Ramalakshmi K, et. al. International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications www.ijera.com ISSN: 2248-9622, Vol. 11, Issue 2, (Series-II) February 2021, pp. 31-35 www.ijera.com DOI: 10.9790/9622-1102023135 31 | Page Impact of Cooking On Nutrients in Selected Vegetables Ramalakshmi K a *, Subhapriya P b , Ananthavalli K c , Sarada K c , and Shanmugapriya D c a Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Department of food technology ,Thandalam-602105, Tamil Nadu, India b Bannari Amman Institute of Technology , Department of chemistry, Sathyamangalam-638401, Tamil Nadu, India c A.P.C. Mahalaxmi College for women, Department of chemistry ,Thoothukudi-628002, Tamil Nadu, India ABSTRACT Commonly used vegetables were analyzed for selected nutrients such as protein, vitamin C, iron, calcium and magnesium content before and after cooking to determine the retention of nutrients during cooking in water followed by draining the excess water. Retention of proteins in the vegetables ranged from 100 - 51. 86%. In all the vegetables the loss of ascorbic acid is significantly (p<0.01) more on cooking the raw vegetables followed by draining the water. Retention of vitamin C in the vegetables is in the order of green beans > cabbage > snake gourd > white melon > cluster beans > carrot > bitter gourd > raw banana. Compared to vitamin C, the loss of minerals during cooking is less in the vegetables studied. The retention of magnesium (>90%) was more compared to iron and calcium after cooking. Loss of calcium was maximum in raw banana followed by bitter gourd and that of iron was maximum in cluster beans followed by raw banana. Keywords: Nutrient; Vegetables; Ascorbic acid; Iron; Calcium. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date of Submission: 24-01-2021 Date of Acceptance: 08-02-2021 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. INTRODUCTION Health is a key to success, good citizenship and happy life. According to Health Organization, health is defined as a stage of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity. Proper food is needed for a healthy life. Healthy food supplies the necessary nutrients to maintain the tissues to sustain a healthy immune system and to have abundant energy which will enable the body to execute all daily tasks with ease 1 .The major components of food are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. Besides these, water is an important constituent of our food, and makes up for two- thirds of our body weight. Our diet usually contains all the nutrients in varying amounts 2 . Human body needs a constant supply of energy. Carbohydrates serve as the chief source of energy in the food of humans and many other animals. Protein plays the vital role for the growth and repair of tissues along with providing energy. Vitamins, though required in minute amounts, are necessary for key body functions like eyesight, hearing, oxygen transfer in the body, development of strong bones etc. which cannot be synthesized by an organism but nevertheless all essential for the maintenance of normal metabolism and therefore must be included in the diet 3 . A large number of our people do not have the resources to buy enough food. This is a major cause of nutrient deficiency in our country. Large families with low income are particularly subject to this condition. However, this deprivation can be partly offset by eating simple, inexpensive but wholesome food such as groundnut, ground pulses, jaggery, and soyabean. Banana or spinach gives us more nutrient for the money spent as compared to grapes, apples and cauliflower 4 . Many vegetables lose their nutrient value due to our wasteful method of cooking or processing. Deep frying or prolonged heating leads to the loss of nutrients and vitamins. Some vitamins such as vitamin C are oxidized when cut fruits and vegetables are left in the open for long. Also, water soluble vitamins such as vitamin C are washed away when vegetables are repeatedly washed or soaked for long periods. Similarly, the water in which the vegetables or green leaves are boiled is rich in nutrient content. In this context, selected commonly used vegetables were subjected to boiling with excess of water, the loss of nutrients was estimated and the results are summarized in this paper. RESEARCH ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS