6 BEST COOKING METHODS FOR VEGETABLES

If you are seeking to eat healthy, then vegetables should feature prominently in your meals. Veggies are undoubtedly some of the most important and healthiest foods but unfortunately many of us don’t consider or like them. As such, we miss the valuable minerals, vitamins and other unique substances that our bodies require for strong immunity and optimum performance.

Eating more and healthy cooked vegetables on a regular basis can help lower the risk of most chronic diseases such as type-2 diabetes and heart disease among others. However, when cooking your vegetables, it is important to do it in a healthy way so that you do not dilute the benefits and the minerals therein contained.

Here are 6 best cooking methods you should consider for your vegetables: –

1. Sautéing

Sautéing is one of the easiest and fastest ways for cooking your vegetables. This method basically involves adding food to a lightly oiled and hot pan and is definitely an amazing way for cooking vegetables in a healthy way. Sautéing your vegetables help them retain their minerals and vitamins while at the same time keeping their unique color and taste. You can cook different vegetables using this method especially the tender ones such as baby artichokes, asparagus, sweet peppers, snow peas, mushrooms and onions.

2. Simmering or boiling

Boiling your vegetables is also an easy and quick technique and helps your veggies to retain their crispness and flavor. You can use this method to cook vegetables such as broccoli and green beans. You only need to boil your water and while it’s boiling, just put in your vegetables and all them to cook for a few minutes. This method of boiling your veggies is basically called blanching. You can also simmer your vegetables, a technique that is basically similar to boiling but instead go for lower temperature. This method is ideal for vegetables that need a little bit more time to cook so they can become tender including beets, beans, potatoes and any other type of root vegetables.

3. Roasting

You can enjoy roasted vegetables and this method is ideal for foods such as onions, squash or asparagus among others. You only need to place your vegetables on a baking sheet, sprinkle them with some cooking oil and them place them in a toaster oven at 400-degree temperature. This creates a sweet flavor for your vegetables plus cooks them quickly while preserving the minerals and the vitamins. The flavors are also preserved. You can season your vegetables with garlic, bay leaves and corianders for added flavor.

4. Stir-frying

Stir-frying vegetables is almost the same as sautéing but there are some differences between the two that can’t go unnoticed. As the name implies, stir-frying requires constant stirring of the vegetables to prevent them from burning and this is done over very high heat. You will need a thick-bottomed sauté pan so that the heat is distributed evenly. To make your stir-fried vegetables healthier, you should consider using oils such as canola since these can withstand high heat. Once your vegetables are fully cooked, sprinkle some flavored oil on them for added flavor. Sesame or olive oil will be great.

5. Steaming

If you want to eat your vegetables in a healthy way, steaming is a great method to consider. Steaming does not involve the submerging of vegetables in water thus ensuring they don’t lose their valuable vitamins and minerals. You do not need to use oil while steaming and this makes the method ideal if you want to keep calories down. You can use it for cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, carrots, spinach, and other tender leafy greens.

6. Grilling

Grilling does amazingly well when you want yummy and flavored vegetables. It also browns the surface of your vegetables thus giving them a crunchy sweetness.  You can use this method on vegetable such as zucchini, sweet peppers, corn, potatoes, onions and many other veggies. A toaster oven will be an ideal cooking appliance to use as it cooks the vegetables quickly.

With all these cooking methods, you can add your favorite aromatic spices to your vegetables. This will help enhance the flavor and make the vegetables yummy even for those who do not like eating them. It is always good to avoid over-cooking your veggies as this will mess up with their quality and healthy benefits.

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