Health Benefits Of Steaming Vegetables

1. Steaming vegetables makes the vegetables softer, while still retaining the same healthy nutrients. This is especially true for soluble compounds that can be easily damaged by a little extra heat.

1. Whether you're using an electric steamer, bamboo cooker, or microwave-safe plastic bag or bowl, steaming vegetables adds texture, flavor, and preserves the nutritional value of the vegetables.

2. Whether you're using an electric steamer, a bamboo cooker, or a microwave-safe plastic bag or bowl, steaming vegetables adds texture, flavor, and preserves the nutritional value of the vegetables.

1. So we know that steaming is easy and it is also very healthy, but we will look at the specific reasons for steaming vegetables in this article!

Retaining vitamins

1. Water soluble vitamins, such as vitamin C, which increases resistance and contributes to the structural formation of our connective tissue and the B vitamins, which support healthy neurological function and glucose metabolism can be greatly diminished when these vitamins come into direct contact with boiling water. Steaming vegetables ensures that these water-soluble vitamins are better preserved in the vegetables.

1. To maintain the vitamin content, first boil a small amount of water gently in the bottom space of the steamer, then let the raw vegetables cook until soft. Vegetables should never be in direct contact with the boiling water. Most vegetables do not take more than five minutes to cook properly. Certain vegetables, such as spinach and other leafy greens, should be very careful not to overcook them.

2. To maintain the vitamin content, first boil a small amount of water gently in the bottom part of the steamer, then let the raw vegetables cook until soft. Vegetables should never be in direct contact with the boiling water. Most vegetables do not take more than five minutes to cook properly. Certain vegetables, such as spinach and other leafy greens, need to be very careful not to overcook them.

1. Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and bok choy, retain more of their cancer-fighting compounds when steamed at low temperatures with a small amount of water. Cruciferous vegetables are rich in glucosinolates, which are water-soluble compounds that can inhibit the formation of tumors and prevent cellular damage caused by carcinogenic toxins.

2. Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and bok choy, retain more of their cancer-fighting compounds when steamed with a small amount of water at low temperatures. Cruciferous vegetables are rich in glucosinolates, which are water-soluble compounds that can inhibit the formation of tumors and prevent cellular damage caused by carcinogenic toxins.

1. Cooking, steaming or microwaving these vegetables at a high temperature ensures that as much as 20 to 60 percent of the glucosinolates are lost, according to several nutritionists. Steaming these vegetables at low temperatures maintains these compounds along with the enzymes that help the body break down glucosinolates during digestion.

2. Cooking, steaming or microwaving these vegetables at a high temperature causes as much as 20 to 60 percent of the glucosinolates to be lost, according to various nutritionists. Steaming these vegetables at low temperatures maintains these compounds along with the enzymes that help the body break down glucosinolates during digestion.

1. Since steamed vegetables are softer than raw vegetables, they are also easier to digest. Because they are more easily digested by our body, the nutrients they contain are more easily absorbed. In addition, steamed vegetables cause much less digestive problems and often do not give people that bloated feeling afterwards that people sometimes want to get from eating fried vegetables.

Three Ways to Preserve Nutrients

1. Steaming vegetables when making lunch or dinner is a great way to ensure that the essential nutritional benefits of these vegetables are not lost in the water. Food scientists have proven that vegetables lose their nutritional value if they are heated above a certain temperature (slightly above 60 degrees Celsius). Far too much heat removes most of the nutritional value and even causes many of the digestive enzymes that help us digest food to be lost.

1. This forces our bodies to work harder to digest our meal. While you can't really add nutritional value to a vegetable, steaming vegetables can help preserve more flavor and nutritional value.

1. Blanching is a type of steaming where the prepared vegetables are kept in a pot or bowl of ice water before they are placed in a pot of boiling water. The boiling water is normally slightly salted to create a barrier between the boiling water and the vegetables. The vegetables are removed from the ice water and placed in the boiling water for thirty to sixty seconds. The ice water and salted water are boiled off and the vegetables steam.

2. Blanching is a type of steaming in which the prepared vegetables are kept in a pot or bowl of ice water before they are placed in a pot of boiling water. The boiling water is normally slightly salted to create a barrier between the boiling water and the vegetables. The vegetables are removed from the ice water and placed in the boiling water for thirty to sixty seconds. The ice water and salted water are boiled off and the vegetables steam.

1. After about thirty seconds, test the vegetables with a fork. When they have a crispy outside and soft inside, the vegetables are ready. They must be removed from the boiling water and returned to the ice water. Here a temporary vapor barrier forms around the vegetables, causing them to steam a little further until the ice water finally stops the cooking process.

1. If you are already steaming your vegetables or want to add some variety when cooking, you can sprinkle some garlic or salt and pepper over the vegetables when you steam them. You can also add a light soy sauce or chili sauce to the cooking water to give a slightly sweet and sour flavor to the vegetables. For a slightly spicy kick, add some cajun sauce to the water. It's both fun and delicious to experiment with different flavor combinations.

1. Use a garlic press with diced pepper and garlic and press those juices into the boiling water to give the vegetables a spicy flavor. In addition, garlic is also healthy for the heart, so you not only make the vegetables a bit tastier, but also a bit healthier.

1. Whether you are blanching or steaming the vegetables, adding salt to the water will slightly increase the boiling point of the water. This means that the steam that is produced will be warmer and the vegetables will cook much faster. Faster cooking means that less nutritional values ​​are lost during the cooking process. The faster you steam vegetables, the more healthy content is left. The digestive enzymes in vegetables are lost when exposed to high temperatures for too long.

Low calorie steaming is easy

1. Steaming vegetables keeps the vegetables flavorful and firm, meaning you don't need to use butter or make a lot of sauce to make these vegetables edible. Half a cup of cooked vegetables, such as carrots or zucchini, contain only 25 calories, 5 grams of carbohydrates and no fat at all. Adding a teaspoon of butter or margarine or a tablespoon of salad dressing to these vegetables would add 45 calories and 5 grams of fat. A light spice mix or citrus juice gives these steamed vegetables some extra flavor without the addition of fat, sodium and calories.

Three reasons not to overcook vegetables

1. Most people prefer their vegetables raw or lightly cooked, so they can still fully taste the rich flavor of the vegetables. If you are going to steam vegetables, it is important that you do not overcook these vegetables - so do not 'overcook'. There are no fewer than three reasons for this:

1. Research shows that people trying to lose weight will eat less if their brains say the food is tasty. A plate full of green broccoli that has been lightly steamed (and thus has that nice green color) looks better than a pile of grayish broccoli. As a result, our brains register much better that we have eaten something. So we eat less, although we like it better.

1. When we steam our vegetables for too long, those healthy nutrients disappear in the boiling water. Unless you drink the boiled water, these nutrients will be lost. Water-soluble vitamins such as C, B6 and folic acid are the first to be lost. The amount of flavonoid antioxidants that decrease when vegetables are overcooked are the same compounds that fight against free radicals.

1. When you see a top chef at work, they will never just kick a few vegetables in the water and run away. The result is not tasty and does not look good. When you pay attention to when vegetables are cooked and still remain crispy, it tastes better. Of course vegetables are healthy, but they also have to be tasty.

Which vegetables can you steam?

1. Almost any hearty vegetable or leafy vegetable is ideal for steaming. To get the most health benefits from these vegetables, make sure to eat a variety of steamed vegetables. This can be from asparagus and okra to green beans and red peppers. Broccoli and other dark green vegetables are rich in vitamin C and folic acid. Folic acid is a B vitamin involved in the maintenance of cellular genetic material.

1. When you eat carrots and yellow squash you get both vitamin A and beta-carotene, which are converted into more vitamin A during digestion. This vitamin supports our resistance and ensures our skin remains healthy. to hold. Dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, Chinese cabbage, and spinach provide vitamins A and C, B complex vitamins, and potassium, an essential mineral that helps maintain healthy blood pressure.

1. Do you steam your vegetables too? And if you have any additional tips, let me know by leaving a comment below. Sharing via social media is always very much appreciated!