How to Retain Maximum Vitamin Content in Vegetable Soup (2024)

FAQs

How to Retain Maximum Vitamin Content in Vegetable Soup? ›

Tightly covering the utensil when cooking or storing leftovers preserves nutritive value, particularly Vitamin C. When sauteing before boiling in soup, avoid using rancid fats since these affect Vitamins A and E. Soup is a good to way get needed water-soluble vitamins and minerals.

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.

If you prefer softer vegetables, cook them in stews or soups so any water-soluble vitamins are retained in the broth.

Steaming and microwaving retained higher concentrations of vitamin C than boiling because of the reduced contact with water at relatively low temperatures. Using minimal cooking water and cooking for shorter time periods should result in higher vitamin C retention.

The nutritionist explains that when we boil the vegetables for the soup, the nutrients get lost in the water. When we make the soup using the same water, the process ensures that there is no loss of nutrients.

Steaming veggies can preserve nutrients, color, shape, and texture, without having to add any unnecessary fats through ingredients like oils or butter. To steam, place food into a steam basket and cover over simmering water. Since food is not directly touching the water, vegetables retain more of their nutrients.

For those wanting a more intense regime, a vegetable soup can replace two meals a day for five to seven days without any negative side effects. Although much of the weight loss will be fluid, sometimes all we need to feel leaner and healthier is a flatter stomach and a kilo or two less on the scales.

Vegetables are generally a great source of vitamin C, but a large amount of it is lost when they're cooked in water. In fact, boiling reduces vitamin C content more than any other cooking method. Broccoli, spinach, and lettuce may lose up to 50% or more of their vitamin C when boiled ( 4 , 5).

What are the golden rules to prevent vitamin loss during cooking? ›

Longer exposure to heat, light and water may drain out vitamins, minerals and plant compounds from the food. Few ideal ways of cooking are using less water, pressure cooking, steaming, stir-frying and microwaving.

Vitamin C is heat labile and water soluble and thus losses seen on cooking could be due to extremes of temperatures and leaching of the vitamin into the water used to boil the vegetables [12, 24].

Steaming vegetables is popular with dietitians because you lose less vitamins than boiling. When steamed, vegetables like broccoli, spinach and lettuce lose just 9-15% of their vitamin C content.

Changing leaves, chunky sweaters and cooler temperatures practically beg you to fill your crockpot with hearty vegetables and savory spices. Vegetable soups offer an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, minerals and flavor.

Boiled — When cooking vegetables over a long period of time in water, some nutrients will be lost. However, if the water will be consumed with the vegetables — as in the case of soups, stews or curries — many of the vitamins will be retained in the final dish.

Freezing food doesn't kill nutrients.

This happens simply because they are slowly expiring, it's natural. However, there's a way to retain their nutrients for another time: freezing. If you think about it, if you're not shopping local, fresh produce takes a few days to make it to the shelves of your grocer.

People always seem in doubt when it comes to the blending of vegetables and fruits. It all comes down to the one question that is, does blending vegetables destroy nutrients well the answer is no. If you are a person who loves to drink a smoothie and is questioning your choice whether u should drink it or not.

Boiling and cooking vegetables in high temperatures or in water can also decrease their nutrient level. Water soluble vitamins like vitamin C and B vitamins are often lost during these cooking methods. Minerals like potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc may be reduced by up to 60-70%.