Choosing fruits and vegetables from organic sources over those grown conventionally (often tainted with health-harming pesticides) isn’t the only way to ensure you’re enjoying the most nutrients from your whole foods.
Because cooking in high temperatures and boiling water can remove as much as 50 percent of the nutrients in vegetables, knowing how to prepare whole foods the best way possible in order to preserve as much of their nutritional content is just as important to your health as selecting between organic and conventional.
Some smarter ways to protect the nutrient content in the fruits and vegetables you eat every day:
* Turn down the heat and stir-fry your vegetables in a small amount of oil.
* Turn up the heat a bit on your whole foods more gently by steaming them in boiling water.
* Regulate the heat electronically by preparing whole foods in your microwave, in a specially made container and with a minimum amount of water to prevent them from becoming overcooked or burned.
* Consider mixing fruits and vegetables in a blender with some juice or low-fat yogurt.
For more information about whole food nutrition, I urge you to read The Declining Nutrition of Fruits and Vegetables in this month’s CNCA Newsletter.
ConsumerReports.org November 18, 2009 Free Podcast
