Combining raw and cooked vegetables is more beneficial to your health. For example, there are many varieties of radishes; those with more juice and less spiciness are better for eating raw. However, as they are considered cooling foods, people with a yin-deficient constitution should preferably eat them cooked.
Everyone knows that nutrients in vegetables, such as vitamin C and B vitamins, can be easily destroyed by cooking, so eating them raw helps preserve these nutrients. However, depending on the type of vegetable, some are best blanched in boiling water before eating, while others must be thoroughly cooked before consumption.
Vegetables Suitable for Raw Eating
Carrots, white radishes, water radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, the heart of Chinese cabbage, purple cabbage, etc. When eating raw, it is best to choose pesticide-free green or organic vegetables. Methods for eating raw include making homemade vegetable juice, lightly dressing fresh vegetables with vinegar, salt, olive oil, etc., or cutting them into pieces to dip in sauce.
Vegetables That Need Blanching
Cross-pollinated vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower have a better texture after blanching, and their rich fiber is also easier to digest. Vegetables high in oxalic acid, such as spinach, bamboo shoots, and water bamboo, are also best blanched, as oxalic acid combines with calcium in the intestines to form calcium oxalate, which is difficult to absorb and interferes with the body's calcium absorption. Cruciferous vegetables like turnips contain glucosinolates; blanching them hydrolyzes these into volatile mustard oil, which improves the flavor and aids digestion and absorption. Wild vegetables like purslane should be blanched to completely remove dust and small insects and to prevent allergies. For vegetables like lettuce and water chestnuts, it is also best to peel, wash, and scald them in boiling water before eating raw.
Vegetables That Must Be Cooked
1. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, taro, and Chinese yams must be cooked, otherwise the starch granules will not break down and the human body cannot digest them.
2. Kidney beans and green beans contain large amounts of saponins and hemagglutinins and must be cooked until they change color before consumption.
3. Bean sprouts must be cooked thoroughly, whether in a cold salad or stir-fried.
Fresh Daylilies and Wood Ear Mushrooms Should Not Be Eaten
Fresh wood ear mushrooms and fresh daylilies contain toxins and should never be eaten. When using dried wood ear mushrooms, it is best to soak them in warm water before cooking. Do not eat the parts that remain shriveled after soaking. Dried daylilies are better rehydrated in cold water.
A Combination of Raw and Cooked is Most Beneficial
Combining raw and cooked vegetables is more beneficial to your health. For example, there are many varieties of radishes; those with more juice and less spiciness are better for eating raw. However, as they are considered cooling foods, people with a yin-deficient constitution should preferably eat them cooked. The nutrients absorbed from some foods differ depending on whether they are eaten raw or cooked. For instance, tomatoes contain lycopene, which can reduce the risk of prostate and liver cancer. To absorb lycopene, tomatoes should be eaten cooked. However, if you want to absorb vitamin C, eating them raw is more effective because vitamin C is easily lost during cooking.