Fion CHOW, accredited Practising Dietitian (DAA, AUS) and Assistant Treasurer of Hong Kong Dietitians Association, suggests to choose different types and colours of fresh and seasonal vegetables as different vegetables offer different types of nutrients and phytochemicals. Eggplants in purple colour are rich in anthocyanins; tomatoes in red colour are rich in lycopene; carrots and pumpkins in orange colour have beta-carotene; and cauliflower and button mushrooms in white colour have anthoxanthins. To maintain a balanced diet for health, Fion suggests to consume a variety of vegetables with plenty of grains, more fruits, and moderate amounts of meat and dairy products.
Tips for Storing and Preparing of Vegetables
Soak and Clean : Vegetables can be washed under clean running water for several times and soaked them into water for one hour to reduce the risk of residual pesticide.
Keep Fresh and Store :Some vegetables decay easily when getting wet. Let these vegetables dry out in well ventilated area and then wipe away the excess water. Use lightly moistened paper to wrap the vegetables before refrigerating in plastic bag. The longer the vegetables are stored, the likelier they get rotten with nutrient loss. Therefore, they should be consumed as soon as possible.
Low Fat Cooking : Adopt low fat cooking methods such as stir-frying with small amount of oil, blanching and cooking in broth to reduce fat intake.
Preserve Nutrients : Prolonged exposure of heat will increase nutrient loss. To prevent nutrient loss, try cooking vegetables in whole or cutting them into large pieces as far as practicable to reduce surface areas exposed to heat.
Source :
Vegetable Marketing Organisation
Centre for Food Safety
