How to Keep the Most Nutrients When Preparing Vegetables

Beside the great taste of vegetables the equally great thing is the nutrients and health benefits we get from them. Take care though, as there are a few factors that can decrease those nutrients if we don't handle them right. By following a few simple steps, you can ensure that the vegetables you eat maintain as much of the goodness that nature intended.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Water
• Stove top
• Pot
• Steamer
• Vegetable brush

1. 
    
   Farmer's Market

   There is no doubt that the fresher the vegetable the better it is, but did you know that time itself can rob these foods of some of their nutritional value? When buying vegetables, try not to buy them more than a few days ahead of when you're planning to serve them. In fact, freshness is so important that it's better to buy from a farmer's market where they have just been picked, than to buy organic from a grocery store.

2. 
    
   Carrots

   Some vegetables, such as carrots, will be higher in nutrients if you cut them. The reason for this sounds incredible but it's been found to be true. It's that cutting into the carrot causes it trauma, which triggers the carrots to release more nutrients as a sort of protective measure, much like our adrenaline goes up if we get hurt. Until you're ready to cook or serve the vegetables, store them in the new Green Bags or Green Containers. These storage pieces keep fruit and vegetables fresh longer by trapping gasses in them and away from the foods.

3. 
    
   Stir fry vegetables

   Heat can destroy nutrients in vegetables so make sure that if you are going to cook them, you do so for only a limited amount of time. The vegetables should not be soft and soggy. Their texture should be soft but still with a snap to them. Aside from potatoes, carrots, and corn, for example, most other vegetables like squash, cauliflower, broccoli, and onions, shouldn't be cooked for any more than 5 to 6 minutes. The harder vegetables take around 20 minutes on average. Make sure that you wash vegetables thoroughly in fresh cool water using a brush when needed. There are even vegetable rinses that you can buy for cleaning them.

4. 
    
   Steamer insert

   To peel or not to peel? When you peel the outer skins from vegetables, you are throwing away many of the nutrients the food contains. It's best to scrub the outer skin and leave it on for cooking and eating to get the most health benefits. The method of cooking is important also in saving nutrients, with the major component being the amount of water used. As the vegetable cooks, the nutrients leak out into the water and since you don't consume the water, just the vegetable, you are tossing away some of that goodness. The best method of cooking is steaming. You don't have to buy an expensive steaming appliance to steam well. All you need to do is put a little water in the bottom of a pot and use a simple steamer insert to put the vegetables on. In a few minutes you will have wonderful cooked vegetables.

5. 
    
   Healthy combo

   While there are many vegetables that are most nutritious when eaten raw, there are a couple that actually gain more nutrition from being heated and/or cooked. Carrots are one such example and although the tomato is technically a fruit, it is include here and noted that cooked tomatoes are more nutritious than raw. There are a couple of vegetables that when combined become a lot healthier; one example of this is broccoli and tomatoes. They taste great together and provide protection against prostate cancer. What and how you serve your vegetables is also important for nutrition and making healthy meals. Thick heavy sauces and sugars may taste good but will not be good choices. Using vegetables in salads with some flax seed, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar would be a much more healthy choice.

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