Spring Clean Your Diet

Vegetarian Times, March, 1999 by Cristin Marandino

March is National Nutrition Month, and in honor of this, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) is sponsoring a nation-wide campaign that invites you to "Take a Fresh Look at Nutrition." Here's what they suggest:

* Store both fresh and canned fruits in cool places, since some vitamins are sensitive to heat.

* Eat plenty of raw fruits and vegetables to get the most amount of nutrients as possible.

* Avoid soaking produce to clean it, because some nutrients dissolve in water.

* Don't peel produce. Peeling fruits and vegetables removes the vitamins and minerals found just under the skin and exposes and destroys nutrients, like vitamin C, that are sensitive to oxygen. But since pesticides can coat the skin, buy organic or wash thoroughly.

* Cook vegetables for the shortest time possible. Use covered pots to speed up the cooking process.

* Steam or microwave vegetables in a small amount of water to keep vitamins and minerals from seeping into the cooking water.

* If you're making slow-cooking vegetables like sweet potatoes or parsnips, cut them into large pieces to expose less surface area to nutrient-destroying heat.

For more information, contact the ADA at (800) 366-1655.