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Retaining nutrients

Water-soluble nutrients like vitamins C and B and a group of nutrients called polyphenolics are often lost in processing. Fat-soluble compounds like vitamins A, D, E and K and the antioxidant compounds called carotenoids are less likely to leach out in water.
Cooking also breaks down the thick cell walls of plants, releasing the contents for the body to use. That is why processed tomato products have higher lycopene content than fresh tomatoes.
In January, a report in The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry concluded that over all, boiling was better for carrots, zucchini and broccoli than steaming, frying or serving them raw. Frying was by far the worst. Steaming and boiling caused a 22 percent to 34 percent loss of vitamin C. Microwaved and pressure-cooked vegetables retained 90 percent of their vitamin C. [Ref]
It may seem hard to believe, but microwaving is one of the two best ways to cook veggies and retain the nutrients inside. (Steaming is the other.) Cooking methods like baking or grilling that expose foods to higher temperatures and more cooking time are much more destructive. … whenever vegetables are immersed in cooking liquid, water-soluble nutrients such as folic acid and vitamin C leach out of the food and into the surrounding liquid. To keep the nutrients intact when microwaving, you need only a couple of tablespoons of water to cook raw vegetables; frozen ones need no extra liquid at all. [Ref]

Increase absorption

When the salsa or salad was served with fat-rich avocados or full-fat salad dressing, the diners absorbed as much as 4 times more lycopene, 7 times more lutein and 18 times the beta carotene than those who had their vegetables plain or with low-fat dressing. [Ref]

Killing germs

E. coli 0157 on fresh produce can be killed by heating at 160 F for at least 15 seconds. So far, frozen spinach appears to be safe. It’s been cooked, and is often cooked again after thawing. [Ref]

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