Cooking softens foods such as meat, vegetables, and grains so they are easier to eat. It also helps us digest without expending huge amounts of energy. We often hear about certain foods that cooking kills vitamins and minerals, but raw vegetables aren’t always the healthiest, and below we’ll see which foods are best cooked.
7 vegetables best eaten cooked
#1 Asparagus
All living things are made up of cells, and important nutrients in vegetables are sometimes stored within these cell walls.
When vegetables are cooked, the walls break down, releasing nutrients they can access later more easily absorbed by the body. Cooking asparagus breaks down its cell walls, making vitamins A, B9, C and E available for absorption.
#2 Mushroom
Mushrooms contain large amounts of the antioxidant ergothioneine, which is released when cooked.
Antioxidants help break down free radicals chemical compounds that cause oxidation in the body and are destructive in many ways.
#3 Spinach
Our favorite leafy vegetable is rich in nutrients like iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc. However, these nutrients are more easily absorbed when spinach is cooked.
When you cook spinach, the bound calcium is released and the body absorbs it more easily.
According to research steamed spinach preserves folate levels, which may reduce the risk of certain cancers.
#4 Tomato
A vegetable that we usually eat raw, but maybe we should reconsider this habit. Cooking tomatoes releases the antioxidant lycopene, which has been linked to a lower risk of several chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer.
This increased amount of lycopene is caused by heat, which helps break down the thick cell walls contains a number of important nutrients.
Although cooking a tomato reduces its vitamin C content by 29%, cooking it for just 30 minutes increases lycopene by 50%.
#5 Carrots
Cooked carrots contain more beta-carotene than raw ones. Our bodies convert beta-carotene into vitamin A, which supports bone growth, vision and the immune system.
Cooking with carrot peel more than doubles its antioxidant power.
Also, prefer to boil carrots whole before slicing them, as this prevents these nutrients from escaping. Avoid frying carrots, as research shows that this can reduce the amount of carotenoids.
#6 Pepper
A vegetable that is an excellent source of antioxidants that support our immune system because it is rich in carotenoids, beta-carotene and lutein.
Heat breaks down cell walls, making it easier for our bodies to absorb carotenoids. Try not to boil your peppers, as the vitamin C will mix with the water. Opt to bake them instead.
#7 Broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts
These vegetables are rich in glucosinolate compounds, which our bodies convert into a number of cancer-fighting compounds. An enzyme called myrosinase must be activated to convert these compounds. According to one study steaming these vegetables preserves both vitamin C and myrosinase. To activate this enzyme in broccoli, first chop it and let it sit for at least 40 minutes before cooking.
Similarly, the indole chemical compound is activated in Brussels sprouts reduces the risk of cancer.