Cooking Mistakes That Quietly Drain Nutrients From Your Meals

Cooking changes food, and often for the better—tomatoes give up more lycopene when heated, carrots become sweeter, eggs become usable protein. But a few common habits can send vitamins down the drain or dull the very flavors that make vegetables a pleasure.

A rolling boil for everything

Water-soluble vitamins—C and many B vitamins—leach into water. Boiling green beans to khaki is a theft of both color and nutrients.

• The fixSteam, microwave with a splash of water, or roast. Aim for crisp-tender and bright. If you’re boiling, salt well and cook just until tender, then dress while warm with olive oil and lemon so they taste like something you want more of.

The wrong oil at the wrong heat

Extra-virgin olive oil can absolutely sauté. But blasting it to the point of smoking cooks off the perfume you bought it for.

• The fixUse medium heat for olive oil, high heat for avocado or a neutral refined oil. Finish dishes with a raw drizzle of your good olive oil to bring back the fruitiness.

Discarding the best parts

Broccoli stems, chard ribs, herb stems, parmesan rinds—scraps by reputation, ingredients in practice.

• The fixPeel thick stems and slice thin for stir-fries and slaws. Tie herb stems and simmer in soup. Save rinds for a pot of beans.

Prepping too far ahead without protection

Cutting breaks cell walls. Some nutrients and aromas fade faster once exposed.

• The fixWash greens and spin dry, then store in a towel-lined container. Cut fruit close to serving. If you must cut ahead, a squeeze of lemon helps.

Under-seasoning vegetables

When vegetables are bland, you eat less of them. The nutrient conversation ends there.

• The fixSalt earlier than you think. Use acid—lemon, vinegar, yogurt—to sharpen. Add texture: toasted nuts, breadcrumbs, seeds. A vegetable that crackles and sings is a vegetable that disappears from the plate.

Small changes, big returns. A tweak to heat, a handful of stems saved, a habit of finishing with acid—each keeps more goodness on the plate and, just as important, makes dinner taste like dinner.