The Nutrient-Dense Leftover You Should Always Save After Cooking

But it turns out, the water you cook your veggies in really shouldn't be tossed. Here's why.

While you can avoid this by eating vegetables raw, some folks find raw veggies hard to digest, or just not as satisfying. But as Cannon notes, "Some nutrients, including water-soluble vitamins and some antioxidants, will enter the water," when you steam them. And you don't have to let that water—or those nutrients—go to waste!

"Because nutrients leach from food into water, I'm a huge proponent of drinking water leftover from steaming vegetables," Cannon explains. While vegetable water might not sound all that appealing, you're drinking up all those nutrients that got into the water while simultaneously upping your water intake and not letting it go to waste.

If drinking the vegetable water straight up isn't your speed, have no fear. Cannon also recommends using it to prepare whole grains or pasta. Simply drain your vegetables over another pot, bring the water back to a boil, and toss in your grain of choice.

When it comes to kitchen and food waste, this little trick reminds us that there's always room to get creative and use up as much as we can.