Vegetables that can be eaten raw after washing include carrots, radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and the inner core of Chinese cabbage. Tang Xiaowei says that for raw consumption, it's best to choose non-hazardous green or organic vegetables. Vegetables grown in soilless cultivation conditions can also be eaten raw with confidence. Methods for eating raw vegetables include drinking freshly made vegetable juice or mixing fresh vegetables with a dressing, with a small amount of vinegar and a little salt.
Broccoli and bamboo shoots should be blanched before eating
Vegetables that are best eaten after blanching fall into the following categories: The first category is cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower. These nutrient-rich vegetables have a better texture after blanching, and their abundant fiber is also easier to digest. The second category includes vegetables high in oxalic acid, such as spinach, bamboo shoots, and water bamboo. 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. Therefore, they must be blanched in boiling water before being served in a salad to remove most of the oxalic acid. The third category is mustard vegetables, such as turnips, which contain a substance called glucosinolate. When hydrolyzed, it produces volatile mustard oil, which aids digestion and absorption. The fourth category includes wild vegetables like purslane, and blanching can thoroughly remove dust and insects and prevent allergic reactions. Additionally, for lettuce and water chestnuts, it is best to peel, wash, and scald them in boiling water before eating raw to ensure better hygiene without affecting the taste and nutritional content.
Of course, not all vegetables can be used in salads. Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, taro, and Chinese yam, must be cooked, otherwise the starch granules will not break down and the human body cannot digest them. Kidney beans contain large amounts of saponins and hemagglutinins, and if not cooked thoroughly, they can cause poisoning. Kidney beans should be cooked for a long time, not a short one, until they are fully cooked and change color, before they can be safely eaten. Bean sprouts are better stir-fried, and even if eaten cold, they must be cooked first. Eating both raw and cooked is more beneficial to your health
Fresh wood ear mushrooms and fresh daylilies are toxic and cannot be eaten. When eating dried wood ear mushrooms, it is best to soak them in warm water before cooking. Any parts that remain shrunken after soaking should not be eaten. Dried daylilies are better rehydrated in cold water.
"Eating vegetables both raw and cooked in combination is more beneficial to your health," Tang Xiaowei said. For example, there are many varieties of radishes. For eating raw, those with more juice and less spiciness are better, but they are considered cooling foods, so people with a yin-deficient constitution should preferably eat them cooked. The nutrients absorbed from some foods can be different when eaten raw versus cooked. For instance, tomatoes contain lycopene, which can reduce the risk of prostate and liver cancer, and to absorb it, you should eat them cooked. But if you want to absorb vitamin C, eating them raw is more effective because vitamin C is easily lost during cooking.