nutrition / diet
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nutrition
The way in which a living being provides itself with food in order to live and stay healthy.
Eine ausgewogene Ernährung ist wichtig für die körperliche Fitness.
Balanced nutrition is important for physical fitness.
'Die Ernährung' (nutrition / diet) is the nominalization of the verb '(sich) ernähren' (to feed oneself / to eat). The ending '-ung' turns the action of nourishing into a noun.
Er ernährt sich seit Jahren vegetarisch.
He has been eating a vegetarian diet for years.
'Ernährung' (nutrition / diet) refers to the general way of eating in order to stay healthy. It is often incorrectly used for a short-term weight-loss diet.
Für meine Gesundheit stelle ich meine Ernährung um.
For my health, I'm changing my diet.
The word 'Ernährung' (nutrition) is very often combined with adjectives that describe the quality or type of food, e.g. 'gesund' (healthy), 'ausgewogen' (balanced), 'vegan' (vegan), or 'einseitig' (unbalanced / one-sided).
Viele Menschen achten heute auf eine gesunde Ernährung.
Many people today pay attention to healthy nutrition.
When describing the food of animals, the structure 'Die Ernährung von [Tier] besteht aus ...' (The diet of [animal] consists of ...) is very typical.
Die Ernährung des Pandas besteht hauptsächlich aus Bambus.
The panda's diet consists mainly of bamboo.
food / meal / eating
'das Essen' and 'die Ernährung' both have to do with food. 'das Essen' means specific food, a meal, or the act of eating. It fits well in everyday contexts: 'Das Essen ist warm' (The food is warm), 'wir gehen zum Essen' (we're going out to eat), 'das Essen schmeckt gut' (the food tastes good). 'die Ernährung' is more about the way someone eats over a longer period of time. It often has to do with health, habits, or rules. Learners may confuse the words because both are connected to food. As a simple guide: 'Essen' is what you are eating at the moment; 'Ernährung' is the whole pattern behind it.
Bei der Arbeit achtet Sofia auf ihre Ernährung und nimmt oft Obst mit.
At work, Sofia pays attention to her diet and often brings fruit with her.
Nach dem Training wartet zu Hause ein warmes Essen auf die Kinder.
After training, a warm meal is waiting for the children at home.