How to prepare vegetables to preserve vitamins
- Posted on 04/05/2023 15:33
- Film
- By abelozih@sante-education.tg
Extract from the article: Vitamins and minerals essential to the body are fragile micronutrients that can be destroyed during food preparation and cooking. Here are some practical tips for preserving as many vitamins and trace elements as possible when cooking vegetables.
Vitamins
and minerals essential to the body are fragile micronutrients that can be
destroyed during food preparation and cooking. Here are some practical tips for
preserving as many vitamins and trace elements as possible when cooking
vegetables.
The
loss of vitamins begins before vegetables are cooked, during storage and
preparation. The vitamin content of fruit and vegetables decreases after
harvesting and some lose half their vitamin C in just 48 hours. To preserve as
many vitamins as possible in your fresh vegetables, it is therefore advisable
to store them in a cool, shady place and to eat them within 24 to 48 hours of
purchase. Soaking vegetables can also cause them to lose some of their
nutrients, such as vitamin C and vitamin B (which are soluble in water). When
washing salad or other vegetables, it is best to rinse them under a stream of
water or give them a quick wash with vinegar.
What
cooking method should be used?
The
deterioration of vitamins is more or less important depending on the way the
vegetables are cooked. As a general rule, the longer the cooking time and the
higher the temperature, the greater the loss of vitamins. Fast steaming is when
the food is not in contact with the pot or the cooking water. This is the best
cooking method for preserving the nutritional qualities and flavour of
vegetables because they are not in direct contact with the water. Pressure cooking in a pressure cooker alters
the vitamins more because the heat exceeds 100°C. Cooking in boiling water
causes some of the so-called water-soluble vitamins, especially vitamins C and
B, to be lost in the cooking water. In all cases, 10% to 50% of the vitamins are
destroyed during cooking. The most fragile are, in decreasing order, vitamin C,
group B vitamins and vitamin A.
Tips
for preserving vitamins
To
recover some of the vitamins and minerals that have leaked into the cooking
water, use this water to prepare sauces or soups. Cook potatoes with their
skins on: they will lose fewer vitamins. When cooking vegetables in water, do
not start the cooking process cold, but plunge the vegetables into already
boiling water. This way, the vitamins are better preserved. Alternate cooked
and raw vegetables in the menu. When vegetables are raw, their micronutrient
content is maximum.
William
O.
Article
validated by Mathieu Kpônou Tobossi, Specialist in food hygiene and quality
