Cooking & Preparing Vegetables

Here are some tips from nutritionist Leslie Beck on how to get the most out of your vegetables...


(1) Avoid prolonged cooking. Cook vegetables for a minimal amount of time in a small amount of water. Add vegetables to your steamer basket after the water has started steaming, cover, and then cook until tender crisp, not soft.
(2) Minimize chopping. Cut vegetables in larger pieces to reduce the surface area that's exposed to air. Cook as soon as possible after cutting.
(3) Always cover the pot to reduce cooking time by holding in steam and heat.
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(4) Add the leftover cooking liquid to soups, sauces, stews or vegetable juices.
(5) Cook leafy green vegetables like spinach with just enough water to cling to the rinsed leaves.
(6) Avoid soaking vegetables in water before cooking.
(7) Boil or bake potatoes in their skins to retain most of their nutrients.
(8) Eat the skin of vegetables like zucchini, cucumber, carrots, and eggplant to increase your intake of nutrients and fibre. Scrub and wash outer skins before cooking.
(9) When buying canned vegetables, choose low sodium brands whenever possible.