Modify Cooking Styles & Reduce Nutrient Losses
We all know that Indian style of cooking food involves Heating for a long time & many other methods, which causes High Nutrient losses. This Nutrient or Vitamin & Mineral losses causes its deficiency, thereby leading to various Health Problems.
Here are few Cooking & Non-Cooking tips to prevent these losses: –
- Peeling & Trimming – Excessive peeling and trimming of fruits & veggies leads to Nutrient loss especially vitamins as they lie close to the skin. So, try and have fruits and veggies with the skin or remove their thin peels.
- Cooking of the food in copper & iron utensils leads to loss of vitamin C, folate. Use stainless or non-stick utensils to prevent these vitamin losses.
- Chopping or slicing of the veggies leads to vitamin C losses. The more, the chopping greater are the losses. Try and have whole fruits & big pieces of veggies.
- Boiling leads to losses of vitamin B complex and Vitamin C. But reusing of the same water that was used for boiling reduces the losses. So, cook vegetables using the water that was used for boiling it.
- Blanching of the food leads to vitamin B complex and vitamin C losses. Use blanched water for cooking.
- Frying of the food also involves Nutrient losses. Because generally the food is fried at high temperatures.
- Alternative cooking methods like grilling, roasting, steaming, stir frying, micro-waving generally preserves a greater amount of nutrient.
- Cooking for a longer time increases vitamin losses. Cook food in short time possible to prevent Nutrient losses.
- Cooking on a high flame also leads to nutrient losses. So, if possible cook food on a low to medium flame to prevent these losses.
- Using of baking soda or baking powder in food preparation leads to Vitamin B1 and Vitamin B12 losses. Plus, it also increases the sodium content of the food. Ideally a person is recommended a teaspoon of salt in the whole day. According to the Researches, the sodium content in Indians is three times the recommendations.
- Using of sundried fruits & veggies like amla leads to vitamin C losses. Nowadays sun-drying is used to preserve or increase the storage life of fruits & veggies, which are used for packaged food products. Because of increase in health- related awareness among consumers, use of oil, sugar, salt or sodium based preservatives in food have reduced. But very few of us rarely know that sun-drying of these foods is equally bad. So, avoid foods that are dried or dehydrated.
- Storing food for a longer period leads to Vitamin C and folate losses. Every food has a shelf -life. Try and buy foods in small quantity that can be completed in a day or two.
- Wash whole veggies & fruits once you get them from the market. Avoid washing of the chopped veggies as it could lead to vitamin & mineral losses.
- Prepare & Eat Healthy to NOURISH your body.
