A single day does not pass without eating nutrient-dense vegetables. And rightly so, because they are daily essentials for your body that aid in promoting overall health and well-being. Are you sure that you are reaping all the benefits out of your daily veggies? Or, are they just being drained out? Small mistakes at your end will result in wastage of vital nutrients and minerals packed in vegetables which can be prevented by following some tips for cooking vegetables.
So, follow these tips for cooking vegetables to obtain the best results-
1. Clean the vegetables before chopping
When vegetables are cut or chopped, their cell walls break open thereby creating an opening for the nutrients to slip away. To prevent this, you should always wash the vegetables before cutting them. This way all the indispensable nutrients will remain intact for you to consume. So wash away the dirt, not the nutrients.
2. Steam, don’t boil
Did you notice that water changes color when you boil potatoes, cauliflower, etc.? This is an indication that essential nutrients have leaked into the water. We all know what happens to this water. It hits the drain straight away. So, just ban boiling and switch to steaming to avoid nutrient loss. Also, we are always in a hurry and run the vegetables under ice-cold water to cool them after boiling. This also makes the vegetables to lose all their charm. It is advised to wait patiently for the vegetables to cool down at room temperature. Start cooking early to avoid such problems. This definitely is one of the most important tips for cooking vegetables.
3. Save the peel
Vegetable peels are a great source of dietary fiber and antioxidants. To reap maximum benefit, you should cook with the peel. However, this may spoil the taste of your dish. So, for those who don’t like to cook with the peel, you can make spicy chutneys with the peels by adding some flavourful herbs.
4. Cut larger pieces
Wherever possible, you should chop larger pieces of the vegetables for cooking. Remember, when you chop larger pieces you will prevent excessive breakage of the cell wall, thereby ensuring minimal loss of nutrients. Also, try and cut uniform pieces because they will be cooked softly at the same time without any difference. You can use vegetable cutters to attain uniform pieces.
5. Cook immediately after chopping
Owing to our busy lifestyles, we usually chop vegetables and store them in the refrigerator for cooking later in the day or the next day. But, you have to realize that this does great damage to the vegetables. When the chopped pieces get exposed to external factors such as water, moisture, air, or light, they will be deserted of their nutritional value. Eating such vegetables is more harmful than beneficial. So, chop and cook immediately.
6. Combine with good fats
Have you heard of fat-soluble nutrients? Nutrients like Vitamin K and Vitamin D are fat-soluble, meaning that they are absorbed by our blood when combined with fats. So, stir fry those vegetables in some fresh butter or ghee or vegetable oil. Else, all the nutrients will be flushed out of the body undigested. Remember, the friendship between veggies and fats goes a long way for our well-being.
7. Add some citrus
We have all been advised to eat the greens because they are rich in iron. However, simply eating these greens is not sufficient. You have to add agents to absorb the iron in a form that is acceptable by our bodies. And the best agent is citrus, which is abundantly found in lemons, vinegar, etc. A dash of lemon juice gives an acidic twist, heavenly taste, and great nutrition to the body. So, don’t forget this when you cook some greens the next time.
These tips will work wonders and will assist you in attaining all the nutrients from the fresh vegetables. Some changes in the way you cook will go a long way in making you more healthy and fit.
These were some amazing tips for cooking vegetables, which can be used to enhance cooking methods.
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