Most people understand the environmental benefits of solar cooking, but it offers more than just a cleaner environment. Cooking food not onlyinfluences its texture and flavour but also its digestibility, nutrition, and exposure to harmful chemicals.
Research has proven that solar cooking can preserve nutrients more efficiently than traditional cooking. It creates healthier, cleaner meals and reduces exposure to toxins.
Let’s talk about how solar cooking can improve health.
Better Preservation of Antioxidants & Vitamins
Some nutrients in vegetables and fruits are sensitive to oxygen, water, and heat, especially B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, and polyphenol antioxidants. For instance, when vegetables are boiled, vitamins leach into the boiled water and are often discarded.
According to Healthline (2023),boiling can cause vitamin C to be lost, with huge amounts leaching into the water because water is already a good solvent for these nutrients. High flame also breaks down fragile phytonutrients and antioxidants.
The harsher and hotter your cooking method is, the more nutrients it loses.
No Flames, No Smoke, No Toxic Byproducts
The best thing about solar cooking is that it exposes food to boiling water without using extreme flame, and it cooks food slowly and evenly.
It keeps the temperature in a moderate range, which allows proteins and vegetables to cook properly without destroying their nutrients. A PubMed study (2023) also found that foods cooked in a solar oven retained higher levels of phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and antioxidants compared to those cooked in a traditional oven.
As we all know, the major health benefit of solar cooking is the exclusion of fumes, smokes, and combustion byproducts. Traditional cooking uses firewood, gas stoves, charcoal grills, or kerosene, which produce nitrogen dioxide, soot, and carbon monoxide that can affect respiratory health. It triggers asthma, irritates the lungs, and increases the risk of respiratory diseases.
Prepares Low-Calorie Meals
Solar cooking is best for people who prefer healthy eating habits because it reduces the need for oil.
Solar ovens use their own natural moisture, so you rarely need oil to prevent dryness or stickiness. Food becomes cleaner, lighter, and more beneficial for the heart without sacrificing the flavour.
Due to its natural moisture, vegetables taste satisfying and delicious, often reducing the need for processed sauces and heavy seasonings.
Improves Digestion
Digestibility is another reason why this cooking method excels.
Slow heat helps soften plant fibres without destroying their vitamins and improves nutrient absorption and digestibility.
Food cooked at a moderate temperature breaks down more efficiently, making nutrients more available for the body. Some people have described solar-cooked meals as less likely to cause heaviness or bloating and easy on the stomach.
Mindful Cooking Experience
Solar cooking promotes general well-being by providing a mindful cooking experience.
It excludes the stress of managing flames, the noise of burners, and the pressure of fast cooking, which makes the whole experience peaceful. People say this shift has made their lives less stressful and brought a sense of enjoyment into the cooking process.
Solar cooking is not only a reliable choice but a genuinely healthy way to prepare meals. It provides benefits beyond just energy savings. By eliminating toxins and smoke, protecting nutrients, reducing fat, improving digestibility, and supporting a clean environment, it has become a popular choice these days.
If you’re looking for more nutritious, cleaner, and natural meals, cooking with sunlight is the best decision you can make. GoSun’s solar ovens make it simple to enjoy health benefits every single day.