While cooking, looking at green vegetables, a question often comes to mind whether cooking them will reduce the amount of nutrients like vitamins and minerals. So is it more beneficial for health to eat vegetables without cooking them? Actually, cooking vegetables can reduce some vitamins and minerals, but many times the nutrients of cooked vegetables are easily absorbed in our body.
There are many vegetables that cannot be eaten without cooking or should not be eaten without cooking. At the same time, some vegetables can also be eaten raw. So let us know which vegetables are better to eat without cooking and when they should be eaten after cooking.
Cooking can reduce the nutritional elements of vegetables. Minerals like vitamin C, vitamin B and potassium are particularly affected because they are water soluble and dissolve in water during cooking. This is fine when you make soups and stews because you drink the gravy along with the vegetables. But if that water is thrown away, it becomes a problem.
Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, zucchini, spinach and peas are rich in these nutrients. Heat weakens these nutrients, so such vegetables should be cooked slowly and in less water. Steaming or microwaving them is a better option than boiling. Dibya Prakash, founder and nutrition expert of online wellness platform Metamorphosis, says, “There are many vegetables that cannot withstand high temperatures and their nutrients are destroyed. So, to get full benefits from different vegetables, the way they are eaten should also be different.”
“For example, you can eat carrots without cooking them, but it is better to give it to the elderly after lightly steaming it. Similarly, you can peel tomatoes by putting them in hot water. People who have a problem of stones or are at risk of stones should use them after removing their seeds and add tomatoes at the end while cooking so that the lycopene (antioxidant) present in it is not completely destroyed.”
Some vegetables become more nutritious after cooking, because cooking them breaks down their cells and makes it easier for the body to absorb the nutrients present in them. Even if some nutrients are lost while cooking, it is still better to eat these vegetables after cooking. Vegetables containing starch and protein can be easily digested only after cooking. If you think of eating vegetables raw, then keep in mind that some starchy vegetables like potatoes cannot be eaten raw.
There are many vegetables that cannot bear heat, that is, their vitamins are completely destroyed by heating them too much. The mention of vegetables containing vitamin C is very important in this.
For example, if we talk about amla, it cannot bear heat for long and its vitamins can be destroyed. But amla is astringent and sour in taste, so eating it by steaming is a better option. We can eat many vegetables like carrot, radish, cucumber, beetroot and onion without cooking so that we can get the full benefit of the vitamins and minerals present in them.
Dr. Mohsin Wali, Senior Consultant, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi, says, “Vegetables like bottle gourd, ridge gourd and spinach should be eaten by cooking or boiling them. But often we destroy all their nutrients by cooking them again and again.” The method of cooking is very important, so that the nutrients are not completely destroyed.
If vegetables are cooked for a long time, then the vitamins present in them can be completely destroyed and then we will get only fiber from the vegetables. Divya Prakash says, “Cooking is not only an art but also a science. This applies to buying, storing and cooking vegetables. Cooking cabbage for too long destroys its nutrients. But if you steam it, then 70% if not 100% of its nutrients will remain.”
Many people also keep vegetables grown underground, such as garlic, onion and ginger, in the fridge so that they look fresh. But during this time there is a risk of fungus growing in them, which can lead to diseases.
Raw food diet has been quite a trend in the last few years. You must have seen pictures of colorful smoothie bowls and raw vegetables on Instagram and social media. Raw food diet means uncooked food. In this, fresh fruits and salads are good sources of vitamins.
Those who believe in this diet say that food should neither be processed nor should it be heated more than 40-48°C. Eating raw salad at night is quite popular these days. But raw food diet also has disadvantages. First of all, it limits your food options. Due to less variety, there may be a lack of nutrients and energy in the body.
It is difficult to get adequate amount of protein, vitamin B12 and iron in raw food diet. It can also be difficult to know which thing to eat and how to get more nutrition. Also, many people are unable to digest raw food and due to this the nutrients present in it are not fully absorbed in the body. Some foods provide sufficient nutrition when eaten whole, some release more nutrients when cut or ground and some become even more nutritious when cooked.
If you buy vegetables from the market, it is not necessary that they are completely nutritious. A big risk with vegetables can also be the pesticides or chemicals present in them. Dr. Vali says, “Nowadays, oxytocin injection is given to vegetables like bottle gourd or papaya to make them grow. Even cows are injected to get more milk from them.”
“If a calf of a cow or buffalo cannot drink its mother’s milk, then stress hormones are released in the cow which reach our body with the milk. Then it is not very difficult to guess how much harm can be caused by injected milk or vegetables.”
Therefore, doctors recommend that you buy seasonal vegetables or fruits and buy locally grown vegetables, so that there is no need to preserve them and chemicals are not used for this. Apart from this, it is advisable to soak the vegetables in water for at least 15 minutes. Baking soda can also be used to wash vegetables. Along with this, it is better to wash the vegetables after cutting them.
It is also advisable not to eat green leafy vegetables during rainy days, because in the presence of dirty water, they may contain germs or bacteria that cause disease. Finally, when it comes to taste, cooking vegetables also gives them taste and you like to eat them more after cooking. But for how you eat vegetables, it is very important to take care of hygiene along with the way of eating and cooking them.
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