1. +
Food Culture in Germany
Renee King, Bridget Reddan, Andrew Yeldham
n8551774 n8305081 n8547718
XNB151
Food and
Nutrition
Unit Coordinator:
Rebecca Ramsey
Assessment 1
Friday 30th August
Group 19

2. +
German Demographics
 German population: 80.2 million
(Destatis, 2013)
 Over 100,000 Germans living in
Australia
(ABS, 2012)
 Germany in Top 10 nationalities of
overseas born population
(ABS, 2012)
 Germans highest nationality living in
USA
(United States Census Bureau, 2012)
(People Movin, n.d.)

3. +
Dominant factors influencing eating
habits?
 Affordability/Price (value for money)
 Growing health concerns (wellness and illness prevention)
 The need for convenience (young people consuming western fast food )
 Innovations in the industry (functional foods/personalized foods)
 Increasing environmental consciousness
 Cultural & social eating habits (families eating together)
 Geographical & seasonal influences on produce
 Globalisation and importing of different foods
(Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2010)

4. +
Dominant factors influencing eating
habits?
 A study by Richer et al. found that in adolescent boys a
healthy diet (more intake of fruit, veg etc.) was related to
higher socioeconomic status.
 Also found that traditional German diets are still
consumed by adolescent boys and girls, but are not as
prevalent as ‘western’ diets.
(Richter et al., 2012)
 Perceived lack of control over food choice.
 Accessibility and Cost of nutritious foods – particularly in
rural areas.

5. +
Terms and Items, Celebrations,
Food preparation
 Traditionally Germans ate 5 meals a day, however now, three
meals a day is much more common.
 It is traditional for shops and businesses to close at lunch time as
this is the main meal of the day. Lunch is usually eaten with family.
 Oktoberfest – Today this agricultural fair is the worlds largest
festival, showcasing and celebrating the foods and beer that
Germany has to offer.
 Religious Holidays – As a predominantly Christian country, Easter
and Christmas are the main religious holidays celebrated in
Germany. On both occasions, traditional German meals are
prepared, likely to include; carp, kale, bangers & roast goose at
Christmas, and on Easter more common German foods including
cheeses, breads, wurst and of course eggs!

6. +
What foods do Germans eat?

7. +
What foods do Germans eat?

8. +
Available Food
CHEESE
• Blue (approx. $3 to $5)
-Viking Blue Danish
-Mainland Blue
-Castello Blue
• Brie (approx. $3 to $5)
-Unicorn Brie Double
-Unicorn Brie Chives
-Unicorn Brie Triple Cream
-Unicorn Brie Camembert
- Tasmanian Heritage Double Brie
-Tasmanian Heritage Brie Blue
-Castello Brie White
• Camembert (approx. $5)
-Tasmanian Heritage Camembert
• Quark (approx. $7)
-Paris Creek Quark Organic Swiss Style

9. +
Available Food
MILK (approx. $2 to $5)
-A2 Light Milk
-Pauls Goat Milk
-Dairy Farmers Permeate Free Skim Milk
-Woolworths Select Full Cream Milk
OILS (approx. $3 to $15)
-Homebrand Pure Olive Oil
-Crisco Canola Oil
-Homebrand Vegetable Blended Oil
HERBS AND SPICES (approx. $2 to $10)
-Masterfoods (range of over 90 herbs and spices)
-Hoyts (range of over 50 herbs and spices)

10. +
Available Food
BEER
• Bitburger (approx. $34 per 24 case)
• Beck’s (approx. $38 per 24 case)
• Paulaner Weissbier (approx. $52 per 12 case)
• Franziskaner Weissbier (approx. $90 per 20 case)
• Oettinger (approx. $30 per 24 case)
SCHNAPPS (approx. $15 to $60)
• Everglades
• Bacchus
• Lindenhoff
• De Kuyper
• Münchner Kindl
WINE (approx. $19 to $50)
• Dr Loosen
• Egon Muller-Scharzhof Scharzhofberger
• Henkell Troken
• Schloss Vollrads
• JJ Prüm
Dan Murphy’s, 2013

11. +
Available Food
Fruit, Vegetables – Nuts & Seeds
 Walnüsse walnuts
 Haselnüsse hazelnuts
 Mandeln almonds
 Peanuts, Cashews, Macadamias, Pecans, Pistachios available in
most parts of Germany
 Sesame, Sunflower, Linseed/Flaxeed, pumpkin seeds
 Poppy seeds

12. +
Available Food
Fruit, Vegetables – Nuts & Seeds
 Cauliflower, beans, broccoli, peas, cucumber, garlic, cabbage, Leek,
Corn, mushrooms, sweet pepper, carrot, asparagus, spinach, tomato,
onion
 Potato - of historical importance in Germany
 Potato as a staple grain spread quickly due to high yield, simple preparation, low fat/high water
content and it could grow in less fertile soil which other grains couldn’t grow in.
 The potato is responsible for a considerable increase in population at the beginning of the 19th
century in Germany.
 Potato varieties found in Australia: Bintje, coliban,
desiree, golden delight, king edward, kipfler, nadine,
pink eye/ southern gold, red rascal, royal blue, sebago.
http://theabbotsfordkitchen.wordpress.com

13. +
Available Food
BREAD
Rye (approx. $5 to $6)
-Abbotts Village Light Rye Bread
-Bills Organic Medium Rye Bread
-Country Life Organic Rye 94%
Wheat Free
-Helgas Light Rye Bread
-Tip Top Burgen Rye Bread
Sourdough (approx. $5 to $6)
-Bills Organic Sourdough Hi Fibre
-Bills Organic Sourdough Hi Fibre
with Flaxseed
-Sauers Aroma Sourdough Rye
Grain ($4 to $7)
-around 26 items
-includes grains such as pumpkin, soy, linseed, sunflower, chia, oats
Woolworths Online Shopping, 2013

14. +
Available Food
Woolworths Online Shopping, 2013
MEAT
Wurst sausage ($13 to $25 per kg)
-Gotizinger Bratwurst German
-Hans Knackwurst
-Hans Liverwurst Traditional
-Hans Liverwurst Old Style
-Don Liverwurst Latvian
-Don Rookwurst Dutch
Smoked ham ($9 to $18 per kg)
-Bertocchi Authentic Leg Ham
Triple Smoked
-Woolworths Half Leg Ham Smoked
COFFEE ($19 per kg)
Melitta Ground German Premium Mild
Roast

15. +
Influencing factors
 Availability/ Accessibility
 Price
 Standard & quality compared to German products
 More convenient alternatives for busy lifestyles
 Trend to western or Australian diets
 Seasonal foods available

16. +
Considerations..
 From a study of young adults from both Australia and Germany,
Australia is considered the ‘fattest’ country in the world, and
Germany, the ‘fattest’ country in Europe.
Harker, D., Harker, M., Reinhard, K., & Sharma, B. (2011)
 This suggests that both countries are currently not following
their national dietary recommendations and is a consideration
when planning daily eating recommendations.

17. +
Typical Daily Eating Plan
BREAKFAST
-Busy lifestyles creating trend for simple breakfast such as cereal –
however, more traditional & hearty breakfast may be eaten on weekend
Coffee, tea or cocoa or sometimes juice
Bread or bread rolls with:
-butter or margarine
-marmalade
-honey
-Quark (curd cheese)
-sausage
-cheese
Boiled egg
Cereals
Muesli with yogurt, milk or fresh fruit
German Foods. (n.d.).

18. +
Typical Daily Eating Plan
MORNING TEA OR SNACKS
Small sandwich with cheese or
meat
Fruit
Yogurt
Muesli bar
AFTERNOON TEA
-convenience shops leads to less baking at home (store bought pastries)
-trend in tea becoming more popular to drink
Coffee with cream or condensed milk
Homemade cakes: black forest, bee sting, cheesecake made with
Quark, fruit tarts (plum or apple)
German Foods. (n.d.).

19. +
Typical Daily Eating Plan
LUNCH
-meat eaten most likely everyday (pork & chicken)
-traditionally eaten between 12 and 2pm
-school children have lunch back at home
-trend to eat warm meal at dinner rather than lunch
Typical vegetables served: green beans, carrots, peas, cabbage
Potatoes are staple (boiled, dumplings, croquettes, fried, mashed)
Rice and noodles as side dishes
Meals:
Potato salad with sausage or
meal balls
Spätzle noodles with stir-fry
Schnitzel with buttered
vegetables
Fish sticks with mashed potato
German Foods. (n.d.).

20. +
Typical Daily Eating Plan
DINNER
-Light meal between 6pm and 7pm
Selection of whole grain bread, cheeses, deli meats & sausages,
mustards & pickles (gherkins)
Served with salad and/or a soup, depending on the season
Young people drink sparkling mineral water or juice
BEVERAGES
• Fruit Juices
• Mineral Water
• Schorle (Mix of Fruit Juice and
Mineral Water)
• Beer, Wine and Schnapps
German Foods. (n.d.).

21. +
What is really represented
Meats
Breads
Fruits
Vegetables
Dairy
Oils

22. +
How does Germany compare to
Australia?
Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing (2013)
http://www.dge.de/ (2005)

23. +
References Destatis.(2013). 2011 Census: 80.2 million inhabitants lived in Germany on 9 May 2011. Retrieved from www.destatis.de
 Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2012). Reflecting a nation: Stories from the 2011 census, 2012–2013. Retrieved from
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/2071.0main+features902012-2013
 United States Census Bureau. (2012). International programs. Retrieved from www.census.gov
 People Movin. (n.d.). Migration flows across the world. Retrieved from http://peoplemov.in
 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. (2010). Germany: Health and environmental trends. Retrieved from http://www.ats-
sea.agr.gc.ca/eur/4186-eng.htm
 Richter, A., Heidemann, C., Schulze, M.B., Roosen, J., Thieleand, S., & Mensink, G. (2012). Dietary patterns of adolescents in
Germany - Associations with nutrient intake and other health related lifestyle characteristics. BMC Pediatrics, 12(35).
doi:10.1186/1471-2431-12-35
 German Foods. (n.d.). Eating Habits in Germany. Retrieved from http://www.germanfoods.org/consumer/facts/eatinghabits.cfm
 Woolworths. 2013. Woolworths Shop Online. Retrieved from http://www2.woolworthsonline.com.au/
 Dan Murphy’s. 2013. Dan Murphy’s. Retrieved from http://danmurphys.com.au/dm/home.jsp
 Department of Health and Ageing. (2009). The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. Retrieved from
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/healthyactive/publishing.nsf/Content/eating
 Lifescript. 2007. German Food traditions: More Than Just Sauerkraut. Retrieved from http://www.lifescript.com
 German Food Guide. (n.d.) Christams. Retrieved from http://www.germanfoodguide.com/
 German Food Guide. (n.d.) Easter. Retrieved from http://www.germanfoodguide.com/

24. +
References
 Giskes, K., Turrell, G., Patterson, C., & Newman, B. (2002). Socioeconomic differences among Australian
adults in consumption of fruit and vegetables and intakes of vitamins A, C and folate. Journal
Of Human Nutrition & Dietetics, 15(5), 375. Retrived from
http://gateway.library.qut.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct
=true&db=c8h&AN=2003050587&site=ehost-live
 Giskes, K., Turrell, G., Patterson, C., & Newman, B. (2002). Socio-economic differences in fruit and
vegetable consumption among Australian adolescents and adults. Public Health Nutrition,
5(5), 663-669. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/PHN2002339
 Harker, D., Harker, M., Reinhard, K., & Sharma, B. (2011). Journal of Youth Studies: Youth transition to
university in Germany and Australia: An empirical investigation of healthy eating behaviour.
Youth Studies Australia, 30(1), 62. Retrieved from
http://go.galegroup.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA252739537&v=2.
1&u=qut&it=r&p=HRCA&sw=w
 Heinzelmann, U. (2008). Food culture in Germany [EBL version]. Retrived From
http://www.qut.eblib.com.au.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=495064ch
o=1&userid=vClvxfzA%2fYSdKXU%2bfoBxlQ%3d%3d&tstamp=1376962742&id=2F17C2AD
AB1F8B08176FC0E4159C3CAE747ABE55
 MacVeigh, J. (2009). International Cuisine. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning.
 Mensink, G., Truthmann, J., Rabenberg, M., Heidemann, C., Haftenberger, M., Schienkiewitz, A., &
Richter, A. (2013). Fruit and vegetable intake in Germany: Results of the German health
interview examination survey for adults. Bundesgesundheitsbl, 56, 779-785. doi:
10.1007/s00103-012-1651-8

25. +
References
 The German Nutrition Society. (2012). 10 Guidelines of the German Nutrition Society (DGE) for a
wholesome diet. Retried August 21, 2013, from http://www.dge.de/pdf/10-guidelines-
wholesome-diet-DGE-en.pdf
 European Food Information Council. (2009). Food-based dietary guidelines in Europe. Retrieved
August 21, 2013, from http://www.eufic.org/article/en/expid/food-based-dietary- guidelines-in-
europe/
 National Health and Medical Research Council. (2013). Australian dietary guidelines. Retrieved August
21, 2013, from http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/guidelines/publications/n55
 The Abbotsford Kitchen. (2010). Potatoes. Retreieved August 27, 2013, from
http://theabbotsfordkitchen.wordpress.com
 McCormick. (2013). Potato variety guide. Retrieved August 27, 2013, from
http://www.mccormick.com.au/Resources/Tools-and-Guides/Potato-Variety-Guide.aspx