Deliciously Healthy Meal Prep Tips

Busog na, malusog pa!

Isn’t this the ideal scenario? But with the fast pace of life, we usually only have time to go for busog, opting for easier to prepare food without really taking into account the proper way to do it.

But you’d be surprised to know we can lose out on nutrients from our food through incorrect preparation. That’s why it’s important for us to know how to clean, process, cook, and store our foods the right way. That way, we both enjoy our food while being enriched and nourished to the max!

Keep Nutrients Locked in

It may come as a surprise, but nutrients in our food are actually sensitive to elements in your kitchen, such as light and temperature. Keeping this in mind, here are some food preparation and storage tips to remember whenever you’re making it happen in the kitchen:

For fruits and vegetables, time is of the essence! Start preparing them as close to consumption time as possible.

When washing fruits and vegetables, do not soak them in water to preserve the nutrients on the surface. A quick wash under the tap should do.

Add a bit of lemon or vinegar to chopped produce to prevent them from browning.

There are nutrients on the skin! Only peel fruits when necessary, and if so, peel thinly.

Know when to drop your veggies in your dish. Ideally, when your dish is almost done cooking. Just like how kangkong is dropped when you’re about to turn the stove off.

Don’t store your leftovers warm. Cool them down a bit, or better yet, separate them into portions if possible. After that, freeze!

Hitting the Sweet Spot

Are you familiar with the story of Goldilocks? That “too hot, too cold, and just right” part is very useful in the kitchen. Through it, you can set parameters of heat levels and how much oil or liquids to use in different manners of cooking.

Check out this handy chart:

Cooking method	Liquid/Oil	Cookware	Suitable foods
Pot Steaming	Little liquid	Pot with sieve-insert, tight-fitting lid	Dumplings, potatoes, vegetables
Flat Pot Steaming	Little liquid, little oil	Flat pot, tight-fitting lid	Fish, small vegetables, fruit
Braising	Little liquid, little oil	Roasting pan with tight-fitting lid	Meat, braised vegetables (use roasting stock)

Steaming is particularly good for food that need to retain their shape and appearance like fish and dumplings. This is because compared to boiling, the food rests above the cooking water and is not immersed. Here’s a steamed lapu-lapu recipe you can try at home.

Braising, on the other hand, is a combination of roasting and stewing. It’s simple, really. Just fry your ingredients, pour in your stock or water, then put a lid on top! Don’t forget to use pan juices as sauce so vitamins and minerals don’t go to waste. If you’re eager to try braising at home, here’s a simple braised pork belly recipe for you!

There you have it! By paying close attention to how we clean, cook, and store our food, we can truly maximize their nutritional value and enjoy healthier and more satisfying meals day after day after day after day.