Q & A Thursday: does cutting fruit and vegetables lead to nutrient losses?
Posted by kathryn in Fruit, Vegetables and Q & A Thursday
The first reader question in this week’s Q & A Thursday is from Joanne:
How much truth is there to the common idea that fruits and vegetables begin to lose some nutrition value after being cut up? For example, if I cut up fruits and vegetables and carried them around in a lunch box for a few hours before eating them? What if they sat in the fridge for more than a day, cut up?
The best study on this topic was published in 2006 by a group from the University of California. The researchers compared fresh fruit, with cut and refrigerated fruit – running tests on pineapples, watermelon, rockmelon, strawberries, mangoes and kiwifruit.
Their research showed that while nutrient losses did occur, it wasn’t until the cut fruit had been stored for about six days. In fact the fruit went off before any significant nutrient reduction occurred. After six days of being stored at 5°C the following losses had occurred:
- the amount of vitamin C lost was 5% in mangoes, strawberries and watermelon, 10% in pineapple, 12% in kiwifruit; and 25% in rockmelon
- there were no losses in the carotenoid levels of kiwifruit and watermelon, while 10-15% was lost in rockmelon, mango and strawberry and 25% in pineapple
- total carotenoid content increased in cut mango and watermelon in response to light exposure.
While this research only tested a limited number of fruits, it’s the best indication we have so far of the rate at which cut produce loses nutrients.
The best way to store fruit and vegies
- The best way to store fruits and vegetables is with the skin, rinds, and peelings intact.
- If you do cut up fruit and vegetables, store them in the fridge as much as possible before eating
- The nutrients in fruit and veg don’t start degrading until six days after being chopped up, however the produce will spoil before then. Use cut fruit and veg within 3-4 days.
- This post contains a link to information on the fastest and slowest fruit and vegetable spoilers.
Further information
For further information, see the ABC’s health site and WebMD.
26 July, 2007
Comments
Oops, I think this Q was from me, Jo, not “Fiona”.
But thanks for the info, it’s good news to hear.
Wow, what a wealth of information here! (And I’ve always been curious about that cut-up fruit question).
Followed you here from Diet Blog, and appreciated your comment.
Since you have luscious limes as your header and I have cupcakes as mine, I can tell you’re somewhat more serious in your quest for healthy eating than I am. But I do try, when I’m being good, to get my fruits and vegetables as well as my cupcakes.
thanks again!
Ah yes, Joanne, I managed to get myself horribly confused this morning about whose questions I was answering. I’ve corrected the above copy.
Thanks Crabby McSlacker. I just found your blog this morning and then noticed your wonderful Diet-Blog post. A healthy diet definitely includes treats, even including the odd cupcake!
and then on a purely cosmetic level, there’s the ol’ lemon/lime juice trick to stop fruits from browning. works well on apples and avocadoes!
Good point Lindsey – yes a squeeze of citrus will slow down the browning process.
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