You’ve probably heard one too many times before that vegetables are nature’s multivitamins, packed with all manner of vitamins, antioxidants, healthy compounds and polyphenols. Yet, so often we barely give them enough justice when it comes to how we cook them, either by design or because we have no idea that how we cook them makes a huge difference in how well we retain their nutrients. Whichever the case, one thing’s for sure; Preserving their nutrients is much more important at the end of the day. With that being said, we have compiled a few healthy ways of cooking vegetables to help get the most out of them.
Whenever you are in doubt, the best way to cook your vegetables would be to microwave them for maximum antioxidant preservation. You can do this for any of your favorite chopped vegetables, whether fresh, frozen or even canned vegetables for those nights you don’t feel like jumping into so much cooking.
The process of sautéing is pretty similar to microwaving. However, going above and over minimizing nutrient loss, sautéing helps your body absorb more nutrients at the end of the day. Some of the popularly sautéed vegetables include cauliflower with nutmeg and oil, spinach with garlic and olive oil and a variety of different colored bell peppers with onion.
If you are looking for a method that will preserve the antioxidants in your broccoli and zucchini, then you should try out steaming them. Nevertheless, you need to be cautious with this method because most vitamins and nutrients tend to be absorbed better in the presence of fat. It would therefore be prudent while steaming to consider tossing them with a small amount of olive oil before serving, as this boosts absorption.
Although boiling is not highly recommended for vegetables, for the obvious reasons that some vegetables happen to be susceptible to losing nutrients through boiling, you can save the nutrient rich boiled water and use it to make a soup or sauce. This method is most suited for kale, as well as a handful of other chopped currants.
Baking or roasting is not always definite. In fact, it is either a hit or a miss for the most part. However, there are certain vegetables that make this method shine, including egg plants, green beans, corn, swiss chard and spinach. For all of which, baking increases their antioxidant levels significantly.
Having tackled the issue of how to cook vegetables, the next issue is to ensure that you are well equipped for the task. This will involve getting yourself a handy wooden cutting board and a sharp knife that will make chopping your vegetables to manageable sizes easier. Shop for your new custom cutting board now!
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