NUTRITION Week kicked off in Australia yesterday and this year's theme is Try for 5, a friendly reminder to get in those five serves of veggies every day.

Eating enough vegetables is one thing, but there's no doubt everyone wants to make sure they're getting the most bang for their buck in terms of nutrition.

There are a few cooking methods that are a little better than others to lock in the nutrition to ensure if you're making the effort to eat the rainbow it's doing you some good.

Get on the steam train

Locking in nutrition is all about minimising cooking time, temperature and the level of liquid used in the process.

That's why steaming is a great option, because it uses very little water and no other ingredients, such as oil or butter, are required for the cooking process.

It's also a much better option than boiling, which can cause vital nutrients to leak out into the water.

Most vegetables benefit from steaming, but broccoli in particular loves the steamer as it keeps in more vitamins than any other cooking method.

Put veggies in the pan but don't deep fry

Sauteing vegetables in a little bit of olive oil is a much healthier method than dunking pieces into a pool of oil in a deep fryer.

Studies have shown that sauteing in oil can help enhance flavour, but also enhance the absorption of some nutrients.

Oil will also allow the chef to better control the temperature, to avoid zapping the veggies of their nutrients by blasting them with heat.

But too much oil is detrimental, as deep frying allows the fat to soak into the vegetables, which therefore becomes part of the meal.

Give veggies a turn in the microwave

Microwaving uses very little, if any, water and heats a vegetable very quickly but does not destroy the nutrients inside.

In fact, nutrients such as vitamin C are locked in through this method and studies have shown higher levels of phytonutrients in a range of vegetables after microwaving, such as carrots and beans.

The quick cooking process also means they're on the table in no time and no extra hassle to add to the meal.

Eat local where possible

Vegetables that have been able to stay in the soil as long as possible and are then picked at their best offer great nutritional value.

They have had time to soak up all the nutrients they can and can then pass that onto whoever is lucky enough to eat it.

The taste is also much better too, as they have ripened properly rather than picked early to withstand long transport.