washing nutrients off vegetables?

Question

I've heard you can wash the nutrients of things like broccili or rice. Since you are boiling or steaming, do you really need to wash?

Answer 1

It's not so much the washing as it is the cooking that robs the nutrients. The reason you should wash veggies is to remove chemicals, which are not removed by heat like a germ is.

The best thing you can do is wash the vegetables before cooking, and then try to use some of the water you cook the vegetables in in another dish (i.e. a soup.)

Answer 2

Every vegetables need to be washed just before you cook or eat them. It's also a fact that sometimes washing may take out the nutrients a bit but I'm sure you don't want to eat your veggies with dirt and germs included, right?

With rice, it's advisable to wash it once. Too many washes can take out all of rice's nutrients.

Answer 3

I heard the same thing about you wash off the nutrients. I don't wash my vegetable when I boil them because of that. I let my water come to a boiling point and then I stick my vegetable in for about a minute or two and then I place them under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Check out the website below in know your source
Boiling
Most vegetables other than roots and tubers only need a few seconds of boiling time. When done properly, boiling can bring out the beautiful color of a vegetable in less time than steaming. And, when done briefly, the nutritive properties of the vegetable are still retained.

A vegetable is "done" when its best properties have been brought out--not when it is mushy. Boiling does soften the vegetables, but the point is not to kill them.

Many Japanese dishes require boiling of vegetables in water before further handling. This is done very quickly and sets the color of the vegetable. In order to stop further cooking, the vegetables should be submerged in cold (ideally iced) water immediately after removing from the pot. It may be easiest to accomplish this if you place the vegetables into the pot (and then into the cold water) using a metal strainer. Remember to have the water boiling before placing the vegetable in it.

* Leafy vegetables such as spinach usually only need about 15 seconds. In fact, with something as thin as spinach, I pretty much submerge in the boiling water and call it done. Remove quickly and submerge in ice water to set the color.
* Thinly-sliced carrots, Chinese peas: About 15 seconds. 30 if you like them soft.
* Cauliflower and broccoli: About 30 seconds, maybe a tad less. I like them crunchy. I will often cook cauliflower longer than I would for broccoli, however.
* Fresh green beans need several minutes, but should not be made mushy. If you want mushy, buy a can.
* Small potatoes need about 25-35 minutes if the water is boiling when you place them in the pot. Use as small amount of water as reasonable or you will lose many of the valuable nutrients.

Answer 4

You wash the veggies to get the dirt and excess chemicals off, boiling or steaming the veggies for long periods is what depleats the nutrients.

Answer 5

You do need to wash fruits and vegetables before eating them even if you cook them. If you don't, you'll end up cooking pesticides, herbicides and heaven knows what other chemicals into the foods. Washing them won't ruin the nutrition. Just don't overcook them. Cook vegetables until you can just get a fork to pierce them slightly.

Answer 6

NOPE IT CANT BE WASHED OFF ITS GOOD TO WASH YOUR VEGES.

BUT INSTEAD OF BOILING THEM IN WATER STEAM UR VEGITABLES ---BOILING WILL TAKE THE NUTRIENTS OUT

OVER STEAMING CAN ALSO THE BEST IS TO MAKE A DIP(I LIKE DILL DIP)AND EAT THEM FRESH OR MAKE JUICE IN A JUICER WITH THEM THESE ARE THE BEST MOST EFFECENT WAYS TOI GET NUTRIANTS OUT OF THE VEGES AND FRUITS

Answer 7

Yes you need to wash away the dirt and maybe bugs! You don't want to cook bugs! lol