Not only according to the external image, but also according to their nutritional values, our diet is usually subject to a seasonal rotation. From the point of view of nutritional science, the winter and spring diet performs worse than the food in summer and autumn. Fresh fruits, salads and more tender vegetables are less likely to appear on the table in winter than in the periods of fruit ripeness, and some of our perennial fruits suffer considerable losses in value due to storage and preservation. We therefore draw far less of our vitamins and other delicate active ingredients to the full in winter, and some thought is needed as to how we can adequately provide ourselves with all the vitamins and minerals we need from food during the cold months.
Choice of food and vitamins
Preserved sauerkraut provides the body with necessary vitamin C even in winter.
Now the practical provision for the vitamin balance in winter means something quite different for the individual – depending on his living conditions. Thus, for the garden owner and all those who keep a part of their food in stock, considerations about the appropriate cultivation plan of the garden or the careful preservation and storage of their own organic food are in place. For all those who buy their food continuously in small quantities from the supermarket and prepare it themselves, the precaution for a food rich in active substances requires above all the decision to strive for a planned food selection, in which, in addition to taste and economic aspects, especially the nutritional-physiological aspects are taken into account. Finally, those who receive a major portion of their food from some form of communal feeding (e.g., canteens or cafeterias) must start from an evaluation of the food that awaits them in the winter, so that, if necessary, through well-considered ingredients or supplementary meals, they can arrive at a complete diet that provides them with all the active ingredients and nutrients they need to remain efficient and healthy.
Fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C
Among the native winter vegetables that the home garden can contribute as a source of vitamins, the most important are the common lamb’s lettuce and winter spinach, suitable for preparing fresh salads. Chinese cabbage (harvest time until the end of November) can also serve as a productive vegetable for fresh salad preparation until December. Other types of lettuce can be considered only in the presence of winter gardens or greenhouses. Among the hardy vegetables that are enjoyed in a cooked state, kale always stands out. In its mineral content, especially calcium, and vitamin richness, it excels most other vegetables. Its vitamin C content of 70 mg/100 grams is higher than that of citrus fruits (40 to 50 mg). When planting an orchard, the selection of varieties should be based more than before on vitamin considerations. This is especially true for apples as our most important native perennial fruit. There are varieties which, with a vitamin C content of 40 to 60 mg/100 grams, are equal to the vitamin richness of oranges and lemons, and on the other hand there are those which have barely a tenth of these values. But the shelf life of the vitamins contained in the harvest during storage is also very different – in accordance with the general shelf life of the varieties.
Storage of fruits and vegetables for vitamin preservation.
Apple varieties rich in vitamin C include: White Winter Calville, Yellow Noble Apple, Pineapple Renette, Goldrenette Freiherr von Berlepsch and Ontario. Storage conditions play an essential role in maintaining the value of the permanent crops brought in (winter fruit, potatoes, vegetables). An example may explain this: Boskoop apples lost 11 percent of their original vitamin C content during five months of storage in cold storage at 4 degrees, and 47 percent during usual storage in the fruit barn. The situation is similar for potatoes and winter vegetables. Therefore, storage must be cool, dark and airy. The optimum humidity varies for different foods. For rural households, the best solution is a properly constructed earthen store. There is always justified interest in the question of the most value-preserving preservation methods. This applies both to the preservation of one’s own harvest and to the evaluation of the trade’s canned goods.Every preservation process is associated with greater or lesser losses of heat-, oxygen– or fermentation-sensitive ingredients in the food. The magnitude of the losses is often determined less by the method itself than by the care taken in handling it. Relatively good results can be achieved with heat sterilization in preserving jars or bottles, but extensive degradation can occur as a result of technical errors in processing, for example by contact of the preserving material with active metals (copper, zinc, iron). For example, vitamin C differences of up to 1:10 can sometimes be found in juices sold by retailers for the same types of fruit. Frozen products behave similarly. The results of value retention can be excellent with these processes. However, sensitive vitamin and other quality losses can occur due to errors in fruit processing or interruption of the frozen chain on the way from the freezing point to the consumer. Overall, it can be said that properly executed freezing of fruit that is enjoyed fresh after a short period of thawing without heat preparation currently ensures the greatest possible vitamin protection.
Proper shopping for foods rich in vitamins in winter
For those who feed themselves more or less by constantly buying food, taking care of a vitamin-rich diet in winter becomes a matter of thoughtful diet planning and proper shopping. The cause of malnutrition is often imprudence in the purchase of food. In our modern world, with its wide range of refined foods with a reduced content of active ingredients, one cannot make one’s food choices solely on the basis of momentary appetites, unless one wants to run the risk of exposing oneself to deficiency damage. Those who are well versed in the science of nutrition can eat in very different ways. It is advisable to follow some rules of thumb of nutrition, the observance of which will protect from more serious errors in the dietary design:
Foods rich in vitamins for breakfast
60 to 70 percent of grain foods should be enjoyed in whole grain form. We lead ourselves with it in harmoniously weighed and on the other hand the metabolism not burdening way the many vitamins of the B-group, vitamin E and numerous minerals. The many possibilities of preparation of the whole grain allow everyone to find the forms that suit him, which can be considered as a basic daily food. It does not matter whether it is a rye or whole wheat bread (e.g. graham bread), whether one prefers a sliced, loaf or flat bread (= crisp bread) or prefers graham rolls or whole wheat rusks. Those on a special diet will be happy to choose tasty cereals and soups as breakfast dishes. Those who take the small amount of time to prepare a fresh-grain fruit dish in the style of Bircher muesli will have a particularly tasty and substantial breakfast dish.
Vitamin-rich foods for lunch
Equal to the aforementioned whole grain foods are lunch and dinner dishes made from unpolished brown rice, which can be prepared in the inexhaustible richness of Far Eastern rice cuisine. The daily diet should contain 1/2 to 3/4 liters of milk or its equivalent in dairy products such as cottage cheese or cheese. Intended by nature as the only food for the very demanding first period of life of animals and humans, milk contains the vital vitamins and minerals in rare completeness. Among the most important vitamins are fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12 and pantothenic acid, and among minerals, calcium salts, which are particularly abundant. The above-mentioned amount of dairy products largely helps to ensure the need for protein, vitamins and calcium salts. Milk can be used in the kitchen as a beverage in so many ways that it can satisfy any taste. It is worth remembering especially the mixed drinks made with fruits and juices. Since most of the protective substances important for health are independent of milk fat, the delicate preparations made from skimmed milk also deserve attention: buttermilk, skim milk yogurt and mixed drinks, whey, low-fat quark and cheese.For those who have to be careful about limiting calorie intake because of overweight, these dairy products are especially recommended (whole milk contains about 550 kcal, skimmed milk about 320 kcal, whey 200 kcal). We should also eat fruits or vegetables, some of them raw, at 2 meals every day. Fruits and vegetables contain the active substances that are poorly represented in cereals and milk and are valuable due to their base surplus such as the content of intestine-effective crude fiber. Unfortunately, there is hardly any possibility to conclude from the appearance, taste or smell of a canned food its vitamin content. It is therefore a necessary safeguard against vitamin deficiencies if we get used to eating some fruit or vegetables as fresh food every day. When buying food, one should always start from the above rules of thumb and first secure what is necessary for health before thinking about the rest, dictated by whim, taste and advertising. Only by such objective attitude one can save oneself from falling victim to advertising slogans or other coincidences. In this context, it is worth considering the relationship between price and nutritional value. Some foods rich in vitamins are disregarded simply because they appear “too cheap”. Vitamin C, which is particularly topical for the winter diet, is chosen as an example. Kale, sauerkraut, lemons, apples, white cabbage, spinach, parsley, leeks and beets do not cost much and can always be had very cheaply even in discount stores. For those in communal food service, such as dining halls or company cafeterias, taking vitamin precautions for the winter requires first considering whether their expected diet is complete. If there are doubts about the sufficiency of the vitamin supply due to the type of food plan, the existing work organization of the company canteen or the given technical equipment, it is recommended to create the necessary supplement for some vitamin-rich additions to food. The mistakes made by canteens and canteens, which are detrimental to the vitamin content of the food, are, in particular: Soaking potatoes and vegetables prepared the day before, inappropriate cooking methods (boiling instead of steaming, stewing or simmering), and especially keeping food warm for a long time. Understandably, the full value of the overall diet can only be achieved through ingredients if particularly vitamin-rich foods are selected for it. Here are some suggestions: As a mid-morning snack:
1 glass of milk and 1 piece of fruit or 1 milk-juice mixed drink using vitamin C-rich juices such as lemon juice, apple juice, orange juice, black currant juice, plus a piece of whole-grain pastry. A raw vegetable salad can be used to give a good boost to the diet consumed during the day. In the absence of fresh leafy and root vegetables, frozen fruit and vitamin-rich frozen vegetables can be used. A little lemon juice with tea helps to noticeably boost the vitamin C balance. With a little attention and consistency, anyone should be able to secure a wholesome diet, taking into account personal taste preferences and economic possibilities.
