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9 common kitchen mistakes
Posted on Apr 16th 2008 5:00PM by Maggie VinkFiled Under: Nutrition & Supplements
So you're the type of person who fills your grocery cart with healthy foods -- fruits and veggies of every shape and color, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean protein. Your healthy choices are enough to make the check-out person feel guilty about the candy bar stashed beneath her register. But are you sure you're getting the most vitamins and minerals out of the foods that you buy? Shape has a list of 9 common kitchen mistakes even healthy eaters make:
- Overloading on produce. It's best to buy fresh fruits and veggies within just a few days of using them. If you stock up on too many they'll lose precious nutrients as they sit on your counter waiting to be eaten. Or, worse yet, they'll end up going to waste altogether.
- Exposing foods to light. Opt for milk in cardboard boxes and don't store foods in glass canisters or see-through storage containers. Many foods are susceptible to a process called photooxidation in which light breaks down the nutrients.
- Cooking garlic right after cutting it. When you mince or crush garlic cloves an enzymatic reaction occurs and releases a beneficial substance called allyl sulfar. Let your prepared garlic sit for about 10 minutes to get the most out of it.
- You only eat avocados in guacamole. Avocados are a wonderfully healthy and tasty food when eaten in moderation. Slice some on your salad or sandwich or use pureed avocado when baking. The same principle can be held to other foods as well -- such as don't only eat chick peas in hummus.
- Skimping on seasonings. Not only do herbs and spices add to the flavor without adding to the calories, they can have a health benefit as well.
- Peeling fruits and veggies. A lot of the nutrients are in the peel so leave the peel on when eating produce such as apples, cucumbers, eggplant, peaches, and so forth.
- Boiling away nutrients. Boiling can sap nutrients from vegetables. Instead, try steaming, microwaving, or stir-frying.
- Neglecting to wash produce. Rinse all produce before eating -- even if it's a peel-and-eat item like a banana.
- You're not pairing foods properly. Our bodies only absorb 2-20% of iron from sources such as beans, fortified cereals, and leafy greens. You can maximize the iron intake by pairing these foods with items that are rich in vitamin C. Try a spinach salad with mandarin oranges.
