Preparation & Cooking

Veggies and fruit are so versatile - they add colour, taste and great nutritional value to any meal or snack, and can be prepared in a hundred different ways! There are of course a few easy tricks to preparing and cooking veggies and fruit in a way that best preserves their flashy colours and excellent nutrient content. So read on and enjoy eating your way to better health - the 5-a-Day way!

5 Preparation Tips

Use fresh first. After doing your weekly shopping, plan to use your fresh vegetables and fruit earlier in the week as they spoil faster, and use frozen veggies later in the week.

Keep it clean. Begin by washing your hands with warm water and soap before preparing your vegetables and fruit. Wash all fresh produce thoroughly under cold running water just before eating, cooking or cutting. Do not use soap or detergent for washing fresh produce, and avoid soaking veggies and fruit in water as this may lead to a leaching of water soluble nutrients out of the fresh produce. Note that mushrooms should be wiped with damp paper towel rather than washed.

Cut it out. Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruits and vegetables before preparing and/or eating. Produce that looks rotten should be discarded. If topping and tailing is required be careful not to waste by cutting too much away.

Keep the peels. Many vegetables and fruits can be eaten with their skins and often most of the nutrients lie just under the skin – so try leaving your vegetables and fruit unpeeled. For those veggies and fruit that need to be peeled, use the peels to create your own compost for your veggie garden!

Prepare and serve! Don’t chop your veggies and fruit too far in advance – they are best served freshly prepared, unless you plan to prepare them and then freeze them immediately for use later. Many of the vegetables and fruit that are white inside change colour after they are cut. In the case of sweet and regular potatoes, cut/chop just before use. For bananas, apples, pears and avocado pears - brush with citrus such as lemon juice after cutting to prevent discolouration.

For information on the preparation of individual vegetables and fruit, check out our Veggie & Fruit Guide.

5 Cooking Tips

Keep water to a minimum. Although our grannies may have boiled their veggies – we now know that boiling is out! Veggies are a fantastic source of water soluble vitamins B and C. To ensure these vitamins are retained during cooking, we should use cooking methods that use as little water as possible such as blanching, steaming, microwaving (only requires 1 to 2 teaspoons of water) and stir frying.

Don’t overcook. There is nothing more unappetising than sloppy, discoloured, overcooked veggies. Most vegetables should be served slightly crispy and so you should take care, especially when using the microwave, to check them often and remember that they continue to cook even after they are removed from the microwave. Green veggies should be cooked no more than a few minutes before serving the meal so that they can be served while they are bright green as overcooking and leaving them to stand will lead to them turning an unappealing khaki colour.

Don’t smother. Veggies are naturally low in fat and salt but many people make the mistake of smothering them unnecessarily in high fat and salt sauces and dressings. If you stir fry use the right fats (a few drops of olive oil, sesame seed oil, avocado oil). Use herbs (basil, chives, coriander, rosemary), spices (garlic, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, cumin) or a splash of wine, sherry or touch of soy to flavour rather than salt.

Mix it up! Did you know that some veggies are better for you cooked than raw? For example, by cooking carrots the beta carotene becomes more available for use by your body. The lycopene in tomatoes is most available to us when heat and a little oil is added – good news for lovers of napolitana sauces and pizza! Other veggies are best served raw, and so the trick is to mix it up – serve both salads and cooked veggies at the same meal or a salad for lunch and cooked veggies for dinner.

Try something new. Veggies and fruit are so versatile so why not try something new like banana, apple and strawberry kebabs lightly basted with fruit juice and honey grilled on the braai. Or chilled avocado, vodka and cucumber soup with a dash of green Tabasco sauce. Veggies are also great for extending meals: add grated carrot and butternut to mince dishes or julienne green beans and carrots to casseroles.

For information on the preparation of individual vegetables and fruit, check out our Veggie & Fruit Guide.