How Cooking Affects the Nutrient Content of Foods
- Dietitian.Lauren Hmede
- Nov 14, 2019
- 2 min read
Nutrient content is often altered during cooking
Cooking food improves digestion and increases the absorption of many nutrients.
For example, the protein in cooked eggs is 180% more digestible than that of raw eggs.
However, some cooking methods reduce several key nutrients.
The following nutrients are often reduced during cooking:
water-soluble vitamins: vitamin C and the B vitamins — thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid (B9), and cobalamin (B12)
fat-soluble vitamins: vitamins A, D, E, and Kminerals: primarily potassium, magnesium, sodium, and calcium
Boiling, simmering, and poaching
While water-based cooking methods cause the greatest losses of water-soluble vitamins, they have very little effect on omega-3 fats.
Grilling and broiling
Grilling and broiling provide great flavor but also reduce levels of B vitamins. Also, grilling generates potentially cancer-causing substances.
Microwaving
Microwaving is a safe cooking method that preserves most nutrients due to short cooking times.
Roasting and baking
Roasting or baking does not have a significant effect on most vitamins and minerals, except for B vitamins.
Sautéing and stir-frying
Sautéing and stir-frying improve the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and some plant compounds, but they decrease the amount of vitamin C in vegetables.
Frying
Frying makes food taste delicious, and it can provide some benefits when healthy oils are used. It's best to avoid frying fatty fish and minimize the frying time of other foods.
Steaming
Steaming is one of the best cooking methods for preserving nutrients, including water-soluble vitamins.
Tips to maximize nutrient retention during cooking
Here are 10 tips to reduce nutrient loss while cooking:
Use as little water as possible when poaching or boiling.
Consume the liquid left in the pan after cooking vegetables.
Add back juices from meat that drip into the pan.
Don't peel vegetables until after cooking them. Better yet,dont peel at all to maximize their fiber and nutrient density.
Cook vegetables in smaller amounts of water to reduce the loss of vitamin C and B vitamins.
Try to eat any cooked vegetables within a day or two, as their vitamin C content may continue to decline when the cooked food is exposed to air.
Cut food after — rather than before — cooking, if possible. When food is cooked whole, less of it is exposed to heat and water.
Cook vegetables for only a few minutes whenever possible.
When cooking meat, poultry, and fish use the shortest cooking time needed for safe consumption.
Don't use baking soda when cooking vegetables. Although it helps maintain color, vitamin C will be lost in the alkaline environment produced by baking soda.
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