Raw vegetables-how safe?

I love raw vegetables. I love to snack with raw carrots and use raw spinach instead of lettuce on my salads. However, how safe is this? Sometimes my stomach feels funny esp after eating the carrots. I usually eat 2 at a time.

I actually just watched a documentary called "Food Matters" and they talked in depth about how raw vegetables are supposed to be better than cooked ones. They even have a "raw food diet." So I have been looking up about this stuff lately and what I have read is that some people have problems digesting raw veggies which might be why your stomach hurts after eating them. Here is a list I found of ways that are supposed to help

"Include fermented foods and drinks in your diet so you can build a healthy inner ecosystem to help you digest your food and assimilate the nutrients. Cultured vegetables allow you to get all the benefits of fermented foods and raw vegetables.
Chew your vegetables completely — at least 20 times per bite.
Bake, simmer, sauté or lightly steam your vegetables to make them more digestible.
Blend your vegetables in a raw vegetable smoothie
Take Assist Enzymes to boost your digestion
Also it had a list of veggies you SHOULDN'T eat completely raw, "includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, collards and brussel sprouts — all members of the cruciferous family that in their raw state are considered to be “cooling” and suppressing to your thyroid." These ones they say are usually always safe

Cucumbers
Celery (a high-fiber vehicle for your favorite dip)
Carrots (still difficult for some)
Red, yellow and orange bell pepper (not green, which is typically immature and difficult to digest)
Summer squashes like yellow squash and zucchini.

I hope this helps!

I soak all my produce in vinegar before I put it away. I also have a little green brush that I carved "veg" into specifically for meticulously cleaning my veggies and fruits. Hands are all over those apples and hands are so gross and germy.

i eat 150g raw carrots most days

Certain veggies actually are more nutritious cooked. The cooking makes them easier to digest and absorb the nutrients. The most common ones that are better cooked are: carrots, tomatoes, dark leafy vegetables, and the brassica (aka cruciferous vegetables) like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, etc.

CallmeSbo wrote: »

I love raw vegetables. I love to snack with raw carrots and use raw spinach instead of lettuce on my salads. However, how safe is this? Sometimes my stomach feels funny esp after eating the carrots. I usually eat 2 at a time.

I actually just watched a documentary called "Food Matters" and they talked in depth about how raw vegetables are supposed to be better than cooked ones. They even have a "raw food diet." So I have been looking up about this stuff lately and what I have read is that some people have problems digesting raw veggies which might be why your stomach hurts after eating them. Here is a list I found of ways that are supposed to help

"Include fermented foods and drinks in your diet so you can build a healthy inner ecosystem to help you digest your food and assimilate the nutrients. Cultured vegetables allow you to get all the benefits of fermented foods and raw vegetables.
Chew your vegetables completely — at least 20 times per bite.
Bake, simmer, sauté or lightly steam your vegetables to make them more digestible.
Blend your vegetables in a raw vegetable smoothie
Take Assist Enzymes to boost your digestion
Also it had a list of veggies you SHOULDN'T eat completely raw, "includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, collards and brussel sprouts — all members of the cruciferous family that in their raw state are considered to be “cooling” and suppressing to your thyroid." These ones they say are usually always safe

Cucumbers
Celery (a high-fiber vehicle for your favorite dip)
Carrots (still difficult for some)
Red, yellow and orange bell pepper (not green, which is typically immature and difficult to digest)
Summer squashes like yellow squash and zucchini.

I hope this helps!

thanks alot. That was very helpfull. I will look up the documentary as well. Will try chewing better. This might be my biggest problem.

Feel free to watch the documentary if you wish. I've seen it and found it very motivational to eat less processed foods and more whole foods. I think it's general message is a positive one, which is to eat well and love your body, but take their science with a grain of salt. I tried to find what studies or evidence there was behind there research, and I couldn't find very much besides anecdotal evidence.

earlnabby wrote: »

Certain veggies actually are more nutritious cooked. The cooking makes them easier to digest and absorb the nutrients. The most common ones that are better cooked are: carrots, tomatoes, dark leafy vegetables, and the brassica (aka cruciferous vegetables) like broccoli, auliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, etc.

This is good to know. I prefer most of these cooked anyway. Especially spinach. Uncooked spinach and I have... issues. Pity, though. I like raw carrots and tomatoes.

mamapeach910 wrote: »

earlnabby wrote: »

Certain veggies actually are more nutritious cooked. The cooking makes them easier to digest and absorb the nutrients. The most common ones that are better cooked are: carrots, tomatoes, dark leafy vegetables, and the brassica (aka cruciferous vegetables) like broccoli, auliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, etc.

This is good to know. I prefer most of these cooked anyway. Especially spinach. Uncooked spinach and I have... issues. Pity, though. I like raw carrots and tomatoes.

Doesn't mean that they are not nutritious raw, just that you can get the maximum benefit from them cooked.