Photo credit: Pixabay
Cooking delicious specialties for your family can be challenging, but did you ever ask yourself how much nutrients are lost in the process? In this article, we’re going to give you few tips how to cook delicious meals without loss of precious nutrients.
Wash fruit and vegetables in one piece
If you want to save vitamins like B and C, never leave your fruit and vegetables in a bowl of water, instead wash them under the stream. To minimize loss of nutrients wash them in one piece, and only then separate the leaves. Always add the vegetables to boiling water. That’s when oxygen mixes evenly and doesn’t cause vitamin oxidation.
Use cut up ingredients right away
By cutting up your fruit and vegetables you ease the digestion and prevent any stomach issues. However, cut up food oxidizes easily and some of the vitamins and antioxidants get lost. In case you can’t use them instantly, you should store them in a closed container in the fridge.
Use less water
You need to cook vegetables on low water because water breaks down vitamins and minerals. Use just enough water to soften the ingredients. However, there are some veggies that require more water like cabbage, kale, cauliflower, rice, pasta celery, etc. When searing food, use only the ones with high water content like certain vegetables, meats, fruit, fish, and other.
During the process, they cook in their own liquid and only small part of nutrients is lost. Steam cooking is also a great option since food retains all of its nutritional value. Steam has less power compared to water when it comes to breaking down vitamins and minerals.
You should also know
– Never use baking soda while cooking because you’ll destroy vitamins C and B1.
– Cooked meals should always be served right after they’re done.
– Leftovers should be stored in the fridge in the closed container because oxygen from the air oxidizes vitamins and minerals.
By using some of these methods, you can get best of both worlds, the deliciousness we all strive for, and all the benefits your chosen food provides in its natural form.
