Steamed Vegetables

What are the Benefits of Steamed Food?

Steamed food sometimes gets a bad rap. This is because it may not pack as much flavor at first when compared to other cooking methods. However, steamed food can be delicious, and is one of the healthiest ways to prepare food.

 

The benefits of steaming food

There are many benefits to steaming food, ranging from cooking time, to enhanced flavor, to a health boost. Steaming food is first and foremost an easy and efficient way to cook, especially for delicate foods such as fish or vegetables.

 

All you need is a steamer or a pot and some water and you’re good to go! Plus, steaming allows food to retain their nutrients, textures, and natural flavors.

 

How does steam cook food

Steam works to cook food by utilizing moist heat. Boiled water vaporizes into steam, which carries the heat into the food to cook it. The food therefore only comes into contact with the steam, and the constant wet heat penetrates to the center of food. This allows the food to retain its shape and cook gently and evenly.

 

Why is steamed food so healthy?

Steaming is one of the healthiest methods for cooking food. Steam-cooked foods retain more vitamins, minerals, and nutrients compared to other conventional cooking methods. In a study on five different methods of cooking broccoli, including steaming, microwaving, boiling, stir-frying, and stir-frying followed by boiling, all treatment methods aside from steaming led to a significant loss in chlorophyll, vitamin C, and total soluble proteins and sugars. Steaming allowed for the highest retention of nutrients. For fish, steaming allows for preservation of important nutrients like Omega-3 fats. Plus, steamed food typically requires less added oil and salt.

 

PMID: 19650196 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722699/

 

How to steam your food

Typical steamers include stainless steel basket inserts, bamboo steamers, and electric food steamers. When using a basket, the steaming method involves filling a large pot with 2 inches of water and bringing it to a boil. Vegetables of choice can be placed in the steamer basket and then covered and steamed for about 5 to 6 minutes. 

 

Steaming can also be done without any steamer appliance, by placing a few balls of aluminum foil inside a pot with water. A heat-proof plate can be placed on top of the aluminum balls, and the food is placed on the plate and cooked until tender. It is important however to avoid adding acidic foods to the aluminum as this can cause the metals to leech into the food.

 

So do not throw away your steamer, thinking all it produces is bland-tasting food. Pop some fresh vegetables or fish in and top them with a gut-healthy sauce, and enjoy the many benefits!