Is it better to eat steamed or boiled?

One of the healthiest and most convenient ways to cook food is steaming. This is a technique of cooking food using hot steam from water. Specifically, the heat provided by the water will accumulate on the top of the pot, gradually spreading downwards, so the food will cook from top to bottom.

This method not only retains the flavor, texture and nutrients of the food but also provides many health benefits, more than boiling.

With steamed dishes, housewives do not have to spend much time and easily prepare cooking utensils, grills or cooking oil. Steamers are also easier to clean than pots and pans used for frying, stir-frying, and braising. This helps ensure much more hygiene and food safety.

On the other hand, steamed dishes do not require the use of additional fat or oil like grilling or stir-frying, so they are healthier, the food does not overpower its natural flavor, and are quite quick and convenient, without being fussy.

One of the healthiest and most convenient ways to cook food is steaming. (Illustration)

With boiled dishes, food is put into boiling water, vitamins and minerals dissolve in water, so the nutrients in the food are greatly lost.

When frying, food must come into contact with oil and grease, which can cause weight gain. In particular, animal-based dishes when grilled at high temperatures will cause changes in their properties, even creating the risk of creating carcinogens, and are also more difficult to digest when eaten.

In general, steaming is the best cooking method, retaining maximum nutrients, you should eat it often.

Advantages of eating steamed food

- Retains more nutrients: Steaming helps retain nutrients in food because it cooks ingredients in steam instead of boiling them in liquid. When boiling, water-soluble vitamins and minerals will seep into the water, so the nutrients in food will also be lost quite a bit.

- Enhances natural flavors: Steaming is a great way to enhance the natural flavors in foods. Unlike other cooking methods like roasting, frying, and baking, steaming does not require the use of oils or other ingredients that can overpower the natural flavors in foods.

- Less stress on ingredients: Steaming is a gentle cooking technique. This is important because it prevents food from becoming tough or dry.

- Quick and convenient: With a few basic cooking utensils and some fresh or frozen ingredients, it's easy to steam a delicious meal.

- Healthier Alternative: If you're watching your fat or calorie intake, steaming may be a better cooking method because it doesn't require the use of additional fat or oil.

Dr. HUYNH TAN VU (University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, branch 3)

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