Carrots, tomatoes, healthy cooking oil - they belong!

A Healthy Cooking event taking place at Fun and Food and I wanted to use it as a platform to reinforce a message about being Healthy AND Nutritious.

I am not saying salads are not good. In fact, most, if not all salads are healthy when we are careful with the dressing. However, you can make your salads more nutritious. Now ask: consuming raw vegetables...is that the best way to take in nutrients? Think harder.

Cucumbers! Tomatoes! Carrots! Note: Healthy and Nutritious delivers different messages. Eating your vegetables raw can be healthy but may not be as nutritious as you think.

Heat destroys the vitamins! Yes. True. Overcooking of vegetables is not good. Heat destroys the vitamins! But. Partially.

Some vitamins such as carotene (in carrots) and lycopene (in tomatoes) are FAT-soluble vitamins. SO....LISTEN...HARD....boiling/steaming carrots (just carrots) in water is less nutritious than stir-frying carrots in a lightly oiled pan. In the latter, the oil helps to release the benefits of carotene and lycopene in the carrots and tomatoes respectively. The method of cooking you choose can maximize the nutrition you are extracting from the vegetables.


Stir Fry Celery and Carrots
Ingredients: Extra Virgin Olive Oil; Ginger(minced or crushed); Celery(shredded); Carrots(shredded); Dried herbs (optional)

Directions:
1. In a lightly oiled pan, saute ginger till fragrant
2. Add in carrots and celery and saute till they start to turn tender. Remember, do not overcook.
3. Add in some dried herbs (basil or oregano) if you wish
4. Serve immediately

Are you convinced ? I hope this little information is useful to you.

Tag: vitamins, cooking tips