Steaming is considered a healthy cooking method because it preserves the nutrients in food by avoiding losses linked to the use of oil or high temperatures.
Steaming preserves vitamins and minerals particularly well because it limits their loss in the cooking water. When you boil vegetables, some of the valuable nutrients escape into the water (and usually end up down the drain). In steaming, this loss is greatly reduced since the food is not submerged. As a result, sensitive vitamins like vitamin C or those in the B group remain more in your plate. The same goes for minerals like magnesium, calcium, or iron. In short, you benefit more from what food has to offer.
Unlike other cooking methods, steaming requires almost no added fats. There's no need for large amounts of butter or oil! Foods are cooked using steam, which keeps them light. This helps avoid excess unnecessary calories and bad fats that can tire the body. The result: a lighter cuisine, easy to digest, and good for the heart and arteries. It's ideal for those who are watching their weight or want to adopt a healthier diet on a daily basis.
With steaming, you avoid the formation of toxic substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which can appear when you grill, fry, or cook your dishes at very high temperatures. These compounds, potentially carcinogenic in high doses, are absent when you cook with steam because the food does not burn and remains at a moderate temperature. As a result, you can eat without worrying about the harmful effects associated with burnt or overcooked food.
Steaming is gentle; nothing burns, browns, or becomes crispy. As a result, there is no strong alteration of flavors; foods retain their authentic taste and freshness better. Vegetables stay crunchy without becoming mushy or bland, and fish or meats maintain their natural tenderness without drying out. Even herbs retain their subtle fragrance better. There’s no need to add a lot of salt or many spices to enhance the flavors; everything is naturally highlighted. It's simple; you truly taste what you eat, just as it is.
Steaming helps to soften food fibers, making them easier to chew and digest. As a result, your digestive system works less hard and absorbs nutrients more quickly, thanks in part to better preservation of the natural enzymes present in food. This way, your body fully benefits from the nutritional advantages without having to work overtime to handle difficult or heavy digestion. Steamed vegetables also maintain a tender texture, so goodbye to digestive discomfort and hello to a light stomach!
Did you know that steaming prevents the formation of potentially carcinogenic compounds like acrylamides, which are often found in foods that are grilled or fried at high temperatures?
Some studies indicate that steaming can preserve up to 80 to 90% of the antioxidants present in vegetables, compared to only 40 to 50% when boiling in water.
Steaming allows you to cook several foods simultaneously without mixing flavors or aromas. This way, you can cook your fish at the same time as your vegetables while keeping each flavor intact!
By using a steam cooker, you consume significantly less energy than when using a traditional oven or stovetop, making this method both healthy for your body and beneficial for the environment.
No, you don't need to have a specific steamer. You can use a simple pot with a steamer basket or even place a stainless steel colander over a pot of boiling water covered with a suitable lid to keep the steam inside.
Indirectly, yes. Since this cooking method does not require the addition of any fat, it greatly reduces the consumption of unnecessary fats. Thus, regularly incorporating steamed foods can assist and facilitate weight loss or weight management.
Almost all foods can be steamed, but this method is particularly recommended for vegetables, fish, seafood, grains such as rice or semolina, as well as certain white meats. This cooking technique helps to preserve the original flavor, texture, and nutritional value of the foods.
Steaming is often very quick, especially for vegetables and fish. For example, most vegetables are ready in 5 to 15 minutes. However, certain meats and grains may require slightly longer cooking times compared to high-heat methods like grilling or frying.
You can simply add herbs or spices directly into the cooking water. Fresh herbs, spices like ginger or turmeric, or even lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, or a bit of soy sauce after cooking will provide a delicious flavor without adding unnecessary fats.
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