When it comes to nutrition, cooking can sometimes get a bad rap. However, certain foods become more nutritious and easier to digest when cooked. Cooking can break down tough cell walls, release vital nutrients, and make these foods gentler on the stomach. In this blog, we’ll explore 15 foods that are more nutritious cooked than raw and discuss the best methods to prepare them.
1. Tomatoes:
Best Cooking Method: Roasting or simmering.
Cooking tomatoes increases their lycopene content, a powerful antioxidant linked to reduced risk of chronic diseases. Cooking also makes tomatoes easier to digest.
2. Carrots:
Best Cooking Method: Steaming or boiling.
Cooking carrots enhances their beta-carotene levels, which the body converts to vitamin A, essential for vision and immune function.
3. Celery:
Best Cooking Method: Sautéing or steaming.
Cooked celery provides more antioxidants like apigenin and luteolin, which have anti-inflammatory properties.
4. Spinach:
Best Cooking Method: Steaming or sautéing.
Cooking spinach reduces oxalate levels, making its calcium and iron more absorbable. It also increases the availability of vitamins A and E.
5. Broccoli
Best Cooking Method: Steaming.
Steaming broccoli boosts its cancer-fighting compounds, such as sulforaphane, while retaining most of its vitamin C.
6. Garlic
Best Cooking Method: Roasting or sautéing.
Cooking garlic activates allicin, a compound with numerous health benefits including heart health and immune support.
7. Kale
Best Cooking Method: Steaming or sautéing.
Cooking kale reduces its goitrogen content, making it safer for thyroid health, and enhances its antioxidant properties.
8. Zucchini
Best Cooking Method: Sautéing or grilling.
Cooking zucchini increases the bioavailability of its antioxidants, making it more beneficial for reducing inflammation.
9. Onions
Best Cooking Method: Sautéing or caramelizing.
Cooking onions boosts their flavonoid content, which helps reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
10. Cauliflower
Best Cooking Method: Steaming or roasting.
Cooking cauliflower increases its indole levels, which have cancer-preventive properties, and makes it easier to digest.
11. Eggplant
Best Cooking Method: Grilling or baking.
Cooking eggplant reduces its solanine content and enhances its antioxidants, making it more nutritious and easier on the stomach.
12. Bell Peppers
Best Cooking Method: Roasting or sautéing.
Cooking bell peppers boosts their antioxidant levels, particularly carotenoids, which are beneficial for eye health.
13. Asparagus
Best Cooking Method: Steaming or roasting.
Cooking asparagus enhances its antioxidant activity and makes its fiber easier to digest, promoting better gut health.
14. Mushrooms
Best Cooking Method: Sautéing or grilling.
Cooking mushrooms increases their potassium content and makes their polysaccharides more bioavailable, supporting immune function.
15. Green Beans
Best Cooking Method: Steaming or boiling.
Cooking green beans enhances their antioxidant levels and reduces anti-nutrients, making their vitamins and minerals more accessible.
Why Cooked Foods Are Gentler on the Stomach:
There is growing evidence that the oxalates in vegetables, particularly raw vegetables, can wreak havoc on the gut lining, leading to discomfort and bloating. Cooking these foods reduces oxalate content and other anti-nutrients, making them gentler on the stomach and easier to digest. For those with sensitive digestive systems or who experience frequent bloating, cooking vegetables can be a beneficial practice.
One of the best ways to incorporate all of these into your diet is through making a delicious soup! This soup from the Blue Zones Documentary is said to aid in longevity:
Cooking certain foods not only makes them more digestible but also unlocks essential nutrients that are otherwise less available. Incorporating these 15 foods into your diet, prepared in the recommended ways, can significantly boost your overall nutrition. Remember, if you’re ever unsure about the best way to prepare a food for maximum health benefits, a quick online search or consultation with a nutritionist can provide the guidance you need.
*Are you buying organic? Check out this blog for more info: What and When to Buy Organic
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