Best and Healthiest Ways to Cook Your Vegetables

Let's face it- smothering broccoli with a cheddar sauce doesn't mean you are getting a healthy serving of vegetables. Sorry. But one thing can't be argued- whether you eat your vegetables raw or cooked, what matters is that you are actually eating veggies to begin with. However, there is a better and healthier way to cook your vegetables if you prefer them cooked (I know I do). Find out the best and healthiest ways to cook your vegetables overall.

When it comes to cooking vegetables, 2 things should be kept in mind to avoid as much as possible- water and oil. While cooking with water (boiling) veggies gets them nice and soft, and sauteing or stir-frying vegetables sure tastes good, these are ways that you can cook vegetables yet not get the full nutrition out of them. Unless you are going to drink the water you boiled your veggies in, you aren't going to get all the nutrition from the vegetables as you would raw, and if you use the wrong type of oil, you're going to simply saturate your veggies in oil more than you are going to make them tasty. Try some healthier and better tasting alternatives instead.

Instead of boiling your veggies, steam them. Steaming vegetables cooks them without making them lose nutrients in water, and helps them retain their natural yummy flavor, and can even make them more nutritious than eating raw (see: Cooked or Raw Vegetables- Which is Healthier? ). If you need a bit of flavor, sprinkle in some garlic and a dash of salt, or some sesame seeds to greens. Steamed vegetables retain a lot more flavor than boiled veggies do, and are far healthier.

Sauteing or frying veggies? Go with a high heat canola oil, which fries them up best. Or, for a healthier alternative, grill your vegetables instead with a light layer of oil to keep them from sticking and to help them turn crispy brown. Grilled vegetables (like potatoes, green peppers, carrots, and even tossing in a few fruits, like pineapple) can make all the difference to a meal, and are much tastier and healthier than frying or sauteing.

Remember, when salting vegetables keep it light. Salt can bring out the color and taste in vegetables, but should not be so prevalent that salt is the main flavor. Rather, try other tasty spices, like garlic, to flavor up your vegetables to their best potential. And if you don't need to use oil or salt to make your veggies taste their best, by all means, skip these food additions and enjoy a super healthy meal!

Sources:

how I cook veggies

http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthy-kitchen-11/best-cook-vegetables