The Hierarchy of Food Preparation

The more we process a food, the less nutrient value it retains. This is because living foods are organic foods. Processed foods, to various degrees, are inorganic or "dead" foods.

The following is the hierarchy of food preparation. We start at the top with no preparation, leaving the food with its full nutrient content. 

We end at the bottom with the most processing, rendering the food dead and useless to the body - little or no nutrient value retained:

Raw and Whole
Juiced and consumed immediately. Once the skin of fruits or vegetables is broken, oxygen combines with the enzymes and kills them. This process is called oxidation.

Dehydrated or Dried
Loses 2 to 5 percent of nutrient value
Dried without chemicals or additives
Commercial brands of dried fruit contain sulfur-dioxide; exception: raisins

Frozen
Freshly picked and frozen immediately
Loses 5 to 30 percent of nutrient value

Steamed
Loses 15 to 60 percent of nutrient value
Steamed means the green bean is still a bit crispy (if it's limp, its cooked)

Cooked
Baked, broiled, boiled, grilled, steamed too long, home canned
The green bean is limp
Loses 40 to100 percent of nutrient value, depending on how long it is cooked

Cooked Leftovers Microwaved
Loses 90 to 99 percent of nutrient value

Commercially Canned Foods

Fried Foods

Foods with Additives
These not only lose 100 percent of their nutrient value, but have toxins added to them.

Source: Dr. Joel Robbins, M.D., N.D., D.C., Ph.D. in BioChemistry, "Eating for Health and Wellness"