Transcript Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and Vegetables
Preserving Nutrients
• Make sure they are as fresh as possible
• Do not overcook or use too high a temp (Vitamin
C which is water soluble, is most vulnerable to
loss by heat.)
• Cook without cutting
• Remove as little of peel as possible
• Do not soak in water
• Try to reuse cooking liquid in soups and sauces to
use nutrients
Buying and Storing Vegetables
• Select produce that is not damaged, bruised
or wilted
• Refrigerate as soon as you bring them home
• Store potatoes and onions in a cool, dry place
Preparation
• Prepare as close to cooking time as possible
• Wash thoroughly
• Cook
– for a short period of time
– in a minimum amount of liquid
– in a tightly covered utensil
• Cook whole in skins, if possible
• Steam, stir-fry or microwave veggies to preserve the most
vitamins
• Don’t boil, but if you must, use as little water as possible
• Serve right after cooking
Fresh Vegetables and Nutrition
• Lower in calories
• Higher level of nutrients
• All vegetables and fruits contain different
types and amounts of vitamins, minerals and
fiber
• The brighter and deeper the colors of the
fruits and vegetables the more nutrients they
contain
Vitamin C
• Maintain teeth, capillaries and bones
• Examples: cabbage, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts,
tomatoes, green and red peppers, dark leafy
green vegetables, citrus fruits, melons, kiwis,
strawberries
Vitamin K
• Proper clotting of blood
• Examples: green leafy vegetables, cabbage,
cauliflower, peas, potatoes
Vitamin A
• Necessary for healthy skin, hair, mucous
membranes, reproduction and proper
development of bones and teeth
• Examples: dark green, yellow and orange
varieties: broccoli, bok choy, asparagus, green
beans collards, fennel, peas, swish chard,
sweet potatoes, yellow and zucchini squash,
pumpkins, all winter squash, mangoes,
cantaloupes, apricots, peaches
B Vitamins
• Grains and dried beans
• Promote healthy and steady nerves
Minerals: Calcium
• Sources: green beans, broccoli, cabbage,
carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, okra, mustard
greens
• Build and maintain strong bones and red
blood cells
Iron
• Fava beans, dandelion, spinach
• Build and maintain strong bones and red
blood cells
Incomplete Protein
• Sources: Legumes, such as beans and peas
• Supplies essential amino acids for growth and
development
Cooking Vegetables
• When cooked properly:
– Will lose fewer nutrients
– Stay a bright, attractive color
– Are tender-crisp—tender but still firm
– Have a mild, mellow flavor
– Are easier to digest
Cooking Fruits
• Purpose to soften cellulose and cook the
starch in under-ripe fruit and very hard fruits
• When fruit is cooked in a sugar syrup, part of
the water in the fruit cells is replaced by sugar,
making the fruit firm.
• Apples and pears are good to bake because
the peel serves as a protective covering and
holds in the steam needed to soften the
cellulose
Storing Fruits
• Store ripe fruit in fridge to slow ripening
process (except bananas)
• Berries should not be washed before storing
• Slightly under ripe fruits may stand at room
temp. Put in paper bag to speed ripening.
Preparing fruits
• Wash before eating or cooking
• Use a sharp knife to cut—remember when
pared or cut they quickly lose vitamin C
• Some turn brown after cutting—try coating
with lemon, grapefruit, orange juice