Thursday, July 22, 2010

How Can You Combat The Loss of Nutrients in Today's Produce?

I was reading through some health-related articles the other day and came across this one, which shocked me....sort of. The article reported that many of our once very nutritious fruits and veggies have lost their nutritional value over the years. They used an example of broccoli, which in 1950 had 130 mg of calcium per serving, and now has 48 mg per serving. What the heck? What's going on?

According to the article our common use of "selective breeding and synthetic fertilizers" decreases the produce's ability to soak up nutrients from the soil. The effect is opposite in organic foods, which are actually put under more stress during their growth, forcing them to produce more phytonutrients (plant nutrients, which benefit our bodies, such as beta carotene and lycopene). Can't afford organic? Here is what the article suggested (and I agree):



- Pair your produce: Basically this is indicating that many of the beneficial nutrients in fruits and veggies are better absorbed when eaten with other foods. I've talked about fat soluble vitamins before, such as vitamin A, D, E, and K. These all need fat in order to be absorbed. For example, a professor at The Ohio State University found that pairing tomatoes and avocado is a great way to increase the absorption of cancer-fighting lycopene (other forms of fat help too, such as olives, oil, and/or cheese).




- Buy smaller items: Put down that HUGE tomato! You're better off buying the smaller grape tomatoes. Smaller fruits and veggies have more concentrated sources of phytonutrients (plant nutrients). Most of the disease-fighters are found in the skin. When you eat a handful of grape tomatoes (or grapes!) you are getting more surface area of skin than if you eat half of a giant tomato.


- Pay attention to cooking methods: Did you know that some fruits and veggies actually become more nutritious when heated? Broccoli, tomatoes, and carrots are some examples. They each contain a type of phytonutrient called carotenoids, which are better absorbed by the body when heated. Steaming is a great way to heat vegetables because minimal nutrients are lost in the water (such as what happens when you boil vegetables in water).



- Eat within a week: Research suggests all produce should be eaten within one week of purchasing if you want to obtain the most health benefits. Try to plan your meals close to the date when you bought your produce.


Question: What are some of your tips for keeping your produce packed full of nutrients?

One thing I do is buy a lot of frozen produce, especially vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower. When frozen produce are harvested they are immediately cooked and then blanched to stop the cooking process. After this they are quickly frozen to help lock in all of the nutrients. No matter how long the produce is in the store, waiting to be bought, or in my freezer, waiting to be heated, they aren't losing any more nutrients!


Coming Up
Saturday is my last day in Pittsburgh. I'll admit that I will sort of miss it here, as I've really grown to like it (no, I have NOT become a Steelers fan....), but I'm more excited to go home! I won't post again until next week, when I'll be posting some recaps of my days here. What have I been eating? What have I been doing? Find out next week.


Thanks for reading everyone. Have a great day!

21 comments :

  1. Another great post - thanks for this info!

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  2. Food pairings are so intriguing to me. It makes perfect sense, actually.

    Oh, and I went into the grocery store yesterday to buy a red pepper and the only ones in the store were as long as my forearm...no joke. That can't be normal.

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  3. I'm finally back to blogging now that I have my new computer...and I'm so far behind! This is a great post. I've read about this before and I like the tips you offered. I buy a lot of frozen veggies too. Or I cook up a huge batch to use throughout the week.

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  4. Great post! I try to eat a wide variety of veggies to try to make sure to get all the nutrients. I also think frozen veggies are great for their nutritional value, and they make it more likely you'll eat enough veggies since you'll have them around! Plus, they don't go bad in the fridge... And I never forget a little avocado for my fat! ;)

    Have a safe trip back! Looking forward to your recap! :)

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  5. I love how informative your posts are! Thanks for the tips-- definitely something to think about.

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  6. I've heard the same theory about fruits/veg and losing nutrients. More reasons to invest in organic produce when I can!

    Glad you'll be back to Cbus soon...it's always so nice to be home after living out of a suitcase. :-)

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  7. I practice most all of the tips you listed here...Score!

    I try to buy local since it cuts down on the time between when it is picked and when it makes it to my table because there isn't cross country shipping involved. Kinda goes with the tip about using produce within a week.

    Hope your trip home is a safe one. See you when you get back!

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  8. I lighty steam them...I can't tolerate certain raw ones.

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  9. I did see that but didn't get a chance to read. Very interesting. I make sure to have a bit of fat with each meal and I'm all about the frozen veggies! Can't wait to hear about what you've been up to :)

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  10. I think the cooking method is key. I use a steamer for most of my veggies (which I'm currently really missing!). I also try to frequent farmer's markets, where most of the food is picked only a day before its display. I also splurge on a lot of organics when I can.

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  11. What great info - I had no idea.

    I try to add olive oil to a lot of my veggies - a healthy fat. Avocado is a great suggestion too!

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  12. wow one week of purchase. yea that makes sense actually when i think about it.. i definitely have some 2 week old broccoli, and i can see the color of it changing already.. and it doesnt taste as good after awhile of sitting in the fridge.

    xoxo

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  13. Well now that is crappy. These are great tips though. Many people can't afford organic, and I would rather them eat some conventional produce than no produce at all. I wonder if the USDA nutrient database and the books are updated to reflect these changes, or if the databases we use to assess diets are off and people really are not meeting their needs. I always update my software but if it they don't update their numbers then that is an issue.

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  14. Great tips! I also buy a lot of frozen veggies because I don't really plan my meals out. I have a Biggest Loser Steamer...best thing ever for just $30.00!

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  15. OKay, so I guess buying that bargain bundle of last-leg fruits actually does me little good...Damn it. I guess cheap is not really cheap. I loved your tips, Gina. I'm gonna send this to my mom, because she has been asking me about this.

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  16. you mean the tomatoes we buy for 79 cents a pound that have already been frozen don't have the same nutrients as fresh ones?

    ...damn.

    hahaha whatever i'm still eating them!!!

    i'm sad you'll miss pits! but now you'll be back to niiiiiiiiiiicky!

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  17. This is a really important issue, Gina. It's not just that overly cultivated and bred produce doesn't TASTE as good, it's also not as NUTRITIOUS. My dad grew up on a farm, and he says that the veggies and milk (especially) taste atrocious to how they tasted on the farm growing up (his opinion, of course). Great idea to mention eating the fats with the fat-soluble vitamins - something that many dieters forget or don't know in their quest to cut the calories! Also a great point about eating a higher skin-to-inside ratio in fruits and veggies - I've never thought about that before but it makes total sense. I try to shop for heirloom products, when I can find them and afford them.

    Can't wait to see what you've been up to! Have a safe trip back home!

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  18. Wow really interesting post! I think I need to start being more conscious about the produce I'm selecting, how I eat it and when.

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  19. Sad! I didn't get to read the article, so thanks for posting on this! I agree most with simply buying smaller produce. Bigger is not better!!

    P.S. The job interview is a 2nd round for pediatric endocrinology at Nationwide Children's Hospital! It's another part-time position.

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  20. I had know idea that smaller versions packed a stronger punch. Thank you for educating me. I also tend to buy mostly frozen fruit as it's more affordable and it doesn't go bad.

    Let me know if you got the foam roller and I'll give you some tips.

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  21. this makes me so sad to hear :( I wish we could go back to the days were veggies were full of their nutrients and grown locally. oh well. I think its great that you advise to buy frozen veggies!! thats what I do with my favorites, like broccoli & brussels sprouts.

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