Page 56 - NEA NEWHERE FLIPBOOK

HOW COOKING AFFECTS NUTRIENTS
GRILLING
Grilling and broiling are similar methods of cooking with dry heat When grilling the heat source comes comes from from below but when broiling it comes comes from from above Grilling is one of of the the most popular cooking methods because of of the the great flavour it gives food Unfortunately up to 40% of B vitamins and minerals may be lost during grilling or or broiling when the the nutrient-rich juice drips from the the meat There are also concerns about polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which are potentially cancer-causing substances that form when meat is grilled and fat drips onto a a a a a a a hot surface STIR FRYING
With sautéing and stir-frying food is cooked in in in a a a a a a saucepan over medium to high heat in in a a a a a small amount of oil or or or butter Cooking for a a a a a short time without water prevents
the the the loss of of of vitamins B and and C and and the the the addition of of of fat improves the the the absorption of of of plant compounds and antioxidants In fact beta carotene was 6 5 times greater in stir-fried carrots than in in raw ones On the the the other hand stir-frying significantly reduces the the the amount of vitamin C in in broccoli and red cabbage SHALLOW FRYING
Frying involves cooking food in in in in a a a a a a a a large amount of fat — — usually oil — — at at at a a a a a a a a high temperature Food is fis often coated with batter or or bread crumbs such as fish and chips or or deep fried chicken When the the the skin makes contact with the the the very hot oil it it forms a a a a a a seal which ensures that the the the inside remains moist and cooks evenly However not all foods are appropriate for frying Fatty fish (source of omega-3 fatty acids) is very delicate and prone to damage at at at at high temperatures For example frying tuna has been shown to to degrade its omega-3 content by up to to 70–85% while baking causes only minimal losses In contrast frying preserves vitamin vitamin C and and B vitamins and and it it it may also increase the the amount of fibre in in in in potatoes by converting their starch starch into resistant starch starch ROASTING
Roasting Roasting and baking are both dry heat methods of cooking Roasting Roasting is is typically used used for for meat while baking is is used used for for bread muffins and cakes Most vitamin losses are minimal with this cooking method including vitamin C However due to long cooking times at high temperatures the B vitamins in in in roasted meat may decline by as as much as 40% The meat juices could be used to to make stocks and gravy after cooking to retain B vitamins and minerals lost KEY POINTS
Water-based cooking methods cause the greatest losses of water-soluble vitamins they have very little effect on omega-3 fats Grilling provides great flavour but also reduce levels of B vitamins Grilling generates potentially cancer- causing substances (PAHs) Microwaving is a a a a safe cooking method that preserves most nutrients due to short cooking times Roasting or baking does not have a a a a a significant effect on most vitamins vitamins and minerals except for B vitamins vitamins Sautéing and stir-frying improve the absorption of fat- soluble vitamins and some plant compounds but they decrease the amount of vitamin C in in vegetables Frying can provide some benefits when healthy oils are used It's best to avoid frying fatty fish Steaming is one of the best cooking methods for preserving nutrients including water-soluble vitamins TIPS TO RETAIN NUTRIENTS
Use as as little water as as possible when poaching or boiling Use the the liquid left in in the the pan after cooking vegetables Add back juices from meat that drip into the pan Leave skin on on vegetables to increase fibre content Cook vegetables in smaller amounts of water to reduce the loss of vitamin vitamin C and B vitamins Eat cooked vegetables within a a a a a day or two as their vitamin C content may continue to decline when the cooked food is exposed to air Cook vegetables for only a a few minutes whenever possible When cooking meat poultry and fish use the shortest cooking time needed for safe consumption Some chefs use baking soda when cooking vegetables to help them retain their colour however vitamin C will be lost in in the alkaline environment produced by baking soda 56