Steam Cooking Is The Best Way To Cook Food, Here's Why.

Are the advantages as good as they “steam” to be? The method of steam cooking uses hot water vapor to do the actual cooking. With steaming, your food should never come into contact with the boiling water. Heat from the steam slowly dances and circulates around your food, uniformly cooking it. Especially when it comes to vegetables, steam cooking keeps them as close to their natural state as possible; maintaining most of their nutrients, beautiful colour, taste and freshness. The best part– there is minimal kitchen clean up afterwards, and is considered one of the easiest method of cooking. Everything can be cooked by steaming, including meats, poultry, fish, fruits and pasta. We probably don’t need to convince you of the benefits of steam cooking, but just in case, here are a few more to add to the list.

1.Lowers Cholesterol
When cooking meats such as lamb or pork, steaming separates the fat from the meat so it can be easily discarded whereas conventional cooking methods such as grilling, baking or frying, cook the fat into the meat. Getting rid of the fat makes the meat lower in calories and cholesterol. Don’t be afraid to add some aromatic flavour to your food, just add some herbs and spices to the water

2.Preserves the fiber, colour, and flavour of vegetables
By steam cooking, the vegetables are kept as close to their natural raw state as possible. This not only prevents the vegetables from turning into a mash or purée, but it also allows them to retain their original colour, taste, juices and freshness.

3.Retains vitamins and minerals
Many of the vitamins and minerals found in vegetables are lost with conventional methods of cooking. Steaming ensures that those essential vitamins and minerals are retained during the cooking process. It also helps in preserving the water soluble B & C vitamins, potassium, phosphorus & zinc so that one can gain the important nutrients from boiled vegetables. Steaming sustains 90% of the antioxidants present in fresh vegetables.

4.Retains Cancer-Fighting Compounds
Many vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, have anti-cancer components called the glucosinolates which are destroyed when over-cooked. By steaming them at a low temperature with minute amount of water, their miraculous compounds are retained.

5.No oil
Steam cooking does not requirement oil, thus greatly reducing your fat intake and making your food low in calories, fat and cholesterol for a lighter and healthier meal. The moisture from the steam also keeps your food moist and tender, preventing it from drying out.

There are two methods of steaming:
• Low pressure
• High pressure
In low pressure steaming, food may be cooked by direct or indirect contact with the steam. Direct – food is placed in a steamer or in a pan of boiling water and indirect – food is placed in between two plates over a pan of boiling water. High-pressure steaming is performed in a purpose-built equipment, which does not allow the steam to escape, hence reducing the cooking time.

[deedeebrown]

This is going to be my new way to prepare my food. Thank you

[plumeria]

I have three rice cookers. One for steaming rice and the other two for steaming regular meals. Doing dishes is easy. It is so clean. I even do noodle soup and sandwiches. I prepare the food, stick it in, and let it cook. I don’t have to stand there and monitor it.

[QuantumPyrite_.]

Steam destroys salmonella, bacteria, giardia, protozoa etc.

[johnlawless]

the vegetables are delicious the meat tender.

[JOATji]

Is pressure cooker comes under steam cooking

[tnijoo]

Pasta? Can be cooked by steaming?! I had no idea!

[samuraikitten]

What about microwaving vegetables? Are raw vegetables better?

[jasne]

the cholesterol myth...here we go again

[averythompkins]

GOD loves you enough to send HIS only SON to save you and if you repent and turn from your sins and be baptized in THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON and THE HOLY SPIRIT. ((if you haven't )

[paulterl]

... "Seven day vegan challenge" !