How to Cook Vegetables

How to Cook Vegetables How to Cook Vegetables There is nothing more healthy and nutritious than eating fresh vegetables. Crunchy and colorful, vegetables have a unique way of adding class and also nutrients to any dull meal. Many vegetables are rich in vitamin A and C and also taste great when they are cooked in different variations. In this article we shall know about the various methods of cooking vegetables. We shall also catch a look on how to cook vegetables in a healthy manner so that we lose the least amount of nutrients while cooking them.

Make sure that you always wash the vegetables before cooking them. This helps in eliminating any pesticides and germs that might be found on the surface of the vegetables. Vegetables like potatoes, carrots and corn have to be peeled before cooking them.
Vegetables like corn, broccoli, potatoes and cauliflowers have to be boiled in a small amount of water. As different vegetables take up different time for getting cooked, it is advised that you cook them separately. Make sure that you cover them with a lid till they finish cooking and become tender. Do not forget to keep checking.
You can chop certain vegetables and then stir fry them by using a small amount of oil, water, vegetable juice etc. You have to use high heat till the vegetables become tender.
If you want a quick dish of vegetables, you can microwave them. Take a microwave safe dish and place in it pieces of vegetables along with a small amount of water. Make sure that you cover the dish. Allow the vegetables to sit in after they are done.
You can also barbeque sliced vegetables on the grill or by using tin foil. Make sure that they are cooked till tender. Mushrooms, peppers, zucchini can all be barbequed on skewers.
For the purpose of making salads or pastas, you have to blanch the vegetables by chopping them into bite sized pieces. After doing so, place them in a bowl and pour in boiling water over them. Allow the vegetables to sit in the hot water till they turn soft and then you can add them to salads or pastas.
Use a frying pan to sauté vegetables. Use a tbsp of oil and cover the vegetables while they are being cooked. You can serve these with rice or noodles.

Now that you must have got a basic idea of how to cook vegetables, let us turn our attention towards the more important aspect of how to cook them in a healthy manner:

Whenever you are cooking vegetables, try and avoid over cooking them. Over cooking of vegetables destroys the nutrients found in them in the natural state.
Avoid peeling the vegetables. Most vegetables have essential nutrients in their skin or just in the area below the skin.
Try to cook the vegetables immediately after cutting or shredding them. In this way one can retain the maximum amount of Vitamin C which is lost after cut vegetables are left uncooked for some time. If you do not intend to cook the cut vegetables right away then try cutting them into large chunks. This will help in retaining some amount of vitamin C in your food.
Avoid throwing away the water in which vegetables are cooked. This water is considered to be healthier than the vegetables itself! Use the water as soups or else you can save it for cooking vegetables in it the next day.
Avoid frying vegetables as far as possible. Fried vegetables have a high amount of absorbed fats in them and are thus difficult to digest. They also leave dead matter in your blood after having been assimilated. Try steaming the vegetables with minimum water instead of frying them.
The very important things which one should know while cooking vegetables are:

How long the vegetables should be cooked
Should you close the lid or open the pot while cooking vegetables
How much water is needed for cooking the vegetables?