Is there a Best Way to Cook Vegetables?

It has been drilled into our minds that eating a good dosage of fruits and vegetables is one of the ways of being healthy. You are trying to incorporate vegetables into your diet but often wonder if there is a way to cook these veggies so that you get the most nutritional value. Well, no cooking method is the best but it does pay to know different ways to cook vegetables that can offer you maximum nutrients.

Use less water: Vegetables lose all its nutrients when its cooked in water. You must have noticed the green hue after you have cooked spinach. All the wonderful nutrients are ready to go down the drain. Remember to cook vegetables for little time in little water. Steaming and microwaving are great methods that use minimum water, which means less loss of nutrients. The results are the same as boiling or blanching but with very little loss of nutrition.

Use less fat: Certain vegetables are absorbed better in the body with soluble fat. So you can sauté or stir-fry the steamed vegetables with healthy oil which even makes it taste better. Use the sautéing method for tender vegetables such as onions, mushrooms and peas. You must cut them into small pieces so that they can get quickly get cooked in the oil. Stir-frying is putting the vegetables on high heat and needs constant frying to prevent them from burning. Normally this method needs a wok or a sauté pan that has a thick bottom so that there is equal heat distribution.

Boiling: This is one of the most popular and easiest methods of cooking. However, remember boiling can lead to loss of nutrients and can even lead to loss of flavor and taste.

• Get the water in the pot to a boil and then add the vegetables.
• Never keep the pot covered when you are boiling green vegetables since it will lose its green color.
• You can use little water for other vegetables and cover the pot when boiling them. Less water leads to less loss of nutrition.
• Add a pinch of salt to the boiling water. This raises the boiling point of water, which will cook the veggies faster, and it adds flavor to the vegetables. Remember to bring the water to a boil before adding salt, which will ensure that it gets dissolved right away.

Do you have any other tips that retains maximum nutrients of vegetables while cooking?

Admin Note: Here are other links on health cooking and food habits!

Healthy Cooking Secrets
http://www.indusladies.com/forums/baby-kids-foods/47057-vegetables-pesticides-and-over-cooking.html
http://www.indusladies.com/forums/healthy-food-and-living/190527-healthy-food-habits-pls-share.html
http://www.indusladies.com/forums/healthy-food-and-living/134320-ways-keep-our-food-healthy.html

 

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