Which cooking method causes loss of water-soluble vitamins and destruction of vitamin C, with omega-3 retained?

• A. Boiling
• B. Steaming
• C. Roasting
• D. Vacuum packing

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how cooking methods affect nutrient retention, especially water‑soluble vitamins like vitamin C. Water-soluble vitamins readily dissolve in cooking water and are sensitive to heat. When you boil foods, they sit in hot water and nutrients such as vitamin C leach out into that water, and heat accelerates their destruction, so the edible portion loses these vitamins. Omega‑3 fats, being fat‑soluble, stay in the food rather than in the cooking water and are relatively preserved during boiling, so they’re retained in the meal. Other methods use less water or rely on dry heat, which reduces leaching of water-soluble vitamins. So boiling best explains the described nutrient changes.