Nutrient composition and sensory profile of differently cooked green leafy vegetables

Four green leafy vegetables commonly consumed in South India were selected for the study. They were subjected to three different methods of cooking namely, conventional, pressure, and microwave cooking. Proximate composition, vitamins (ascorbic acid and beta-carotene), mineral content (calcium, phosphorus, and iron), and in vitro available iron of the raw and cooked samples were estimated. The cooked samples were further subjected to sensory analysis. The results showed that the nutrient content of each green leafy vegetable was distinct and spinach was comparatively a poor source of all nutrients. Cooking caused a significant difference only in the ascorbic acid and beta-carotene content of the greens. No significant difference was observed in the nutrient content due to the three different methods of cooking adopted. Results of the sensory test revealed that color was the only attribute that varied to a large extent due to cooking. Color of pressure cooked greens was considered inferior to conventionally cooked and microwave cooked samples. The sensory attributes of microwave cooked greens were similar to the conventionally cooked samples.