Certain cooking mistakes are made in an effort to make food taste better, but they end up destroying its nutrients. There is this assumption that as long as the food tastes good and fills the stomach, it’s doing its job. However, the method of cooking, reheating, seasoning, and storing food can make or break its nutritional value.
Cooking Mistakes that Destroy Nutrients
In this post, you will discover 7 common cooking mistakes that destroy nutrients in the food and what can be done instead to retain the nutrients. The goal is to keep the flavor but do it in a way that lets the body actually benefit from what it consumes.
Overcooking Vegetables (Pumpkin leaf or Waterleaf)
Most times adding vegetables into boiling water or soups early in cooking and leaving them till they are completely soft directly affects it’s nutrient. Overcooking breaks down heat-sensitive vitamins like vitamin C, folate, and other antioxidants.
What to do instead:
- Add leafy vegetables last, when the food is almost done.
- Blanch or steam for 2–3 minutes instead of long boiling.
- Use raw in smoothies or side salads when possible.
Quick Tip: The greener your vegetables look after cooking, the more nutrients they have retained
Using Too Much Palm Oil or Frying It for Too Long
To get that rich red color, we tend to heat palm oil until it smokes or “bleaches”. High heat breaks down vitamin A (beta-carotene) and oxidizes healthy fats. This reduces both the nutritional value and heart health benefits of palm oil.
What to do instead:
- Use palm oil moderately, enough for taste, not flooding.
- Add it towards the end of cooking, not at the beginning.
Reheating Soups
Making large batches of egusi, draw, or okra soup and reheat them multiple times throughout the week. Each round of reheating destroys nutrients, especially vitamin C, B-complex vitamins, and antioxidants. Constant heat also breaks down protein quality and encourages fat oxidation.
What to do instead:
- Store soups in smaller containers and only reheat what you will eat.
- Reheat on low heat or in the microwave to reduce nutrient loss.
Cooking on Very High Heat
Frying tomato and onion mixtures on high heat to save time or “brown” stew quickly, is not the best. Nutrients like lycopene (in tomatoes) and quercetin (in onions) degrade under extreme heat. Also, high heat can damage cooking oils and create harmful compounds.
What to do instead:
- Cook on medium heat and stir often.
- Allow natural simmering; patience brings flavor and health.
Over-Soaking Beans
Soaking beans overnight (or longer) to reduce gas or bitterness leaches out protein, iron, and B vitamins into the water.
What to do instead:
- Soak for just 4-6 hours long enough to break down anti-nutrients.
- Rinse thoroughly before soaking instead of after
Peeling Off Too Much of Natural Skins
Peeling off all the skin from yam, potatoes, and unripe plantains. Skins often contain fiber, antioxidants, and minerals. By peeling too deeply, certain nutrients stored close to or in the skin are lost.
What to do instead:
- Wash thoroughly and cook with skin on if safe (especially sweet potatoes).
- Try roasting or baking foods with their skin to preserve nutrients and fiber.
- Using Too Much Seasoning Cubes
Relying heavily on seasoning cubes (Maggi, Knorr, etc.) can have a negative impact. They contain excess sodium, Mono-sodium glutamate, and chemical preservatives, which can overwhelm the natural taste of your ingredients and contribute nothing nutritionally.
What to do instead:
- Use natural flavor boosters like crayfish, iru (locust beans), ginger, garlic, onions, or scent leaf.
- Gradually reduce cube use and allow your taste buds to adjust.
Let Your Meals Nourish You
Healthy eating isn’t just about what you cook, it’s about how you cook it. Avoiding these common mistakes, not just only preserves nutrients but makes the meals actually work for the body, not just the taste buds. By making small changes on how to soak foods, cook, heat, and season the food, can preserve the necessary nutrients.