Fascinating Fruit & Vegetable Secrets

  1. Storage, preparation and cooking can all rob fruits and vegetables of essential vitamins and minerals. Here are a few ways to make your five-a-day count...
  2. The deeper the color of the fruit or vegetable the more nutritious it is likely to be.
  3. Chewing vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and sprouts more thoroughly increases the amount of cancer-fighting chemicals released, says the Institute of Food Research.
  4. The shorter the cooking time and the less water you use, the greater the nutritional effect.
  5. Avoid pre-cut, pre-washed produce. Doing these things too early depletes cancer-fighting nutrients.
  6. A pinch of baking soda may brighten the color of vegetables but it also destroys B and C vitamins.