Preserve Food Nutrients>> The main purpose of Nanna is to make food soft, palatable, digestible and sterile. Before cooking some work is required such as cutting, washing, cleaning etc. of the food and after that the food is cooked by boiling, frying or boiling. But when food is prepared for cooking, some of its nutrients are lost and some of what remains is lost during cooking. There are ways to reduce the loss of nutrients in food. So today some ways to preserve food nutrition are discussed.
Causes of loss of nutrients in food
The nutritional value of food can be reduced by mistakes in cutting, washing, storing or cooking. For example, if any grain is dusted after peeling or non-vegetarian food is cooked at high temperature, its nutritional value is not maintained. So it is important to be aware of its processing and cooking methods before eating.
1. Water: Some water-soluble vitamins such as B and C are lost when washing food. Thiamine, a component of rice, is removed in the rice washing water, along with the rice starch.
2. Heat: When food is heated, some sensitive vitamins such as A, C are volatilized and destroyed. Moreover, the color along with the shape is lost and the proteins become coagulated.
3. Light and Oxygen: Vitamin C is destroyed by exposure to air. Moreover, if fruits and vegetables are cut, they turn black due to the effect of oxygen. Vitamin B in milk and vegetables is destroyed by light. Different food items are cooked in different ways. It is discussed which methods will reduce the wastage, save the food cost to some extent.
Ways to preserve food nutrients
1. Preservation of vegetables
Vegetables and fruits should be washed and cut. But the nutrients are more under the peel, so it is better to cut it with the peel. Peel can be discarded after cooking. Potatoes must be boiled with the skin on. There is no need to wash the vegetables. Store in a basket in a dark but ventilated place. Wash before cooking.
- Keeping everything in the fridge will keep it fresh – but it’s not that simple. There are some things that go bad in the fridge. Nutritionist Achma Mahmood tells how to preserve something.
- Do not refrigerate raw tomatoes. Place the drop side down on the wooden tray. Place the tray in a dark place in the room. It should be remembered that there should be enough air circulation. If you keep it like this, the tomatoes will ripen slowly. But yes, you can refrigerate ripe tomatoes. No problem with that.
- Potatoes and onions cannot be kept together. It will spoil both quickly. Put potatoes in a basket under the bed or sofa. Onions are best in paper packets. However, several holes must be made in the package to allow air to flow. Don’t forget to keep potatoes and onions in the fridge. There is a risk of spoilage.
- Store garlic the same way you store onions. Place the garlic in a perforated paper packet and store in a dark place. It is better not to keep it in the kitchen. Because the heat of the oven heats up the air in the kitchen and it makes it difficult to store garlic. As I said before, if you keep garlic and onion in a place with air flow, it will last longer.
- Don’t put sweet fruits like apples, bananas, lemons together by mistake, put each fruit separately in a basket and arrange them nicely. Apples can be kept in the fridge but bananas cannot be kept. Lemons will not rot in the fridge but will slowly dry out.
2. Cover food while cooking
Covering food while cooking preserves nutrients and reduces loss of volatile nutrients. If cooked with water in which curry pieces are immersed in high heat for a short time, the color, smell and shape are relatively correct. But if it is boiled for a long time, the color and smell are all lost.
3. Storage of rice starch
Rice starch should not be thrown away. Because starch contains a lot of sugars and vitamins. So water should be given in such quantity that the starch does not have to be washed.
4. Store the meat and liver in boiling water
Meat and liver should never be thrown away, as their extracts and minerals are lost with the water.
5. Storing food after purchase
Food should be stored immediately after purchase. Fish, meat, vegetables should be washed quickly and kept in the refrigerator.
6. Eat vegetables raw
It is better to eat vegetables raw as far as possible. Cucumber, carrot, tomato, lettuce leaves are best eaten raw.
7. Use moderate amount of oil
Frying food in oil is very fun but if the same oil is fried over and over again, the oil becomes toxic. Frying in the same oil more than once will harm the body. So the amount of oil should be taken so that the oil does not remain after cooking.
8. Maintain cleanliness
Many people are cleaning the vegetables or fruits brought from the market in different ways during Corona. However, experts believe that it is safe to eat if it is thoroughly washed in tap water.
9. Proper storage
Do not refrigerate vegetables after washing them with water after bringing them from the market. Washing and cutting before cooking will keep the nutrients intact. You can wash and clean the raw fish and keep it in the fridge. Try to consume dairy products as soon as possible after purchasing them. Fruits are best eaten fresh.
10. Cook the right way
- Boiled egg protein is 180 percent more easily digestible than raw egg. Also, if vegetables rich in vitamins C and B are boiled, as they are heat-sensitive and soluble in water, about 50 percent of the vitamins are lost. Again, if something is fried in oil for a long time at a high temperature or in the recycling of oil, aldehydes are formed, which can cause various diseases.
- Vitamin C in broccoli, lettuce and spinach is mostly lost after cooking. They are therefore best eaten raw. Otherwise you can steam it a little.
- Cooking time is very important for non-vegetarian dishes. If fish is overcooked, both its protein and fatty acids are destroyed. Steamed fish (especially marine fish) preserves more omega-3 than fried fish.
- Thiamine, niacin and other B vitamins are lost quite a bit when fish and meat are grilled or roasted. However, cooking in the microwave can keep the quality of non-veg food intact. Again, if you fry it in sauté or star fry, you can prevent the wastage of fat-soluble vitamins and antioxidants, including vitamin B, as it is cooked without water in less time.
Another method of food preservation is freezing. After buying meat from the store, you will see that it is kept in deep freezer. It does not spoil if kept in the refrigerator at or below 0 degrees F. Other foods are also preserved in this manner. However, vegetables or cooked foods are kept at a relatively low temperature. Keeping them in the fridge for some time is called refrigeration. But this process cannot prevent the growth of bacteria or the action of enzymes for a long time. That is, freezing and refrigeration are two different methods.
Foods can also be preserved by using sugar or salt solutions. A concentrated salt solution kills microorganisms and prevents food from spoiling. We use sugar to make jam jelly. It also acts as a food preservative. These preservatives do not allow bacteria or fungi to grow in the food. Vinegar is also a preservative. It is used while making pickles. Vinegar = 5 percent aqueous solution of acetic acid.
Conclusion
After cooking food, we lick our fingers after tasting it, at the same time, our mind gets better by singing the praises of food. But only if that food is of the highest nutritional quality, then it will be full quality. And for that I just want a little awareness.
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