When you cook vegetables have you ever wondered how the heat process affects the nutrient content? 

Cooking vegetables will alter or destroy some of the nutrient content found within them.  But there is an upside to that – the heat from cooking can help improve digestion making it easier for the body to absorb and use the vitamins and minerals they contain. Vegetables that are cooked will lose some nutrients due to the heat method but there is no single cooking or preparation that is best including eating vegetable raw.

There are several factors that affect cooking loss which include how long the vegetable is cooked, at what temperature, and how much water is used in the process.  Some vegetables are very sensitive to any heat used during cooking and are more easily destroyed than others.  As an example, water-soluble vitamins which are the B vitamins and vitamin C are the most vulnerable to heat.  The more water used to cook foods that are rich sources of these vitamins, such as broccoli, spinach, Brussel sprouts, peppers, and cabbage, the more of the water-soluble vitamins will be leached out into the water.  But microwaving these vegetables – which takes less time and less water – will actually conserve more vitamins.

Microwaving in general is a safe, easy, and convenient cooking method that preserves most nutrients due to short cooking times and only a minimum amount of water used.

Roasting or baking vegetables does not seem to have a significant effect on most vitamins and minerals with the exception of the B vitamins.

Boiling vegetables particularly if a large amount of water is used, can cause the greatest loss of water-soluble vitamins due to the volume of water and the heat involved.

Sauteing and stir-frying is when vegetables are cooked in a saucepan over medium to high heat in a small amount of oil or butter.  This cooking method can improve the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) and some plant compounds, but they decrease the amount of vitamin C.

Steaming is one of the best cooking methods for preserving nutrients, including the water-soluble vitamins that are sensitive to heat and water. 

Tips on maximizing nutrient content of vegetables while cooking:

·        Use just a minimum amount of water to reduce loss of vitamin C and the B vitamins

·        Use the liquid left in the pan after cooking vegetables – many of the nutrients will have leached into the water and it can be added it to soups or stews

·        To maximize fiber and nutrient content, don’t peel vegetables until after cooking if at all.

·        Cook vegetables in the least amount of minutes possible

·        Baking soda may maintain the color of vegetables when cooking, but it will destroy vitamin C due to the alkaline environment made by baking soda.