Have you ever noticed the sluggish feeling you get after eating that greasy burger and fries? How about the surge of energy after coffee? The way you are feeling has much to do with your food choices. Our body responds to the food we eat, which can make us feel great but can also slow us down.

An abundance of fat, salt and/or sugar is not good for you. They cause your energy levels to spike and then “crash”, leaving you feeling drained. A diet filled with vitamins and nutrients stabilizes energy levels and keeps you feeling contently nourished. 

Here are 4 ways to get the most out of your food:

1. Increase your purchases of nutrient dense foods

Don’t stress yourself with a cold turkey switch to entirely organic or responsibly sourced ingredients all at once.

Start small by bulking up your produce purchases and reducing the amount of packaged items you buy. Boosting your nutrient intake is the first step.

Quality ingredients make a huge difference so when possible, buy locally grown and seasonally available items.

2. Preserve food with proper storage and prepping methods.

Once your food is home from the grocery store, it is important to properly store ingredients to keep their nutrient value in tact.

Utilize the crisper drawer in your fridge for veggies and consume them while they are still fresh.

When washing your food, keep in mind that some vitamins are soluble in water and will diminish as they sit soaking. Prevent this by always rinsing under cold running water.

3. Be mindful of cooking methods

Nutrients break down as exposure to liquid and heat increases over time. To prevent this and retain the maximum nutritional value consider the following:

• Steaming or blanching uses minimal heat, liquid and time, serving as the best way to cook vegetables. Choose larger pieces over smaller cuts and keep track of color and crunch. The color of vegetables should remain bright and retain a natural crunch to the bite.

• Meats and fish are best, roasted or baked to preserve proteins. Allow meats to rest and consider covering fish in tinfoil to retain juices.

• Stir-frying is a great method to use for veg and proteins combined. It’s a quick cooking method using fat and not liquid, thus retaining a decent amount of nutrients.

• Avoid boiling since it leeches out all the nutrients into the water. The exception to this would be soups or stews where you consume the liquid as well.

4. Pair foods together to enhance your ability to absorb and utilize the nutrients.

Medical studies have found that properties of certain foods become more available to our bodies when paired with an enhancing nutrient in the same meal.

For example:

• Vitamin C breaks down iron making it easier for our bodies to absorb. Try adding citrus to your spinach salad or cauliflower to your lentil soup

• Vitamin D increases intestinal absorption of calcium. Mushroom cream sauce combines the vitamin D in mushrooms and the calcium in the cream. Add cheese to your omelette but keep the yolk as that’s where you’ll find the Vitamin D

• Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E & K) are best absorbed when paired with a fat source. Pair good fats like olive oil with leafy greens, carrots and tomatoes.