Mom was right when she said to eat your vegetables. They’re one of the best sources of soluble fiber, vitamins, minerals and natural antioxidants that help to ward off disease. The problem is vegetables can lose their nutritional content if they’re not stored and prepared properly. Handle them wrong, and you’ll end up getting only a fraction of their nutrients. Need some guidance? Here are some tips for preserving the nutritional value of the vegetables you eat.
Does Cooking Make Vegetables Less Nutritious?
The raw health movement gives cooking food a bad rap, but here’s some news that may surprise you. Cooking veggies can actually boost their nutritional content. This was revealed in a study carried out in Italy and published in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Italian researchers found that cooking can increase the release of some nutrients from vegetables. It all depends on how you cook them. They compared three methods for preparing vegetables – boiling, steaming and frying. Steaming and boiling preserved the natural antioxidants in the vegetables they tested best while frying destroyed them. Who needs those frying oils anyway?
If you’re a broccoli lover, steaming is the way to go. In this study, steaming increased the availability of glucosinolates, natural chemicals in broccoli that has anti-cancer properties. Tomatoes are another vegetable that’s healthier if they’re cooked or processed. Tomatoes are a rich source of heart-healthy lycopenes, and cooking or processing greatly increases their bioavailability and health benefits.
Preserve the Nutritional Value of Vegetables by Cooking Them Properly
When preparing veggies, you’ll lose the least nutrients if you steam them. Buy a steaming basket that fits over a cooking pot to prepare vegetables. If you add only an inch or two of water to the pan, the vegetables never come into contact with the boiling water, only the steam. You can even “steam” them in the microwave without significantly reducing their nutritional content if you only use a small amount of water.
Are Frozen Vegetables Less Nutritious?
Frozen vegetables retain their nutritional value because they’re frozen when they’re at their peak of ripeness. They’re a good alternative to fresh vegetables because they’re less expensive, and you don’t have to worry that they’ll become too ripe before you can prepare them. It’s a real timesaver to be able to reach into the freezer and pull out a bag of antioxidant-rich veggies. Choose ones without added sauce. It’s healthier to season them with herbs, spices, and a little olive oil.
Other Ways to Preserve the Nutrient Content of Vegetables
To preserve the vitamin C content of vegetables, store them in the refrigerator uncut and in their unpeeled form. When the outer skin is removed, vegetables start to lose some of their vitamin C. If you store them uncut and unpeeled, they’ll retain most of their nutritional value for up to 5 days.
The Bottom Line?
Enjoy the health benefits of eating vegetables, but be sure you’re getting the maximum nutritional value when you bite into your produce. Keep these tips in mind.
References:
Science Daily. “Culinary Shocker: Cooking Can Preserve, Boost Nutrient Content of Vegetables?”
J. Agric. Fodo Chem. 54(12), 4284-4296, 2006.
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