What to eat now


It may be astonishing, but there are as many vitamins on your plate whether you use frozen vegetables, vegetables in cans or fresh vegetables bought at the market or supermarket.  There is nevertheless an explanation to what can appear to be a paradox: 

Canned vegetables:  Developed in the early 19th century by the French navy, canning is a two step process. After being harvested, the vegetables are transported to the factory where they are quickly washed, sorted and subjected to the thermal treatment of sterilization.  There are therefore few losses of vitamins by oxidation linked to storage.  Next, is sterilization (more than 150° C), taking only a few minutes (less than 5 minutes).  Vitamin losses are few.  As with frozen vegetables, fiber and nutrient content usually stay high in canned foods. Some research indicates that carotenes, which can reduce cancer rates and eye problems, may be more available to the body following the routine heat treatment.  What’s more, canned foods are bargain foods.

Frozen vegetables: The storage time after harvest is equally very short.  A quick laundering (hot vapor for a few seconds) sets up the natural colors of vegetables and therefore natural deterioration of the vegetable is avoided.  The frozen vegetable is put into excessive cold so that vitamins are not destroyed.   When cooking at home, the vitamins will not diminish until the vegetable is boiled (scarcely 15 minutes in boiling water). 

Fresh market vegetables:  Somewhere out there – maybe just a five minute drive from your house, is a farmer’s market selling fresh, organic leaf spinach that might have been growing in the soil just an hour ago. Certainly, fresh vegetable will never be better in taste and in vitamin preservation. Prepare fresh vegetables in a timely manner.  Cook to al dente, even though this method does not represent the majority of ways vegetables are served.   Most often, vegetables were gathered 2 or 3 days ago and stored in the refrigerator, and cooking is often too long. 
Which foods pay off?
Canned tuna is a marvelous food for preservation and taste with tons of nutritional goodness and only 120 calories per 4 oz!
Eggs – A good source of protein, choline and vitamin B, and a bargain.

Milk – An easy source of calcium and vitamin D.  Lowfat milk has 110 calories and 8 g of protein per cup.
So, canned foods came up the winner, being protein rich. For example, canned pinto beans cost $1 less per serving than dried and canned spinach a full 85% cheaper than fresh (but watch the additives).

I personally prefer frozen – I don’t have to read!!!

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