What Is the healthiest way to prepare vegetables?
2025-02-12
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1Carlene Thomas is a dietitian, a person who gives advice about healthy foods to eat.
2When it comes to eating healthy vegetables, Thomas says there are two kinds of people who ask her for advice.
3The first kind wants to know how different cooking methods affect the nutrition in vegetables.
4The other kind of person wants to know how to eat more vegetables.
5Thomas' simple answer to both groups is this: The best vegetables are the ones you actually want to eat.
6Thomas told the Associated Press that many people buy vegetables that they think they will eat.
7Maybe the produce is popular or someone is bringing attention to it on social media.
8But then they end up not using it.
9That means the vegetable gets thrown away after it goes bad.
10In that case, Thomas said, "It doesn't matter how you cook them, because if they're going in the trash, they're not in your body."
11However, Thomas said research shows cooking methods do affect nutrition.
12But it is not as simple as comparing raw, or uncooked, vegetables to cooked ones.
13Cooking methods can include steaming, roasting, boiling, or sauteing.
14So, are raw vegetables healthier than cooked? Not always.
15When vegetables are cooked with high heat for a long period of time many nutrients break down.
16However, cooking softens the cell walls in vegetables, making them easier for the body to digest.
17Cooking changes the structure of vegetables which increases what dietitians call bioavailability.
18This is the body's ability to use the nutrients in vegetables, Thomas said.
19Cooked food is often more nutritious than raw food.
20For example, cooked tomatoes release more of the antioxidant lycopene than raw tomatoes, she said.
21Lycopene is believed to have qualities that prevent cancer.
22Also, cooked carrots have more beta-carotene that can be absorbed by the body.
23Roasting pumpkins, carrots and sweet potatoes increases available carotenoids.
24These antioxidants are thought to prevent inflammation in the body.
25However, the shorter the cooking time, the more nutrients are kept in the food.
26That advice comes from Amber Pankonin, a dietitian in the U.S. state of Nebraska.
27Cooking over boiling water, or steaming, and in a microwave are considered the most nutritious methods.
28These two methods use little time and require no fat.
29Another healthy method is blanching.
30This is when you boil vegetables in water for a minute or two.
31But not too long. Boiling vegetables runs the risk of losing water-soluble nutrients including vitamin C, B1 and folate.
32Thomas explained the reason boiling is not good for vegetables:
33The nutrients are "... leaching into the water, and you're tossing out the water."
34However, you could save the water from boiled vegetables and use it for other purposes, such as soups, or just drink it.
35Dietitians say there is no problem using a small amount of fat.
36Besides making vegetables taste better, a little cooking oil helps the body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins, said Pankonin.
37That means more vitamin A from squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes; more vitamin D from mushrooms; more vitamin E from bell peppers, leafy greens and asparagus; and more vitamin K from greens, broccoli and onions.
38For pan frying or sauteing, Pankonin suggests cooking with enough oil so the vegetables do not stick to the pan.
39The amount of oil will depend on the quantity of vegetables and the size of the pan.
40For roasting, you will likely need more oil.
41Despite the longer cooking time, roasting will still keep some nutrients and will increase the flavor with the heating of natural sugars.
42"Flavor is king," Pankonin said.
43"I would much rather see people roasting their vegetables and enjoying them."
44I'm Anna Matteo.
1Carlene Thomas is a dietitian, a person who gives advice about healthy foods to eat. 2When it comes to eating healthy vegetables, Thomas says there are two kinds of people who ask her for advice. 3The first kind wants to know how different cooking methods affect the nutrition in vegetables. The other kind of person wants to know how to eat more vegetables. Thomas' simple answer to both groups is this: The best vegetables are the ones you actually want to eat. 4Thomas told the Associated Press that many people buy vegetables that they think they will eat. Maybe the produce is popular or someone is bringing attention to it on social media. But then they end up not using it. That means the vegetable gets thrown away after it goes bad. 5In that case, Thomas said, "It doesn't matter how you cook them, because if they're going in the trash, they're not in your body." 6However, Thomas said research shows cooking methods do affect nutrition. But it is not as simple as comparing raw, or uncooked, vegetables to cooked ones. Cooking methods can include steaming, roasting, boiling, or sauteing. 7So, are raw vegetables healthier than cooked? Not always. 8When vegetables are cooked with high heat for a long period of time many nutrients break down. However, cooking softens the cell walls in vegetables, making them easier for the body to digest. 9Cooking changes the structure of vegetables which increases what dietitians call bioavailability. This is the body's ability to use the nutrients in vegetables, Thomas said. 10Cooked food is often more nutritious than raw food. For example, cooked tomatoes release more of the antioxidant lycopene than raw tomatoes, she said. Lycopene is believed to have qualities that prevent cancer. 11Also, cooked carrots have more beta-carotene that can be absorbed by the body. Roasting pumpkins, carrots and sweet potatoes increases available carotenoids. These antioxidants are thought to prevent inflammation in the body. 12Which cooking methods are the healthiest? 13However, the shorter the cooking time, the more nutrients are kept in the food. That advice comes from Amber Pankonin, a dietitian in the U.S. state of Nebraska. 14Cooking over boiling water, or steaming, and in a microwave are considered the most nutritious methods. These two methods use little time and require no fat. 15Another healthy method is blanching. This is when you boil vegetables in water for a minute or two. But not too long. Boiling vegetables runs the risk of losing water-soluble nutrients including vitamin C, B1 and folate. 16Thomas explained the reason boiling is not good for vegetables: The nutrients are "... leaching into the water, and you're tossing out the water." 17However, you could save the water from boiled vegetables and use it for other purposes, such as soups, or just drink it. 18What about taste? 19Dietitians say there is no problem using a small amount of fat. Besides making vegetables taste better, a little cooking oil helps the body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins, said Pankonin. 20That means more vitamin A from squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes; more vitamin D from mushrooms; more vitamin E from bell peppers, leafy greens and asparagus; and more vitamin K from greens, broccoli and onions. 21For pan frying or sauteing, Pankonin suggests cooking with enough oil so the vegetables do not stick to the pan. The amount of oil will depend on the quantity of vegetables and the size of the pan. 22For roasting, you will likely need more oil. Despite the longer cooking time, roasting will still keep some nutrients and will increase the flavor with the heating of natural sugars. 23"Flavor is king," Pankonin said. "I would much rather see people roasting their vegetables and enjoying them." 24I'm Anna Matteo. 25Albert Stumm reported this story for The Associated Press from New York City. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English. 26_______________________________________ 27Words in This Story 28produce -n. fresh fruits and vegetables 29roast -v. to cook with dry heat in an oven 30sauté -v. to cook using fat in a flat pan on a stovetop 31digest -v. to biologically change food in the digestive system to forms that can be directly used by organs and tissue in the body 32antioxidant -n. a substance that prevents oxygen from chemically changing food 33absorb -v. to take into and biologically use in the body 34inflammation -n. swelling and reddening of tissue in the body 35blanch -v. to cook something in hot water for a brief time 36water-soluble -adj. able to dissolve in water 37leach -v. to remove a substance from a material by having it dissolve in water 38toss out -v. (phrasal) to throw away 39pan -n. a relatively flat metal cooking tool usually used for frying 40flavor -n. the taste of something