Steaming is a fast-growing trend in meal preparation. In this method, you cook your food with the steam of water rather than the water itself. Therefore, you don’t place the food in the water, but above it. This results in a better taste and is healthier. But why? We list 5 reasons for you that tell you why steaming your food is healthier.
1. Vitamins are better preserved
If you cook your vegetables in a pan of water, a significant portion of the vitamins they contain will be lost. Some vitamins, including vitamin B11 and vitamin C, may even be lost entirely. This is because they are partially broken down by the heat, but also because they are water-soluble. The longer you cook, the more vitamins are lost and end up in the cooking water. While steaming, your foods are not in direct contact with the water, so they lose a lot less vitamins.
Also, by cutting your potatoes and vegetables as little as possible, you reduce the risk of vitamins on the inside of those products easily ending up in the cooking water.
2. Minerals are better retained
When we think of the contribution that foods make to our health, we often immediately think of vitamins. Minerals are often overlooked. And yet they are just as essential. What is true for vitamins is just as true for minerals: they too largely end up in the cooking liquid. Especially sodium, potassium, iron and zinc are lost.
3. Do not use cooking fats when steaming
When you steam your food, you don’t need any cooking fats in the process. Of course, we do need healthy preparation fats in our daily diet. However, with our contemporary way of life, we often ingest far too much of them. Steaming your food is a good way to restore balance. You get less saturated fats, which has a positive effect on your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Therefore, steaming is one of the most natural ways to prepare your food.
4. Prepare other foods healthier with the moisture
The liquid that remains after cooking your food can be used to prepare other foods in a healthier way. For example, you can use it to make sauce, soup or gravy. You can also use it as an addition to cooking water for other vegetables, rice, pasta or potatoes.
5. Steaming softens the texture of foods
Steaming your food causes its fibers to soften. This makes it easier for your stomach to process. The softer the food, the easier you can digest it. This allows your body to absorb all the important nutrients to the maximum.