From the moment any food product is harvested the possibility for nutrient loss begins. The way a food is prepared can speed up or slow down this process.
A food’s nutrients can be lost through improper preparation, cooking, and storage. The things that destroy the nutrients in foods can also destroy a their color, texture, and flavor.
You should know how to prevent the loss of nutrients in the foods that you prepare.
Cooking
Cooking
The same elements that can harm food during preparation can harm it as it is being cooked. Follow these general guidelines while cooking to keep more nutrients in food:
- High temperatures can destroy vitamins in foods, such as deep-fried potatoes.
- Cook foods at the specified temperature.
- Prolonged cooking also causes nutrient loss. Do not overcook food items, such as boiled vegetables.
Foods lose nutrients with age, so use them as soon as possible. It is "best practice" to use fresh produce and meats within three to four days and fresh ground meats within one to two days of purchasing them.
If you are not using meats within these "best practice" guidelines, freeze it immediately.
Nutrients, especially water-soluble vitamins B and C, will easily leach (dissolve) into water. Do not let vegetables rest in water before or after cooking. When you clean produce, do not soak it in water for longer than necessary.
Healthy Cooking Techniques
To provide tasty, healthy food choices, you should offer a variety of foods to meet your dietary needs. Cook using fresh, high-quality food and use preparation techniques that are better at keeping the food’s full nutritional value.
Steaming
Steaming
This technique uses steam to cook food. Boiling can cause food to quickly lose vitamins into the liquid, but few nutrients are lost when steaming.
Grilling
Grilling
Foods that are cooked on a grid-like surface above a heat source require little or no fat and, if done correctly, results in tender foods with a charbroiled flavor.
Poaching
Poaching
Poaching involves gently simmering food in just enough liquid to cover the item. No fat is added, and the small amount of liquid minimizes the effects of leaching. Afterward, the liquid can be made used to make a sauce or soup.
Stir-Frying
Stir-Frying
Stir-frying is a technique that quickly cooks food in a minimum amount of oil. It results in crisp, colorful vegetables with minimal nutrient loss.
Microwaving
Microwaving
It is said that foods heated/"cooked" in microwaves retain nutrients by eliminating the need to keep the food hot for a long period of time. It is also said to be healthier because no fat is added.
Many foodservice operations use microwaves to reheat foods quickly, since foods can be prepared, stored, and then reheated in a microwave as they are needed.
I do not use or recommend the use of microwaves.
Storage
Storage
Nutrients can still be lost after food is cooked.
When serving food, it is important to remember how to keep foods from losing flavor and nutrients before they are eaten.
Storage exposes food to the harmful effects of water, light, air, and time.
- Use cool temperatures to store cooked foods
- Lessen, or reduce, holding time of warm foods
- Cook in smaller batches to minimize the loss of nutrients from holding/storage
Temperature
Temperature
Cool temperatures can slow down the processes that destroy a food’s nutrients. One way to do this is to plunge cooked vegetables into cold water to stop the cooking process.
Do not leave items in water because the nutrients will leach out.
Store covered foods in the refrigerator to slow down nutrient loss.
