Nutritionist Flavio Pettirossi explains why some vegetables should be eaten mainly cooked, if we want to make the most of the nutrients they contain. Among these are carrots and tomatoes but also crucifers
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Vegetables are good and healthy, so we should include them every day in our diet, both raw and cooked. But are there any varieties that it would be better to eat cooked rather than raw? We asked the nutritionist Flavio Pettirossi.
Alternating different types of vegetables as well as consuming them both raw and cooked is an excellent strategy to ensure all the useful nutrients that vegetables contain but there are some cases in which it is particularly recommended to cook vegetables. Let's find out what they are.
Among the vegetables to be eaten preferably cooked there are the orange-red ones such as carrots, pumpkin and tomatoes which contain respectively beta-carotene and lycopene, in fact both beta-carotene and lycopene are fat-soluble vitamins by adding a share of fats, such as a little olive oil in cooking, its bioavailability increases. The alternative is to steam them or boil them quickly and use oil as a condiment.
And what about vegetables of other colors?
Among the white vegetables we find fennel rich in potassium which tends to be preserved with light cooking such as baking or steaming. For vegetables like artichokes, black cabbage, Brussels sprouts and all crucifers in general, which are rich in glucosinates, it is preferable to cook them lightly in a pan or steamed with a little water.
What are the advantages of cooking in this case?
These cooking help to activate the glucosinates which are molecules that plants use to defend themselves from parasites and which perform anticancer and protective functions in humans. For purple vegetables such as eggplantinstead, which are rich in anthocyanins, molecules that perform antioxidant and protective functions for humans, grilling increases the quantity of antioxidants.
Read also: Grilled vegetables, richer in antioxidants than raw vegetables?
However, Dr. Pettirossi specifies one important thing, namely that some vegetables are particularly beneficial even raw:
For example, carrots also contain vitamin C (a vitamin also present in fennel) which is more available if they are eaten raw, so it is always important to alternate between raw and cooked.
For vegetables that need to be cooked it is very important know the most suitable type of cooking:
Regardless of the type of vegetable, the important thing is the type of cooking to be used. Undoubtedly, to be favored are steaming, baking or boiling but light and with very little water, in fact, studies have shown how cooking with a lot of water can lead to a loss of nutrients that can in some cases reach up to 90%. .
Read also: Cooking methods: which are the best and worst for our health
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Read also:
- Raw or cooked? Here's how it is best to consume various vegetables (Mini-guide)
- The best and worst vegetables from a nutritional point of view: the ranking
- Can I eat raw broccoli? Yes, if you respect these precautions!
