Ask Marilyn: What’s healthier – boiling or steaming?
Q: What’s healthier: boiling or steaming?
A: Steaming, wins hands down. Vitamin C and B group vitamins are water soluble, so they’re lost from vegetables during boiling. When steaming is done properly with a tight fitting lid it really helps cut this reduction of vitamins. Vitamin C and many B vitamins are also damaged through exposure to heat. The longer the exposure the fewer the nutrients that remain in the final dish. And as steaming tends to cook vegetables more quickly, it wins on that front too.