Cooked vegetables will lose vitamins, minerals, colors and flavors if not cooked properly. Here are some fast and healthy ways to cook vegetables.

Steaming: Steaming is fast, preserves nutrients, and it works best for fresh and frozen vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, spinach and roots like beets, parsnips, peas and beans. If you don't have a steaming basket, you can fill a pot with mixed vegetables and add about 1 1/2 inches of unsalted water. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Check often to make sure that the water doesn't evaporate. If it gets too low, just add a little more hot water.

Roasting: Roasting is quick, simple, and is an excellent way to cook vegetables as it preserves the vitamins, flavors and minerals. In a large bowl, cover sliced vegetables with olive oil. Add garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Place them on a cookie sheet and roast them at 350 degrees until tender.

Stir-Frying: Stir-frying is a good nutrient, flavor and color preserving cooking method. Sliced vegetables are put in a frying pan covered at the bottom with any liquid for cooking such as chicken broth or a broth made from stir-fry seasonings. Constantly stir the vegetables until they are crispy and glossy. Waterless cooking reduces cooking time, makes cooking and clean-up easy and, most of all, there is no loss of nutrients in the juices of the vegetable; giving more flavor to food.

Grilling: There's room on the grill for veggies, but where to start? The best are those with a lower water content like asparagus, eggplant, onions, corn and even cabbage. Peppers are a natural grilling choice too, whether you choose bell peppers or the hot variety.

“Top 10 Healthy Ways to Cook Fruits and Vegetables,” Fruits and Veggies More Matters

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=1538

“Tips on How to Cook with Fruits and Vegetables,” Fruits and Veggies More matters

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=13