Question: Are the vitamins in the vegetables in soups “ruined” by cooking? If so, what’s the value of eating them in soup? A family controversy has erupted over the nutritional quality of hot (not the cold-style) soups.
Answer: Some loss of vitamins is unavoidable in any food preparation, particularly in cooking. Soups made with vegetables can still be a good source of vitamins and other nutrients, provided they are properly prepared. Here are some tips to retain maximum vitamin content in soups when using vegetables.
When using fresh vegetables, use them as soon as possible. Considerable vitamin loss occurs in wilted and dehydrated vegetables. When using spinach and other greens, wash them under running cold water to remove all sand, never allow them to soak in warm water. When using frozen vegetables in soups, preliminary thawing is not necessary and adding them still frozen avoids loss of water-soluble vitamins. Liquid in canned vegetables may be added.
In addition to losing some vitamins when peels are discarded, the cutting, chopping or grinding of vegetables exposes more surfaces to air which in turn releases enzymes that oxidize and destroy vitamins such as Vitamin A. To minimize the loss, use the cut vegetables promptly.
Long, slow cooking is more destructive than rapid cooking for a brief period. To quickly destroy enzymes in vegetables that oxidize vitamins, add the vegetables to rapidly boiling water. Stirring of foods also tends to increase the rate of oxidation. Tightly covering the utensil when cooking or storing leftovers preserves nutritive value, particularly Vitamin C. When sauteing before boiling in soup, avoid using rancid fats since these affect Vitamins A and E.
Soup is a good to way get needed water-soluble vitamins and minerals. Extremely soluble in water are Vitamin C and thiamine; only slightly soluble are riboflavin and niacin, which are found in green vegetables. Avoid the use of alkaline baking soda (some people use it to retain the green color of vegetables and shorten cooking time) because it can destroy Vitamin C, niacin and riboflavin.
Q: Having an electric stove, I find myself constantly cleaning and scrubbing the removable chrome bowls underneath the electric coils. Are these bowls really necessary? Can you give some tips on their care and how to avoid staining them?
A: Although most people often think of them as decorations, these reflector bowls serve to catch spills, provide even cooking and conserve energy by reflecting heat into the cooking pan. Here are some suggestions from the Whirlpool Home Appliance service center:
Stains (blue/gold and brown) occur from overheating, cooked-on food spills and incorrect cleaning methods. Overheating is caused by using a pan larger than the surface unit, using pans with flat bottoms, using the high heat setting for a long period of time, using specialty utensils such as woks and tea kettles that do not have flat bottoms and also using foil liners.
Always use a lower heat setting to cook the food, starting with a high setting and finishing off with a low. If not, the extra heat goes to the reflector bowl, which then gets too hot and turns blue or gold. The stains caused by overheating may not be removable.
To prevent spills and splatters do not overfill pans. Brown spill stains may be removed if treated promptly. To clean chrome trim rings and one-piece chrome bowls, use warm soapy water or soapy steel-wool pads. Use commercial oven cleaner only on those rings that are badly stained. Never place them in a self-cleaning oven.
Address questions on food preparation to You Asked About, Food Section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053. Personal replies cannot be given.
FAQs
To preserve water-soluble vitamins, steaming is a better option than boiling vegetables. When steaming, keep the pot covered to reduce cooking time and avoid overcooking. Other healthy quick cooking techniques include stir-frying, pressure cooking, and microwaving. Roasting is a quicker technique than baking.
How to make vegetable soup without losing nutrients? ›
Water is the enemy when it comes to nutrient losses during cooking. That's why steaming is one of the best methods to preserve easily damaged nutrients, such as vitamin C and many B vitamins. Since vegetables don't come in contact with cooking water during steaming, more vitamins are retained.
What is the best way to consume vegetables to retain all their vitamins? ›
Steaming veggies can preserve nutrients, color, shape, and texture, without having to add any unnecessary fats through ingredients like oils or butter. To steam, place food into a steam basket and cover over simmering water. Since food is not directly touching the water, vegetables retain more of their nutrients.
Does vegetable soup retain vitamins? ›
If you prefer softer vegetables, cook them in stews or soups so any water-soluble vitamins are retained in the broth.
What are 3 ways you can retain the vitamin content in foods? ›
Some suggestions to retain the maximum nutrition in the foods you cook include:
- Store foods properly, such as keeping cold foods cold and sealing some foods in airtight containers.
- Keep vegetables in the crisper section of the refrigerator.
- Try washing or scrubbing vegetables rather than peeling them.
Boiled — When cooking vegetables over a long period of time in water, some nutrients will be lost. However, if the water will be consumed with the vegetables — as in the case of soups, stews or curries — many of the vitamins will be retained in the final dish.
How can I cook vegetables without losing nutrients? ›
To preserve water-soluble vitamins, steaming is a better option than boiling vegetables. When steaming, keep the pot covered to reduce cooking time and avoid overcooking. Other healthy quick cooking techniques include stir-frying, pressure cooking, and microwaving. Roasting is a quicker technique than baking.
What method of cooking vegetables will lead to the greatest retention of vitamins? ›
So boiling vegetables in a pot full of water should almost always be your last choice if you want to maximize retention of nutrients. Steaming is a great option, either in the microwave oven or on the stovetop.
How to prevent vitamin loss when cooking vegetables? ›
Steaming and microwaving retained higher concentrations of vitamin C than boiling because of the reduced contact with water at relatively low temperatures. Using minimal cooking water and cooking for shorter time periods should result in higher vitamin C retention.
How do you cook vegetables retaining their nutrients? ›
Steaming. Steaming is one of the best cooking methods for preserving nutrients, including water-soluble vitamins, which are sensitive to heat and water ( 4 , 5, 6, 17 ). Researchers have found that steaming broccoli, spinach, and lettuce reduces their vitamin C content by only 9–15% (5).
For those wanting a more intense regime, a vegetable soup can replace two meals a day for five to seven days without any negative side effects. Although much of the weight loss will be fluid, sometimes all we need to feel leaner and healthier is a flatter stomach and a kilo or two less on the scales.
Which soup has the most nutrients? ›
Bone broth-based soups
It's made by simmering bones, which produces a broth filled with the bones' nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, and collagen — the most abundant protein in your body ( 29 , 30 ). By being rich in collagen, bone broth may improve joint, bone, and skin health ( 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ).
Is homemade vegetable soup nutritious? ›
Answer: Some loss of vitamins is unavoidable in any food preparation, particularly in cooking. Soups made with vegetables can still be a good source of vitamins and other nutrients, provided they are properly prepared.
How do you maximize vitamin A absorption? ›
Take fat-soluble vitamins with oils or fats
Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K are absorbed along with fats in your diet and stored in the body's fatty tissue and liver, so you need to add a little fat to your food to take full advantage of these vitamins.
Does boiling broccoli remove nutrients? ›
In conclusion, the current study clearly shows that nutrient and health-promoting compounds in broccoli are significantly affected by domestic cooking. All cooking treatments, except steaming, caused great losses of chlorophyll and vitamin C. Only boiling and stir-frying/boiling caused the loss of total carotenoids.
Does boiling carrots remove nutrients? ›
It's best to cook carrots for the shortest time possible to preserve their nutritional value. Boiling, in particular, may lower some of the antioxidant activity in carrots and nutrients like vitamin C. But it makes it easier for the body to absorb the carotene in them.
How can you avoid loss of nutrients during vegetable preparation? ›
Take advantage of as many vitamins as possible by following these tips:
- Keep skins on when possible.
- Avoid continuous reheating of food.
- Use a minimal amount of cooking liquid.
- Choose steaming over boiling.
- When you do boil, retain the cooking liquid for a future use (like soups and stocks)
- Use the microwave.
Key Takeaways on Blending Fruits and Veggies
In conclusion, blending fruits and vegetables does not destroy fiber or nutrients.
When making vegetable soup it is important to avoid? ›
To avoid under- or overcooking the vegetables, cut them in uniform sizes, and test multiple pieces for doneness, whether you roast them in an oven or sweat them with fat in the bottom of the soup pot before adding liquid.
