August 10, 2018

5 Healthy Cooking Tips to Preserve Nutrients in Food

Article by Amanda Wilks, Guest Contributor

Contrary to popular belief, there are countless methods of cooking delicious meals without resorting to tons of extras. The way we prepare our food plays a big role when it comes to the amount of nutrients we actually put in our bodies. For this reason, we have compiled a small guide to how to cook food without ruining its nutritional value. Here are 5 healthy cooking tips for preserving nutrients in foods.

Boiling

Boiling is the quickest and easiest way to prepare your food without ruining its nutritional value. It requires just a pot of boiling water, a pinch of salt, and the food you are about to cook. Induction cookware can enhance the nutritional value of food because comes with a higher temperature control and water retention rate than traditional cookware. To find out more about induction cookware, its many benefits as compared to regular pots and pans, along with a up-to-date buying guide check the linked article posted by The Kitchen Advisor experts.

On the other hand, boiling food has a major drawback. According to a 2009 study, boiling vegetables such as peas, zucchini, and cauliflower can lead to a 50% loss in their antioxidant content. Experts recommned maintaining a balanced ratio between the volume of water and the number of vegetables to prevent this issue.

The only vegetable that is not affected negatively by the boiling process regardless of the quantity of water is the carrot. A 2000 study conducted by a group of researchers at University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, in Arkansas, shows that boiling and steaming (more on that later) carrots increase the root vegetables’ levels of beta carotene.

So, the bottom line is: while boiling is not the ideal way to preserve nutrients, it is much better than outright frying them. As long as you preserve an adequate ratio between the quantity of food and the volume of water, you should be fine.

Grilling

Another good method of cooking in terms of nutrient preservation is grilling. By grilling the foods, you get the maximum nutritional value without ruining the flavor. Just like boiling, it requires minimum effort, which makes the cooking method more popular than sautéing. Furthermore, grilling requires a low amount of added fats and gives the food a smoky flavor, while keeping the vegetables and the meats juicy and tender.

Sautéing

Even though this method requires some oil or other fats, the quantity is not large enough to lead to nutritional loss. Unlike deep-fat frying, sautéing does not allow the fat to dehydrate and deprive the food of all its nutrients.

Sautéing in a small amount of cooking oil (preferably extra-virgin olive oil) will maximize the food’s flavor, while also increasing the antioxidative capabilities of food. Also, olive oil can boost the absorption of phytonutrients such as carotenes and phenols since many nutrients in vegetables are fat soluble, i.e. they are dissolved and stored in fat by our bodies.

Broiling

Similar to boiling, broiling involves cooking food directly at high temperatures in short bursts. While this method is especially recommended for preparing tender cuts of meat, it is not ideal for cooking vegetables because it dries them out to the point that they lose all their beneficial nutrients. So, if you plan to cook an all-vegetable meal, you would be better off boiling instead of broiling the veggies.

Steaming

Steaming is another great way of cooking fresh vegetables and fish as this process allows the foods to sit in their own juice preserving all their natural nutrients. Like boiling, this method does not involve any extra fatty additions – a tiny sprinkle of salt, a small amount of lemon juice, and some seasonings is all you need to add.

Furthermore, steaming is an especially effective method of cooking broccoli, as it preserves glucosinolates, which are beneficial nutrients, highly appreciated for their cancer-fighting properties. Upon entering the body, glucosinolates are turned into isothiocyanates. These, according to some studies, have the potential of inhibiting the growth and development of cancer cells.

Conclusion

Cooking is one of those activities that is very easy to learn, but hard to master. This skill involves some special techniques like boiling, broiling, and steaming if you want to preserve all the food’s nutrients. But you can do this easily, especially if you apply the healthy cooking tips and methods highlighted in this article.