We all know we should be eating our vegetables. If you don’t, you’ll be missing out on important nutrients your body needs to thrive.
But, it can be confusing when it comes to the many different ways you can cook them. Some methods are not only healthier, they also keep more of the vitamins and minerals the vegetables have while making it easier for your body to absorb.
Steaming is much better than boiling. When you steam, you use less water than boiling. This is great because soluble vitamins leach out of the veggies and into the water that you’ll likely end up pouring down the sink. Sautéing is much healthier than frying. Frying will dehydrate your vegetables while sautéing uses less oil and amplifies flavor. Baking and roasting are great ways to cook as well, but you may lose or gain vitamins depending on the vegetable.
There are many healthy ways to cook vegetables and I wouldn’t recommend only one because you’ll benefit from the different cooking methods. If you’re in a pinch, I’d say steaming or microwaving is best because you use a little water vs. fats. But, don’t microwave cauliflower or you’ll lose a lot of nutrients. As always, I have my prescriptions:
Partha’s RX:
1. Buy your produce as fresh as possible and local if you can. Vegetables start losing nutrients as soon as it’s harvested.
2. Try to keep the peels on because the skin has many great nutrients. You can make tasty healthy broths this way.
3. Use herbs and spices to add taste. You’ll naturally cut back on the salt and fat making it a healthier dish.
4. Eat 2-3 cups of vegetables a day. Chose from the rainbow of colors so you get a wide range of vitamins and minerals.
Using a griddling pan is fantastic because you only use a small amount of olive oil. It gives the vegetables an intense flavor and overall is a healthy way to cook.
