Raw appeal
If
eating enough vegetables wasn’t a task in itself, nutritionists now insist that
the way you eat and prepare your veggies is also crucial for a healthy living!
THE raw v/s cooked argument has been plaguing herbivores and the health-conscious lot for a long time now. While there are varying opinions on the subject, experts say it’s safest to strike a balance between the two rather than choose one over the other. “At least 50 per cent of our vegetable intake should be in raw form. This can be in the guise of juices or salads,” says nutritionist Ishi Khosla. Food consultant and nutritionist, Jia Singh, who swears by raw vegetables, says, “It is better to have a food product the way it is, instead of processing it. Broccoli, celery, cucumber, carrots, peas can be had absolutely raw and have no added fat in them.”
Simmering debate
While most raw foodists preach that cooking kills all vitamins and minerals in food, living on a complete raw food diet also comes with pitfalls. It has been found that cooking carrots actually increases the level of beta-carotene that further gets converted into Vitamin A. The same applies to tomatoes.
Khosla says, “Tomatoes are a good source of lycopene, the photochemical which makes them red, has significant antioxidant properties. It has been found that cooking tomatoes actually boosts this antioxidant property.” Singh adds, “Some high-fibre veggies like cabbage and cauliflower can cause bloating and stomach ache if consumed raw, and need a little cooking.”
What cooking does is add to the palatability of veggies. But even basic things like how you cook and for how long, can affect its nutritional value.
Blanch or bubble?
“In India, we tend to overcook food, which kills most of the nutrients. The veg gravies are devoid of most nutrients. The best way to cook your veggies is the Chinese way… just a stir fry with minimal seasoning,” suggests Chef Ravi Saxena of Claridges. “Just toss veggies in a wok on high flame for a very short span of time. The less you treat your veggies the more nutritive they remain,” advocates Singh, further adding that steaming and roasting are great options as well since they do not denature the food. In fact, they keep its colour and p l u m p - ness intact. Saxena also recommends blanching over boiling when it comes to softening and cleaning the vegetables off impurities.
Kitchen wisdom
Five extra minutes of cooking can make an enormous difference in the nutritional quality of a meal. For example, to preserve its nutrients, spinach should not be boiled for more than one
minute. So, cook vegetables in as little water as possible for a minimal amount of time (unless you’re planning to use the water for a soup).
Significant nutrient loss occurs in raw vegetables if they have been picked too long before they are eaten and have been exposed to light and air for long. “Avoid leaving cut vegetables in the open to avoid oxidisation, also do not prepare food too much in advance,” says Singh.
It isn’t just adequate to eat fivecoloured veggies every day, as advised by food consultants. How you consume your veggies, and whether you cut and cook them right, too, decides your nutrient intake. It’s time to unlearn and learn a few veggie basics that can help you lead a healthy life.
THE raw v/s cooked argument has been plaguing herbivores and the health-conscious lot for a long time now. While there are varying opinions on the subject, experts say it’s safest to strike a balance between the two rather than choose one over the other. “At least 50 per cent of our vegetable intake should be in raw form. This can be in the guise of juices or salads,” says nutritionist Ishi Khosla. Food consultant and nutritionist, Jia Singh, who swears by raw vegetables, says, “It is better to have a food product the way it is, instead of processing it. Broccoli, celery, cucumber, carrots, peas can be had absolutely raw and have no added fat in them.”
Simmering debate
While most raw foodists preach that cooking kills all vitamins and minerals in food, living on a complete raw food diet also comes with pitfalls. It has been found that cooking carrots actually increases the level of beta-carotene that further gets converted into Vitamin A. The same applies to tomatoes.
Khosla says, “Tomatoes are a good source of lycopene, the photochemical which makes them red, has significant antioxidant properties. It has been found that cooking tomatoes actually boosts this antioxidant property.” Singh adds, “Some high-fibre veggies like cabbage and cauliflower can cause bloating and stomach ache if consumed raw, and need a little cooking.”
What cooking does is add to the palatability of veggies. But even basic things like how you cook and for how long, can affect its nutritional value.
Blanch or bubble?
“In India, we tend to overcook food, which kills most of the nutrients. The veg gravies are devoid of most nutrients. The best way to cook your veggies is the Chinese way… just a stir fry with minimal seasoning,” suggests Chef Ravi Saxena of Claridges. “Just toss veggies in a wok on high flame for a very short span of time. The less you treat your veggies the more nutritive they remain,” advocates Singh, further adding that steaming and roasting are great options as well since they do not denature the food. In fact, they keep its colour and p l u m p - ness intact. Saxena also recommends blanching over boiling when it comes to softening and cleaning the vegetables off impurities.
Kitchen wisdom
Five extra minutes of cooking can make an enormous difference in the nutritional quality of a meal. For example, to preserve its nutrients, spinach should not be boiled for more than one
minute. So, cook vegetables in as little water as possible for a minimal amount of time (unless you’re planning to use the water for a soup).
Significant nutrient loss occurs in raw vegetables if they have been picked too long before they are eaten and have been exposed to light and air for long. “Avoid leaving cut vegetables in the open to avoid oxidisation, also do not prepare food too much in advance,” says Singh.
It isn’t just adequate to eat fivecoloured veggies every day, as advised by food consultants. How you consume your veggies, and whether you cut and cook them right, too, decides your nutrient intake. It’s time to unlearn and learn a few veggie basics that can help you lead a healthy life.
CRUNCHY
FACTS!
• Try and consume freshly picked raw vegetables as the nutritional value of vegetables depends on its freshness. Chew your veggies well, at least 20 times per bite.
• When eating your salad greens and tomatoes, adding some oil-based dressing will help absorption of the carotenoids better. Extra virgin oil is an excellent choice.
• Don’t finely chop your vegetables. It increases the surface area through which nutrients can be lost.
• Steaming, rather than boiling, helps retain water-soluble vitamins like B and C.
• Avoid soaking your veggies, as that can remove key nutrients, like vitamin C.
• Eating vegetables in a variety of colours provides your body with many phytochemicals, that act as antioxidants to prevent heart diseases, cancer and Alzheimer’s.
• Try and consume freshly picked raw vegetables as the nutritional value of vegetables depends on its freshness. Chew your veggies well, at least 20 times per bite.
• When eating your salad greens and tomatoes, adding some oil-based dressing will help absorption of the carotenoids better. Extra virgin oil is an excellent choice.
• Don’t finely chop your vegetables. It increases the surface area through which nutrients can be lost.
• Steaming, rather than boiling, helps retain water-soluble vitamins like B and C.
• Avoid soaking your veggies, as that can remove key nutrients, like vitamin C.
• Eating vegetables in a variety of colours provides your body with many phytochemicals, that act as antioxidants to prevent heart diseases, cancer and Alzheimer’s.
Supriya
Sharma TL130324
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