Sunday , 22 December, 2024 | 8 পৌষ, 1431 Bangabdo
Published: 11:49 16 September 2024
Every day we make mistakes while cooking without knowing it. In this, the nutritional quality of rice-dal, fish-meat and vegetables is lost or reduced. As a result, we are deprived of the right nutritional content of food. However, if you are a little careful about some things, the wastage of nutrients can be prevented a lot.
There are some reasons why food loses nutrients during cooking, such as heat sensitivity or heat sensitivity. Vitamin C and some B vitamins, such as thiamine, folate, are degraded at high temperatures.
Due to the oxidation process, certain polyunsaturated fatty acids, including some vitamins A, C, and E, are reduced in quantity by mixing with air during cooking. Again, if soaked in water for a long time, boiling reduces the water-soluble vitamins B and C. When peeling, chopping or chopping vegetables, air breaks through the cell walls and enters.
As a result, the oxidation of some nutrients is reduced. Some nutrients are also depleted due to the acid-base balance of the food. Apart from this, due to some wrong habits in our cooking, the wastage of nutritional quality of food is somewhat high. For example:
Prolonged cooking or frying wastes the overall nutritional content of the food.
We always like to cook fish and vegetables on high heat. In addition to the wastage of nutrients, many substances harmful to the body are also produced.
To prevent wastage of nutrients
Wash the rice in little water to prevent loss of nutrients during cooking. Use only the amount of water required for boiling. Cooking sitting rice does not require starching, which prevents loss of many nutrients.
Potatoes should be washed before cutting. It is not right to keep potato pieces in water after cutting. Because vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and vitamin C dissolve in water and get destroyed.
Cooking does not change the taste or fatty foods like oil, ghee, dalda etc., the nutritional value remains almost unchanged. However, fatty acids and glycerol are produced first by breaking down fatty substances in excessive heat. Later, this glycerin produces a toxic substance called acrolein, which can cause stomach upset. So it is better not to cook it in high heat.
When cooking meat, water should be used sparingly to minimize wastage of metallic salts. Excessive heat destroys the 'B' vitamins in meat.
Dal should be well boiled while cooking. The nutritional value of some plant foods increases with heat, such that the body can absorb more nutrients from more cooked pulses than from less cooked pulses.
Milk should be boiled well. Milk can easily become contaminated with various bacteria, so raw milk or cold milk that has been boiled once should be boiled again. Boil the milk for about 10 minutes after boiling. Heat does not destroy the nutritional value of milk, but if it is kept in sunlight, vitamin B2 of milk is destroyed.
To prevent wastage of nutritional value of vegetables and fruits
Nutrients are lost if vegetables and fruits are kept in open air for a long time. So vegetables should be eaten fresh. Here are some rules to prevent wastage of nutrients in vegetables:
Just before cooking, choose fresh vegetables and wash them thoroughly in clean water and then cut them. Cut vegetables should not be re-washed or kept in water.
Cut as many pieces as large and equal in size as possible with a clean and sharp knife. If the pieces are small-large and rough, more nutrients are lost.
While cutting vegetables, cut as much as possible with the skin on. Because most of the vitamins are under the peel. It is better if you cut the peel thickly with a knife or stick or squeeze it. You will get more fiber in it.
It should be cooked immediately after cutting. If cooking is delayed, the vegetables should be covered in a cool place.
Vegetables should be cooked in pots with small mouth holes. Cooking in open-mouthed containers exposes the vegetables to more oxygen in the air, resulting in more loss of vitamins.
Cut vegetables should not be re-washed or kept in water Nachbi: Sabina Yasmin
Only the amount of water required for cooking should be used, and if the water is boiled first and vegetables are left in it, the food ingredients are oxidized and wasted less.
Boiling water of vegetables should not be thrown away under any circumstances. This water can be used with dal or other curries or dried with vegetables.
Vegetables should be cooked on high heat for a short time. Should not be boiled so much that it melts. It wastes more nutrients.
Alkaline substances, such as soda, should not be used to preserve the natural color of vegetables and to cook meat, pulses, etc. quickly. Because it destroys vitamin C and B.
Some vegetables like coriander leaves, mint leaves, lettuce leaves, carrots, radishes, cucumbers etc. are best eaten raw. Cooking reduces their nutritional value.
Vitamin B and C are saved a lot if you use a little vinegar or lemon juice in cooking.
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