Whether you are making some chicken breast, vegetables, or a nice piece of protein-packed beef, the taste may change with how it is cooked. But the taste isn’t the only thing that differs with each cooking method. Grilling, broiling, steaming and even microwaving can provide different benefits for different types of foods. Here are some benefits to a few different cooking methods so that you can maximize your nutrient intake and make sure that your body receives what it needs from your food.

Grilling

Perfect for summertime, grilling is a great option to eat clean and get a great flavor from your food as well. Meats remain juicy and tender while vegetables have a nice crisp texture and are packed with taste. Grilling also allows you to consume much less fat than other methods because the fat drips or runs off and the food does not sit on the excess fat. Grilled vegetables can retain higher amounts of vitamins and minerals which are ideal for just about any nutrition plan.

Steaming

Especially for vegetables, steaming keeps taste very close to its natural, raw state. The vegetable fiber content remains high, and cleanup is at its easiest. All you need is some cookware and water so you can eat a nice heathy meal and lose all the time spent scrubbing and cleaning up. Steaming can be a great option for fish as well.

Broiling

Another fan favorite because the amount of time needed is very short, broiling is an excellent choice for all types of food options. By exposing the food to direct heat, foods cook much quicker and do need the amount of oil used in other cooking forms. This helps lower cholesterol levels and reduces the amount of fat you consume.

Microwaving

Some nutrients and vitamins break down during the cooking process the longer they are exposed to heat. So, in cases where we need to hang on to valuable vitamins and minerals, like vitamin C in carrots, for example, microwaving them could be the best option. By cooking the foods rapidly, less minerals are lost, and we are able to reap all the important nutrients our bodies need.