For your winter shopping

  • Important information about nutrition in autumn and winter.
  • This Fruit you better not buy now
  • Legumes and vegetables: Zucchini, cucumbers and more. Less healthy
  • these are them correct alternatives in it cold season

Most people want to consume a lot of vitamins, especially in winter. strengthen. Known to be included Vegetables and Fruit Many of them. However, some foods should be avoided in the cold season. Better to give up. We will explain why and show you good alternatives in.

Fruit in autumn and winter: this is important when buying: strawberries, apples and the like.

It is very important to take a look when buying food. Environment and working conditions. throw. With a thoughtful and conscious purchase, you are not only doing something good for your health, but you are also supporting it. fairer working conditions and climate. That’s why you better think about whether you really want to buy the following types of fruits and vegetables in winter.

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#1 strawberries: A popular fruit that you should avoid in winter is strawberries, since they usually come from abroad at this time of year. Foreign strawberry plantations have become notorious in part due to the massive use of pesticides. According to the Federal Nutrition Center, in 2018 alone, for example, 77,145 tons of strawberries were imported from Spain. But even if you buy strawberries in Germany: they have long arrived in winter. is no longer in season. This means that they are just below extreme energy expenditure can still mature. That is why it is better to buy regional and seasonal strawberries in the main season, from June to July..

# 2 apples: Shopping at the supermarket in winter. apples, you automatically find yourself in a strawberry-like dilemma. A large proportion of apples are imported products, such as from Italy or New Zealand. Given the long transportation routes, this is certainly not good for the environment. But local apples are offering a deal until mid-December good alternative: Regional varieties such as Golden Delicious, Boskop or Topaz are usually not cold yet and have a lot of energy.

#3 Citrus: “Without treating”? Despite what is stated, this is not always true. Traces of pesticides and preservatives are regularly discovered in oranges, tangerines and lemons. The reason: If manufacturers use sprays on citrus still hanging from the tree, there is no need to specify the chemical treatment. If you want to be sure that no pesticides have been used, you should look for organic and fair labels.

#4 Grapes: You may have noticed that, when it comes to grapes, they usually come from abroad starting in November. These include, for example, South Africa, India, Peru and Chile. The grapes then usually have a very long transport journey, sometimes by boat. As a result, the environment suffers. To preserve freshness, imported grapes are often contaminated with pesticides. It is best to only buy organic grapes regionally and within the season. In Germany, the grape season runs from September to October.

Vegetables and legumes in winter: These varieties are less healthy in winter

#5 salads: When purchasing salads You should also pay attention to seasonality and country of origin. salads like that Chicory, lamb’s lettuce or lettuce They are also available in winter from local crops. However, other lettuces, such as iceberg, come from heated greenhouses and often end up in supermarkets not yet fully ripe. In this case, they not only taste worse, but also contain fewer healthy nutrients.

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#6 Tomatoes: They can be used in various ways for cooking and baking. They are not only delicious, but also very healthy. However, if you buy tomatoes in winter, they mainly come from the Netherlands, Spain and France. To bring tomatoes to Germany not only require long transport routes, but they are also grown in greenhouses in the country of origin, with high energy consumption. If you want to cook pizza, pasta or other things in winter, you should avoid fresh tomatoes. Instead, offer strained or jarred canned tomatoes in. Here it is also recommended to pay attention to the organic certification and the country of origin.

#7 cucumbers: Just like tomatoes Cucumbers are not winter vegetables.. In Germany they are only in season from June to the end of October. The products we receive in winter are imported from greenhouses. This not only means problematic production conditions, but also less healthy nutrients and long transport routes. In winter it is advisable to avoid buying cucumbers.

#8 Zucchini: Although zucchini is a member of the pumpkin family, it is only in season until the end of October. This differs from pumpkins such as Hokkaido or butternut, which can be found grown locally until the end of December. As with other foods, it is worth buying zucchini in season and using pumpkins in winter.

#9 Nuts: If you like to eat nuts, you will notice that many of them come from far away. For example, there are peanuts from Israel, walnuts from California, cashews from India, and almonds from the United States. If you want to do something good for the environment, this doesn’t mean you have to give up nuts completely. For example, there are walnuts and hazelnuts from Germany that ripen in autumn and winter. This way you can get delicious and fresh nuts even in winter.

Juices and teas: this is what you should pay attention to when it comes to drinks in winter

#10 tea: In the cold season, hot tea is a real treat. However, the conventional comes. black and green tea mostly from China, India, Sri Lanka and Kenya, where working conditions are often miserable. Are here Exploitation, discrimination and poverty not a foreign word; Pesticides are also often used. When buying tea, it is important that you look for Fairtrade certification and the EU organic seal. Otherwise, you could opt for infusions from locally grown herbs.

#11 Certain juices: The well-known ACE juice is not suitable for supplying the immune system with additional vitamins. A look at the fruit content shows that it is only between 20 and 60 percent. The main ingredients are water, sugar and sweeteners. Sometimes laboratory vitamins are even added, the benefits of which are controversial. It is better to use pure organic juice or make yourself a smoothie made from seasonal fruits.

Conclusion: Poor working conditions, fewer nutrients and pesticides make many foods less advisable in winter

Many foods are imported from abroad. It is not uncommon for poor working conditions to prevail there; Additionally, foods that are out of season tend to contain fewer nutrients. It is important to pay attention to fair trade and organic labels to, on the one hand, support the workers and, on the other hand, ensure that no pesticides have been used.

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