To Cook Vegetables or Not, That is the Question!
There are some vegetables that you want to eat cooked, did you know that? Some veggies are just better for us if you cook them, some are better if you eat them raw. I will show you just a few examples both ways, you should do more of your own research on this subject.
Vegetable Safety
There are some that must not be eaten raw because they contain toxins and the best way to eliminate the toxins is through cooking.
Let me show you a few examples of what I am talking about. These are only my thoughts and how I feel about how veggies should be eaten, you should do some research on the subject yourself.
Best Eaten Raw
Lettuce, cucumber and other salad greens are best eaten raw. These vegetables will lose their taste and essence if cooked. Raw or Cooked Your Choice
Tomatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, squash, chives, turnips, asparagus, celery, and peppers can be eaten raw or cooked.Onions have special enzymes that help lower cholesterol and garlic has fighting germs substance. Both would still taste well when cooked but the mentioned qualities will be lost when cooked.
Red and orange vegetables like tomatoes and carrots have beta carotene, water soluble Vitamin A. Light cooking or eating them raw will save beta carotene from dissolving. To be sure, just cook lightly, never over cook.
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Might Want to Read This
It is a Free Download
Vaughan's Vegetable Cook Book (4th edition) How to Cook and Use Rarer Vegetables and Herbs
I enjoyed this vintage vegetable cookbook more than I thought that I would. Nice to scroll through when you are contemplating what to do with all those leftover veggies. Interesting resource for all of you vegans out there. I would imagine that a chef might find some useful ideas here as well.
Includes many "plain" soups and salads that do not require a lot of ingredients, just a little seasoning. Also includes the expected fried, boiled, pickling and canning recipes, as well as some unlikely puddings. Additional interesting recipes include (not all are vegan...)
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Vegetables that Should Be Cooked
Some of the time.
Spinach, chard, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage family, and other green leafy vegetables (aside from salad greens) have toxins that are destroyed by heat.Eating them raw can make some people sick, some it never bothers. If you choose to cook these vegetables, do not overcook them.
In addition, cooking also removes the remains of pesticides and fungicides and other unavoidable chemicals that are still present in raw vegetables.
Always wash your vegetables thoroughly with running water, this will help also with removing unwanted chemicals.
Shoule Be Cooked
Most of the Time
Many legumes, beans, lentils and mushrooms contain toxins, that are destroyed by cooking in water. Better to eat them cooked most of the time. 
Judy Gorman's Vegetable Cookbook
If you only have one book on vegetables, this should be it. Organized alphabetically, the book covers nearly 80 vegetables from the mundane (onion) to the exotic (chayote), dedicating 5-10 pages to each. Each chapter includes a pen and ink drawing helpful for making sense of lesser known veggies (rutabagas and jicamas, for example). Also included is just what you need to know about selecting, storing, and preparing the vegetable, followed by wonderful and varied recipes.
Farmer John's Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables
Join the real food revolution with a true pioneer in the Community Supported Agriculture movement-Farmer John Peterson and his farm, Angelic Organics. Angelic Organics is a leader in community supported gardening and biodynamics, helping to connect people with their food, their farmers, and healthful living.
With exciting recipes grouped by season and by vegetable, The Real Dirt Cookbook provides cooking tips, serving suggestions, and evocative descriptions of each dish, and teaches readers new ways to use a surplus of basil, cabbage, tomatoes, or whatever veggie is plentiful. Find new ways to use a huge variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs.
Also included in the book is an Illustrated Vegetable Identification Guide and tips on long-term vegetable and herb storage and preservation methods (such as freezing, drying, canning, and lactic acid fermentation). Whether you grow your own veggies, spend lingering mornings at the farmer's market, or pluck your produce from shelves at the local supermarket, The Real Dirt Cookbook is an invaluable resource on growing, cooking, and storing real food
Do You Eat Most of Your Vegetables Cooked or Raw?
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Vegetables Recipes Being Mentioned on Twitter
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Leave a Thought of a Comment
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cynthia-ann-leighton May 26, 2012 @ 9:49 pm | delete
- Wonderful lens. Thank you!
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BusyMOM
Feb 5, 2012 @ 2:17 pm | delete
- Great lens! I have learned to love veggies as I go through life. So many ways to eat them now. You might like to check out my lens Get-Your-Kid-to-Eat-Spinach. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
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sukkran Jan 20, 2012 @ 12:47 pm | delete
- both cooked and raw vegetables have their own benefits. Rather than worry about which is best--raw or cooked vegetables—enjoy them both ways. thanks for a interesting read and some useful tips. nicely done.
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Snakesmum
Jan 17, 2012 @ 10:42 pm | delete
- Have to admit I'm not a great fan of veggies, but do eat a lot of them, because I know they are good for me! Raw is not something I go for though. :-) Nice lens
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KimGiancaterino Jan 11, 2012 @ 5:51 pm | delete
- We love our vegetables. Thanks for tips on how to get the most from them.
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Thrinsdream
Jan 9, 2012 @ 4:47 pm | delete
- Nice lens. I am definitely more on the raw side of things. With thanks and appreciation. Cathi
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OrganicHealth3
Jan 6, 2012 @ 4:21 pm | delete
- Great to know which vegetable can be cooked and which ones shouldnt. A lot of stores sale raw veggie trays with the ones that you kind of placed in the inbetween range. I've never gotten sick from them. However I rarely eat raw brocoli and coliflower.
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fullofshoes
Jan 3, 2012 @ 10:03 am | delete
- Terrific info, great lens, thank you.
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WriterJanis
Nov 23, 2011 @ 4:04 am | delete
- I should eat more veggies. I really love them in soup.
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TransplantedSoul
Oct 8, 2011 @ 6:09 am | delete
- Your tips about not overcooking vegetables is so important. So many people who say they don't like a specific type of vegetable might be caused by bad preparation. Also liked tips on washing.
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cffutah
Sep 29, 2011 @ 9:59 pm | delete
- really glad I read about this, its always important to remember that the body needs a mixture of things and not just cooked items. If you like to browse lens as I do, mine has a great educational topic with poll questions for my readers to enjoy.
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whiteskyline
Sep 18, 2011 @ 12:46 pm | delete
- I love my vegetables although, I need to eat more of them :)
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Kimbesa Sep 2, 2011 @ 10:33 pm | delete
- Thanks! Best to eat veg no matter now. And if cooked, cook properly and not overdone. Crunchy not mushy...thanks for this lens!
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