Get Even More Nutrition From Your Food

Last week we discussed how you can get more nutrition from your food depending on how you buy, store & prepare your produce. This week we'll let you know which foods to eat raw, which to cook and which to pair with a complementary food to improve its nutritional value.    Some nutrients are best available when consumed raw, but other nutrients are best available when cooked and/or eaten alongside other foods. For example, raw spinach contains 3 times more vitamin C than cooked spinach.   Best Raw Eat most sources of water-soluble and heat-sensitive nutrients (vitamins B1, B5, C and folate) raw. These include: sunflower seeds, peas, beet greens, and Brussels sprouts (vit B1), broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and avocado (vit B5), spinach, turnip greens, broccoli (folate) bell peppers, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts (vit C) If you choose to cook these foods, cook them at low heat without exposing them to too much water. The best methods are: blanching, steaming, sautéing, roasting and microwaving.   Best Cooked Some foods actually deliver more nutrients when cooked. For example, cooking: increases lycopene in tomatoes by 25% increases the bioavailability of beta carotene, found in red/orange/yellow plants like tomatoes, carrots, sweet potato, and spinach. makes the protein in eggs and meat more digestible. makes iron and other minerals more available for absorption reduces certain harmful food components in grains & beans Pair food strategically to maximize nutrient absorption. Pair foods with fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) with dietary fat to make the vitamins ready for absorption.  Foods that contain fat-soluble vitamins include: sweet potatoes, carrots, and squash (vit A), eggs and mushrooms (vit D), spinach, Swiss chard, and asparagus (vit E), kale, spinach, and broccoli (vit K) You'll absorb the vitamins better if you eat the above foods with a small serving of healthy fats such as: nuts, seeds, avocado or olive oil. Pair iron from non-meat sources with vitamin C. We absorb iron from non-meat sources 6 times better when paired with vitamin C. Food rich in Vitamic C include:  spinach kale soybeans lentils  Iron absorption is enhanced when paired with foods like: orange slices, strawberries, bell peppers or even just a squeeze of lemon juice. Pair iron and zinc with sulfur. Sulfur helps us absorb iron & zinc better. So foods rich in iron (beef, turkey, liver) and zinc (beef, turkey, oysters) are best eaten with foods rich in sulfur (garlic, onion, and egg yolks).