FOOD: Cooked Versus Raw

[listopencil]

I was making myself something to eat yesterday and I had a random thought about cooked/raw food items. I don't mean obvious things like cooked/raw chicken. Mostly vegetables and whatnot. There are certain foods that I only enjoy cooked, but not raw. There are certain foods that I only enjoy raw, not cooked. And then there are certain foods that I enjoy either cooked or raw. Also there are food items that I just won't eat. Something about the taste or the consistency usually.

Cooked But Not Raw:
Cabbage, Carrots, Onions

Raw But Not Cooked:
Tomatoes, Cucumbers

Cooked Or Raw:
Mushrooms, Bell Peppers, Apples

Will Not Eat:
Beets, Coconut

Is this weird or is this common?

[EPodolak]

Probably common. Carrots for example are like two different foods, cooked and raw. I prefer raw.

Potatoes are another one - I'm Irish so you could hammer and spackle them, cooked or raw and I'd be OK.

Would agree with you about tomatoes.

[listopencil]

Originally Posted by EPodolak

Probably common. Carrots for example are like two different foods, cooked and raw. I prefer raw.

Potatoes are another one - I'm Irish so you could hammer and spackle them, cooked or raw and I'd be OK.

Would agree with you about tomatoes.

I actually did eat raw potatoes as a kid. And then one of my relatives scared me with talk of potato worms and it freaked me out, stopped doing it. Still love potatoes though.

[Rasputin]

Ask Fire Me Boy!

[displacedinMN]

I prefer carrots, broccoli and cauliflower raw. Also cookie dough.
Tomatoes warmed in the sun and out of the garden

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

I've read that the Lycopene in tomatoes actually increases when you cook them. Most veggies lose a lot or some of their health benefits when cooked. My rule of thumb is anything you can tolerate raw (veggies) leave that way. I like to dice some tomatoes for breakfast and throw them in a skillet with some leaf spinach and throw two eggs on it.

[GloucesterChief]

Originally Posted by Hog Farmer

I've read that the Lycopene in tomatoes actually increases when you cook them. Most veggies lose a lot or some of their health benefits when cooked. My rule of thumb is anything you can tolerate raw (veggies) leave that way. I like to dice some tomatoes for breakfast and throw them in a skillet with some leaf spinach and throw two eggs on it.

Yes, for Lycopene. Not exactly for your second sentence. Veggies due lose some nutritional value when they are cooked but cooked vegetables make it much easier for you to digest and get those nutrients and in a higher quantity compared to digestion of raw vegetables. There is an evolutionary advantage to cooking everything you eat.

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by GloucesterChief

Yes, for Lycopene. Not exactly for your second sentence. Veggies due lose some nutritional value when they are cooked but cooked vegetables make it much easier for you to digest and get those nutrients and in a higher quantity compared to digestion of raw vegetables. There is an evolutionary advantage to cooking everything you eat.

You need both cooked and raw. Cooking orange pigmented food releases more beta carotene than raw, but you have to take care how you cook them too. But there are more enzymes when raw which aids digestion.

To get the optimal amount of beta-carotene, don’t overcook your food and avoid boiling or cooking it in water in a microwave.
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/cook...tene-9187.html

However, raw spinach releases oxalyic acid which prevents absorption of calcium and iron. But still has benefits raw. So both cooked and raw.

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by GloucesterChief

Yes, for Lycopene. Not exactly for your second sentence. Veggies due lose some nutritional value when they are cooked but cooked vegetables make it much easier for you to digest and get those nutrients and in a higher quantity compared to digestion of raw vegetables. There is an evolutionary advantage to cooking everything you eat.

I've always wondered about this. Cooked or raw, the food should essentially be mush by the time it reaches your stomach anyway. What's the difference?

[GloucesterChief]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

I've always wondered about this. Cooked or raw, the food should essentially be mush by the time it reaches your stomach anyway. What's the difference?

That isn't actually true particularly with things with lots of fiber or a hard outer coating. Cooking actually starts the digestion process by softening and breaking down food so when it hits the stomach and intestines the digestion goes quicker and it can get more since it doesn't have to work harder to break down the food.

Cows and humans both eat grains. Cows have two stomachs just to break down the grains and get nutrition. Humans simply cook the grains. Every human culture cooks their food. The ones that didn't, died out.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Hog Farmer

I've read that the Lycopene in tomatoes actually increases when you cook them. Most veggies lose a lot or some of their health benefits when cooked. My rule of thumb is anything you can tolerate raw (veggies) leave that way. I like to dice some tomatoes for breakfast and throw them in a skillet with some leaf spinach and throw two eggs on it.

That sounds like a great breakfast and healthy too! I would have guessed pork sausage with a side of bacon for you.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by listopencil

Cooked But Not Raw:
Cabbage, Carrots, Onions

You don't put onions on your hamburgers, tacos, hot dogs or chili?

What about cabbage on a fish taco?

[listopencil]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

You don't put onions on your hamburgers, tacos, hot dogs or chili?

What about cabbage on a fish taco?

Nope. I will eat stuff with minimal raw onions in it if there are a lot of other ingredients but I avoid them. And I can't stand raw cabbage. I don't care for fish tacos and I don't eat coleslaw.

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

Love me a fish taco !

[Gadzooks]

Raw mushrooms are gross. (Unless you wanna get high, man )