Baking food in water and at high temperatures causes nutrients such as vitamins C and B complex, iron, calcium and protein to be lost, reducing the nutritional value of the food.
These losses mainly occur in fruits and vegetables boiled in water, which end up losing about half of their vitamins and minerals.
So, see 7 tips to cook the food in the best way to maintain your nutrients.
1. Steam Cooking
Cooking vegetables, fruits and vegetables in the steam causes only small losses of nutrients, conserving most of the food. In addition, the flavor of the vegetables also gets more intense when steamed, without losing anything for the cooking water. See the cooking time of each food in the steam.
2. Use the microwave
Another great option to preserve the nutrients is to cook fruits and vegetables in the microwave, adding little water, because the more water in the pot or the cooking vessel, the more nutrients will be lost.
3. Using the pressure cooker
Using the pressure cooker helps preserve the nutrients because the cooking time is shorter, which decreases the losses of vitamins, minerals and proteins to water.
In addition, even in ordinary cookware should be cooked over low heat and for the shortest possible time, because the higher the temperature used and the longer the cooking time, the more nutrients will be lost.
4. Cook meat in the oven and to the point
Using the oven to cook meats is a good option to maintain their nutrients, because when they are sturdiness and with a black layer of burned meat, they undergo changes that lose their nutritional value and even increase the presence of carcinogenic substances. See 3 tricks to enrich foods with iron.
5. Grilling meat over high heat
When preparing grilled meats, start the cooking process over high heat to form a protective layer that prevents the loss of nutrients. After turning the two sides of the meat, reduce the heat and let it cook until the inside is cooked.
6. Cut into large pieces and do not peel
Whenever possible, you should cut the vegetables into large pieces, just when cooking them, and do not remove the peels, as it helps prevent more nutrients from passing from the vegetable to the water.
Having the vegetables in large pieces also helps because they have less contact with the water, reducing the loss of vitamins and minerals.
7. Take advantage of the cooking water
To take advantage of the nutrients left in the water used to cook vegetables, vegetables and fruits, one option is to use this water to prepare other foods and make them more nutritious, especially those that absorb water, such as rice, beans and pasta.
See also How to freeze vegetables so you do not lose nutrients.
