hardens in the fridge and is difficult to spread. When stored tightly closed, dry, and protected from light (e.g. in a cupboard), honey usually keeps for years without losing quality.

Also, if you keep honey free of foreign bodies, you can eat it practically forever.

Keep Reading
By
Cooking Tips

Eating Jerusalem Artichoke Raw: When You Shouldn’t Eat It

It is basically possible to eat Jerusalem artichoke raw. In this article, we explain why the raw tuber is still not fully recommended and when you should be careful with it.

Jerusalem artichoke is a perennial plant that forms edible tubers underground. It originally comes from North America. It has been known as a crop in Europe since the 17th century, but has long lagged behind the more popular potato. In recent years, the Jerusalem artichoke has been found more frequently at weekly markets and in the vegetable department of larger supermarkets.

Externally, the tuber looks very similar to the potato. Unlike these, however, Jerusalem artichoke can be eaten raw and does not contain any harmful toxins. Nevertheless, it can overwhelm sensitive stomachs when uncooked. Here you can read what you should consider if you want to eat Jerusalem artichoke raw.

Eating Jerusalem artichokes raw: General information

As with most vegetables, the same applies to Jerusalem artichoke: the fresher it is, the better it tastes raw. Wrapped in a damp cloth, it can be kept in the fridge for up to two weeks, but will quickly lose its freshness. If you plan to eat the Jerusalem artichoke raw, you should consume it as soon as possible after buying it. Incidentally, small to medium-sized tubers are particularly suitable for raw consumption. It is better to use large Jerusalem artichokes for cooking.

Like the potato, Jerusalem artichoke is surrounded by a thin skin that you can eat with it. Because it’s so thin, the shell doesn’t bother you much even if you eat Jerusalem artichoke raw. In terms of taste, it is unobtrusive. If you still want to get rid of the peel, you can remove it with a vegetable peeler or paring knife before eating.

How to prepare raw Jerusalem artichoke:

Gently wash the tubers under cold running water. If necessary, peel the Jerusalem artichoke if the peel bothers you.
Cut the Jerusalem artichoke into thin slices or small pieces. You can also grate it and make a salad out of it. Eating Jerusalem artichoke whole raw is not recommended: the hard tuber can be a challenge for your teeth.
Raw Jerusalem artichoke oxidizes quickly in air. If you want to prevent it from turning brown, you can drizzle or soak the slices or pieces in lemon juice after slicing.
By the way: While cooked or roasted Jerusalem artichoke develops a sweet note, raw Jerusalem artichoke has a slightly bitter taste. It tastes good in salads or as a topping for bread, for example.

When not to eat Jerusalem artichoke raw

Although raw Jerusalem artichoke does not generally contain any harmful substances, it can cause digestive problems in some people. Bloating, in particular, is a common reaction.

This effect can be attributed to the high inulin content of the tuber. Inulin is a so-called polysaccharide and is one of the dietary fibers. It is recommended for diabetics because it ensures that carbohydrates from food enter the blood more slowly and thus have a positive effect on blood sugar levels. In addition, inulin is low in calories and stimulates digestion.

Like all fiber, inulin is broken down by bacteria in the large intestine. In particular with larger amounts or with poor tolerability, gases are formed that lead to flatulence. If you generally do not tolerate raw vegetables well or have never eaten Jerusalem artichoke raw before, you should approach it carefully and start with small amounts. Eat as slowly as possible and pay attention to how your body reacts. One way to make the Jerusalem artichoke more digestible is to blanch it briefly before processing. It stays crunchy but is easier to digest.

Keep Reading
By
Cooking Tips

Wheat Starch: What It’s Good for and Who Shouldn’t Use It

Wheat starch is a natural binding agent that you can use in different ways in the kitchen and around the house. Learn more about Strength’s traits and usage here.

As the name suggests, wheat starch consists exclusively of wheat. For production, the grain is ground and broken down into its individual components. Starch makes up about half of a grain of wheat. Commercial starch, on the other hand, consists mainly of corn starch and only parts of wheat and possibly also potato starch.

Wheat starch in the kitchen

Wheat starch consists of more than 85 percent carbohydrates. Water makes up about twelve percent. Proteins and fat are only present in minimal proportions. Starch contains about 345 calories per 100 grams. Wheat starch contains hardly any vitamins and other micronutrients.

Wheat starch is odorless and tasteless. That’s why you can use the fine, white powder for a variety of sweet and savory dishes. In the kitchen, wheat starch is mainly used as a binding and thickening agent, for example for sauces, soups or puddings. The starch gives cakes and other baked goods their stability. It is important that you heat the starch and not just mix it cold. Only then can it unfold its binding properties.

Note: People who suffer from gluten intolerance (celiac disease) should not eat wheat starch. Finally, it is high in gluten. Those affected can fall back on pure corn starch or potato starch. Locust bean gum or guar gum are also good gluten-free alternatives.

Wheat starch in the home

The binding and stabilizing properties of starch are not only useful in the kitchen. You can also use wheat starch to make glue or porcelain substitutes, for example. Starch is also recommended to fight sweat and fat. You can use them as an ingredient for homemade deodorants and dry shampoos.

You can also use wheat starch mixed with a little water as a natural stain remover. To do this, put the starch-water mixture on the stain, let it dry and then brush it off again with a rough brush.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Avocado Brown Inside? Why You Shouldn’t Throw Them Away

If an avocado is brown on the inside, you don’t necessarily have to throw it away. In many cases, the delicious fruit is still edible. In this tip, we explain how to distinguish ripe avocados from spoiled ones.

Avocados are delicious, are rightly considered a healthy superfood and are becoming increasingly popular. However, the tropical fruits have a catch in addition to their bad ecological balance: It is not exactly easy to distinguish ripe or spoiled avocados from the outside – the surprise often only comes after cutting open. If you then find that the avocado is brown on the inside, you don’t have to throw it away right away. We explain how you can recognize a good avocado.

Avocado brown inside – still edible or spoiled?

There are two reasons why avocados turn brown on the inside:

If you cut open an avocado and don’t use it right away, the flesh will turn brown over time. This is due to oxidation, which also causes the brown coloring of sliced ​​apples. As a result, the avocado no longer looks as appetizing, but it is still edible. It is better to cut open avocados just before eating them. Alternatively, you can brush the cut surface with a little lemon juice to slow down the browning.
However, if the avocado is already brown on the inside when you cut it, it may no longer be edible. Below you will find out what you should pay attention to in this case.
If the avocado is brown on the inside, you should rely primarily on your senses and feelings. The following indicators will help you distinguish a ripe from a spoiled avocado:

If there is only a brown spot under the avocado skin, it is most likely a bruise. In this case, you can cut away the spot and still use the remaining fruit.
If the avocado only has one or two small brown spots inside, it’s still edible in many cases. Simply cut away the spots and use the remaining pulp.
However, if the flesh is streaked with brown spots or brown in several large areas, the avocado is no longer edible. In this case, you should discard the fruit.
The same applies if the fruit is very fibrous and has thin threads. Then the avocado is also no longer edible.
If you then have an unpleasant smell or taste or even moldy spots, you should definitely not eat the avocado anymore.
Caution: If the avocado has visible mold anywhere, you should definitely not eat it. It is then not enough to just cut away the moldy area, since the mycelium of the mold could have spread invisibly throughout the fruit.

Recognizing ripe avocados: you should pay attention to this

If you observe the following points, you can tell a spoiled avocado from a ripe one before you buy it and thus avoid food waste:

With the pressure test, you can see the degree of ripeness of an avocado from the outside: press lightly on the skin with the palm of your hand – an unripe avocado is hard, while a ripe avocado gives slightly. On the other hand, if it feels mushy or seems to have collapsed under the skin, the avocado is probably already bad. Attention: Don’t just do the pressure test with one finger but with the palm of your hand, otherwise the avocado will easily bruise.
Pay attention to the base of the stem: If the avocado is already brown here, it is probably already brown on the inside and no longer good. A better sign is if the avocado is still fresh and green at this point.
The color of the skin can also indicate a spoiled avocado: In the case of the most common type of avocado, ‘Hass’, it should be dark green or brown. If the skin is already black, the avocado is probably no longer good – especially if it feels a bit spongy. Other avocado varieties, such as the ‘Fuerte’, keep their green color even when they are already ripe.
Mold is always a clear indicator of a spoiled avocado. Even if the avocado only has a moldy spot on the outside, you shouldn’t buy it anymore.

Use unripe and overripe avocados

A sliced ​​avocado should be light green to yellowish on the inside and pleasantly soft (see picture above). If the flesh is still hard, the avocado is not yet ripe and has not yet developed its delicious aroma:

Unripe avocados ripen within a few days at room temperature. This is even faster if you store the avocado near apples.
If you have already cut open the avocado and only then discovered the hard flesh, you can still let it ripen a bit. So that it doesn’t turn brown inside, you should brush the cut surface with a little lemon juice or olive oil, put the stone back in the middle and close the two avocado halves together again. So you can easily let the avocado sit for another day and ripen.
If an avocado is already very ripe and soft, you can no longer cut it into pieces and use it in a salad. Nevertheless, you can still conjure up delicious dishes from overripe but edible avocados:

Especially for homemade guacamole, avocados should be really ripe and soft anyway, as the flesh is crushed anyway. Our recipe shows you how to make the delicious dip yourself.
You can also use overripe avocados for other sauces, dressings and dips. Depending on the recipe, you can simply puree them with the other ingredients.
You can also use ripe avocados in smoothies. It is particularly tasty, for example, if you puree an avocado with two bananas, a heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder and, if necessary, some sweetener.

Buying avocados sustainably – buying tips

Avocados are rightly considered a healthy superfood: The tropical fruits are rich in unsaturated fatty acids and have a high content of B vitamins, vitamin A and vitamin E. They also provide several essential amino acids and minerals such as potassium and magnesium.

However, the avocado is not so brilliant in terms of its ecological balance: Most of the fruits come from Central and South America and have therefore been transported long distances in refrigerated containers. In addition, avocado trees need a lot of water: an estimated 1,000 liters of water are needed for one kilo of avocado – and the growing areas are usually already dry.

Organically farmed avocados have a better life cycle assessment than those from conventional farming that uses mineral fertilizers. In some supermarkets and health food stores you can also buy avocados from Spain, Portugal or Israel. This means that the delicious fruits have a significantly shorter transport route behind them.

Nevertheless: Even organic avocados from Spain have an immense ecological footprint and should therefore only be bought and used seldom. Instead of guacamole, you can also make pesto yourself from local ingredients, for example.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Egg Diet: Why You Shouldn’t Do It

The egg diet is designed to help you lose weight quickly without feeling hungry. In this article, we will show you the snags of this type of diet and how you can eat a more balanced diet.

Egg Diet Principles

The egg diet falls under the low-carb diet. About five eggs a day and low-carb vegetables are recommended. Of course, the egg diet can be modified and designed individually. For example, it is also possible to integrate low-fat pieces of fish and meat or low-carbohydrate types of fruit into the egg diet. Basically excluded from the egg diet are:

butter
margarine
oils
milk and milkproducts

As a protein-rich food, eggs are the focus of this diet. The idea behind it is that the proteins should increase your feeling of satiety and you have to eat less overall. Usually (and especially when food choices are restricted), the egg diet is only done for a short period of about two weeks. Its purpose is to help you lose as much weight as possible in the shortest amount of time.

If you’re thinking about going on this type of diet, choose organic eggs. This supports a species-appropriate husbandry of chickens. You can also be careful to buy eggs from vendors that don’t shred chicks.

Risks and evaluation of the egg diet

How one-sided and harmful the egg diet is ultimately depends on how many other foods you integrate and the quality of the selected foods. The eggs themselves are a good source of high quality protein, vitamins and minerals. The relatively high amount of cholesterol in eggs has long been a matter of controversy. For healthy people, no negative influences seem to be proven for the time being. Therefore, the German Society for Nutrition cannot set any binding maximum amounts for the consumption of eggs. However, she recommends no more than three eggs per week.

While eggs are not unhealthy per se, the egg diet does exclude a great many foods. In the course of the diet, it can happen that you do not take in enough vitamins and minerals. Therefore, the egg diet is generally not suitable for a long-term and balanced diet.

That doesn’t mean you should cut eggs out of your diet entirely — quite the opposite. Eggs can be part of a balanced diet. However, the egg diet is less about the idea of ​​eating healthy and more about losing weight fast. This in turn also includes the risk that you can quickly regain weight afterwards due to the yo-yo effect. If you want to reduce and stabilize your weight in the long term, a crash diet like the egg diet is not suitable.

This is how a long-term balanced diet succeeds

It is therefore better to find a balanced diet as part of a healthy lifestyle that you can easily maintain over a long period of time. Not only what you eat is important for your health, but also how active you are, how well you sleep and how well you feel in general. Basically, diets that focus on a single food make little sense. The quality of your diet quickly suffers and you lose sight of the health-promoting potential of other foods and their ingredients.

In another Utopia article, we show you which 10 rules for everyday life can support a balanced diet. You should also make it clear to yourself that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all healthy diet. Find out for yourself which foods and food combinations are good for you and which are not. In addition to health effects, other aspects can also play a role, such as sustainability and ethics. In this way you can build up your nutritional principles over time – although it pays to always remain open to new knowledge.

Keep Reading
By