EAT YOUR VEGGIES RAW OR COOKED?

One of the questions that often comes up is whether or not one should eat their vegetables cooked or raw to receive the most nutritional value.  Below is a list of the most often questioned vegetables and information to help you decide.  Personally I say have them both ways throughout the week, you will see why below.

• Tomatoes: You receive health benefits from tomatoes no matter how you eat them.  They are one of the vegetables, however, that should be eaten cooked on a regular basis.  When tomatoes are cooked (think sauces) they give one a higher dose of their cancer-fighting lycopene.
• Zucchini: Along with other squashes, zucchini gives one more beta-carotene (a building block for vitamin A) when cooked.
• Spinach: Spinach is somewhat unique in that it has more vitamin C and folate when left raw.  It has more calcium and zinc when cooked.
• Bell Peppers: More vitamin B when consumed raw.
• Garlic: Garlic's health-protecting antimicrobial is lowered by cooking.

In a well-rounded diet, it is important to eat vegetables everyday both cooked and uncooked.

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