How to hack vegetables like a professional (without wasting half of them)

If you have ever seen professional chefs cut and change vegetables with flash speed, ask yourself whether you have a kind of cooking superpower.

The truth is much easier: they have mastered the knife skills that everyone can learn.

No matter whether you prepare ingredients for your Myfitnespal Have a good meal planner Recipes or just try to eat more vegetables, know how to hack properly, is a game channel in the kitchen.

Vegetables are nutritional plants packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals. But let’s be honest – she can feel like a annoying task. That is why many of us buy more expensive products before cutting or avoiding vegetarian meals as a whole.

“There are so many studies on the advantages of fruits and vegetables! They reduce the risk of metabolic disease and improve intestinal health thanks to the fiber, vitamins and minerals in these foods,” says Joanna Gregg, a myfitness nessess nutrition (myfitness palace (Diethut “((myfitness pal) ((Diethar” (a myfitness ” -Nutrition (1).

Food planner is here! Create an individual menu for yours Calories and macro goals Today.

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Advantages of good chopping skills

One of the most common obstacles to healthy eating is the time required for the preparation of fresh products.

If you improve your knife skills, you will not only prepare faster, but also reduce the amount of food that you waste at home.

• You will probably use more of any vegetablesincluding the parts that you may otherwise have rejected. For example, the correct trimming of a pepper means using almost the entire vegetables instead of waste the parts around the stem and seeds.
• You will probably extend the lifespan of your vegetables. The clean -cut vegetables brown more slowly than those that were mutilated by blunt knives or improper techniques. This means that your chopped vegetables in the fridge can stay fresh longer.
• You will probably like to cook more. If you don’t chop vegetables, it is a tedious task to involve them in your daily meals – and this leads to better eating habits.

The food of more nutrient foods such as vegetables is directly bound to health benefits. Diets such as the Mediterranean diet or the Dash diet are rich in vegetables and offer many nutritional advantages. ((4Present 5)))

“In addition to whole grain products, low-fat dairy products, nuts, beans, fish and poultry, the Dash diet promotes a lot of fruit and vegetables and at the same time limits food with high sugar, saturated fat and sodium,” says Melissa Jaeger, head of nutrition at myfitnespal ((Nutrition of Nutrition “(Myfitnespal (3).

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Basics of the kitchen knife

Investing in a good chef’s knife changes your cooking experience more than any other kitchen tool. You don’t need an expensive set – just a quality knife that feels comfortable in your hand.

You need to know the following:

Choose the right knife for the job

• Use A 7–8 inch cook knives For most tasks. (It is approximately the length of a standard wooden collector.)
• A PeelA small, sharp kitchen knife with a narrow blade and a pointed tip is ideal for smaller, more detailed work
• A jagged It works best for soft or slippery products such as mature tomatoes or kiwis

Keep your knife correctly

Your knife should feel like an extension of your arm and enable fluid movements. If you make an effort or feel cumbersome, you may have to set your handle or try out a knife with different sizes.

If you grab your knife, use the “pinch of grip” by putting your thumb and index finger on the blade. This offers better control and reduces fatigue.

Keep your knife sharp

A sharp knife not only makes it easier to hack – it also keeps them safer and preserves the quality of their ingredients. A Sharp knife is safer And causes less damage to their products. In addition, clean cuts help to stay fresh longer and keep nutrients.

About the experts

Joanna Gregg, MS, RDis a food curator at Myfitnespal. She acquired her master’s degree at the University of Nebraska. Her focus helps people find the right balance between food, fitness and healthy living in order to achieve their optimal health.

Melissa Jaeger RD, LDis the head of the nutrition for MyFitnespal. Melissa received a Bachelor of Arts in Nutrition (DPD) from College of Saint Benedict and completed her diet internship via Iowa State University. In May 2024, she was recognized as a registered young nutritionist of the year, which was awarded by the Minnesota Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Caroline Thomason, approx.is a dietician and a diabetes educator who combines her love for nutrition, with the strength, easy to understand health. At the age of 12 in the industry, her work appeared in more than 40 publications. She is also a speaker, Broadcast spokeswoman and recipe developer.

How to hack vegetables step by step

Step 1: Set up your station
Before you even pick up a knife, a well -organized work area provides the stage for safe and efficient hacking.

• Wash your vegetables thoroughly
• Place a damp paper towel under your cutting board to prevent slipping
• Collect your tools and ingredients

Step 2: Create a stable basis
Prevent rolling and slipping by giving round vegetables a flat surface to rest. Here are some examples:

• Onion: Cut the top, then halve through the root
• Paprika: Cut the top and bottom and then open a page to let yourself be too flat
• Tomate: half through the equator for dice or cutting

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Step 3: Use the claw handle
Protect your fingers by rolling them into a “claw” on their leading hand. (To see the claw handle in action, Take a look at this demo.))

• Insert your fingertips and let your ankle guide the blade
• The side of the knife should carefully brush your ankles – not your fingertips

Step 4: Cut with a rocking movement
The key to the smooth, efficient chopping is to keep the tip of the knife on the board and use a gentle swing movement.

• First cut vegetables into slices or boards
• Cut the stack and cut into strips, then turn and dice
• Let the knife roll for speed and safety – do not chop directly down

Step 5: Roll-and-slice herbs or greens
Fragile leaves of blood, so that a gentle technique makes a big difference. (This knife technology is technically called chiffonade and you can see how it is done In this demo.))

• Stack and roll delicate green or soft herbs in a tight bundle
• Use the swing movement to cut into fine ligaments (a chiffonade)

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

The end result

Mastering the art of the vegetables means learning basic knife skills that help you eat a nutritious diet. The time in which you invest in learning the right techniques is returned many times over by faster meal preparation, fewer food waste and healthy, vegetarian meals. By eliminating the barrier of tedious preparation, you sit down on success with your nutritional goals.

Remember that the practice makes perfect. Start slowly and concentrate on safety and the right technology, and the speed follows, of course. Your future self – if you effortlessly prepare a healthy meal in the kitchen in a busy week a week – will thank you for the efforts.

The contribution How to hack vegetables like a professional (without wasting half of them) appeared first Myfitnespal Blog.

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