Filed under: Health, Healthy Eating, Dear Healthy Foodie
I’ve had a couple of questions from readers lately regarding nutrient degradation from cooking or chopping. Here are a couple:
…I’ve been buying purple potatoes lately with the thought that the purple colour connotes amazing nutrient goodness. However what about the fact that (in my case) they are baked in the oven? Is there still antioxidant effect after baking or would the chemical not degrade?
Daniel
…Do I destroy too much of the nutrients from (kale and rapini) by chopping them so finely and simmering them in water?
Vera
Every time you chop, cook, boil, soak, peel, blend or apply any other food preparation method, chances are there is going to be some nutrient degradation. Does this mean that we should strive to process our foods as little as possible in order to preserve the maximum nutrients?
The fact is, that unless you have access to all your foods fresh out of the ground or off the tree, nothing you’re eating has 100 percent of its nutrients intact. By simply sitting on the grocery store shelf, fruits and veggies lose some of their nutrient content. And as soon as you cut into something, you’re exposing it to air which starts it oxidizing. Antioxidants present in the food are used up with greater oxygen exposure. Some foods are more susceptible to this than others, mind you.
Continue reading Does Cooking Kill Nutrients? 5 Ways to Preserve Nutrition in Your Food