Cooking with fresh vegetables
Fresh ingredients can bring life to just about any dish! There is nothing better than perfectly cooked broccoli, the crunch of carrots or the slight snap of snow peas. So why not find out our top five tips for cooking with fresh!
Fresh is best! The freshness of most types of fruit and vegetables begins to deteriorate not long after it has been picked, so the fresher your fruit and vegetables are when you cook them up for the families dinner, the more nutrients they contain, so not only looking and tasting better they will also be better for you.
Taste and texture – Be careful not to overcook your vegetables, not only does it destroy the nutritional content, but it leaves the vegetables limp and flavourless. Remember you still want that slight snap in your snow peas!
Plan ahead and buy in season, that way things won’t go to waste, and fruit and vegetables are at their freshest and cheapest. Seasonality charts can be found from many sources on the internet.
Prepare your fruit and veggies as close to cooking or eating as possible. Once cut, fruit and veggies spoil quickly and this can also cause a loss of nutrients.
Stir-frying is a quick and healthy way to prepare fresh vegetables, it uses very little oil, retains texture, taste, and is quick and easy to prepare. Stir-fried vegetables are perfect served with noodles or rice and work well topped with a few toasted cashews or other toasted nuts.
Why not try planting your own veggie garden, the benefits are endless as it will encourage you to eat more healthy foods, the kids will love eating the veggies they have grown plus it will save money on your grocery bill.
