
Vegetables, fruits and legumes are the richest sources of vitamins available to man to incorporate them into his usual diet, but the concentration of nutrients is destroyed during the process of collection, transport, storage, preparation and cooking.
Battling this natural process is difficult, but not impossible. Among the first suggestions of specialists is not to expose fruits and vegetables to the sun, store them only for a short time; and if necessary, keep them at a temperature between 4 and 6 degrees Celsius.
How to cook vegetables without losing vitamins
– Store food in freezing when it is not going to be consumed in the short term and at the time of preparing it do not thaw them, but put them directly in the cooking water. Other recommendations are to cook them by steam or with very little water, keep the containers covered during this process, and avoid removing food while they are cooking, do it only if necessary and with wooden utensils.
Vegetable cooking waters can be used in soups and broths.
Do not keep the cooked vegetables in the cooking water for a long time, that is, finish this process shortly before ingestion.
Vegetables and potatoes should be cooked in boiling water, to inactivate enzymes that destroy vitamin C. Juices should be made immediately before consumption.
In case of storing them, it must be for a short time and in non-metallic containers with lids in order to delay their natural oxidation process.