17 Nov Top Benefits of Steaming Your Food
Nothing beats a heaping helping of tender, crisp fresh produce on your dinner plate – but of course there are few things worse than a mushy spoonful of limp, lifeless and colourless veggies, which will most likely prompt the younger members of your family to put up a fight about eating their greens! By steaming your food instead of boiling or frying it however, you can avert these dinnertime disasters and enjoy meals that are not just better-tasting and better-looking, but richer in nutrients too. We’ve just added a fab new stainless steel steamer to our online store’s cookware selection, and to celebrate this awesome new arrival, we thought we’d spotlight the benefits of steaming for all our green gourmets out there. Plus we have a few handy tips to make you a steaming sensation in the kitchen!
Steaming 101
First of all, what is steaming? Simply put, it’s a cooking technique where hot steam is used to conduct heat into the food; that means the food doesn’t come into contact with water, as it would when boiling, or with cooking oils and fats, as it would when frying.
Top Reasons to Steam More Meals!
There are several key factors that make steaming a healthy and economical way of cooking:
1. There’s no need to add fats or oils when steaming; this keeps your meals heart-healthy and keeps the number of calories you’re consuming to a minimum.
2. Steamed food retains more of its original vitamins, minerals & enzymes, which would otherwise leach out into the cooking water used when boiling.
3. Steaming softens the fibres of vegetables and fruits, making them more easily digestible, so your body can absorb all that nutritional goodness more easily.
4. Steamed foods retain their original structure and colours, so they stay crisp and look much more appetizing; no more limp, mushy or colourless meals.
5. Steaming is a very versatile cooking method, suitable for most types of vegetables, fruits, starches or meats.
6. Makes it possible to cook a variety of foods quickly over one heat supply; this saves on energy and costs, making it a more affordable and eco-friendly way to cook.
Did You Know? When steamed, it loses only about 11% of its flavonoids, and retains a whopping 81% of vitamin C! Comparatively, it loses 66% of its flavonoids when boiled, and up to 97% when microwaved.
Spice it Up: Get Steam-Savvy
If you think steamed foods sound boring, think again! Here are some great tips for adding a little special “zing” to your steamed vegetable dishes, no matter what flavour you’re in the mood for.
1. Classic: Toss the vegetables in a mixture of extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground black pepper and salt before adding them to the steamer.
2. Herby: Add whole sprigs of fresh herbs – parsley, lavender, basil or thyme – to the vegetables while steaming them. Remove before serving.
3. Citrus infusion: Grate a little lemon zest over the vegetables, or add fresh lemon juice/ lemon slices to the water underneath. Great with broccoli, green beans and squash.
4. Sweet: Add a splash of red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar to enhance the flavour of “sweet” vegetables before steaming. Works best with carrots and sweet potatoes.
5. Exotic: Toss Asian vegetables in a mixture of sesame oil, white pepper and a little soy sauce before steaming, for a fabulous stir-fried flavour.
Happy cooking faithful fans! Be sure to check out our new Kitchen Craft selection for more stylish culinary tools.
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