Vegetables and vegetables are the pillar of the Mediterranean diet, considered the healthiest in the world according to experts. These great foods provide vitamins, minerals and fiber and are very versatile to include in every meal.
Dietitian-nutritionist Iria Quitáns, from the Júlia Farré Center, explains that the benefits of eating vegetables daily have been linked to the prevention of chronic diseases. But to take advantage of their potential it is important to pay attention to how they are prepared.
When vegetables are cooked, “their fibers and cell walls break down,” says Quitáns. making nutrients more or less available. The carotenoids (which are antioxidants) present in carrots, for example, are released by the heat of cooking, allowing you to benefit from their properties. In some cases, it is advisable to steam or sauté vegetables. But in others, just the opposite happens and it is preferable to eat them raw, as happens with endives, cucumber or pepper.
If you cook and stew vegetables, you should respect the times and avoid doing them in excess so that they do not lose their mineral salts, fiber and collagen and taste or smell bad, chef Xavier Pellicer, a reference in vegetable cuisine, tells La Vanguardia. .
The chef, a firm defender of biodynamics and treating this ingredient from a holistic perspective, says that, for example, “many people believe that cauliflower smells bad, but that is only if you leave it in water for too long,” adding that “ The best thing is to do it little and cut it into small pieces.” Other factors that also influence the final result are quality, proximity and whether the product is seasonal, explains Pellicer.
At home vegetables can be prepared in many ways: grilled, wok, pan-fried, boiled or blanched in the oven. The chef, owner of the eponymous restaurant, lists just some of the ways in which they can be given a new meaning and taken out of the classic creams: by stewing, braising or marinating them. “Celerí – the root of celery – can be roasted as if it were chicken, you can create vegetable mandalas or use this ingredient as a base for many preparations,” lists the chef.
Below, we leave you a guide with some of the most common vegetables in the kitchen and how to prepare them to get the most out of their benefits.
Fruits
Bulbs
Tender leaves and stems
Plants with flowers
Estate
