Functional Foods
Founder of Frea Naturalz, Dr. Naz Demirkılıç; He touches on the importance of functional foods, which are frequently encountered among new generation food trends, and shares a delicious and healthy dessert recipe for MAG Readers.
What kind of nutrition routine we have is one of the primary factors that determines our quality of life. In order for food, which is our basic need and source of healing, to be beneficial, the content of the food, its origin, consumption amount and cooking method are as important as what we consume. Although genetic and environmental factors have an active role in diseases, the issue is clear: "You are what you eat!"
In recent years, the increase in food-related health problems, high treatment costs, and people's expectations of living a longer and healthier life have led them to nature and nature, reminding once again how important the relationship between food and health is.
While modern living conditions and developing technology lead us to a more sedentary life day by day, the stressful lifestyle it brings is a perfect invitation for diseases. Add to that fast-consuming, high-calorie and saturated fat-containing foods, and food-borne health risks continue to increase day by day. This being the case, today's consumers are turning to products that are more reliable and create added value beyond nutrition.
Rising Star of the Food Industry: Functional Foods
This is exactly where functional foods come into our lives. Although functional food consumption is a new concept for many of us, with the pandemic process we have experienced, the priority of all of us, from seven to seventy, has become to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Therefore, it is possible to say that today's food production is carried out not only to meet the need for hunger, but also to provide the necessary nutrients that individuals need, to prevent diseases that may occur due to nutrition, and to improve them physically and mentally. So, if we ask what functional food is, in its simplest definition; They appear as food products fortified with special ingredients that meet basic nutritional requirements while protecting them from diseases and improving human health.
Accordingly, a food can be a functional food in its natural form or; It can also be included in this product group thanks to the components added to its content by technological or biotechnological methods. For example; Tomatoes, a natural source of antioxidants and lycopene, peanut butter containing Omega-3 fatty acids, salted yoghurt rich in calcium and vitamins, are just a few of the functional foods included in our daily nutrition routine. However, we have frequently seen it on market shelves in recent years; probiotic and prebiotic yoghurts, gluten-free foods, fruit and nut bars, plant-based milk varieties, collagen-add pastes, sodium-reduced salt, etc. These products are among the functional foods whose popularity is increasing day by day. Research on the subject; He underlines that consumers tend to buy functional foods due to their benefits that are not found in traditional foods. Functional foods are of great importance, especially for the audience that adopts vegan and vegetarian diets; because these people prefer products free from animal sources due to the diet they follow.
According to 2022 data, the functional food market in Turkey has reached 7.7 billion lira with an increase of 23.8%. Consumers describe the price they pay for these products, which they consider to be of high quality, as an investment for their health. The point the food industry has reached and the technological opportunities it has prove that this trend will continue in the coming years and that we will see many more functional food alternatives on our tables. A healthier and more delicious future awaits us with the power of functional foods…
Peanut Butter Oatballs with Collagen
Materials
- 1 glass of oatmeal
- 1/2 cup Frea Naturalz Collagen Peanut Butter
- 1/3 cup of honey
- 5 walnuts
- 3 tablespoons of chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon of flaxseed
- 2 tablespoons of coconut
Fabrication
We put the oatmeal and walnuts in a blender and turn them into powder. Then we add honey and Frea Naturalz Collagen Peanut Butter. Lastly, put it into the container; Add chocolate chips, flax seeds and coconut and mix well. After it thickens well, we shape it into small balls and it's ready!
This healthy and incredibly delicious snack is also very rich in fiber. Frea Naturalz Collagen Peanut Butter, which is a functional food, contains;
• Helps strengthen immunity,
• Supports teeth, muscle, heart, cartilage, tendon, joint, bone, eye and intestinal health,
• Helps muscle growth and strengthening,
• It has benefits such as helping to reduce joint pain.
When you have a sweet tooth, this healthy and delicious recipe will be your savior!
Dr. Naz Demirkılıç