Vegetables are among the healthiest foods on the planet, with their bounty of colors, flavors, nutrients and disease-fighting properties. However, even the healthiest foods can lose their luster if cooked improperly or eaten in unhealthy forms. In general, you should avoid choosing stale or old products, over-cooking and under-washing your veggies if you want to get the most health benefits out of eating them.
Wash Them Clean
A 2009 Science Daily article, "Fresh Fruits and Vegetables are Increasingly Recognized as a Source of Food Poisoning Outbreaks" warns us of new virus and bacteria being found in vegetables throughout Europe, and cases of e Coli breakouts in the United States via contamination of bagged spinach, and Salmonella in peppers and tomatoes. Consumers of fresh vegetables can thoroughly wash vegetables for healthier eating. This is especially true for leafy, tuber and root vegetables like lettuce and potatoes, which tend to hang on to more dirt, and thus, more bacteria.
Raw Veggies
The benefits of raw vegetable are particularly pronounced if the vegetables are fresh, clean and grown without liberal use of pesticides. Vegetables in the raw, just-picked state contain the highest concentration of many of their vitamins and minerals. Growing your own garden with care, or eating vegetables from organic farm sources, will help ensure you're getting the most benefits from your raw vegetables. The raw fiber in vegetables can provide an excellent stimulus to the digestive system, and the colors and flavors of raw vegetables tend to be more vibrant and appealing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that "almost everyone needs to eat more fruits and vegetables." So if the crunch and color of uncooked vegetables helps make them more attractive to you, keep a fresh, raw supply on hand for your daily diet.
Eat Some Veggies Cooked
World's Healthiest Foods states that properly cooking vegetables usually won't destroy their essential nutrients. In fact, in some cases, cooking vegetables may even increase their health benefits. Onions and garlic are good examples. Cooking and roasting them improves their protective benefits due to chemical changes in their sulfur content. Tomatoes are another vegetable that may be even healthier when cooked. Steaming vegetables is one of the best choices for preserving nutrients, since cooking times are short and the method adds no unhealthy fats. A quick stir-fry or sauté in olive oil is another healthy vegetable preparation. A general rule is that the more tender a vegetable is in its raw state, the shorter time for cooking is needed. Spinach is cooked in a minute. Kale and cabbage, however, take several minutes longer, with nutrients concentrating in that time.
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