Healthy Hacks To Minimise Nutrient Loss While Cooking

Starting from the harvesting of fruits and vegetables, the drop in their nutrient quantity begins, going ahead when they are refrigerated or cooked, the nutrients again dip in their quantity. Prolonged exposure to water, heat and light also causes food to lose its nutritional value, this includes important vitamin complexes followed by inactivation of food compounds. To avoid and minimise any more losses of nutrients while cooking, here are some healthy hacks –

• Washing – Fruits and vegetables need to be washed before cutting, however, water-soluble vitamins may be lost while we soak or wash our food. It is necessary to first wash then only chop, this way only the external may lose some of its nutrients while the inner layers are safe. Rubbing with a wet kitchen cloth for big fruits and vegetables is also advised. For leafy vegetables, with many layers and dense foliage, brushing off with a brush or cloth wrapped around your finger may be suggested.
• Thin peels – Many fruits and vegetables have fibre along with nutrients in their peel. As this layer is nutritious it is suggested to peel thing layers where the only dirt-laden peel is removed. For edible peels, simply washing carefully and eating might be safe.
• To not chop minutely – With more and finer chopping the exposure of food to air is increased. This results in extra nutrient losses due to oxidation from the air. Toi avoids this loss bigger chunks should be portioned that still fit the constraints of your mouth.
• Heat and boiling – Food on prolonged heating as well as being boiled in large amounts of water experiences a sharp decline in nutrient quantity. It also runs the risk of overcooking where nutrients are wasted. Re-heating and microwaving leftovers also brings about a decline in nutrient quantities. The water that is strained off from washing vegetables can also be used for broth or as a flavouring and aromatic additive.
• Root plants – For potatoes, ginger, turnips and carrots along with other roots, firstly they should be boiled with their peel, this is to ensure minimum nutrients are lost.
• Avoid usage of baking soda – Although it fastens cooking and preserves the colour of food, it should be avoided. This is due to the spoilage of nutrients such as vitamin C and other plant compounds.
• Cooking methods – Deep frying and cooking in boiling water lowers the nutrient content by almost one-third of the whole. To prevent this methods like blanching, stewing, grilling, steaming and air frying should be followed. Food should also not be reheated as in cases of pre-packed meals to prevent nutrient loss.
• Storage of cooked food – For convenience nowadays food is only cooked once in advance for a few days and then stored. Many foods have a certain shelf life and if followed properly both convenience and food quality can be benefited from.

Eating nutritious food should be a priority, to do well in such cases following simple changes and mending our ways for the long run is the smarter choice.