Overboiling Vegetables
Nutrition experts advise against overboiling vegetables. Boiling vegetables on high heat will cause them to cook very quickly, and for certain types of vegetables like water spinach and yardlong beans, a quick boil of a minute is sufficient. It is best to steam vegetables like broccoli and eat them slightly raw. However, many homemakers are overly cautious and boil the vegetables for too long, fearing that they might be undercooked. This not only results in mushy vegetables but also leads to a loss of vitamins and nutrients that you could have otherwise gained from the vegetables.
Not Consuming Vegetables Immediately After Boiling
A common habit among many homemakers is boiling vegetables but not consuming them immediately, sometimes waiting for 1-2 hours before eating. This practice compromises the nutritional value of the vegetables. Therefore, it is best to consume boiled vegetables immediately after cooking. Many people tend to wait for the vegetables to cool down before eating, unaware that waiting for an hour can result in a loss of 25% of vitamins, and after 2 hours, the loss increases to 35-47%.
If you prepare the vegetables in advance and reheat them later, you will lose up to 90% of the vitamins. Thus, it is not advisable to keep vegetables overnight, as their nutritional value will be significantly reduced. In cases where you cannot finish the vegetables, it is better to discard them instead of storing them in the refrigerator, as this can be extremely dangerous.
Boiling Vegetables on Low Heat