Vegetables are rich sources of vitamins and minerals. From the
time they were picked, vegetables start to lose their vitamins. Storage,
cooking and food preparation methods may also reduce the amount of
vitamins in veggies. As these are main components of a healthy diet, it
is important that we preserve as much of the vitamins and nutrients we
can find in veggies to richly benefit from them.
Here are some dos and don'ts in preparing veggie-rich foods:
Keep It Fresh and Raw
Freshly picked or harvested vegetables have more nutrients than the ones that have been harvested but left untouched for a longer period of time. That is why it is not always recommended to buy your veggies in grocery stores and supermarkets that sell veggies and fruits that have been harvested and sitting there for quite a while. Get yours at farmer's markets if you like them fresh and locally produced.
To preserve the nutrients and prevent vegetables from decaying easily, keep them refrigerated. Don't let them sit for days in your fridge and make it a point to cook them before they lose their nutrients. A practical tip for shoppers is to just buy what they need instead of buying in bulk for a week's worth of cooking.
Vegetables are also great when they are eaten fresh and raw. You can get lots of nutrients if you prepare fresh garden salads. For those who are not a fan of raw veggies, consider steaming or baking, which won't take out too much of the nutrients in vegetables.
Keep Temperature, Cooking Time and Water Level at a Minimum
Cooking or just leaving veggies immersed in water can drain them from nutrients. A bit of rinsing and steaming is okay but boiling can strip them of nutrients especially if left for a longer period of time in high temp. Unless you will use the water for soups and stocks, vitamins and nutrients will be diluted and wasted, leaving you with vegetables with less than the nutrients that it could have contained. Stir-frying can also reduce nutrients significantly, but you have the option to use canola or olive oil for a healthier alternative.
Eating healthy is not just about eating healthier food but also improving the ways we prepare our food. We might be eating a lot of veggies but still stir-frying or boiling them that we end up not getting the rich nutrients that they offer. Let's maximize the benefits through these easy tips.
Here are some dos and don'ts in preparing veggie-rich foods:
Keep It Fresh and Raw
Freshly picked or harvested vegetables have more nutrients than the ones that have been harvested but left untouched for a longer period of time. That is why it is not always recommended to buy your veggies in grocery stores and supermarkets that sell veggies and fruits that have been harvested and sitting there for quite a while. Get yours at farmer's markets if you like them fresh and locally produced.
To preserve the nutrients and prevent vegetables from decaying easily, keep them refrigerated. Don't let them sit for days in your fridge and make it a point to cook them before they lose their nutrients. A practical tip for shoppers is to just buy what they need instead of buying in bulk for a week's worth of cooking.
Vegetables are also great when they are eaten fresh and raw. You can get lots of nutrients if you prepare fresh garden salads. For those who are not a fan of raw veggies, consider steaming or baking, which won't take out too much of the nutrients in vegetables.
Keep Temperature, Cooking Time and Water Level at a Minimum
Cooking or just leaving veggies immersed in water can drain them from nutrients. A bit of rinsing and steaming is okay but boiling can strip them of nutrients especially if left for a longer period of time in high temp. Unless you will use the water for soups and stocks, vitamins and nutrients will be diluted and wasted, leaving you with vegetables with less than the nutrients that it could have contained. Stir-frying can also reduce nutrients significantly, but you have the option to use canola or olive oil for a healthier alternative.
Eating healthy is not just about eating healthier food but also improving the ways we prepare our food. We might be eating a lot of veggies but still stir-frying or boiling them that we end up not getting the rich nutrients that they offer. Let's maximize the benefits through these easy tips.
Stephen John is a food and wine enthusiast. He blogs about food,
wine, and culture and writes wine reviews for a living. He loves to
travel and try exotic cuisines of different countries. For a great
source of healthy American cuisines, you can search American food recipe here.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_G_John
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