Cooked vs. Raw veggies?

concord2016
concord2016 Posts: 11
in Food and Nutrition
Does cooking vegetables significantly alter their nutritional content? I know if you add oil you have to factor that into your calorie count but I'm curious if anything else is significantly altered?

Replies

  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    No. Eat a variety of vegetables -- some raw and some cooked.
  • techgal128
    techgal128 Posts: 719 Member
    Veggies are only bad if you don't eat them.
  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,674 Member
    I agree with the above! You might like to check out some gourmet veggie recipes, as well as some raw food creations. Veggies are incredible! I just made up some raw veggie creations tonight.
  • emilyrigh
    emilyrigh Posts: 55 Member
    Yes. Cooking your veggies can lower the nutritional value in whatever you're eating.
  • ashleearoha
    ashleearoha Posts: 165 Member
    Just be careful when steaming veggies. Don't steam them to mush, that decreases their nutritional value but in saying that any veggies are a good thing! :)
  • techgal128
    techgal128 Posts: 719 Member
    Just be careful when steaming veggies. Don't steam them to mush, that decreases their nutritional value but in saying that any veggies are a good thing! :)

    Plus, who wants to eat mushy veggies?
  • SStruthers13
    SStruthers13 Posts: 150 Member
    As long as you don't load them with to much salt or fat eat them any way you can.
  • techgal128
    techgal128 Posts: 719 Member
    As long as you don't load them with to much salt or fat eat them any way you can.

    Ohh, my boyfriend does this and it drives me nuts. He cooks fresh green beans and douses them with a ton of butter and salt. Like, you literally pour out this butter/salt soup from the bottom of the pan. WHY??
  • gary241069
    gary241069 Posts: 255 Member
    Yes. Cooking your veggies can lower the nutritional value in whatever you're eating.
    [/quote

    Is this based on personal opinion, or some kind of scientific facts?

    I know some goodness can be drained from vegetable when they are cooked.
    But this can be compensated by drinking the water or adding it to your meal
    rather than pouring in down your sink
  • gary241069
    gary241069 Posts: 255 Member
    Just be careful when steaming veggies. Don't steam them to mush, that decreases their nutritional value but in saying that any veggies are a good thing! :)

    Plus, who wants to eat mushy veggies?

    ME! YUMMY!!
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Yes. Cooking your veggies can lower the nutritional value in whatever you're eating.

    That is wrong. many vegetables are healthier for you cooked (boiled or steamed, not roasted) because the cooking breaks down the cell walls and makes the nutrients more bio-available. Some that are better cooked: tomatoes, carrots, spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, cabbage, peppers zucchini and broccoli.

    ETA: cooking does tend to destroy the Vitamin C, but many other nutrients are enhanced by cooking, especially antioxidants
  • Archon2
    Archon2 Posts: 462 Member
    Some veggies have nutritional content made more available by some cooking. Carrots come to mind. Tomatoes are another.

    Here is a good article showing the pros and cons.

    http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/raw-veggies-are-healthier/
  • chadya07
    chadya07 Posts: 627 Member
    there are some veggies that are better to eat raw, some that are actually healthier when canned (such as tomatoes), some better cooked. this is a complicated question that requires research. if it really matters that much. personally, i eat a lot of veggies, and i eat them however they taste best. eat your veggies. thats what matters.
  • ekahnicole
    ekahnicole Posts: 216 Member
    It drives me crazy that here (southern US) most people cook their veggies in a crap ton of butter. x__x
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    there are some veggies that are better to eat raw, some that are actually healthier when canned (such as tomatoes), some better cooked. this is a complicated question that requires research. if it really matters that much. personally, i eat a lot of veggies, and i eat them however they taste best. eat your veggies. thats what matters.

    Eating a variety and eating them in a variety of ways is a good way to get all of the nutrients. I love my tomatoes in stews and sauces but I also love raw tomatoes, especially on a salad so I figure I am getting my Vitamin C and K from the raw and lycopene from cooked.

    No matter if it is healthier or not, I will NOT eat cooked spinach :frown:
  • gary241069
    gary241069 Posts: 255 Member
    Does nobody cook veggies with stock cubes? Or is this just a British thing .............................................................................................. ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
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  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
    Does nobody cook veggies with stock cubes? Or is this just a British thing

    In Americanish that's "bouillon cube" -- pronounced just like gold 'bullion. And no, no one can spell bouillon without looking it up. But yes, folks do cook veggies with bouillon cubes sometimes but they are very salty.
  • concord2016
    concord2016 Posts: 11
    Thanks for all the info guys! Very helpful and a lot to mull on. I like the idea of mixing cooked and raw veggies up. I personally like cooked veggie a lot more because cold meals just don't do if for me but for snacks raw veggies sound good :)

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