More than enough junk food
It’s a real challenge to find fresh fruits and vegetables in the city of Trinidad in the Beni region of Bolivia, South America. There is more than enough junk food with lots of salt or even more SUGAR but all the theoretical available tropical fruits are not easily available.
Image: The above image was taken at the Airport in Trinidad, Beni, Bolivia. There where some small shops one for souvenirs and about 3 or 4 just filled with junk food but none with fruits or fresh food.
Fruit salad would be most logical breakfast
Same situation during breakfast in our Hotel in Trinidad, there was lots of junk food available like the white bimbo “bread” and marmalade instead of local available and existing healthy and natural foods such as honey and tropical fruits Banana, Coconut, Papaya, Grapefruit, Cacao and seeds etc. From our European point of view it would make more sense to serve a breakfast with all the available tropical local fruits. This would be a so called fruit salad witch could be served optionally with Milk or Yogurt for the ones which like to have that in the morning. Also the fruit salad could be mixed with cereals if available. Imagine having a such a breakfast compared to a sad little white bimbo bread with a undefinable marmalade and some ultra light margarine butter re emplacement … Which one would you prefer?
Image: Home made tropical fruit salad for energetic breakfast: Cacao, Papaya, Banana, Grapefruit, Quinoa, Sunflower seeds
Image: This is a picture from the food market in Rurrenabaque, Beni, Bolivia. There are many available vegetables. Normally Sunday is the best day to visit the market because then all the people bring their harvest from every corner of the region to the bigger towns to sell them.
Get it directly from the farmer
Now this funny situation where we had a hard time to find fresh vegetables or fruits was very similar back in Paraguay. We had the same issue there. Where should be buy vegetables and fruits. We compared the quality of them in supermarkets and street vendors and at the end of the day it was never clear which was better if there was any we purchased at all. Lucky us at one place where we stayed longer the neighbor was a small farmer himself and he had super tasty vegetables like carrots, tomatoes and pumpkins etc, which we could buy directly from his garden. The taste was like nothing before in Paraguay.
Image: Here we can see all the industrial products which are now also widely available in Bolivia. This image was taken in the market of Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
Nothing better than organic
The bigger challenge is if you are seeking for organic grown food. Sometimes you are lucky but you have to search and ask a even more questions. For example back in the mountain village of Samaipata we found ASANO the Japanese farmer who sold good organic vegetables but some of it was only available in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra about 2-3 hours away with the car. So when we where in Santa Cruz we bought vegetable which was grown in Samaipata and sold to a store in Santa Cruz where we bought it and brought it back to Samaipata and ate it there … what a crazy World we live in.
Image: Fresh pressed fruit juice from a street vendor in Santa Cruz – best juice ever! We found the street orange juice vendors in Santa Cruz and in Rurrenabaque but there where none of them in the mountain town of Samaipata or Buena Vista. It’s logical that such a juice has a much richer taste than the industrial treated and pasteurized “juice” we can buy in the supermarket …
Health benefits
There is no need to point out the health benefits of fresh fruit and vegetables compared to industrial products. But on the other hand maybe it’s better to summarize this in here – you never know…
A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar which can help keep appetite in check. There is compelling evidence that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Help to protect you from diseases (phytochemicals)
- Fruits and veggies are nutritious in any form – fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice, so they’re ready when you are!
- Fiber. Fruits and veggies provide fiber that helps fill you up and keeps your digestive system happy.
- Low in Calories. Fruits and veggies are naturally low in calories.
- May Reduce Disease Risk. Eating plenty of fruits and veggies may help reduce the risk of many diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and some cancers.
- Vitamins & Minerals. Fruits and veggies are rich in vitamins and minerals that help you feel healthy and energized.
- Variety. Fruits and veggies are available in an almost infinite variety…there’s always something new to try!
- Quick, Natural Snack.
Sources:
http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/top-10-reasons-to-eat-more-fruits-and-vegetables
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Fruit_and_vegetables?Open