Question

We know that the supply of dietary supplements is endless, and expensive. Jordan decided to eat healthy food regularly to avoid the need for buying supplements. He decided that it would be a lot cheaper to focus on eating whole foods rather than buying vitamins and minerals in pill form. Also Jordan had read that supplements may not really benefit long-term health. Help Jordan get the most vitamins and minerals out of his food. Please be thorough and in-depth, using complete sentences and explanations in your answers.

1. To maximize vitamin content, what should Jordan consider when buying fruit and vegetables?

2. When storing fruits and vegetables in his apartment, what steps should Jordan take to preserve nutrient values?

3. What cooking methods are best for preserving nutrient values?

4. How could Jordan maximize mineral content in his food?

Answer 1

1). Carrots, sweet potato, apricots, milk = vitamin A

Leafy vegetables, milk = vitamin B

Orange, strawberry, tomatoes, broccoli, kiwi = vitamin C

eggs, shiitake mushrooms = vitamin D

Avocados, seeds, whole-grain foods, and spinach and other dark leafy greens = vitamin E

kale, spinach, collard greens, Swiss chard, turnip greens, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, parsley, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and asparagus = vitamin K

2). In order to avoid the loss of vitamins and other nutrients he should eat them right away or storing in the refrigerator or freezer. The cold temperatures limits the degradation of vitamins so he should use the vegetable drawer in fridge and store in an air-tight bag or container. He should use the food rotation labels on the bags so that they are used on "first in first out basis"

3). Steaming is the best cooking method for preserving nutrients, including water-soluble vitamins, which are sensitive to heat and water. Other than steaming grilling, microwave and roasting are also good.

4). He should increase the intake of foods like foods like cereals, fishes, bread, meat, dairy, nuts, fruit (especially dried fruit), milk and vegetables.