Cooking affects the nutritional value and properties of various foods in different ways. Cooking fruits softens cellulose when cooked in water or thin syrup but hardens it when cooked in heavy syrup. It can increase or decrease a fruit's acidity and sugar content. The nutritional value of some fruits and vegetables increases with cooking as it increases the availability of antioxidants like lycopene in tomatoes. However, cooking often decreases overall nutritional value and can damage heat-sensitive enzymes in some vegetables. Cooking changes the molecular structure of proteins in milk and alters the appearance and physical state of fats and oils. It causes meat to shrink and harden with intense heat or soften at lower temperatures while melting fat and reducing the weight

1. EFFECT OF COOKING ON FRUITS:-
Fruits are essential food in the balance diet. They have the serving of 2-4. They have significant
effect on the body. They contain the essential nutrients and help to boost up the digestive system.
Fruits contain vitamins, fiber, iron, protein and carbohydrates. They also contain water and
prevent body from dehydration.
Cooking affects fruits in numerous ways, depending on the condition of the fruit itself, the
method used, and the length of time the heat is applied. When fruits are cooked in water or in
thin syrup, the cellulose becomes softened. On the other hand, if they are cooked in heavy syrup,
as, for instance, in the making of preserves, the cellulose becomes hardened and the fruit, instead
of breaking up, remains whole or nearly so and becomes tough and hard in texture.
Another change that usually takes place when a fruit is cooked is in its flavor. This change is due
either to an increase in the acid contained in the fruit or to a decrease in the amount of sugar.
The nutritive value of some fruits increased on cooking.
E.g. Lycopene is an antioxidant found in watermelon, red bell peppers and tomatoes. Cooking
increased lycopene in tomatoes by 35%. The nutritional value of these fruits increases on
cooking. But mostly the nutritional value decrease upon cooking.

2. EFFECT OF COOKING ON VEGETABLES.
Vegetables are important part of our daily diet. It comprises a large portion in balance diet.
Different vegetables have different effects on their nutritional value upon heating. Some being
water soluble gets dissolve in water in which they are being cooked, while some has opposite
reactions, some method conserve the food material whereas others waste it.
For instance, boiling in water, which is probably one of the most common ways of cooking
vegetables, is decidedly advantageous in some respects, but the water dissolves much of the
soluble materials, such as mineral salt, sugar, etc. found in the vegetables, so that unless some
use is made of this water in the cooking of other foods, considerable waste results.
The nutritive value of some fruits increased on cooking and some vegetables has increased
nutritive value in the raw form.
E.g. some other nutrients are better supplied from cooking food than raw, cooked carrots,
mushrooms, asparagus, cabbage and peppers supply ore antioxidants if they are boiled or
steamed. And cooking method matters - - carrots, zucchini and broccoli had higher levels of
carotenoid when boiled or steamed then when fried. Broccoli, on the other hand, may be better
for you in the raw state, as cooking damages enzymes that helps break down compounds in the
vegetables that seem to have cancer-fighting properties.

3. EFFECTS OF COOKING ON MILK
Milk has been associated with good health ad is one of the most common beverages.
One cup of milk is considered as one serving. Milk consists of three phases i.e. water phase, fat
phase and carbohydrate phase.
The nutritional breakdown of milk with 3.25% fat contains 146 calories, 8 grams of fat contain
13 grams of carbohydrate and 8 gram of protein is one cup.
Heat treatment affects the molecular structure of milk proteins at the interface of oil in water
emulsions and in aqueous media.

4. EFFECTS OF COOKING ON FATS AND OILS
Fats and oils provide non stickiness to the food when cooked. These are heated at high
temperature during various cooking methods such as frying, grilling and greasing during baking.
It makes the food edible for all. The cooking causes in oil appearance such as heating change the
color of oil. On heating oil color changes from golden yellow to golden brown. Its structure
changes from solid to liquid in case of ghee.

5. EFFECT OF COOKING ON MEAT
Meat is the group of food which provides proteins to us. It is that food which no one can eat
without cooking. Meat is cooked with combination of vegetables etc. cooking not only changes
its flavor but the weight volume of meat also decreases.
Example:
The fat of meat is melted by heat. The meat fiber shrinks and hardens with intense heat. On the
other hand it softens at a temperature somewhat below the boiling point of water.

6. CONVERSION TABLE.
Measure fine flour after it has sifted once, stir course flour with a fork before
making.
Measure dry ingredients in a cup with mark at the top, fix the ingredients in the cup
by 1 tbsp. pass the straight edge of a knife over the top to level.
In measuring flour or white sugar do not cup or pack the material with the bowl of
spoon. Brown sugar should be packed in a cup.
When packed in quarter, ships in easily measured. Each quarter after pound strip
represent cup or 8 tbsp