Malnutrition in Quarantine

While the Corona virus affects the whole world, our perspective of the world is also changing. Although pandemic cases like the Corona virus happened many times throughout the world history, the current generation has encountered such an epidemic for the first time. It is very extraordinary for all of us to leave our daily routines behind and stay in our homes. We have a lot of time think these days although there might be a slightly minor issue we might be missing out. Our dietary habits are also changing.

According to the World Health Organization, good nutrition is crucial for health, particularly in times when the immune system might need to fight back like these days. We are all at our homes and we have a tendency to binge-eating and eating excessively or we might just skip the meals with vegetable diets. All of these and similar habits may lead to malnutrition which occurs when the body doesn’t get the right balance of nutrients and calories that it needs to stay healthy. The consequences of malnutrition is serious. Without proper nutrition our bodies can’t stay healthy, fight off diseases which we already have. It weakens our immune system and leaves us vulnerable to infections and slower recovery in wound healing, it also leads weight and muscle loss, disability and complication to other diseases. In short indeed we are what we eat.

Enough with the bad scenarios right? Let’s check out what we can do now. For a proper nutrition there are six classes of nutrients; carbohydrates, vitamins, water, minerals, fats and proteins. So what we need to achieve is the perfect balance of these nutritions.  Here is a very simple method you can use. It is called the Plate Method. This method is like a blueprint of your diet. Divide you plate into half and fill it with vegetables either a salad or a cooked vegetable dish. Reserve a quarter of the other half for protein like derivatives of meat dishes. And lastly leave the remaining quarter of the plate for carbs like rice, noodles or potato based dishes. Let’s check your plate…With the vegetables you have your vitamins and minerals with higher fiber and lower calories, and with your meat dishes you have your protein and fat and finally with the carbs your dietary becomes complete and perfect. I can hear you say what about the bread? As a Turkish person myself I found it very hard to resist bread. That’s fine! With this kind of plate you can enjoy one slice of whole-wheat bread. And here is a special meatball recipe Turkish kitchen which I think you would enjoy with rice and salad! Stay healthy and Bon Appetit everyone!

Turkish ‘Lady’s Thigh Meatballs’ Make Ground Beef A Treat

• Total: 30 mins
• Prep: 15 mins
• Cook: 15 mins
• Yield: 2 servings

The key thing that makes this meal different is that the raw meatballs are shaped by hand. Then, they’re coated with flour followed by beaten egg and fried in hot oil.

The result is a tender, juicy meatball cooked in its own juices that is encased in a soft, golden crust. Kids like to giggle about the name and love them because of their unique look and mild flavor.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ground beef (85-90% fat)
• 1/2 cup white rice (cooked plain rice or leftover rice pilaf)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons allspice (ground)
• 1/2 cup dill (chopped fresh, or 2 teaspoons dried mint leaves)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup flour
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)

Steps to Make It

1. First, knead together the ground beef, cooked rice, spices, and egg for several minutes until uniform. Set the meat aside for a few minutes to rest. Then, break off large pieces to make plump, flat oblong meatballs that fit in the palm of your hand.
2. Spread the flour on a plate. In a bowl, beat the eggs with a fork and add a few dashes of salt.
3. Pour oil in a deep skillet about one inch deep. While the oil is heating, roll each raw meatball in the flour. Make sure it is coated evenly.
4. Shake off the excess flour. Turn the floured meatball in the beaten egg to coat it thoroughly, then immediately place it in the hot oil.
5. Repeat this with several meatballs until the frying pan is full.
6. Let the meatballs fry until one side is golden brown.
7. Flip them over using a fork or strainer and cook them equally on the other side.
8. Drain them on paper towels. Repeat until all your meatballs are cooked.
9. Serve lady’s thigh meatballs with french fries, macaroni and cheese and any vegetable side dish for a delicious, simple and economical meal with a Turkish twist.

This article was written by Eda, volunteer at Sunrise Project France since April 2020. She lives in Turkey, She is 21. Travelling, meeting new people and cooking are her greatest passions in life. She also enjoys learning languages and swimming.