Do Foods Lose Nutrients When Cooked. Raw fruits and vegetables may contain more nutrients like vitamin C and B vitamins. As far as vegetables go cooking them in water robs them of some of their nutritional value because the nutrients leach out into the cooking water.
Prolonged exposure to water heat and light may cause some foods to lose nutritional value. While this isnt a big problem for sources of proteins and carbohydrates its a definite concern when cooking. The longer foods are in storage the more nutrients they lose.
Water brought to a boil transfers heat quickly to vegetables which causes some of the nutrients inside them to seep out into the cooking water.
For example boiled broccoli loses glucosinolate the sulfur-containing compound that may give the vegetable its cancer-fighting properties as well as the taste that many find distinctive and some find disgusting. Prolonged exposure to water heat and light may cause some foods to lose nutritional value. However the nutrients resistant to heat will stay in the soup and you will eat them along with the water. Use the fruits and vegetables as soon as possible whether they are frozen fresh or canned.
