Some vitamins and minerals can be easily lost when fruit and veg are prepared or cooked, so try to remember:

• eat fresh fruit and veg as soon as possible rather than storing for a long time – or use frozen instead
• don't overcook. Start with boiling water and cover tightly to keep in the steam, because this speeds up the cooking. You could use a steamer or a microwave
• use as little water as possible when you cook fruit and veg. If you use the cooking water for sauce or soup, you'll recapture some of the lost vitamins and minerals
• avoid leaving any vegetables open to the air, light or heat if they have been cut. Always cover and chill them. But don't soak, because vitamins and minerals can dissolve away
• don't keep food hot for too long because vitamin levels start to drop within a few minutes