What preparation methods are considered ideal for maximum preservation of celery's sensitive vitamins and phytochemicals?

Raw or lightly steamed

To ensure that the maximum amount of beneficial micronutrients and delicate phytochemicals inherent in celery are retained in the final dish, specific cooking approaches are recommended. Intense or prolonged exposure to high heat can degrade some of these sensitive compounds, reducing the vegetable's overall health potential. Therefore, the ideal methods involve minimal processing, such as eating the celery completely raw, which preserves all components intact, or employing a light steaming technique. Light steaming softens the vegetable slightly without causing significant thermal degradation to the vitamins and active phytonutrients, allowing for easy incorporation into the diet while maximizing nutritional benefits.