Who knew that the way you cook your vegetables affects the nutrition level? I always figured eating any vegetables at all was enough and whichever was the fastest way to cook them was sufficient. Apparently I am sadly wrong.
Studies show that depending on the vegetable, cooking on a flat metal surface with no oil (griddling) and microwave cooking maintained the highest antioxidant levels. Pressure-cooking and boiling suffered the greatest losses.
The highest antioxidant loss was observed in cauliflower after boiling and microwaving, peas after boiling and zucchini after boiling and frying. Green beans, beets, and garlic were found to keep their antioxidant levels after most cooking treatments. The vegetables that increased their antioxidant levels after all cooking methods were green beans (except green beans after boiling), celery and carrots. Artichoke was the only vegetable that kept its high antioxidant level during all the cooking methods.
Hopefully, after learning this information we can make the most out of the vegetables we eat, because, let’s face it-If we are going to go to all of the effort to eat healthy, we might as well do it right.