Everyone knows that nutrients in vegetables, such as vitamin C and B vitamins, are easily destroyed by cooking, and 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.
Vegetables Suitable for Raw Consumption
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 vegetables or organic vegetables. Methods for eating raw include making fresh vegetable juice at home, lightly tossing fresh vegetables with a little vinegar, salt, olive oil, etc., cutting them into pieces to dip in sauce, and so on.
Vegetables That Need to Be Blanched
Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower, have a better texture after blanching. They are rich in fiber and easier to digest. Vegetables high in oxalic acid, such as spinach, bamboo shoots, and water bamboo, are also best blanched, because oxalic acid combines with calcium in the intestines to form calcium oxalate, which is difficult to absorb and interferes with the body's absorption of calcium. Vegetables in the mustard family, such as turnips, contain glucosinolates. Blanching them in water hydrolyzes them 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 allergic reactions. For 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 yam, must be cooked, otherwise their starch grains will not break down, and the human body cannot digest them.
2. Lima beans and kidney beans, which contain large amounts of saponins and hemagglutinins, must be thoroughly cooked until they change color before consumption.
3. Bean sprouts must be cooked thoroughly, whether in a cold salad or stir-fried.
Fresh mushrooms and fresh daylilies 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. Any parts that remain shriveled after soaking should not be eaten. Dried daylilies are better rehydrated in cold water.
A combination of raw and cooked is most beneficial
A combination of raw and cooked vegetables is more beneficial to the body. For example, there are many varieties of radishes; those with more juice and less spiciness are better for eating raw, but they are considered cooling foods, so people with a yin-deficient constitution should eat them cooked. The nutrients absorbed from some foods can differ when eaten raw versus cooked. For instance, tomatoes contain lycopene, which can reduce the risk of prostate and liver cancer, but to effectively absorb it, tomatoes should be cooked. However, if you want to get vitamin C, eating them raw is more effective because vitamin C is easily lost during the cooking process.