Dear Sue:

How much nutrition is lost from food when it's microwaved? How does microwaving compare to pressure cooking? And which is the best method overall to retain maximum nutition? Thanks!
--Vandhana

Dear Vandhana:

How foods are cooked can have a big impact on their nutrient content. That's because many vitamins are sensitive to heat and air exposure (vitamin C, the B vitamins and folate in particular). And, the longer the cooking time and the higher the temperature, the worse it becomes.

Water used for cooking can also dissolve and wash away even more of those vitamins -- the water soluble ones. Therefore, any cooking that minimizes the time, temperature, and amount of water needed will help to preserve nutrients. Microwave cooking is one of the best ways to preserve nutrients because it needs minimal water, and the cooking time is very short. Pressure cooking under steam is the next best because it too minimizes time and requires little water. Other methods for nutrition are steaming in a little water, stir frying, and boil-in-bag.

Because microwaving and pressure cooking are both good ways to hold in nutrients, I suggest you go ahead and use the method you prefer.

There are a few other tricks you can employ to preserve nutrients.

• Minimize the surface area of food by leaving vegetables in big pieces. That way fewer vitamins are destroyed when they are exposed to air.
• Always cover your pot to hold in steam and heat. This will will also help to reduce cooking time.
• Use any leftover cooking water for soups, sauces, and stews, or vegetable juice drinks.
• Eat fruits and vegetables raw whenever possible, or cook until just crisp and tender.
• Use as little water as possible when cooking. The best way to destroy vitamins is to cook your fruits and vegetables in an open pot of boiling water. Only use that method when you're making a pot of soup and the broth and all will be eaten, and even then, put a lid on it!

Thank you for writing.

Sincerely,
Sue Gilbert

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