How to get vegetables into your body with powder ~ Nutritionist's Column Vol.34

February 14, 2021

COLUMN

Vegetable powder that's kind to your body and the earth.

The plant-based protein brand GRØN is a blend of powders made from vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.
Taking in whole vegetables, including the skin and seeds, as whole foods in the form of condensed powder is also considered to be a way to combat food waste.

The origin of the name GRØN and Nordic gastronomy

Food waste is a serious social food issue.
It is said that Japan's food waste amounts to 6.43 million tons per year (2016), including unsold or non-standard products in the distribution process at restaurants, retailers, food manufacturers, wholesalers, etc., food that has deteriorated because it is not used up, leftover food at home and in restaurants, and food that is thrown away.
Of course, this is not just an issue in Japan, but also around the world. Food waste is included in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which countries around the world aim to achieve over the 15 years from 2016 to 2030.
Currently, various companies and organizations are working to address food waste that occurs at each stage of production, distribution, processing, and consumption, including "food banks" that collect donations of food and provide it free of charge to welfare facilities, "salvage parties" where people bring leftover ingredients and cook and eat them, and " TABETE ," a food sharing service that prevents food waste from restaurants by connecting restaurants with individuals.

As part of its sustainable efforts,GRØN creates products using a whole foods approach, turning whole vegetables into powder.
Whole foods means eating the entire vegetable including the skin, seeds, leaves, and roots, and eating fish from head to tail without throwing anything away.
This way of thinking has actually been around for a long time, but it has faded away as we have become more and more used to eating things. When it comes to eating the whole thing, it is considered safest to eat it without pesticides.GRØN 's powder is sourced directly from reliable farmers who grow it without pesticides, and the whole vegetable, fruit, and soybean is powdered, including not only the flesh, but also the leaves, roots, skins, cores, seeds, and roots.

It is known that many vegetables and fruits contain more healthy ingredients, including dietary fiber and minerals, not only in the flesh but also in the skin and seeds.
Unfortunately, however, the skins and seeds of vegetables and fruits are often hard or tasteless and difficult to eat, and in the case of the skins, there are concerns about the presence of pesticides, so much of them end up being thrown away.
Plants use nutrients from the soil and energy from the sun to store the nutrients necessary for life in various parts of their plants, from their roots to their stems, leaves, fruits, and seeds.
When we obtain nutrients from plants, it is best to obtain them as efficiently as possible.

First, let me use radish as an example.
Radishes with the skin on have a bit more fiber than those with the skin on.
Radish skin also contains a lot of vitamin C and vitamin P, which strengthens capillaries.
Radish leaves, which we tend to throw away, are rich in vitamins A, C, and E.

Similarly, the core of cabbage is rich in dietary fiber and vitamin C.
It is common to remove the seeds and pulp from pumpkins; the pulp is rich in beta-carotene, while the seeds contain the unsaturated fatty acid linoleic acid and vitamin E.
Similarly, the pulp of bitter melon is richer in vitamin C than the flesh, carrots contain carotene which boosts the body's immune system, and lotus root contains polyphenols with antioxidant properties, all of which are concentrated in the skin rather than in the center.

The skins of beets and purple sweet potatoes, as well as berry seeds, which GRØN also uses, contain many nutrients such as phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals.
It turns out that the parts that tend to be thrown away are the most nutritious.

Here are some of the benefits of preserving all of these nutrients by drying and powdering fresh vegetables.

■Can be stored for a long time Because it is in powder form, it can be stored for a long time compared to raw vegetables, making it very useful as a staple item.
Food spoilage is caused by the proliferation of certain microorganisms, and for these to grow, in addition to the presence of appropriate nutrients and temperatures, an appropriate amount of water is also essential.
In other words, the growth of microorganisms is inhibited as the moisture content decreases, and is completely prevented if the moisture content falls below a certain limit.
Therefore, a method called drying has long been used to prevent food spoilage and improve its shelf life.

■If you use raw vegetables, which are easy to eat, the process involves washing the vegetables, peeling, cutting, boiling, and frying them.
With vegetable powder, you can consume vegetables without going through that process.

■Consume all the nutrients By making it into a powder, you can consume the same amount of nutrients as if you were eating a lot of vegetables with just a small amount.
Dried and powdered vegetables are packed with nutrients, allowing you to consume them efficiently.

In addition, a university study has shown that the finer the particles, the faster they are digested and absorbed, and that this improves digestibility.
For example, collagen.
Collagen that has been broken down into smaller pieces using enzymes is called collagen peptides.
Collagen is found in large amounts in foods such as shark fin, chicken wings, beef tendons, pigs' trotters, and jelly, but collagen peptides are said to be more soluble in water and better absorbed than collagen obtained from cooked foods or from heated and loosened gelatin.

Reference: The amount of ingredients needed to make 100g of the superfood powder we use at GRØN

Purple sweet potato: approx. 400g
Mugwort: approx. 670g
Shell ginger: approx. 435g
Mulberry leaves: approx. 455g
Beets: approx. 1000g

It is very important to have a diet that involves cooking and eating vegetables as they are, such as vegetable sticks that allow you to enjoy the texture of vegetables or hearty salads, but if you are busy and want to get some nutrition easily, or if you want nutritional value regardless of the season, why not try incorporating powders into your diet that allow you to absorb nutrients efficiently?

Protein Blend Green Monster 20g / 320 yen (excluding tax)

Protein Blend Red Heat 20g / 320 yen (excluding tax)

Pancake Mix & Protein 227g / 900 yen (excluding tax)

Protein Blend Criollo Berries 20g / 370 yen (excluding tax)

Protein Blend Matcha All Stars 20g / 370 yen (excluding tax)

——————————————————
Nutritionist, Food Education Instructor, Food 6th Industrialization Producer Level 4
Ayako Ishihara

A nutritional advisor in the healthcare field and an agribusiness professional.
She is involved in a variety of activities specializing in the fields of beauty and health, including giving lectures to Miss World Japan candidates.

With the philosophy of "enriching the mind and body through food and realizing a vibrant society where people and communities are connected," he founded i-Field Co., Ltd. in 2013 and serves as its representative.
He is a core member of the food team for "DINING OUT," which opens outdoor restaurants in various regions, and also participates in fashion brand projects.
She is also involved in the promotion of local ingredients, product development and production specializing in "health" and "beauty," branding, concept design, food hygiene, sales promotion, training planning and management, etc. She is in charge of nutritional supervision for GRØN's product development, proposing ways to incorporate them more effectively into consumer health.

——————————————————