What is steaming and sauteing ?

Question

I read at many places that steaming and sauteing vegetables is better than boiling them. What is the difference between steaming/sauteing/boiling?

Answer 1

This question belongs over in the cooking area rather than Diet & Fitness. (Maybe).

Boiling is where you put the vegetables in a pan, cover them with water and raise the water to a boil, and when the vegetables are cooked, you pour the water off. Much of the vitamins (and flavor!) of the vegetables goes out into the water and is poured off.

Steaming is to place the vegetables on a grate above the boiling water so that none of the vegetables are actually submerged in the water. The steam from the boiling water cooks the vegetables but there is very little runoff, so you don't tend to lose any of the vitamins or flavor with this method.

Frying is the equivalent to boiling except you use fat or oil to submerge the food in. Sauteing is like frying except you don't submerge the food in the fat or oil. Rather you only use just enough fat or oil to lightly coat the inside of the pan.