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Cheaper and MoreNutritious LocalAlternatives toSuperfoodsLaura Müller, B.Sc.
Cheaper and More Nutritious Local Alternatives to SuperfoodsWhat is superfood?Issues with SuperfoodThe problem is, however, that many of theseproducts are extremely damaged by pollutantsthat can have even negative e ects on our health.Also, they usually have long transport routesbehind them, which is not only bad for the climatebut can also decrease the nutrient density.Agriculture in Germany and Europe also has manylocal “superfoods” to o er (2).Alternatives outside your doorSuperfood can be de ned as food that isconsidered particularly nutritious and energydense. Foods which fall into this category include,among others, chia seeds, acai berries,blueberries, beetroot, soy, pomegranates, greentea, goji berries, coconut oil, salmon, darkchocolate, cocoa, and kale (1). However, superfoodis neither a registered trademark nor a legallyprotected term. All de nitions have in commonthat they describe a superfood as a food that hasa high nutrient density. This means acomparatively high amount of proteins, vitamins,minerals, polyunsaturated fatty acids,phytochemicals, and/or antioxidants (1). A healthydiet with a lot of fruits and vegetables has not onlypositive e ects on your physical health; it also hasa signi cant in uence on your psychological wellbeing. Therefore it is not only worthwhile for yourbody but also for the mind to signi cantly increaseyour personal fruit and vegetable consumption. Itis crucial that your diet includes essential vitaminsand nutrients which can help in relievingsymptoms of depression, mood disorders, andother mental illnesses (8). If you want to read moreabout superfood go and check the blogpost aboutit here:While goji berries, papayas, and pomegranatestravel around the globe, you can nd local fruitsand wild plants full of vital substances almost allaround the year close to your doorstep – withoutplastic waste and pollution. So, here are somehealthy local alternatives for superfood:Flax Seeds instead of Chia SeedsFlax seeds are a real good alternative to chia seedsbecause they have similar “slime forming” properties.Chia seeds are considered superfood because theyare packed with omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, andcalcium. But the concentration of omega-3 fattyacids in domestic flax seeds is even higher than inchia seeds. The fibre content of flax seeds is alsocomparable to chia seeds and excellent for a healthydigestive cure er and More Nutritious Local Alternatives to Superfoods
Cheaper and More Nutritious Local Alternatives to SuperfoodsWood Garlic instead of SpinachAlternatives to MatchaWood garlic contains ve times more calcium thankale, more than three times more potassium andfour times more iron than spinach. Wood garlichelps with skin problems, hypertension,arteriosclerosis, loss of appetite and has antiin ammatory and antibacterial e ects. (7)Matcha tea is said to lower blood pressure,improve cholesterol levels, reduce stress, improvemetabolism, and enhance performance. You canalso achieve these e ects with many localproducts, some of which are even available free ofcharge if you pick them yourself:Alternatives to PomegranateThe pomegrante is known for its high content ofantioxidants. It also provides a lot of potassium,calcium and iron. Here are a few selected localalternatives of these important substances: Highconcentrations of potassium and antioxidants canalso be found in raspberries, currants, cauli ower,broccoli, mushrooms, chestnuts and rhubar (4).Carrots and broccoli have a high iron content inparticular. In addition to milk and dairy products,green vegetables such as broccoli can alsocontribute to your calcium supply.- Camomile and lavender tea have a calminge ect- Dandelion tea, rose hip tea and lime blossom teasupport digestion- Garlic and hawthorn, among other things, helpagainst high plood pressure- Antioxidants such as carotenes and catechinscontained in Matcha can also be found in highconcentrations in carrots, gooseberries, sourcherries, pumpkin and dandelion (4).Millet instead of QuinoaWith a protein content of 12% millet can easilyreplace quinoa, which has about 14%. It provides alittle less magnesium and half as much iron, whichyou can balance with local vegetables (4).Cheaper and More Nutritious Local Alternatives to Superfoods
Cheaper and More Nutritious Local Alternatives to SuperfoodsGreen Vegetables such as Broccoli and Kaleinstead of WheatgrassAnd Last but not Least two Tips: Rowan and RoseHipWheatgrass is particularly rich in chlorophyll – thecolour pigment that gives plants their greencolour. This should contribute to the detoxi cationof carcinogenic substances, promote woundhealing and be good for digestion. But chlorophyllis also found in local superfoods like broccoli andkale (6).Sea Buckthorn and Blackcurrant instead of GojiBerriesGoji berries are famous as an excellent source ofplant protein, providing high doses of vitamins,especially vitamin C (up to 500 times more thanoranges) and 21 minerals and trace elements.However, this does not make goji berriesirreplaceable, a regional alternative is, forexample, sea buckthorn (4). Blackcurrants or seabuckthorn berries not only contain more vitamin C,they are also much cheaper than goji berries. Inaddition, the local alternatives are o ered as freshgoods or juice. Goji berries on the other hand areusually only available dried (5).Rowan is characterised by a high vitamin Ccontent. Although it is widespread throughoutEurope, it is not particularly well known. In its rawstate, the rowan is not particularly tasty, slightlybitter and sour. But when heated, sorbic acidtransforms into a natural preservative with anantimicrobial e ect. Rose hips are among thefruits with the highest vitamin content in theworld and unlike expensive and exotic superfoods,can be found free of charge right in front of ourdoorstep. They contain about twenty- ve timesmore vitamin C than oranges and are also rich invitamin A. (7)Enjoy the recipes below!Cheaper and More Nutritious Local Alternatives to Superfoods
Cheaper and More Nutritious Local Alternatives to SuperfoodsAbout the AuthorCandied Rowan1 kg rowan1 kg cane sugar500 ml water powdered sugarLaura Friederike Müller, B.Sc., is a Student ofPsychology in 5th Semester at the FreseniusUniversity of applied Sciences in Frankfurt amMain. She is currently doing an internship in theEat2beNice project group at the Dept. ofPsychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine andPsychotherapy, Frankfurt, studying the e ects ofnutrition and lifestyle on mental health.Recipes with serving suggestionsWood Garlic PestoWash Rowan thorougly and remove stems andleaves. Heat sugar and water in a pot whilestirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.Add the berries to the boiling sugar solution andcook it for a few minutes. Remove the pot from thecooking site, cover and leave to stand overnight.Remove the berries from the syrup the followingday with a skimmer or sieve and bring to boilagain. Now put the fruits back into the hot brewand let it rest until the next day. The process ofsifting, boiling and reinserting should be repeatedat least ve, preferably seven times. After you havescooped the berries one last time from the syrup,spread them out after draining on a tray or boardand let them dry well. Patience is also requiredhere, as drying can take longer than 24 hours. Enjoy as a snack, with desserts or with good andsolid dishes (10).For 400g:200g wood garlic25g pine nuts25g parmesan1 tsp salt150-250 ml vegetable oilWash the wood garlic, spin dry and cut into strips.Fry the pine nuts without fat in a pan until theyare light brown. Finely grate Parmesan cheese.Now pour the pine nuts into the food processorand chop nely. Add the remaining ingredientsand mix to a creamy mixture. If the pesto is toothick, add some more oil and add some salt ifnecessary (11).Cheaper and More Nutritious Local Alternatives to Superfoods
Cheaper and More Nutritious Local Alternatives to SuperfoodsSea Buckthorn & Carrot SoupReferences200g sea buckthorn berries600g carrots½ stick leek1 apple2 tbsp vegetable oil750ml water salt and pepper1. Wetters, S., Horn, T., Nick, P. (2018) Goji Who?Morphological and DNA Based Authentication of a“Superfood”. Front. Plant Sci. 9:1859. doi:10.3389/fpls.2018.01859Put the sea buckthorn berries in a pot with somewater so that they are barely covered. Bring to boiland let simmer on a small ame for about tenminutes. Pass through a sieve and collect themush. Cut the leek into slices and the apple andcarrot into small pieces. Fry leek with apple andcarrot pieces with some oil in a pan and addwater. Season with salt and pepper and boil forabout ve minutes. Puree and add the seabuckthorn before serving (12).Fruity Rose Hip Pasta Sauce2. und-kochen/trends-undtests/superfoods/3. s#section174. 500g whole rose hips500ml water1 onion100ml creamSpices like marjoram, oregano, paprika, savory orthyme6. en-goji-beeren-co/#6Put rosehips and water in a pot. Boil for 15Minutes and then puree nely with a blender.Pass through a sieve and additionally press themixture through a muslin nappy to remove seedsand hairs. Chop the onion nely, fry in a pan withoil and add the rosehip puree and spices. Re newith cream at the end (13).8. .enjoy your meal and have fun while cooking therecipes!7. Smarticular Verlag (2017):Geh raus! Deine Stadt ist essbar9. die-andenbeere/10. sunde-nascherei-herstellen/Cheaper and More Nutritious Local Alternatives to Superfoods
Cheaper and More Nutritious Local Alternatives to Superfoods11. hagebutten/Cheaper and More Nutritious Local Alternatives to Superfoods
world and unlike expensive and exotic superfoods, can be found free of charge right in front of our doorstep. They contain about twenty-ve times more vitamin C than oranges and are also rich in vitamin A. (7) Cheaper and More Nut
