Keeping the Nutrients in Your Vegetables

Adding more vegetables to your meals? Good for you! You’re probably thinking about the added vitamins and minerals you’re adding to your family’s diet. But did you know the way that you cook your vegetables can have an impact on the nutrients in your produce?

A good rule of thumb when cooking your vegetables is to remember that the longer you have a vegetable under heat, the fewer nutrients it will have. Heat can break apart the molecules of particular nutrients and some vitamins don’t do well the longer they are in the water. Try to keep your veggies as fresh as possible.

Now I understand you don’t want to eat all of your vegetables fresh, but how do you keep the maximum amount of nutrients in? It won’t kill you to boil your broccoli, but you do want to make sure you don’t overdo it. Microwaving your vegetables is another good way to save your vegetables. When you microwave your vegetables they are not exposed to the heat and water nearly as long as they would with other methods of cooking.

Stir-frying is another great way to keep the vitamins in. By thinly slicing your veggies you can still get the tender tasty bites you look forward to while cutting exposure to heat and water.