In daily cooking, if you're not careful, nutrients can slip through your fingers! For example, it's best not to rinse rice more than three times, and vegetables should be washed before being cut... Have you paid attention to these cooking tips?
Rinsing rice should not exceed three times
When cooking rice, the first step is to rinse it. Some people like to rinse the rice several times, rubbing and kneading it until the water is perfectly clear, thinking that the rice is now clean and can be cooked without being unhygienic. In fact, this method is wrong; rinsing rice also has its proper technique.
Rice contains many vitamins and inorganic salts. If you rinse the rice too many times, or use hot water, more than 30% of the nutrients such as B vitamins, inorganic salts, and proteins will be washed away. Rubbing the rice vigorously with your hands causes even greater nutrient loss. The correct way to rinse rice is to gently wash it twice with water, without repeated scrubbing.
Vegetables should be washed before being cut
When washing vegetables, cutting them first greatly increases their surface area in contact with water, which can easily lead to a significant loss of water-soluble vitamins like B vitamins and vitamin C, as well as some minerals. The correct approach is to wash the vegetables thoroughly first and then cut them after draining as much water as possible. It should be noted that cut vegetables should be cooked as soon as possible, and should not be left for more than two hours, as this can easily lead to the oxidation of certain nutrients.
When cooking, it's best to use high heat and stir-fry quickly
Vegetables need to be cooked through, but the heating time should be as short as possible. Cooking should be done over high heat with quick stirring. According to reports, when pork is shredded and stir-fried over high heat, the loss rate of vitamin B1 is only 13%, whereas when it is cut into cubes and stewed over low heat, the loss rate reaches 65%.
Use as little water as possible when stir-frying
When stir-frying, use high heat and avoid prolonged stewing. Also, keep the lid on the pot to prevent water-soluble vitamins from escaping with the steam. Use as little water as possible when stir-frying. When stewing, adding a little vinegar can season the dish and help protect vitamin C from loss. When cooking meat dishes, adding a little starch can reduce nutrient loss and improve the texture.