On Food And Cooking Flashcards
Trends in eating
fruits and veggies became accessory or marginal foods in the western modern diet after being a stable for millions of years
How do plants nourish themselves?
by creating sugars via photosynthesis, which uses water, CO2, and sunlight to create glucose and more complex sugars.
What was earth like before photosynthesis?
contained little oxygen
sun’s killing UV rays penetrated the ground and several feet into the ocean
photosynthetic bacteria began liberating oxygen
O2 became O3 in the atmosphere, which filtered out a lot of harmful sunlight
life on earth became possible.
Why aren’t plants meaty?
they developed an economical structure that took advantage of reliability.
Roots penetrate soil for water and minerals
leaves and stems take up tons of sunlight
these things are generally always accessible so there wasn’t a need to move. It was easier to just not build muscles.
Why do plants have such strong flavors and effects?
to compensate for their immobility with a remarkable ability for chemical synthesis
they can have natural pesticides (we usually avoid eating those)
the warning signals discourge us from attacking them (along with bacteria and fungi)
Why are ripe fruits delicious?
they are plant organs that invite us to eat them.
They want the seeds to be deposited in a nourishing pile of manure.
We must wait till the seeds are mature and viable (aka RIPE FRUIT)
color changes and aromas signal ripeness
When did flowering plants evolve?
200 MYA
we developed a partnership with plants that live and die in one season because we nourish them and select for new varieties and eat parts that would become inedible after years of hardening.
Define vegetable
plant matter that is neither fruit nor seed
What is a key distinction between fruits and veggies
flavor
veggies are usually firm and have milkd flavors.
fruits are usually sweet and seductive, though it’s technically anything with seeds on the inside.
Herbs
come from green plant parts, usually leaves
like parsley, thyme, basil
spices
generally seeds, bark, underground stems (black pepper, cinnamon, ginger)
Prehistory and early civilization eating habits
Europeans had lots of beans, onions, radishes, cabbage.
Middle east and Asia traded spices like cinnamon
Greece had salads of lettuce, and made practice of preserving fruits whole
When romans conquered europe, they brought tree fruits, vines, cabbage, etc.
How did modern technology influence what we eat?
Made fruits and vegetables less available and less desirable around the industrial age.
declined through the 20th century, in part because quality and variety were declining
Fruits and veggies were bred to withstand mechanical harvesting, transport and storage (lost their flavor)
What changes in dietary interests occurred near the end of the 20th century?
importance of plants for health (phytochemical discovery)
rediscovery and interest in traditional system of food production (local eating)
interest in organic foods
promotion of alternatives to industry farming which are essential to the health of the agriculture industry
How many edible plant species are there?
300,000, of which we eat 2,000
Essential vitamins from fruits and vegetables
Provide nearly all vitamin C
lots of folic acid
half our vitamin A
A,C, and E are also antioxidants that plants provide
We are switching from a focus on adequate diet to..
optimal diet.
realizing how minor, nonessentials have a cumulative effect on our long-term health.
phytochemicals
modulate our metabolism
simply refers to biologically active chemicals in plants
Why do we care about antioxidants?
because oxidation occurs all the time in our bodies as the consequence of living and plants not only provide antioxidants, but they provide precursors to our own natural antioxidants that help us avoid cardiovascular disease
What part of plants has the most antioxidants
leaves
beta carotene, yellow lutein, zeaxanthin, red lycopene
green chlorophyll
vitamins C and E
lots of others.
No single molecule protects against everything; best to eat a wide variety.
What are some benefits of phytochemicals aside from their antioxidant powers?
prevent body from overreacting to minor damage (antiinflammatories)
so just eat lots of variety. still lots to learn on this.
How can you “eyeball” what produce has more antioxidants
if more of the leaves are open and exposed to the sun (romaine vs iceburg)
darker color
What two things does fiber from plants do for us?
lower blood cholesterol and slow the rise of blood sugars (decrease heart disease and diabetes)
What is plant fiber?
4 components from cell walls
cellulose and lignin: form solid fibers that don’t dissolve in our digestive system
-provide bulk for rapid excretion to minimize toxin effects while in the body
pectins and hemicellulose: do dissolve.
-make components thicker, slow movements of nutrients and toxins (these help with lowering blood cholesterol and keeping blood sugar down)
