Nutrition Facts on Vegetables

Nutrition Facts on Vegetables

Vegetables are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber with negligible fat content. Vegetables' shelf lives are increased by drying or dehydrating them.

Vegetables that have been dried out have lost their moisture, or water content, which is the main source of food for the bacteria that lead to degradation and decomposition. Other food ingredients including fiber, carbs, vitamins, and minerals are not affected when vegetables are dried.

Moreover, a dried smaller solid mass is also concentrated with nutrients. When dried at a suitable temperature (about 600- 700), vegetables retain a large portion of their original flavor, texture, color, and taste. Only the water- soluble vitamins are fairly lost during pre-treatments of vegetables while nutrients like Vitamin A are well retained in dehydrated foods. Store dried foods in a cool, dark, dry area and use them within a year for optimum nutritional retention.

The recommended daily intake for fresh vegetables is 250 grams per day/ individual, according to the ICMR-NIN. This serving, which equates to 25–30 grams of dried veggies, enables the provision of the same amount of nutrients as fresh vegetables.

Cooking with dried vegetables is also simpler and easier because it does not require washing or chopping the vegetables first. They merely need to be boiled or simmered in water for a little period of time until they are tender and be used in recipes using the same filtered simmering water. One cup of dried vegetables can yield around two cups. Vegetables that have been dried have a unique texture and best flavor function when included in stews, soups, gravies, curries, biryanis, and fried rice.

It is simple to turn dried veggies into powders and use them as a component in creating and producing nutritious food items. Vegetable powders, for instance, can be used in a variety of foods, such as drinks, soups, noodles, baked goods, and extruded snacks.