Vegetables contain a large amount of water, usually 70% to 90%, with the rest being small amounts of protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, inorganic salts, and fiber. To determine the nutritional value of vegetables, one mainly looks at the amounts of vitamins B and C, and carotene they contain. According to scientific analysis, the darker the color of the vegetable, the more vitamins B and C, and carotene it contains. Green vegetables are classified as Grade A vegetables by nutritionists, and mainly include spinach, rapeseed, cabbage, coriander, bok choy, water spinach, and pickled mustard greens.
These vegetables are rich in vitamins B1, B2, C, carotene, and various inorganic salts, making them highly nutritious.
Here are 10 methods for detoxifying vegetables:
1. Vegetables that are out of season and brought to market early are often heavily treated with pesticides due to being out of sync with the climate, so they should be washed several times.
2. It is best to wash vegetables with plain water. Using salt water on vegetables treated with fat-soluble pesticides can actually make them harder to clean.
3. Do not cut vegetables before washing them to prevent nutrient loss.
4. Vegetables should preferably not be eaten raw. If you must eat them raw, wash them thoroughly several times.
5. Blanching vegetables is better than boiling them. Blanching allows some pesticides to evaporate with the steam.
6. When washing vegetables, it is best to first soak them in a basin of water and then rinse them under a running faucet.
7. For cabbage and napa cabbage, remove the outer leaves first, then wash each leaf individually.
8. For Shanghai bok choy and baby bok choy, cut off the roots first, then wash them upright.
9. For bitter melon and small cucumbers, if you are not peeling them, scrub them with a soft brush.
10. For peas, sword beans, chive flowers, and small cucumbers, because of their long harvesting periods, a lot of pesticides are sprayed to prevent pests from attacking the immature parts. They must be washed thoroughly several times.