to shovel
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to shovel
To move, pick up, or clear away material such as earth, sand, snow, or coal with a shovel.
Nach dem starken Schneefall mussten wir den ganzen Vormittag Schnee schaufeln.
After the heavy snowfall, we had to shovel snow all morning.
The verb 'schaufeln' (to shovel) comes directly from the noun 'die Schaufel' (the shovel). It describes the typical action you perform with this tool.
Gib mir die Schaufel, ich helfe dir beim Schaufeln.
Give me the shovel; I'll help you with the shoveling.
In its literal meaning, 'schaufeln' (to shovel) is almost always combined with the material that is being moved. Common objects are 'Schnee' (snow), 'Sand' (sand), 'Erde' (earth/soil), or 'Kies' (gravel).
Die Bauarbeiter schaufelten den ganzen Tag Sand von dem LKW.
The construction workers shoveled sand off the truck all day.
This meaning is colloquial and often slightly negative. It is usually used reflexively and with a direction, for example 'sich (Dativ) etwas in den Mund schaufeln' (to shovel something into one's mouth) or 'etwas in sich hineinschaufeln' (to shovel something into oneself).
Er war so hungrig, dass er sich das Essen nur so hineinschaufelte.
He was so hungry that he just wolfed the food down.
to eat
'essen' and 'schaufeln' can both have to do with food. 'essen' is the neutral word for solid food. It does not say anything about how fast or how much someone eats. 'schaufeln' is colloquial here and often sounds somewhat critical or joking. It means that someone eats a lot very quickly, almost without pausing. For normal situations, use 'essen'. 'schaufeln' only fits when this fast, greedy way of eating is important.
Nach dem Training schaufelt Max einen großen Teller Nudeln in sich hinein.
After training, Max shovels down a big plate of pasta.
In der Mittagspause esse ich meistens ein Brot und etwas Obst.
During my lunch break, I usually eat a sandwich and some fruit.