Depending on the type, fruit and vegetables should be eaten with the skin on whenever possible to ensure that the most nutrients remain. With a couple of technical tips, a quick decrease in vitamins can be avoided.
The healthiest part of vegetables and fruit is often not found in the centre. For instance, 100 grams of unpeeled apple contains about 16 milligrams of vitamin C, and 12 micrograms folium. The same amount peeled only contains 8 milligrams vitamin C and 5 micrograms folium. It is very important to wash fruit and vegetables prior to cutting to avoid important nutrients being lost.
It is best to immediately continue to use vegetables or fruit after cutting them into pieces. Cutting damages the cell structure, which in turn stimulates the degradation of vitamins. Another option is to sprinkle vinegar or lemon juice over the pieces, and put them in the refrigerator. This will certainly slow down the degradation of vitamin C.
It is recommended to braise vegetables in order to retain as much vitamin C as possible when preparing. When prepared in this way, the average loss of vitamin C in most vegetables and potatoes is 20 percent. Steaming increases the percentage to 25 percent and cooking raises it to 35 percent.