Vegetables undoubtedly offer lots of good nutrients, but how you purchase, store, and prepare them can drastically affect their nutritional value.
1: From farm to plate: When vegetables are picked, their nutrient clock begins to tick away. The more time they spend off the plant, the more vitamins will be lost. For this reason, it is best to purchase vegetables from the local market.
The less time it takes for the vegetables to get to your plate, the more nutrients they will retain.
2: Choose the suitable chopping method: The wrong chopping method can also lead to loss of nutrients. You must wash the vegetables first and then chop them. Never do the opposite, as it can wash away most nutrients. Most people chop the vegetables and store them for use later. But this is not a healthy practice. Do not keep chopped vegetables for long because they are exposed to air and the environment once they are chopped. Chop fresh vegetables at the time of cooking
3: Right cooking time: Long exposure to heat is a major contributor to loss of nutrients. Choose the correct cooking time and preserve the value of the food by not extending the cooking time. Most vitamins are sensitive to heat; hence, cook the vegetables at the recommended time.
4: Use the right amount of water: The amount of water you add to your vegetables also affects their nutritional value. Try to add minimum water, as too much water will allow the nutrients to leach into the cooking water. Cook vegetables on low heat with minimum water. You must also cover the food while cooking to reduce the cooking time.
How do you cook your vegetables?
1 comment on "How do you eat your vegetables with all their nutrients intact"
Victoria
-I rarely add water to my vegetable when cooking because it’s from cooking the protein to adding the vegetables. The only vegetable I slice at the market before washing is Afang leaf, because I don’t know how to slice it. Multitasking makes my vegetables stay a bit longer on heat, but not frequently.