1.  Vegetable Notes and Review Nutrition and Food Prep 1

2. Classifications  Tubers: Potatoes  Bulbs: Onions and Garlic  Roots: Beets, Turnips, Carrots, Radish, Sweet Potato  Stem: Asparagus, Celery, Mushrooms  Leaves: Lettuce, Spinach  Seeds: Lima Beans, Peas, Corn  Flowers: Artichoke, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts  Fruits: Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Eggplant

3. Flavors of the Vegetables  Strong: Cabbage, Brussel Sprouts, Turnips, Cauliflower, Onions  Mild: Most other vegetables

4. Nutrients  High Water Content: Fruits, stems, flowers, leaves  Tomatoes, Celery, Broccoli, Lettuce  Lower Cellulose Structure means they cook faster!  Starches: tubers, bulbs, roots seeds  Potato, Sweet Potato, Lima Beans, Corn  Higher Cellulose Structure means they take longer to cook!

5. Pigments  Yellow/Orange= Carotene  White= Flavone  Red/Purple= Anthocyanin  Green= Chlorophyll  When we overcook vegetables, the pigment leaches into the water! This means were are losing VITAL NUTRIENTS!!!!

6. Forms of Vegetables  Fresh  Only available certain times of the year  Only buy fresh vegetables that are IN SEASON!  Vegetables out of season usually travel from far!  Canned  Vacuumed sealed to preserve the texture  Frozen  Flash boiled then frozen to keep the nutrients in  Dried  The moisture is taken out (such as vegetable chips!)

7. Nutrient Contribution  Vitamins:  Chlorophyll= Green substance of the plant  Vitamin A= Helps your eyes dialate  Vitamin C= Strengthens your immune system  Vitamin B= Helps your brain function properly!  Minerals:  Calcium= Strengthens bones and teeth  Iron= helps filter out your blood to create new blood  Carbohydrates:  Cellulose, starch and sugar= Gives you energy!  Fiber= MAKES YOU POOP!  Sugars are naturally found in vegetables  Proteins:  Incomplete Plant Based Protein= Legumes such as dried beans and peas!

8. Vegetable Cookery  Goal is to retain color, flavor, nutrient and texture!  Cellulose structure softens and they become less crisp  Starch absorbs the water, swells and become more soluble  Water-soluble vitamins from vegetables seep out into the water  Amount of Water  Loss of nutrients is reduced when cooked in small amount of water  Pan should be covered to prevent both scorching and loss of water due to evaporation  Length of Cooking Time  Vitamins are destroyed by heat and overcooking  Cook only until fork tender and still slightly crisp  Overcooking dulls the bright colors of vegetables an lose their texture and shape and become mushy!  Properly cooked vegetables retain their color, flavor, texture and most importantly the NUTRIENTS!

9. Vegetable Cookery (Continued)  Method of Cookery  Boil: boil is mall amount of water, add vegetables, return to boil, cover pan and reduce heat to simmer  Baked: Wash thoroughly and place on oven rack  Panned: Stir-fry, braised (fat, low heat)  Steamed: Water in bottom of pan, basket to hold food, cook over boiling water  Fried: Pan, deep fry, batter/crumbs  Pressure cook: Quick, good flavor, color  Broil: Extremely high heat (tomatoes, eggplant)  Microwave: Retain color, flavor, texture and nutrients

10. Selection and Buying  Canned: More water cooked at processing time, graded by the government  Fresh: More nutritious, crisp, firm, color and most nutrients  Frozen: Label information is your guide  Dried: Beans, Peas, Legumes—Soak before cooking, very CHEAP!

11. Care and Storage  Refrigerate most, examine before putting away and use as soon as possible  Tubers and root vegetables—Store in a cool, dry, dark place  Canned Vegetables—On shelf at room temperature, use within one year  Frozen—Use immediately when thawed and as soon as possible to prevent freezer burn