“Boiling vegetables causes water soluble vitamins like vitamin C, B1 and folate to leach into the water,” Magee said. “So unless you are going to drink the water along with your vegetables, such as when making soups and stews, these vitamins are typically poured down the sink.
The next time you boil pasta or steam some vegetables in your kitchen, instead of pouring the water down the drain, use it in your garden or in your house to keep your plants green and flourishing. You can also use water from boiling eggs, which is full of calcium your plant needs to grow.
Broccoli water (but there's a better way)
One concern with broccoli water, however, is pesticides. In addition to leeching nutrients from broccoli, boiling water can also absorb pesticides that farmers use to avoid rot, weeds, and insects during the growing process. One way to avoid pesticides is to buy organic.
Boiling results in the greatest loss of nutrients, while other cooking methods more effectively preserve the nutrient content of food. Steaming, roasting and stir-frying are some of the best methods of cooking vegetables when it comes to retaining nutrients ( 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ).
No. Generally speaking, boiling water can help to kill the harmful bacteria in drinking water. Other than that, even if the water's temperature rises over 100 degree Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit), it doesn't remove any minerals.
"When boiling, nutrients can actually leach out of the vegetable into the water; particularly water-soluble nutrients like vitamin C and B," explains Evangelista. Fat-soluble nutrients – vitamins A, D, E and K – are more stable than water-soluble vitamins and are better retained during cooking.
Water spinach is rich in fiber and hence, it aids in digestion, providing relief from different digestive disorders naturally. Its mild laxative properties are beneficial for people suffering from indigestion and constipation. Juice from boiled spinach can loosen constipation.
She explained that water-soluble nutrients , like vitamin C, B vitamins or folate, can leach out of veggies when cooked in water. “You know when you've boiled carrots or broccoli and the water changes colour?” Charlotte asks. “That's usually related to the vitamins that have been lost in the water.
Limit boiling
“By preparing vegetables and not boiling them, water-soluble nutrients, especially vitamin C and the B vitamin folate are retained,” says Kelly Jones MS, RD, CSSD, LDN. “When boiling, those nutrients can be leached out into the water in great amounts, and therefore not eaten,” she says.
Hydrate with Vegetable Water
Drinking vegetable water is also a handy way to stay hydrated while adding nutrients but not calories. For warmer beverage options, steep vegetable water with fresh or dried herbs, and then sip it like a soothing tea.
Don't Toss That Potato Water
Potato water is the water that potatoes have been boiled in. The potatoes release their starchy goodness into the water as they are cooked. The potato water can then be used as a substitute for milk and it makes your bread deliciously moist.
To boil, place in a pan of boiling water and cook the florets for 6-8 minutes. To steam, place in a steamer over boiling water and cook for 6-8 minutes. Broccoli to be stir-fried should be separated into bite-sized florets, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan and add the florets, cook for 4-5 minutes or until tender.
The water from boiling or steaming veggies is perfectly fine to use a few hours' later when you're putting on a pot of rice or pasta.
They found that microwaving the broccoli in the water for five minutes at full power produced the greatest nutrient loss, and the microwaved broccoli lost 74% to 97% of three key antioxidants. Boiling also led to a significant loss of these antioxidants.
Spinach. The leafy green is packed with nutrients, but you'll absorb more calcium and iron if you eat it cooked. The reason: Spinach is loaded with oxalic acid, which blocks the absorption of iron and calcium but breaks down under high temperatures.
Vegetable broth is packed with minerals like calcium and magnesium and vitamins like vitamin A, C, E, and K. Because they're both so nutrient-dense—not to mention low in calories and high in fiber—broths make an excellent addition to any diet.
Adding the vegetable water from steaming/boiling your vegetables, as well as a couple of crumbled up stock cubes will make the gravy stretch much further, whilst still ensuring the flavour from the meat juices shines through.
Yes, it can be saved, but it should be refrigerated, then used within twenty-four hours. Vegetable water sours very quickly and becomes inedible.
Boiling vegetables causes a significant amount of nutrients that dissolve in water - vitamin C, folate and thiamin (vitamin B1) - to be leached away. Steaming is much gentler on nutrients because vegetables don't come in contact with cooking water.
Boiling is the worst way to cook vegetables: “You're going to lose a lot of the nutrients in the water unless you use it for soup,” he warned. Boiling has a much longer cook time compared to, say, steaming, which uses less water and helps to retain nutrients.
Boiling vegetables as an accompaniment to a main meal results in some of the nutritional value being lost in the water, which is usually thrown away. Making soup with vegetables means the nutrients stay in the liquid.