Friday Favorites: Does Pressure Cooking Preserve Nutrients?

Wow, that's a really good tip! Pressure steaming.

I use my instant pot every day. Marvellous machine!

I love this channel!

I'm embarrassed to admit that even after over 30 years vegan, I'm not a huge fan of greens. I usually hide them in other foods like I'm a toddler. But I will eat them pressure cooked due to the change in texture.

I pressure steam when I can. Usually when I do beans, then veg.. Works for me! The stuff just taste better...Hate soggy veg..

It works with a non-electric pressure cooker, btw. Just check the max pressure before buying one. ( must be at least 12 psi otherwise you're just buying an overpriced pot ) I pressure-steam my broccoli using a similar method. As soon as the pressure builds up, I turn off the heat. The whole process takes 2 minutes. I pressure-boil all my legumes and whole grains, its saves a lot of time and money.

How about when you're making soup? Even though nutrients will leach out into the water you'll end up drinking that water. Does that minimize the lost of nutrients?

That is exactly how I cook my veggies in the Instant Pot. Steaming is the best!

My favorite is garbanzo beans aka chickpeas. They don't need any salt, and they come out so tender in the pressure cooker that they practically melt in my mouth. It seems kind of a waste to cook vegetables or greens in the pressure cooker because they come out so good just from steaming them in the microwave in their own juices. I will, however, try a bunch of vegetables with beans and grains in the pressure cooker to make soup. I'm sure that one will be a winner.

I have to admit, I much prefer the taste and texture of raw veggies even though the nutrients aren’t as bioavailable. But I’ve got some kale I’m going to try pressure steaming today. Thanks for the tip.

What Dr. Greger is referring to is called the pot-in-pot method in the IP community, if that helps anyone. I use my IP for non-pressure steaming as well. Put a couple of cups of water in the bottom, veg in a basket and use the glass lid. Press the saute button and keep an eye on it until the veg is done to your liking. For some veg, even 0 minutes under pressure is too long for my taste. I find this more convenient than stovetop steaming and it doesn't heat up the kitchen as much. He's right about the greens, tho. Silky smooth and gorgeous color.

From that chart at 2:35 it looks like microwaving might be a good choice as well. I am also curious how much nutrients are lost if you are making a soup where you end up eating the vitamins that seep out of the vegetables.

Yes, I cook my greens in my Instant pot just like you! Steam them with little water for 0 minutes!

Dr. Greger states that hot water leaches the nutrients out. But if you are making s stew or soup then you probably wouldn't lose much nutrients since you keep and consume that leftover water. Right? When cooking vegetables, I usually use a covered glass container in the microwave with water. At other times I use an induction cooktop in a steel container with a cover. Either way the water that doesn't escape the lid remains. Of course the heat destroys Vitamin C, but I also love salads where -- except for mushrooms that I cook -- all the ingredients are raw.

I use my Instant Pot precisely like you do. The less cooking time, the better. Easy AND perfect!

Microwaving, a 3d heating and inner steaming method, with right cover works as well but faster & easier for greens etc. Anyway if you let off the pressure from the pot. No extra water necessary, just set time / program according (water) weight. Finally you can use a pressure pot for microwaves. With right time, energy and program MW should be the most nutrient preserving method throughout. (Many studies use too much excess microwaving for an unbalanced comparison)

❤❤❤ I absolutely LOVE my Instant pot so I'm relieved to see that beans aren't compromised. I also love the ease of cooking my sweet potatos whole. These are items I eat regularly.

Best method is the one you will eat! 🥦❤ Thanks for the skinny, Doc and crew!

I use my Instant Pot a lot! I don't steam things in it because I can use the microwave, but I may try this. If it increases nutrients in some foods, it might be worth it.

This video is a great reminder that there's a science to even the simplest cooking methods! I must admit, I'm a bit impatient when it comes to veggies, and for a while, I was a firm believer in the "zero-minute" Instant Pot steam. While it gets dinner on the table fast, it can definitely leave things a bit...well, mushy. Finding that sweet spot between efficiency and retaining nutrients is key. Thanks for the insights, Dr. Greger!