Today the Yikigai team will introduce you to some of the products we use most often in the wrong way.

Kiwi

Kiwi looks beautiful sliced on a plate, but “wrong” from the gastronomic point of view. Contrary to stereotypes, berries should be eaten with skin: the latter is quite edible, contains antioxidants and vitamins C, E. For example, kiwi rind contains 50% more fiber and three times more antioxidants than flesh.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are enriched with antioxidants and beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body. Few people think about it, but in the process of heat treatment, these vegetables secrete lycopene, a valuable phytonutrient that is beneficial to the heart and blood vessels. Numerous studies of scientists have confirmed that the maximum concentration of lycopene is formed at 90 ° C. So bravely fry, bake tomatoes on the grill and add to your favorite dishes.

Carrot

The red root vegetable is useful not only in the raw – as it is generally believed – form, but also in the processed. No, after boiling valuable beta-carotene does not go anywhere: it can degrade only at temperatures starting from 170 ° C, so it remains in carrots or broth along with potassium and calcium. Boiled carrots are devoid of coarse fibers and are better absorbed by the body than raw carrots.

Broccoli

Superfood lovers usually include raw broccoli in their diet, which is not quite right. Cabbage tastes better and retains more useful properties if steamed. And contact with hot water should be excluded so that vitamin C does not “go” into the water. And do not rush to throw away the stems: they are more nutritious than inflorescences in terms of vitamins (A, E, C, K) and elements (magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, zinc).

Asparagus

Like broccoli, it is recommended to steam asparagus, excluding direct contact with water. Thus, useful components are preserved in the stems, and the released water can be used to make porridge and soups. Quick frying is also allowed: 5-7 minutes of processing in the frying pan will save even more vitamins than when steaming.

Avocado

Avocado is a source of vegetable fats and vitamins A, B, E. Some people do not clean the exotic fruit properly, sending a generous layer of the peel with pulp to the trash. When cutting, you should cut the avocado crosswise, divide it in half and gently remove the peel, forging with a sharp blade (or better – use a special knife for avocado). Be careful with the choice of fruit: the fruit should be slightly soft, without cracks, stains, or scratches.

Strawberry

Vitamins A, B, C, K, antioxidants, organic acids, and other components of strawberries are sensitive to light and oxygen, so they lose their usefulness when stored openly. Try to eat fresh strawberries at once. Otherwise, do not fill the berries with sugar, do not cut and leave them to languish. Ideal conditions are to place the strawberries in a cool place with untouched tails.

Garlic

Only experienced cooks know that it is better not to cut the garlic, but to crush it, leaving it on the table for 10 minutes before being sent to soup or roast. Like many foods, outdoors garlic loses some of its vitamin C, but it strongly releases allicin, a compound with powerful bactericidal properties that can maintain human immunity for up to several days.

Cereals

It is not recommended to cook cereals in milk. First, milk increases the glycemic index of the dish (sharply increases blood sugar), which is undesirable for weight-lossers. Secondly, milk can reduce the absorption of nutrients. For example: buckwheat cooked with milk will not be so useful, because iron and calcium interfere with the absorption of each other.

Tea

Try not to pour the tea leaves with steep boiling water: the optimal temperature of brewing – 80-85 ° C. If you like tea with honey, add it last. At 42 ° C honey loses its beneficial properties, and at 60 ° C carcinogen is formed in a food – Methoxymethylfurfural. Drink only freshly brewed tea: after an hour and a half or two hours after preparation, the usefulness of the drink is reduced to nothing.