Are pickles healthy?
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Are pickles healthy? To find out, it is first of all interesting that it is not entirely clear whether you have pickles or cucumbers on your plate. Are the pickles that are often used as a snack actually pickles? Furthermore, they are not completely healthy and should therefore not be eaten excessively. Why is it like that?
What are pickles?
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Gherkins are a bit of an oddball. Just like the cucumber, they belong to the species Cucumis sativus. But they are completely different varieties. At least according to Wikipedia. On the internet there is a lot of disagreement about pickles and cucumbers, one side says that pickles are actually cucumbers and the other says that pickles are a stand-alone variety and therefore grow themselves.
How are pickles made?
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What makes things even more complicated is that gherkins are mass-produced from cucumbers. How this happens was shown in a broadcast of the Discovery series Factory Made. The slightly curved cucumbers are selected and then they are placed in a large container with salt water. This process can take a very long time, sometimes up to three months. After this, the cucumbers are called pickles. The pickles contain a lot of salt because it has been in salt water. To reduce the salt they are washed in clean water and turmeric powder is added which does not change the taste, but gives the pickles a light yellow color.
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11 minMain dishpeanut oil, tofu stir-fry cubes finely seasoned, stir fry sauce sweet and sour, thick noodles, carrot julienne, beetroot julienne, yellow bell pepper, watercress,rainbow salad with tofu -
45 minMain dishRed cabbage, mild olive oil, quinoa plus, forest outing, lemon, sesame oil, soy sauce less salt, Bio Today tahini white in pot, tap water,grilled red cabbage with quinoa salad -
30 minDessertBrie, Roquefort, port salut, gruyere, Camembert, walnut, garlic, thyme, honey, grape, baguette, Red onion, red grape, raisins, Red wine, Red wine vinegar, Brown sugar,generous cheese plate with onion marmalade -
30 minDessertFull Milk, whipped cream, macaroon, custard powder, vanilla sugar, sugar, protein, amaretto, almond liqueur, basic recipe cooking pears,macaroon pastry with casserole
Low calories
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Gherkins have few calories, only 14 kcal per 100 grams. This makes it seem like you can eat a lot of it without noticing. Below it becomes clear that this is not the case. It is of course a better snack than other food and should not be written off immediately.
Lots of sodium
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It is true that gherkins have a relatively large amount of sodium (sodium is a mineral that is part of salt). 100 grams of pickles contain 350 mg of sodium. The nutrition center says to consume a maximum of 2.4 grams of sodium, but recommends an amount of 1.5 grams for the 9 to 50 age group. A large jar of gherkins is often about 650 grams, so if you eat the whole jar, you are at 2.28 grams of sodium. Too much sodium is strongly associated with developing high blood pressure. So don't overdo the pickles, eat them in moderation.
What's healthy about pickles?
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Gherkins contain a lot of vitamin K. One pickle contains 15% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin K. The vitamin is important for bone metabolism and ensures proper blood clotting. The latter ensures that injuries recover better. Vitamin K also ensures that calcium gets into the bones and stays there and that it does not get into the blood vessels.
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5 minDrink without alcoholbananas, cool fresh apple-pear raspberry juice, Soy drink vanilla,soy fruit shake -
20 minMain dishsauerkraut, sticking potato, liquid baking product, half-to-half minced, Spice meatballs, pineapple, olive oil, liquid baking product,gratin sauerkraut dish with minced meat -
40 minMain dishlemongrass, fresh ginger, Red peppers, onions, tomato cubes, fresh cod fillet, coriander, oil, ground turmeric (koenjit), coconut milk, salt,fish in creamy coconut sauce -
15 minSide dishsweet potato, soft goat cheese, egg, spring / forest onion,stuffed sweet potato with egg
Which is the healthiest choice?
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The healthiest choice is the low-sodium pickle from the Kesbeke brand. With this type you have no disadvantages from the excess sodium that is found in most other brands. For comparison, the low-sodium version of Kesbeke is compared with the normal variety of the house brand AH.
How long can you keep pickles?
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Gherkins in an unopened jar can last about one to two years. When the jar is opened, they can safely be stored in the refrigerator for several months. They contain enough acid to keep them for a long time.