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CookingNerds.com is about more than great recipes. You can also learn about the ingredients that are used in, and with, Queal products. Get insights about the need for different nutrients. And enjoy the background stories about some of our recipes and their inventors.

Ingredients

These are the ingredients that we've used so far in our CookingNerds recipes. The first ones listed are our Queal products. Below that you can find the other ingredients, listed in alphabetical order.

ReadyReady image

Ready is a new type of complete food. It's a complete instant oat meal. Meaning it has oats as its base and it's nutritionally complete, like you can expect from Queal. Not in a shake or bar, but in a bowl and with real pieces of fruit. So you can be ready for your day.

SteadySteady image

Steady is a complete meal in a shake. It's made with Scottish oats, isomaltulose (beets), maltodextrin (corn), whey protein (or rice and pea protein), soy flour, sunflower & linseed oil. Just scoop, shake, and go.

GoGo image

One meal, for every moment. Queal Go is your meal for on the go. Never go out the door unprepared again! Surprisingly tasty, with an even more delicious bite.

FlowFlow image

The Flow can be the perfect start of the day. Be your most creative self, make something meaningful, enjoy being in the zone. Flow is a nutritional supplement (nootropic) that combines four ingredients: Guarana, L-Theanine, Cdp-Choline, and Ashwagandha. These carefully chosen ingredients will productively help you create meaningful work.

AppleApple image

Did you know that apple trees have quite beautiful white flowers? Apple is a sweet fruit that grows on a tree and can be found almost anywhere on the world. China makes about half of the 85 tonnes of apples each year.

ApplesauceApplesauce image

Mix together some apples, cinnamon, honey, and maybe sugar and you got yourself some applesauce. First made to enjoy apples through the winter, now still very popular in America and Europe.

AvocadoAvocado image

Cut your avocado in half (from top to bottom) and twist, that is how you remove the seed (yes that is a huge seed). Perfect for making delicious guacamole mixes.

Baking PowderBakingpowder image

You can use baking powder to increase the volume and lighten your baked goods. There are a few different ways of making baking powder. It was first invented in the 1860s.

Bananabanana image

One fun 'fact' that many people know about banana's is that they are radio-active. And this is true, but of course the level of radiation is still very low (potassium is the main reason for this). There are many pests that endanger the production of banana's but so far so good.

Beansbeans image

Beans can be used in many recipes and are a good source of protein. They are most well-known for Mexican recipes, but also find their way in the traditional Dutch kitchen.

Basilbasil image

Use basil to really finish a great recipe. Keep a plant in your kitchen (not outside if it's freezing) and always know you have some ready. Perfect to mix with mozarella and tomatoes.

Blueberriesblueberries image

Who doesn't remember walking around in the summer and collecting blueberries along a forest path. Most blueberries can be found in America and some parts of Europe.

Butterbutter image

If a recipe includes baking, there is a high chance that butter is involved. It's a dairy product with almost exclusively fat (vs carbs/proteins). The French eat the most butter per capita, 8kg per year.

Cheesecheese image

You can't imagine The Netherlands without cheese. To go from milk to cheese an enzyme called 'rennet' is added to cause coagulation. There may be a million types of cheese out there. (listen to a fun story about a Swiss Cheese Cartel and Fondue)

Chocolatechocolate image

Roast and ground cocoa to get yourself some chocolate. Then add milk and or sugar to get milk or white chocolate. Although chocolate is delicious, there is still child labour involved which needs to be stopped.

Cidercider image

Here we don't mean the lightly alcoholic drink but vinegar. For instance apple cider vinegar which is made by squeezing the juice from crushed apples, adding yeast and bacteria.

Cinnamoncinnamon image

Cinnamon comes from the bark of several species of tree. It's an ingredient that might take you back to the golden age when it was a valuable commodity. Today still 75% of it comes from Indonesia.

Cocoacocoa image

Also known as cacao is a bean that can find its origins in the Amazon Basin. Although many people prescribe health benefits to it (of which some may be true), aren't we all just eating it because it's really delicious!?

Coconut Watercocoa image

A lot has been said about coconut water, but not many of these claims can be sustantiated. What has stood the test of time/trends is the flavour, who doesn't agree that it's not refreshing and sparks some joy and summer feelings in all of us.

Coffeecoffee image

CAFFEINE!!! do I need say more? Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world and if you're not drinking it you are among the minority who doesn't. Also here, studies into long-term health benefits are mixed and the number one reasons for drinking it is?? CAFFEINE!

Cookiescookies image

Some say that the name of cookies comes from the Dutch 'koekje'. Unlike the ingredients mentioned before, cookies are not good for you. Well, good for flavour and happiness, so maybe they are good.

Eggegg image

Guess how many eggs each plant (and it is a plant) ships per week? About 12 million! Eggs are one of the most common ingredients both in baking and as eaten by themselves. The colour of the egg doesn't have any influence on the quality of the egg.

Flax Eggsflaxeggs image

Looking for a vegan alternative to eggs when baking? Then flax eggs can be your saviour. Just mix ground flax seeds with water (1 to 3).

Flourflour image

Flour finds its origins in the word Flower and in some languages it's still that exact same word (e.g. "bloem" in Dutch). Flour can be made from wheat, corn, rice, etc. Some variants are gluten-free.

Food Colouringfoodcolouring image

Sometimes food colouring is added to products you buy, but the most fun way to use it is when you add it yourself. One example of the use of food colouring is in margarine, where beta-carotene gives it the yellow colour.

Frozen Fruitfrozenfruit image

Why buy frozen fruit? Because it stay good for a long time, can be bought/eaten in winter, and no preservatives have to be added for it to stay good.

Gingerginger image

Did you know that ginger is actually a root of a plant with small, yet beautiful, yellow flowers. Tumeric and cardemon are cousins of ginger. India produces about 1/3rd of the world-wide ginger.

Herbsherbs image

Herbs are used for flavouring and garnishing of food. Some of the most commonly used ones are lavender, thyme, parsley, basil, etc. Many religious and traditions use herbs.

Honeyhoney image

Talk about 'many hands make light work', the average bee only makes about 1/12th of a tea!spoon of honey in its lifetime. The oldest jar of honey found was over 2000 years old, and still tasted good.

Jamjam image

Jam is only one variation of fruit preserves, other examples are chutney, jelly, and marmalade. In the EU, jam should at least contain 35% fruit.

Kiwikiwi image

Kiwi is a flightless bird... ohhh weight. Kiwi(fruit) is a berry the size of an egg. And yes, it comes from New Zealand, but most of it is made in China nowadays.

Lemonlemon image

A lemon is a hybrid between a sour orange and a citron. The leaves of the lemon tree can be used to make tea. And because of the high acidity, lemons have been used as cleaning aids.

Lemon Juicelemonjuice image

Lemon juice is one of those (homemade) drinks that people ascribe many health benefits to. Although not all of them are true, it is tasty and full of vitamin C.

Limelime image

Just like the lemon, lime is a hybrid, this time between the citron/citrus, orange, and pomelo. You can probably incorporate some lime in your food, but to be honest, they do their best work in a drink.

Milkmilk image

One cow produces about 350,000 glasses of milk over her lifetime. But of course you can't only get great protein rich drinks only from cows. Other 'milks' like oats, soy, rice are many times a great alternative.

Mushroommushroom image

Mushrooms are rich in protein and can add some great flavours to your recipe. There are about 1.5 million different species of fungi.

Nutellanutella image

What if you combine sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa solids and milk powder? You get something delicious. Enjoy with moderation.

Nutmegnutmeg image

Nutmeg is a spice that is made from ground seeds of the fragrant nutmeg. Perfect for confections, sauces and vegetables.

Nutsnuts image

Of the many variations of nuts, we are mostly familiar with peanuts, wallnuts, cashews, pecan. All but the last are not considered 'true' nuts. Squirrels lose about half the nuts they hide.

Oat Flakesoatflakes image

Oat flakes are dried, steamed and flattened oats. You can use them in bread, muffins, and cereals.

Oiloil image

Vegetable oils can come from many sources. In most cases the fats come from the seeds of the plants.

Peanut Butterpeanutbutter image

Where peanut butter used to have multiple helper-ingredients, nowadays the 100% (all-natural) peanut butter variation has become the most popular one in many countries.

Pumpkinpumpkin image

Pumpkin literally means large melon. And although we all call them vegetables, they are actually a fruit (because they contain seeds).

Quarkquark image

Quark (or as the Dutch like to call it 'kwark') is made by curding (warming soured milk). Just like wiht milk there are alternatives like those made with soy.

Raspberryraspberry image

The Raspberry is a tiny and affordable computer... oh wait, not that raspberry. It's a delicious fruit that is also one that you can find in the frozen section.

Ricerice image

Rice has conquered the world and can be found in almost any household. Although it's one of the most common crops, corn and wheat are about 2x and 1.5x larger (in tonnes produced).

Saltsalt image

Everybody needs salt to stay alive. Unfortunately there is too much salt in most of the Western diets and we're more likely to have too much than too little.

Sour Creamsourcream image

Add sour cream to a dip and you can guarantee deliciousness. You can use it for baking cakes, cookies, and scones.

Spicesspices image

Some of our recipes contain different spices. Some really make it hot, others make the flavours pop.

Spinachspinach image

Spinach is best know for the high iron content (anyone remember Popeye). Next to being low in calories it's high in vitamins A, B, C, E and K.

Strawberrystrawberry image

Each strawberry (not a real berry) has about 200 seeds (on the outside). They are one of the first fruits to ripen in the spring.

Sugarsugar image

Sugar can be added to products but is also naturally present in many foods like fruits. Just like salt we nowadays get too much of it in our (average) diet.

Sweetenersweetener image

Instead of sugar, a sweetener is usually low in calories and can greatly help make a product taste (even) sweet(er).

Vanillavanilla image

Did you know that vanilla is an orchid. It's the second most expensive spice in the world (after saffron). To date it's the most popular ice cream flavour.

Walnutswalnuts image

In the wild you wouldn't recognize a walnut if you saw it (it's a small green, apple-like, nut). But inside is the brain-like shape that is full of protein and essential fats.

Waterwater image

Dehydration instead of drinking too much water (hyponatremia) has never been documented during a marathon. But be sure to drink enough during the day.

Yoghurtyoghurt image

Add together milk and bacteria, let it ferment, and you have yourself some yoghurt. Great for smoothie recipes

Nutrients

Queal, and all the recipes here, contain nutritional values that are listed per recipe. But, you may ask, what does each of these nutrients mean. Here is some explanation, from sugars to salts, from fats to carbs.

EnergyOats image

The body needs energy to sustain itself. It gets this by metabolising various nutrients, subdivided into Proteins, Fats, and Carbohydrates. Energy from food is often measured in kilocalories, or kcal (when people say 'calories', they mean kcal). The government-mandated “average” amount of kcal needed is 2000kcal, though in reality, the number is often higher (2100kcal to 2600kcal).

FatOats image

Fats, or fatty acids, are a type of lipid and are essential to the body. They are metabolised for energy or to build cells. Some essential vitamins, such as A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble and require fat in order to be transported and absorbed by the body. Queal’s sources of fat include Oats, Soy, Whey, and Sunflower- and Linseed-oil.

Saturated FatOats image

Saturated fat is also known as “solid fat”. That’s because it is solid at room temperature. It is mostly in animal foods (meat, milk, and cheese) and tropical oils (coconut oil, palm oil). Saturated fats are generally recognized as bad because they cause your LDL-level to rise. (LDL was the bad kind of lipoprotein!) This means more risk of your arteries clogging up. The advice given by governmental guidelines for saturated fat is: Make sure at most 10% of your caloric intake is from saturated fats. That comes down to 23 grams of saturated fat for a 2100kcal diet.

Monounsaturated FatOats image

This fat is in nuts and olive-, canola-, and peanut-oil. It deals a double health whammy of lowering your LDL-level (the bad kind) whilst simultaneously increasing your HDL-level (the good kind).

Monounsaturated FatOats image

This fat is in nuts and olive-, canola-, and peanut-oil. It deals a double health whammy of lowering your LDL-level (the bad kind) whilst simultaneously increasing your HDL-level (the good kind).

Polyunsaturated FatOats image

This fat is mostly in sunflower-, flaxseed-, and fish-oil. Eating Polyunsaturated fats instead of Saturated fats will lower you LDL-levels (the bad kind). Polyunsaturated fat can be sub-divided into Omega-3 fatty acids, and Omega-6 fatty acids.

Omega-3Oats image

Omega-3 fatty acids come in two types: Short-chain (ALA) and long-chain (EPA, DHA). Humans need both types and can convert short-chain to long-chain forms, but not very efficiently. ALA is proven to contribute to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels, and EPA and DHA are linked to contributing to the normal functioning of the heart. Queal’s sources of Omega-3 are linseed- and sunflower-oil, both micro coated into the powder.

Omega-6Oats image

Part of the group of polyunsaturated fats, Omega-6 fatty acids contribute to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels. Queal sources it’s Omega-6 from sufnlower- and linseed-Oil, which is incorporated into the powder using a micro coating technique.

Trans-unsaturated FatOats image

Trans fats, also known as (partially) hydrogenated fat is “the ugly”. It takes everything that’s bad about saturated fats and makes it worse. There is really no good reason to eat any trans fats. Why then is it in our food? Well, for one, it makes things super tasty! The process of hydrogenation makes the fat harder at room temperature. It makes snack foods such as chips nice and crispy, and gives that satisfying crunch to your fast-food French fries. The advice given by governmental guidelines for trans fats is: Don’t eat them. Just don’t… Which is why there are no trans-fats in Queal.

CarbohydratesOats image

Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for the body. There are fast and slow types of carbohydrates, depending on the speed with which they are absorbed by the body. Queal’s recipe is designed to create a balance between the two. The main sources of carbohydrates in Queal are Oat Flour, Isomaltulose, Maltodextrin, and Soy.

SugarOats image

Sugar is a subgroup of Carbohydrates, divided into Monosaccharides and Disaccharides. It’s broken down in the body to glucose, fructose, and in the case of lactose to galactose. They provide fast energy. A part of Queal products is labelled as supgar but be assured that there is no added or table sugar in the products.

PolyolsOats image

Another subgroup of carbohydrates. Also known as sugar alcohol (not to be confused with what we commonly think of as alcohol), they are a different shape than sugar. Less sweet, and less fast carbohydrates.

StarchOats image

Your bog-standard Polysaccharide. It’s slow carbohydrates.

FibreOats image

Fibre is essential for the overall health of the body and specifically the digestive system. Intestinal microflora which aid in your digestion thrives on fibres such as cellulose, which cannot be broken down by the natural enzymes in your system. The fibre content in Queal comes from Oats in the form of beta-glucans, which the EFSA says reduces disease risk. Additional fibre content is provided from Soy.

ProteinOats image

Protein is necessary for the body’s ability to grow and repair itself, especially muscles. Proteins are broken down into base amino acids by the metabolism. All human proteins are made up of the same 20 amino acids, 9 of which must be consumed through diet, in different amounts. Queal’s source of protein comes from whey, soy, and oats, and contains all the essential amino acids. Our latest vegan products have a balance of rice and pea proteins to achieve the same balance.

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