Easy Kitchen Hacks To Retain Nutrients In Vegetables While Cooking

Cooked vegetables that are reheated after being kept in the refrigerator for two or three days lose more than half of their vitamin C.

Tavishi Dogra
Written by: Tavishi DograUpdated at: Jul 08, 2019 11:42 IST
Easy Kitchen Hacks To Retain Nutrients In Vegetables While Cooking

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Methods of preserving nutrients while cooking food: One of the most important things while cooking is to preserve nutrients of the food. However, the preservation should be done when the cooking is in process. We are all aware of the numerous benefits of fruits and vegetables, here are some of them below:

  • enhancement in health
  • improvement in energy levels

Why food lose nutrients?

Extended exposure to heat, light, and water may lead to loss of nutritional value including vitamin B1 and vitamin C. You may be surprised to know that, the refrigerator is one of the main causes of the nutrient loss. Therefore, one should avoid keeping food in the following:

  • fridge
  • freezer 
  • cupboard

Don't worry, as we bring you some of the easy hacks to preserve nutrients in your vegetables.

Clean vegetables

The foremost rule is to always clean the vegetables and then slice them. Never mince your veggies first as it takes away all the nutritious value from your platter.

Never slash minutely

Never chop your vegetables into small and minute pieces as more it comes in contact with the air, it loses nutrients. Cut your veggies into large cubes or huge chunks.

Veggies with roots

Here are some instances of vegetables with roots,

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  • potato
  • turnip
  • reddish
  • beetroot
  • carrots 

Such vegetables should be boiled with skins and later their peel should be removed after boiling. This process will help the nutrients to accumulate at the center of the vegetable and could help in the retention of its nutritious value. 

Frying: It causes some loss of vitamin C in potatoes, it raises fat calories which lessens the nutrients of potatoes. 

Deep frying: It damages vitamin E which is present in vegetable oils.

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Limit the cooking time

Don't overcook your food (vegetables), high temperature can damage the vitamins and minerals of food. Keep a tab on your clock while cooking.

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Use of water

Excess of everything is bad and this proves with the example of boiling. It is always advised to cook vegetables in a limited amount of water and on low flame.

Stop re-heating

There is a certain chemical structure of every fruit and vegetable. Heating food, again and again, damages its nutritional value. More than half of vitamin C is lost if the food is reheated and kept in the fridge (for more than 2-3 days).

Avoid the use of baking soda

Baking soda is used many times in the kitchen. Some may have used it to retain the color of the veggies, while others may have used it to fasten up their procedure of cooking. But baking soda should not be used in excess while cooking vegetables as it damages minerals and especially vitamin C of the vegetables.

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