12 Tricks to Make Ordinary Foods Even Healthier

At first sight, cooking is not difficult if you know the recipe. But there are some secrets that can make the meals you know well even more nutritious. For example, some foods are healthier if you cool them down and then heat them up, others should be cut before they are boiled, and others need heat treatment.

We at CHEERY found out how to cook foods to not only retain but also increase their healthy features.

Boiling pasta for exactly as long as needed.

Pasta is what many children and adults love eating. It’s very fast to cook and can be served with almost anything. But because it mostly consists of starch and gluten, it’s important to cook it al dente for exactly as long as it’s said on the pack.

If you boil pasta for too long, the starch will move into the water, which will lead to a loss of nutrients that are a good source of energy.

Eating heat-treated tomatoes.

Heat-treated tomatoes are much healthier than fresh ones. It’s all due to lycopene in them. It’s a powerful antioxidant that protects our body. It’s important to remember that only red tomatoes contain it, and the brighter a tomato is, the more lycopene is in it. And yellow tomatoes don’t contain it at all.

Boiling beetroots in pieces.

You probably know that in order to cook a whole beetroot, you have to boil it for a long time. But the amount of phytonutrients is decreased by heat. So, before cooking, it’s better to cut beetroots into pieces to cook them faster and retain more phytonutrients.

Storing asparagus “standing”.

To keep asparagus fresh and retain its properties, it’s important to store it correctly. Don’t put it on the shelf, but instead, put it vertically into a glass of water. It will stay crunchy until the day you need it.

Eating iron together with vitamin C

If you need to increase the level of iron, you need to know that it’s non-haem form is better absorbed together with vitamin C. Iron is important because it helps spread oxygen around the body.

So, if you are going to eat spinach, broccoli, or cabbage, sprinkle them with lemon juice, or eat citrus after them, dark-green leafy vegetables, sweet pepper, melon, or strawberries. It’s especially healthy to eat such iron for those who don’t like or don’t eat meat, because the non-haem form is found in plant food.

Let garlic “rest”.

When we cut garlic, its ferments come into a reaction with oxygen, so a huge amount of allicin (a healthy nutrient) is formed. It helps our body soothe inflammation, support the health of our vessels, lower blood sugar level, and blood pressure. So, after cutting garlic, give it 10-15 minutes of rest before cooking to form as much allicin as possible.

Eating not freshly cooked, but heated potatoes.

Cool potatoes are healthier than freshly-cooked. So eat them after cooling them down and heating them back, or with a cold salad. The thing is, when potatoes cool down, their Glycemic Index lowers 30-40% and they don’t cause sudden blood sugar spikes.

Boiling carrots with the peel.

Beta-carotene makes carrots dark orange. When it gets into our body, it turns into vitamin A, which is good for our vision. Another important thing is when you boil carrots, some cell walls are dissolved in them, so more beta-carotene turns into vitamin A. And it’s better to cook carrots with their peels to increase the amount of healthy antioxidants several times.

Eating heat-treated spinach.

Spinach is rich in different nutrients, such as iron, magnesium, calcium, and zinc, so in order to absorb them better, you should cook spinach. Don’t just cut it, but make sure that oxalic acid doesn’t hinder calcium absorption. So, steam your spinach to get more calcium out of them.

Sprouting lentils.

To digest lentils easier, you should sprout them, because it neutralizes phytic acid. When lentils sprout, the vitamins B and C in them are easier to absorb.

Combining broccoli with certain foods.

Eating broccoli with mustard, radish, arugula, and wasabi can make it even healthier. The thing is, broccoli contains sulforaphane that has antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. The nutrient is absorbed better with myrosinase that is found in the foods we’ve described. It’s important not to boil broccoli for too long, and it’s better to steam them for 2-4 minutes.

Frying in avocado oil.

We’re used to cooking with oil because it’s what gives the food an attractive and delicious crust. But sunflower and olive oil have a low smoke point, which is bad for health. And avocado oil smoke point is 520° F, which makes it a much safer option.

Do you know any tricks that can make foods healthier?