To lead a healthier life, you need to eat more fruits and vegetables. Sure, but it’s actually more than merely eating them, you also need to know how to store, prepare, cook and combine fruits and vegetable so you can boost the health benefits further and get the most out of the gifts of mother nature.
The concept of “from farm to table” has created a lot of buzz in the food industry, nowadays people even go for “straight from the earth” fruits and vegetable. Research shows that by the time you pick up a fruit or vegetable at the grocery store, the food may have already lost up to 60 percent of the vitamins. How to ensure you’re getting the most food nutrition dense product then? Hit a local farm or farmers market for your next fruit and vegetable shopping, in fact eating locally grown produces maximizes the vitamins and minerals, and of course deliciousness you get.
The right steps of food prep can also enhance vitamins, minerals, and other compounds in food. For example, by cutting up fruits and vegetables, you can free up the nutrients by breaking down rigid plant cell walls; By crushing and chopping onion and garlic, you can release alliinase, an enzyme that helps to form a nutrient called allicin that protect us against disease.
Nutrient loss can happen from cooking, however some foods deliver the most nutrients in food when they are cooked. For example when tomatoes are boiled for 30 minutes, the lycopene in tomatoes, which is a naturally occurring chemical that may help prevent cancer increases by 25 percent. Cooking also denatures protein in eggs and meat, making them more digestible.
Putting the right food together not only is a part of culinary art, it is also a way to maximize nutrient absorption. A lot of chef pair foods rich in iron and zinc like beef and turkey with foods rich in sulfur like garlic and onion, not only do they make a tasty combination, they also help you absorb better.
