Eating healthy foods is important, but so is preserving the nutrients in those foods. When you cook, steam, or boil vegetables, for instance, you can lose a lot of their nutritional value.
So what’s the solution?
Well, you can eat more raw foods—this way, you get all of the nutrients from your food and don’t have to worry about losing them in the cooking process.
Here are a few tips:
– Limit your time in the microwave. Microwaving breaks down many of the nutrients in food. If you have to use a microwave, it’s best to microwave veggies for short periods of time and on low power settings. You can also try steaming your veggies instead!
– Cover your pan when boiling or simmering foods. This will keep most of the water-soluble vitamins in your food instead of letting them seep into the water where they’re lost forever.
– Try buying foods from farms or farmers’ markets that use sustainable farming practices. Sustainable farming means that farmers produce healthy soil and crops by including plants, animals, and beneficial insects in their fields so that the food is high in nutrients and good for the planet. Your body will thank you!
– Make sure to buy a variety of colors when you’re at the market—the different colors mean different nutrients!
– Don’t peel fruits and vegetables—most of the nutrients are just below the skin!
– Try using your leftover veggie scraps as compost for next year’s garden!
If you want to reap the health benefits from a nutrient-rich diet, you can’t afford to throw away those nutrients in your trash or down the drain. By using the tricks of food storage listed above, you can preserve more nutrients and prevent more waste, giving you one less barrier between you and an enjoyable, healthy diet.
