Wanting to eat vegetables is good. Knowing how to cook them properly without loosing their nutrients is important for a good diet and to get their benefits. Here are a few tips on how you can eat and cook them easily.
1) Cooking
Whilst cooking vegetables in boiling water, you loose lots of vitamins and good nutrients, which is why steam cooking them is best, or in the microwave. You can also add cooked vegetables in a puree form to your sauces to add them to your diet easily.
2) Preparation
Eating your vegetables with a little fat, such as cheese or olive oil will help your body to absorb more easily the nutritious properties.
Do not leave your vegetables soaked in water for long time to clean them. It is best to rinse them under the tap to avoid loosing any nutrients.
Rip of the salad leaves before putting them in the fridge. Even if you your salad won’t last as long, because you have broken it off the root, it will force the salad to create further nutrients to defend itself. Another tip is to leave garlic to rest for ten minutes before chopping it so that it can make allicin which is good for the health, and will be a nicer taste.
Cut your vegetables into larger, chunkier pieces so that it retains its nutrients
3) Potatoes
Do not peel your potatoes for a better intake of iron and vitamin C. 300 g of skinless potatoes provides 5% iron and 37% iron of the recommended daily intake whereas potatoes with the skin will give you 18% and 48%.
4) Vegetable juice/ meal
Even if it sometimes doesn’t taste very nice, a juice with its bits will give you more fiber. Add pip/seeds to your juices or sprinkle them onto your meals.
5) Make good choices
An iceberg salad is nice yet it gives you little vitamin A and C unlike its cousins such as rocket, romaine or spinach (which is the richest). Best to make a homemade dressing rather than a shop bought one which is full of additives. An easy vinaigrette you can make out of olive oil and balsamic vinegar is better for your health.
6) The good seasonings
Consuming black pepper with your vegetables will help the absorption of more vitamins and selenium.
Eating vitamin C, enables the body to absorb iron that is found in the food. Therefore don’t hesitate to eat green vegetables with a little lemon.
To reduce your salt intake, think about adding other seasoning to your food such as cumin, ginger, garlic, spice or turmeric.
Source : GoodnessDirect