All the Vegetables that Are better Cooked than Raw
You may have heard more than once that eating food raw will help absorb nutrients much better, as cooking will only destroy the live enzymes found in vegetables. However, this is not entirely true, or at least not for all vegetables, as some will have several benefits boosted and can even be better cooked than served raw. This is due to the fact that cooking can actually break down tough cell walls and even make it easier for the body to absorb certain nutrients.
Though nowadays there's a craze about the raw food diet, you should pay attention to the vegetables that are better cooked than raw, so you can get full benefits of everything you eat.
Contents
Carrot
The first of this list of vegetables that are better cooked than raw is carrot, one of the most well-know sources of beta-carotene. As you may know this component is turned into vitamin A once it metabolizes in our bodies, thus helping boost your immune system. This happens precisely because, when cooking carrots, the walls of the cells release these eznymes that can be absorbed in an easier way.
Squash
There are many types of squash, and the good news is they are all better cooked than raw! Cooking pumpkin and other varieties of squash can in fact boost your body's absorption of antioxidants, thus helping your body fight free radicals.
Spinach
Spinach is probably one of the toughest vegetables from the list, as it can be as healthy cooked as raw. When raw, spinach can give you a great amount of vitamin c, riboflavin,potassium and niacin. However, for those who need to control their levels of oxalic acid, spinach is better cooked, as this component blocks the absorption of iron and calcium. When cooked, spinach loses some of its oxalic acid, making it good for people with anemia and calcium deficiency. Not only this, but cooked spinach also boosts the absorption of vitamin A, E, protein, fiber and zinc.
If you want the full benefits of spinach,it's recommended to combine raw spinach and cooked.
Tomato
The phytonutrients that give tomato its bright red color react when cooked, releasing a higher amount of lycopene, a fat-soluble pigment that can help prevent cancer and heart disease.
Cruciferous vegetables
Broccoli, Kale, Cauliflower, Raddish and Turnip are just a few of the list of cruciferous vegetables. The good news is that all of them are better when cooked, as they can reduce the chemicals that cause hypothyroidism by a third. This is due to the fact that the enzymes in cruciferous vegetables are goitrogens, which cause the thyroid to grow. These goitrogens disappear once they are cooked.
Mushroom
When cooking mushrooms, we help them release vitamin B, protein and minerals so, when eating cooked mushrooms, we are helping our body boost our immune system.
Asparagus
Last but not least, when we cook asparagus and the thicker cells are broken, we can benefit from a higher amount of folic acid, as well as vitamins A,C and E. This will boost antioxidants in our body, thus receding the signs of ageing.
The best way to cook vegetables
Now you know which vegetables are better cooked than raw, it's important to know the best way to cook them in order to get all of the benefits these vegetables offer. This is why we'd like to give you some useful kitchen tips:
- Steaming instead of boiling will prevent vitamins to stay in our food, as boiling food means that the vitamins are released in the water and thus lost once drained. This is especially recommended when cooking broccoli.
- Sauté instead of frying to keep as many nutrients intact as possible, as a great amount and hot oil will only prevent the body from absorbing them. This is especially important when cooking eggplant.
- Using the griddle to cook is also a great and tasty options to get the full benefits of your vegetables, especially when it comes to asparagus, broccoli, onion and tomatoes.
If you want to read similar articles to All the Vegetables that Are better Cooked than Raw, we recommend you visit our Food & drink category.
