So what nutritional value is broccoli once it has been steamed to mush? And other domestic nutritional questions....

[foolsgold]

I very often find myself wondering about the nutritional value of this or that, or assessing whether something I am feeding DD is 'healthy' or not. Today's questions were whether the broccoli that I (deliberately) over-steamed retained any of its vitamins and fibre, and whether ketchup is really "good for you" as I heard claimed (I would have thought it had so much sugar and salt that the beneficial qualities of the lycopene would be completely outweighed). What I need is a reference book aimed at the domestic cook that will answer these and other questions. Can you recommend one please?

Can't help with a book recommendation, but the brocolli definitely retains most of its nutritional value.
Vitamin C is destroyed by excessive cooking, but it's doubtful that you managed to break it all down and, conversely, the softening of the brocolli cell structure allows your DD's digestive system to better extract that which is left.
Other vitamins and fibre are not damaged by cooking and are therefore retained.
I too am scepticle about the nutritional benefits of ketchup.

apparently ketchup contains lycopene - a powerful antioxidant/anticancer agent and its much more concentrated than in normal tomatoes so i think that might be true. also true of tomato puree.

steaming def better than boiling

susannah olivier what should i feed my baby has useful info like this - and a few recipes

Thanks very much! Will look into Susannah Olivier, had never heard of her.
Herecomes - love the name.