Preparing Some Soup? Follow This Tip From Nutritionist To Retain Its Nutritive Value (2024)

FAQs

How do you retain nutrients in soup? ›

According to Nmami Agarwal, soup is a meal in itself as it can be quite filling. To make sure that you don't drain out the nutrients from the soup, she suggests that one should use the same water to prepare the soup in which the vegetables were boiled.

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.

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 ).

When made with nutrient-rich ingredients, such as vegetables and lean proteins, soup may provide numerous health benefits. However, you may want to watch out for cream-based, canned, and instant soups, as they tend to have a higher calorie and sodium content.

In most cases, yes! Most soups are hydrating, filling, and packed with nutrients from veggies, slow-simmered proteins, and mineral-rich broth. However, some may have unnecessary ingredients and a bunch of salt. So keep an eye on that nutrition label and ingredients to make sure you're only getting the good stuff.

The three R's for nutrient preservation are to reduce the amount of water used in cooking, reduce the cooking time and reduce the surface area of the food that is exposed. Waterless cooking, pressure cooking, steaming, stir-frying and microwaving are least destructive of nutrients.

Proper food storage helps to preserve the quality and nutritional value of the foods you purchase, and also helps make the most of your food dollar by preventing spoilage. Additionally, proper food storage can help prevent foodborne illnesses caused by harmful bacteria.

Fermentation and germination are two natural processes that can significantly improve the nutritive value of foods by enhancing their nutrient content, digestibility, and bioavailability.

Steaming, microwaving and stir frying are better options than boiling. The good news is that many foods we usually eat raw are rich in vitamin C and the B vits (such as watercress, peppers, spinach, tomatoes and lettuce), so a balanced diet will provide you with plenty of them.

What is the healthiest method of cooking? ›

Use low-fat cooking methods like boiling or steaming.

If you boil or steam food, you avoid the chemicals created by high temperatures and cut out extra fat, which helps you stay at a healthy weight.

In general, boiling results in the greatest loss of nutrients, but it is also the most destructive for anti-nutrients. In addition, boiling reduces the mineral content because they are lost to the water.

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.

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.

Broth-Based Soups With Veggies and Protein

Think chicken and vegetable, turkey and black bean chili, or lentil. The liquid will fill you up for relatively few calories, while the fiber from the vegetables and the protein from the chicken or beans will help keep you satisfied until your next meal or snack.