The distribution of vitamins and minerals may be the last thing on our minds as we set out to make dinner or go out to eat at a restaurant. Upon closer examination, it’s clear that our culture, diet and lifestyles mean many of us are deficient in certain vitamins and minerals. Today’s chefs and restaurant culture can take some of the guesswork out of calculating appropriate nutrient distribution by providing customers with food that meets our nutritional needs. This means using cooking techniques that preserve nutrient content in our food, and adding ingredients that boost common deficiencies in their recipes.  At home, it is easy to add nutrient-rich foods to our favourite home-cooked meals. With a little research and knowledge, we can have our vitamin and minerals bases covered in both restaurants and at home.

A 2013 study conducted by the U.S Center for Disease Control and Prevention revealed of all the nutrients listed, the highest percentage of deficiencies in the U.S population were vitamin B6, iron and vitamin D. The lowest percentage of nutrient deficiencies were vitamin A, vitamin E and folate. (CDC 2013).  Food sources for vitamin D, iron and B6 are relatively limited when compared with foods containing vitamins like A and E, so these statistics make sense.

Regardless, we must find a way to incorporate these vitamins and minerals into our diets. Let’s focus for a moment on Vitamin D. For Canadians, vitamin D deficiencies are more pronounced in the winter, with 40% of Canadians falling below the cut-off in winter compared with 25% in the summer (Statistics Canada 2015).

At the time of its publication in 2015, Statistics Canada suggested cow’s milk as a necessity for obtaining recommended levels of vitamin D. Other recommended sources included goat’s milk, fortified soy beverages and calcium fortified orange juice (Statistics Canada 2015). The current trajectory of Canadian eating patterns is moving farther away from dairy products, as evidenced in the new Canadian 2019 food guide, which placed much less emphasis on dairy consumption.  Statistics Canada’s suggestion from 2015 of drinking milk daily seems no longer viable in 2019.

So, what are some dairy-free alternative sources for vitamin D in today’s dairy-intolerant society?  Vitamin D is found naturally in foods like fish-liver oils, fatty fish like salmon or sardines, mushrooms, egg yolks and liver (CDA 2013). Including more fatty fish and mushrooms in our diets in the winter can help alleviate our vitamin D winter blues.

Some food sources of iron include tofu, lentils and beans. Rich folate sources include vegetables like beets, brussels sprouts and asparagus. Yes we can easily add these sources to our meals, but it is crucially important to cook them properly to retain the nutrient content.

Classic culinary techniques of the past often drained nutrient-rich foods of its vitamins and minerals. Modern cooking has discovered that using methods that preserve nutrient content is not only healthier, but it tastes better, too. For example, moist-heat cooking methods like braising, poaching and rapidly boiling vegetables leeches many nutrients out of the vegetables into the cooking liquid. Grilling, roasting and other dry-heat methods preserve the nutrient content and keep the integrity of the vegetable intact. A good rule of thumb is to use dry-heat cooking methods whenever possible.

Without a doubt, my favourite vegetable is asparagus. When it’s in season, it brightens up any meal! Not to mention it is rich in vitamins and minerals. Asparagus is a good source of iron, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin B6 (NutritionValue.Org 2019).  Iron and vitamin B6 were two of the three highest nutrient deficiencies in CDC’s 2013 report, so including more asparagus in your diet is an excellent way to boost your intake.

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I chose to cook asparagus in three ways that preserve the nutrient content: roasting, steaming and grilling. Although all delicious, the method the provided the most flavour in my opinion was grilling. The char marks made for a smokey depth of flavour not present in steaming, although roasting was a close second. This experiment taught me something about flavour profiles created by cooking methods as well as nutrition.

To help tackle the prevalent Vitamin D and iron deficiencies in Canadians diets, here is a simple recipe you can make at home to boost your intake, especially during the winter months. This recipe of course, features asparagus! The vitamin D rich ingredient are the salmon fillets, while the iron-rich ingredients are asparagus and pumpkin seeds. Give your body a vitamin boost with this delicious recipe.

Steamed Salmon Fillet with Steamed Asparagus &
Spinach, Avocado and Pumpkin Seed Salad

Serves: 2   
Preparation time: 20 minutes


Ingredients
10 asparagus spears, washed and ends trimmed
2 salmon fillets
5 cups baby spinach leaves, washed and ready to use
1/3 cup green pumpkin seeds
1 (small to medium-sized) avocado
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ lime, zested and juiced
¼ teaspoon salt
Lemon juice (optional)

Method

Heat a pan large enough to fit a lid inside (to steam asparagus and fish) over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoon of water and asparagus to pan, cover and steam for 5 – 6 minutes.

2. Remove asparagus from pan. Season fish with salt and pepper, cover and steam for 5 – 6 minutes, or until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork when tested.

Meanwhile, make the spinach avocado salad. Put the spinach leaves and pumpkin seeds into a large salad bowl. Halve the avocados, remove the pits and spoon out over the salad leaves and seeds.

Mix the olive oil, lime juice and zest in a small bowl. Add the salt and whisk to emulsify. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss.

Serve salad alongside steamed salmon and asparagus, season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.

Works Cited

“Asparagus, Raw” Nutrition Value.Org. 2019. https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Asparagus%2C_raw_nutritional_value.html. Accessed 27 Feb 2019.

“CDC’s Second Nutrition Report: A comprehensive biochemical assessment of the nutrition status of the U.S. population” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  March 16 2013. https://www.cdc.gov/nutritionreport/pdf/4page_%202nd%20nutrition%20report_508_032912.pdf Accessed 27 Feb 2019.

FOOD GROUPS, VEGETABLES Eggplants They are a good source of Vitamin K. Photography. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016. quest.eb.com/search/157_2917711/1/157_2917711/cite. Accessed 28 Feb 2019.

Tofu. Photograph. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 22 Oct 2018. quest.eb.com/search/132_1569475/1/132_1569475/cite. Accessed 28 Feb 2019.

“Vitamin D Blood Levels of Canadians” Statistics Canada. November 27 2015 https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-624-x/2013001/article/11727-eng.htm Accessed 27 Feb 2019.