Health, Diet
Vegetables you should never eat raw
While any healthy diet always includes fruits or vegetable salads as a part of it, there are still certain vegetables that should never be consumed raw.
Overview
While nature has given us many fruits and vegetables to fill our bellies, there are certain vegetables that cannot be consumed raw. There are many reasons as to why a particular vegetable needs to be cooked.
Some of the reasons are listed below.
Why Should You Cook Vegetables?
- Cooking activates certain nutrients in vegetables and increases their bioavailability so that our body absorbs them better.
- Cooking will help in breaking down harmful compounds into gut-friendly compounds.
- It breaks down complex compounds into easy-to-absorb ones.
- Kills bacteria, worms and other harmful pathogens.
- Reduces chances of food poisoning.
- Reduces stress on the digestive system.
- Reduces the effect of pesticides.
- Cruciferous vegetables (cabbage family) should never be eaten raw, a little heat and oil can make them easy on the digestive system without compromising on their nutritional value.
Best Way to Cook Vegetables and Retain Their Nutrition
- Steam.
- Grill.
- Roast.
- Cooking at medium heat.
- Blanch.
Vegetables that should never be consumed raw
Potatoes
Uncooked potatoes not only taste bad but can also lead to digestive problems. The uncooked starch of the potatoes can lead to bloating and gas. To avoid any type of gastronomical problem, it is advisable to bake, sauté, or cook the potatoes before consumption. It is also advisable to stay away from green potatoes which contain high amount of solanine, a poisonous toxic which can lead to headaches and nausea.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Vegetables that belong to the cabbage family such as cauliflower, Brussels, broccoli and sprouts should never be consumed raw. These vegetables contain sugar that are difficult to digest. Eating these vegetables raw may lead to a number of gastronomical problems. Cooking the vegetables makes it easy to digest the sugar contained in the vegetables. If you have thyroid problems, avoid eating raw cruciferous vegetables as these can worsen the thyroid conditions.
Red Kidney Beans
Uncooked or undercooked beans contain a large amount of toxin, glycoprotein lectin which leads to problems such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea within some hours of consumption. The severity of the symptoms also depends on the amount of toxins that have been consumed. Kidney beans have high amount of lectin which can cause the problems mentioned above. Soaking the beans for 5 hours can help in destroying the toxin.
Mushrooms
Though mushrooms can be eaten raw, however, it is advisable to consume cooked ones to get more nutrients. Roasted, sautéed or grilled mushrooms have more potassium content than uncooked ones. You can add stir fried mushrooms to pasta or pizza to give a healthy twist to your favourite foods. However, ensure that you wash the mushrooms properly with a vegetable and fruit cleaner to ensure that you are eating veggies that are safe for consumption.
Eggplant
Eggplant has compound solanine which restricts the absorption of calcium. Solanine poisoning can lead to a number of neurological and gastrointestinal problem the symptoms of which include nausea, dizziness, vomiting and cramping. Wash it eggplant using a vegetable and fruit cleaner before cooking to make it safe for consumption.
French Beans
Another vegetable that you should never eat raw is beans. Some of the varieties of beans such as hyacinth or Lima can prove dangerous when eaten raw. The variants of beans contain a harmful amino acid. To remove the harmful toxin, soak the beans in using a vegetable and fruit cleaner before consumption.
