When it comes to preparing food, especially with the aim of maximum nutrient retention and minimizing weight loss, the cooking technique you choose can make all the difference. The sous vide method, a French technique meaning “under vacuum”, is popular for its ability to cook food evenly and precisely.
But how does it compare to traditional cooking methods, especially in terms of food weight loss? Let’s explore this question for different types of food, including red meat, seafood, fish, pork, vegetables and poultry.
Traditional Method: Cooking red meat using traditional methods, such as grilling or roasting, often results in a certain amount of weight loss due to the evaporation of water and the melting of fat. This can vary, but the weight loss can be as much as 25-30% of the meat’s original weight.
Sous Vide: By cooking the meat at controlled temperatures and in a uniform manner, sous vide significantly minimizes weight loss while preserving the meat’s moisture and natural juices. Weight loss with sous vide is usually around 5-10%.
Traditional Method: Seafood and fish are particularly vulnerable to weight loss during cooking, especially when exposed to high temperatures, and can lose up to 20-25% of their original weight through methods such as frying or roasting.
Sous Vide: Sous vide particularly shines with seafood and fish, retaining almost all of its moisture and resulting in minimal weight loss, usually below 5%. In addition, the delicate texture of the seafood is preserved, avoiding the risk of overcooking.
Traditional Method: Pork, especially leaner cuts, can become dry and tough if overcooked, with weight loss through evaporation and contraction of the meat fibers ranging from 20-30%.
Sous Vide: When cooking pork sous vide, at low temperatures and for a prolonged time, the meat remains juicy and tender, with very little weight loss, around 10%, while retaining most of its moisture and flavor.
Traditional Method: Cooking vegetables using traditional methods, such as boiling or steaming, can lead to a loss of water and water-soluble nutrients, resulting in a reduction in weight and nutritional value.
Sous Vide: Vegetables cooked sous vide are prepared in a closed environment, which means that they retain almost all of their juices, nutrients and, consequently, their weight. Weight loss is minimal, giving you vibrant and nutritious vegetables.
Traditional Method: Cooking poultry traditionally (roasting, frying, grilling) can lead to 20-30% weight loss, due to water evaporation and fat reduction, resulting in less succulent meat.
Sous Vide: Sous vide reduces the weight loss of poultry to 5-10%, sealing in the moisture and ensuring uniformly juicy and tender meat.
| Food | Traditional Method | Sous Vide | Loss avoided with Sous Vide* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Meat | 20% – 30% | 5% – 10% | 17,5% |
| Seafood and Fish | 20% – 25% | <5% | 17,5% |
| Pork | 20% – 30% | ~10% | 15% |
| Vegetables | 15% – 20% | <5% | 12,5% |
| Poultry | 20% – 30% | 5% – 10% | 17,5% |
*The value in this column refers to the total weight of a product. For example, we consider a 1kg red meat, which in the traditional method would lose 25% (median 20%~30%) and in the sous vide method would lose 7.5% (median 5%~10%), a saving of 175g (0.25*1000 – 0.075*1000)
The values presented in this article should be used as a basis, not as absolute values. Different cuts, animals and foods from the same segment will have different results, and the cooking loss itself will vary, thus deviating from the ranges given.
The aim of this article is to illustrate one of the main advantages of sous vide: generating savings by delivering products that have lost much less weight compared to the traditional method and better maintenance of the food’s nutritional properties.
Would you like to get in contact with Orved Brock to know more about our professional sous vide machines? Reach us via phone: +55 85 98793-6777, e-mail: vendas@orvedbrock.com.br or whatsapp.
