Did you know that cooking methods affect the nutritional make-up of the food you eat?
Although meal prep affects the overall quality of any diet, it is more critical for plant-based diets. For example, in plant-based foods, heat breaks down and destroys 15 to 20 percent of nutrients like Vitamin C, folate, and potassium.
So, the ideal way to obtain maximum nutrients is to eat plant-based foods raw. Since this is not always possible, careful choice of cooking and preparation methods is necessary to retain as many nutrients as possible. Let’s explore the healthiest meal prep options that maintain the nutritional value of plant-based foods.
Steaming
Steaming is a gentle and simple method to cook food without losing valuable nutrients. This method doesn’t agitate food, and it softens tough food. In this moist-heat cooking method, water is boiled and converted into steam that carries heat to the food. When hot steam comes into direct contact with the food, it gets cooked. Since water boils at 212 degrees, food cooks at this exact temperature.
Steaming is a good method to cook vegetables like beans, zucchini, beets, baby carrots, and other green vegetables. By this method, the food retains its nutrients because it doesn’t touch the water.
For efficient steaming, you may like to invest in one of these products.
Squish Collapsible Microwave Steamer, Green
Best features:
- Steamer specifically designed for the microwave. 1.25 quart – 5 cup capacity
- Perfect for healthy cooking. Enjoy steamed fish and veggies right from the microwave.
- Collapses for easy storage. Doubles as serving bowl
- BPA free.
Aroma Housewares ARC-954SBD Rice Cooker, 4-Cup uncooked 2.5 Quart, Professional Version
Best features:
- Multi-functional use
- Steaming capabilities – steam tray allows you to prepare your veggies above while rice, soup, or any other meal cooks below – allowing you to save time without sacrificing quality.
- Great for soups, jambalaya, chili, and more
Oster Double Tiered Food Steamer, 5 Quart, White (CKSTSTMD5-W-015)
Best feature: Transparent steaming bowls let you see the progress.
Best feature: Food steamer with 3-tier stackable BPA-free transparent baskets.
Hamilton Beach 37530A Digital Food Steamer, 5.5 Quart, Silver & Black
Best features:
- Switches to WARM automatically and alerts you with a beep when cooking time is up
- WARM setting runs for one hour then steamer turns off
Poaching
Poaching is a gentle and easy way of cooking that preserves the flavor and nutrients of the food. In this technique, food is gently immersed in a flavored liquid like stock, coconut milk, wine, or aromatics infused in liquid.
The liquid covers the food item’s surface, and low heat is applied to cook it. As a result, the structure of the food is retained while proteins are broken down without losing moisture. Although poaching is slow because of the low temperature at which it is carried out, the resulting food is tender, moist, and flavorful.
Spiralizing
Food that looks good appeals better to our taste buds. Don’t you agree?
Spiralizing makes uncooked vegetables and fruits look interesting, making them more fun to eat. Unlike chopping, which takes effort and energy, spiralizing is easy. The tools used for this purpose are called spiralizers. They have fine blades that slice vegetables or fruits into noodle-like shapes. Spiralized vegetables cook quickly and have interesting textures that make them versatile additions to various dishes.
Here are some of the best spiralizers in the market.
Blending
A blender is a practical kitchen appliance that makes it easy and fun to prepare sauces, dips, soups, and beverages. These devices are gravity fed and have sharp blades to create smooth, creamy pastes.
Blenders can be used to puree hot and cold items. However, chopping up and breaking down tough ingredients is better. Food processors with wider cups and bigger blades serve this purpose better. However, a food processor cannot create smooth and creamy products like smoothies and beverages. When using a blender, you must cut solid items into small pieces. Always leave one-third of the jar empty to allow the liquid to rise during processing. Then, begin the blending process at low speed and slowly increase the setting. For effective blending, always add juices gradually.
My favorites blenders I own:
Vitamix 5200 Blender Professional-Grade, 64 oz. Container, Red
Oster Blender | Pro 1200 with Glass Jar, 24-Ounce Smoothie Cup, Brushed Nickel
Boiling
Boiling is a basic cooking method to prepare vegetables, fruits, and grains. The food item is directly placed into water or water-based liquid in a heavy-bottom pan and heated. As the liquid boils, the heat is distributed through the food and gets cooked. This technique is best used for starchy foods and grains with tough protein that should be broken down.
Boiling is quick and doesn’t strip the food of its natural taste. However, it can cause water-soluble vitamins from the food to leach into the cooking liquid. So, draining the boiled liquid will lead to losing part of the nutrients as well.
Here are my favorites boiling tools to aid your meal prep
T-fal B36262 Specialty Total Nonstick Dishwasher Safe Oven Safe Stockpot Cookware, 12-Quart, Black
Cook N Home NC-00335 20 Stainless Steel Saucepot with Lid Quart Stockpot, Qt, Silver
Air Frying
Air frying is a fresh and healthy alternative to regular deep-frying. It involves little to no oil but delivers the same crispy and crunchy texture as deep-fried food. The process is carried out in an air fryer. This device resembles a countertop convection oven. It has a heating element and a fan that circulates air very quickly. Food is placed in a perforated basket. As the air fryer runs, the food comes into direct contact with the hot air and is cooked.
The main benefit of an air fryer is that it doesn’t need oil and cooking is quick.
My favorite air fryer available on the market.
To wrap up…
There is a saying, “Rome wasn’t built in a day!”
Similarly, don’t expect to make your transition to a plant-based lifestyle overnight, especially if you have always had a heavily animal-based diet.
Nonetheless, this transition is possible if you stay focused and committed to your goal. Follow this checklist to make the switch easy, but more importantly interesting as well.
A plant-based diet is a positive step to better health and well-being. Whatever the circumstances that triggered this transition, one thing is guaranteed—you stand to benefit from it.
