Porridge is a nutritious and healthy food. Cooking it slowly over low heat at normal temperature is quite time-consuming, while the elderly say that cooking porridge in a pressure cooker will cause a loss of nutrients. Which cooking method is more nutritious and retains more health-promoting components?
There are three main differences between pressure cooking and normal-pressure cooking: First, the high temperature. As the pressure increases, the boiling point also rises, reaching approximately 108-120°C. Second, due to the high pressure, the cooking speed is fast, reducing the cooking time by two-thirds. Third, it is a sealed environment. After venting, it no longer contacts the outside air and is in a certain state of vacuum.
These three characteristics give pressure cooking a certain advantage in preserving nutrients.
Now let's look at the food itself. Food contains many different nutrients, and each has its own characteristics. The minerals, dietary fiber, and proteins found in the grains and legumes used for porridge are not damaged by cooking. The loss of B vitamins and antioxidant components like flavonoids increases with the higher temperature, but it is simultaneously reduced by the shorter cooking time. Thus, the overall loss is similar. Furthermore, considering the reduced oxygen contact in the sealed environment of the pressure cooker, oxidation is minimized, which is very beneficial for retaining antioxidant components.
If you want to get more of the disease-preventing and health-benefits from multigrain porridge, it is best to cook it in a pressure cooker. It is both convenient and delicious; it does not increase the loss of nutrients and better preserves antioxidant components. Nowadays, there are electric pressure cookers. You just add all the ingredients and water, press a button, and you can go wash and chop vegetables. By the time the main dish is ready, a fragrant pot of multigrain porridge is also done. Your dinner life will become more pleasant and healthier.