How can I avoid losing nutrients when cooking?
Perhaps you have already asked yourself: How much nutrition is actually lost during cooking? What proportion of vitamins, minerals or trace elements is lost when cooking, steaming, stewing or frying?
Which cooking methods are gentler than others? And what rules need to be observed to ensure a cuisine rich in vital nutrients?
One thing is certain: raw food beats everything. Freshly prepared, organic food contains the most vital nutrients. As soon as a food is stored, processed or heated, the micronutrients suffer. But even then, hops and malt are not lost: a loss of 50%, for example, may be massive, but it also means that the food still contains 50%.
The loss of nutrients is mainly influenced by the following factors:
- Light and oxygen: The longer food is exposed to fresh air, the more vital substances react with the oxygen in the air or are destroyed by UV rays.
- Temperature: The more a food is heated, the more organic compounds such as vitamins or secondary plant substances are destroyed.
- Duration: The same happens with increasing cooking time.
- Cooking medium: Many water-soluble compounds are leached out with the cooking water (e.g. vitamins B and C), while the fat-soluble compounds in particular are ‘washed out’ during frying (e.g. vitamins A, E and K).
With regard to damage caused by light and oxygen, the finer a food is chopped, the quicker it needs to be savoured. This is very true for smoothies, for example. Coarse pieces of vegetables suffer less quickly in the air than finely shredded lettuce. The vital substances then remain enclosed and protected inside. The reverse is also true during digestion: coarse pieces must be chewed well so that the vital substances can be accessed. In smoothies, almost all cell walls are destroyed and broken down, which makes absorption in the intestine much easier.
To avoid nutrient losses as far as possible, we recommend the following:
- Buy fresh, seasonal food and prepare it yourself.
- Store food for as short a time as possible in a cool, dark place.
- It is better to heat food briefly and at a high temperature than to heat it for longer at a low temperature.
- Steaming or stewing is better than boiling (because of the leaching effect of the cooking water). Baking, roasting and deep-frying produce higher temperatures than boiling, but the problem of leaching is less.
- Do not overcook vegetables. Aim for vegetables that are cooked firm to the bite. Use less water (= steam more than boil). Reuse the cooking water if necessary. Cook vegetables in large pieces and with the skin on.
- Drink freshly squeezed juices or freshly blended smoothies immediately.
- Keeping food warm for a long time or reheating it can damage the vital substance content.
