What affects the amount of vitamins in food?

2. What affects the amount of vitamins in food?

3. Fresh, canned or frozen? Frozen or canned within a few hours of harvesting Canning – overall cooking time is less (salt may be added) Freezing – stops any further loss of vitamins

4. Cooking vegetables: boiling vs. steaming

5. Preparation of fruit Fresh fruit • Flesh exposed to the air over a period of time • Browning of flesh due to oxidation • More vitamin loss • Flesh received minimal exposure to air • Flesh is not brown • More vitamins retained Prepared prior to eating Cut just before eating

6. Milk

7. Cooking methods

8. Simple ways to reduce vitamin loss

9. Circle the best choices to save vitamins Cutting fruit as needed or preparing in advance? Scrubbing vegetables or peeling them? Cooking vegetables for a long time or a short time? Boiling vegetables or steaming them? Cutting vegetables into smaller pieces or larger pieces to cook? Storing ripe fruit in the fridge crisper or storing ripe fruit in a bowl?

10. Circle the best choices to save vitamins Cutting fruit as needed or preparing in advance? Scrubbing vegetables or peeling them? Cooking vegetables for a long time or a short time? Boiling vegetables or steaming them? Cutting vegetables into smaller pieces or larger pieces to cook? Storing ripe fruit in the fridge crisper or storing ripe fruit in a bowl?

11. What did you think of today’s session? • What do you remember most from today? • Do you think you know more about preventing vitamin loss when cooking and preparing food? • What are you going to do differently?

12. Developed by HELPP, Funded by SA Health, and managed by Nutrition & Dietetics, Flinders University Contact: Food Safety and Nutrition Branch, SA Health Tel: 8226 7100 or Nutrition & Dietetics, Flinders University Tel 8204 4715