Cooked or raw? Which vegetables are more nutritious?
cooked or raw
Are vegetables better for you cooked or raw?
Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD, FAND explains the benefits to both and which vegetables you should eat cooked and which are more nutritious raw.
Eating your veggies raw preserves certain nutrients like Vitamins C and B including folic acid. Vitamin C can help support immune system health as well as your skin. While folic acid is essential for proper brain function.
Another benefit to eating your vegetables raw is that they’re usually bulkier and more filling. When you increase the number of veggies in your diet, you’ll feel fuller longer. Plus, raw vegetables have fewer calories per bite than most processed and starchy foods, which can help manage your calorie intake. For more on counting calories go to: Counting calories
Raw vegetables are also harder and take longer to chew. Taking your time to eat can help you monitor portion control.
Raw veggies pack a punch, but cooking certain veggies releases beneficial nutrients. One of the best phytonutrients found in cooked vegetables is carotenoids. These compounds are responsible for giving certain veggies their colors. For instance, lycopene makes tomatoes red, lutein gives spinach its signature green hue, and beta-carotene provides the orange tone of carrots. When these veggies are cooked, the carotenoids levels are higher which means your body can more easily absorb and use those nutrients.
So how do you make sure you get the maximum nutritional benefit from eating cooked vegetables? Don’t overcook them! If you decide to cook your vegetables don’t add too much heat or too much water. Instead, try to steam or microwave your veggies to preserve more of their nutrients.
In the end, it’s not a question of what’s the better way to prepare your vegetables. It’s about knowing why and how these healthy foods are good for your body, and how you can try to incorporate them more into your diet.
cooked or raw? – BigC-Consulting.com
