Healthy Eating

Healthy nutrition is an important aspect of life because it influences growth, physical health, a fulfilled life, and can counteract the occurrence of diseases. All functions of the body are linked to nutrition. Nutrition influences both the physical and the mental condition. Of course, this applies equally to all people – and especially to students. If you perform at a high mental level all day and then sit a lot, it is especially important to pay attention to this. Because regular and rich food is important for our brain to sustain increased concentration.

The finals period is a particular challenge. Mia often catches herself skipping meals during exam periods to save time. She therefore tries to set up a rough plan for her meals in advance.

We know the importance of our diet and we know that meals should be regular and proper. We learned from Mia that it is better not to skip meals, but what is “proper” nutrition?

As budding bio and chemistry teacher, Richard tells us which products you should eat to get the right vitamins.

A part of eating healthy are vitamins, but why do we need them and where do we find them?

• Vitamin A (in carrots): Important for your vision and cellular growth
• Vitamin B1 (in oats), vitamin B2 (in eggs, broccoli) and pantothenic acid (in mushrooms, legumes): Important for gaining energy out of food
• Vitamin B6 (in walnuts) and vitamin B12 (in eggs): Important for metabolism and for the production of blood
• Vitamin C (in peppers, oranges): Important for the immune system
• Vitamin D (in milk, also self-produced when staying under the sun): Important for the bone structure
• Vitamin E (in sunflower oil, hazelnuts): Protects cells from radicals
• Vitamin K (in broccoli, spinach, oats): Important for blood clotting
• Niacin (in walnuts, turkey meat) and folate (in spinach, broccoli): Important for DNA-repair and cell division

Now we know what proper nutrition is, what vitamins we need and how to get them. But nutrition and eating habits are not the same everywhere – there are big regional and local differences! Our Ambassadors report on eating habits from their home countries and countries where they have lived for a long time and what they have noticed in Germany.

“This is largely because of their food culture. Whatever is served in restaurants is usually freshly caught, and everyone knows that fish and seafood, with their high protein content, are very healthy. In addition, many healthy oils dominate the dishes in Italy, olives and pickled vegetables find their way onto the table. Even pasta dishes become healthy Italian-style dishes. Popular dishes in Italy are: Caprese (Salad made from tomato strips, mozzarella, basil and a little olive oil.), pasta or rice with seafood or fish dishes.”

„Surely, each of us want to follow a correct, balanced diet, which includes a variety of all kinds of products. During the winter season, the variety of fruits and vegetables on the supermarket shelves is not very extensive. In Moldova, where I come from, a large assortment of fruits and vegetables are grown here, thanks to the fertile soil and favourable climate, and in order to preserve them for the wintertime, many people choose canning. For a long time, recipes have been passed on which show how to tastily preserve salads and vegetables and make jam. Many people choose to grow their own fruits and vegetables or buy them fresh from the market, and then, according to their own preferences, can them. Even today, when stores offer many brands of canned food, they still do not fully satisfy culinary preferences. And besides, this is an opportunity to maintain traditions, recipes that are passed down from generation to generation and also do not forget that all products are environmentally friendly.”

“As hard as it is seeming to believe this, the tiny country of the Netherlands is the world’s second largest exporter of agricultural goods. The very high efficiency that the country has achieved allows producing vast amounts of fruits and vegetables. Thus, naturally, apart from traditional (doubtfully healthy food like croquettes), Dutch people eat a lot of green things. The prices for groceries from the market are often cheaper than from the supermarket and many people try to support small businesses and buying groceries from the farms.”

Having a lot of fruits and vegetables in disposition, people in the Netherlands also try to eat more “sustainable” – reducing the consumption of meat, for example.

“Food is a very complex subject to understand. The world is experimenting with new foods, new recipes, new combinations, and new styles of consuming it, to make it more aesthetically pleasing. But hardly anyone knows that how we eat is equally important as what we eat. Let us understand what healthy eating means in India and acknowledge its science and significance.

Food is a function of many variables like season, geography, local availability, and body type. According to Ayurveda, food is the medicine, and we are what we eat. The Ayurveda kitchen says that food, if not consumed in the right quantity and healthy way, makes people sick. But we hardly pay attention to the medium and the ways in which we consume it.

Eating with hands – According to Ayurvedic tradition eating food should involve all senses. The touch of food to your fingers and the feeling of its texture can really trigger the nerve endings of your fingers which are connected to your digestion.

Sitting on the floor – in India sitting on the floor and eating together is a family activity. In yoga, they say sitting on the floor involves so many muscles and this stimulates the release of digestive juices.

Eating in silence – When you eat in silence, you really focus on the food, you chew your food properly and it helps your digestion a lot especially regarding absorption and assimilation of the food. Eating food in silence can be very meditative in nature and it can really calm your mind down.

Sharing food – it makes the whole mealtime such an enjoyable experience with the whole family or the whole crowd because in India you share the food with the people present at the mealtime.

Even the healthiest food can become toxic if it is not consumed in the right way. eating habits have always been highlighted in all cultures. Food is one of the cultural identities of every community.”

There are also special eating traditions in Hesse. Nicole explains what “Grie Soß” is all about.

“A dish has made it to the top of the food chain when it gets their own monument. The Frankfurt Green Sauce got this achievement (or in Hessian: “Grie Soß”) and is therefore first dish in Germany to have its own monument since 2007. For the green sauce there is also an annual festival and there is a fixed green sauce day, on which the green sauce is not only traditionally served with hard-boiled potatoes and eggs, but also a green sauce queen is chosen. In Frankfurt, the Seven Sacred Herbs have been cultivated since the 19th century and have been considered a culinary specialty and national dish ever since.”

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. A good breakfast prepares you for a long day at university. Polina has a recipe for you that guarantees a good start to the day. Take 20 minutes to make and you will have a warm, balanced and nutritious meal that's could double as a lunch or dinner.

What you need:

• 1 bell pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 can of tomatoes
• 3-4 eggs
• Olive oil, salt, pepper, spices (according to your taste).

Chop the pepper and onion, sauté, add the tomatoes, salt & season everything and simmer for a few minutes. Then beat the eggs, spread them over the other ingredients, cover the pan with a lid and cook for 6-7 minutes. Done! Enjoy!

We found out what a proper and healthy nutrition looks like, especially in different countries. Finally, we would like to give you some information about foodsharing. Food is a scarce resource, and it is important to use it sustainably and responsibly. David is active in food sharing in his spare time and believes that the issue concerns everyone.

Do you know how much food is simply thrown away? In Germany alone, 12 million tonnes a year, which is far too much! And that's where foodsharing starts! We go to the companies and pick up the products that are no longer sold and thus are really high-quality products and save them from the bin! And then it's time to distribute! 50 loaves of bread, 1000 eggs or sometimes 6 full cars at one business pick-up? Unfortunately, this is not uncommon! You can also make a big difference in your household and not dispose of all food directly at the best-before date. Or you can start directly by foodsharing!