Cooking suggestions can help preserve vitamins, minerals

If you're not careful when preparing vegetables, you could be sending valuable nutrients down the drain.

Important vitamins and minerals may leach (seep) into cooking water and be discarded, say CNRC nutritionists.  The amount of nutrients lost depends on the freshness of the food to begin with and the method of cooking.

To help you get the biggest nutritional bang for you vegetable buck, they offer these suggestions:

• To get the most from fresh produce, shop frequently and buy only as much as you'll need in a few days. Avoid buying precut produce. If vegetables look wilted or limp, opt for frozen. Store vegetables in the refrigerator.
   
• Cook foods in the shortest time possible. Microwaving, steaming and stir frying (in minimal oil) are the quickest methods. Covering a pot or pan also cuts cooking time.
   
• Wash all vegetables thoroughly, but avoid soaking them. Nutrients can be lost in the water.
   
• Cook vegetables whole and unpeeled whenever possible or serve them raw.
   
• Cook foods as close to serving time as possible.
   
• When boiling vegetables, use as little water as possible. To cut down on cooking time, place vegetables in water that is at a full boil. Instead of wasting nutrients that have leached away during cooking, save the water and use in soups and gravies.
   
• Avoid deep fat frying. Conventional frying at high temperatures destroys heat sensitive vitamins.

Food Selection and Preparation
Fruits & Vegetables