Cooking is an exceptional art and those gifted with it are god-sent angels, filling our tummies with yummies. But for every angel, we also have those who rejoice after boiling water correctly (not sure how anyone could get that wrong, but okay). So, for all you lovely peeps, read on to find out which foods are better off without us cooking them.
1. Nuts
We’re all guilty of savouring oil- roasted nuts every now and then, safest chakna option, right? Wrong! Cooking nuts lower magnesium and iron while increasing the calories and fat amount. Deez-nuts I tell you!
2. Onions
Onions sure make you cry but it’s for a good reason. The onion juice contains cancer-fighting anti-oxidants and sulphur compounds. Almost all our foods include cooked/sautéed onions but it would be so much better if you add them raw to your meal. North Indians won’t generally have a problem with this one considering we always have raw onions, nimbu and mint chutney on the side with our meals. Remember to brush your teeth or eat a mint later though.
3. Red bell peppers
Be it as a pizza topping or as an add-on pasta ingredient, red bell peppers are often served raw or lightly sautéed. The reason? Red bell peppers contain 150% of your recommended daily value of Vitamin C. Cook it over 375 degrees and the Vitamin C breaks down. Also the spicier, the better!
4. Seaweed
Fun fact: Seaweed is made up of 80-90% water, it is extremely high in water-soluble minerals and vitamins which the blood absorbs easily and with tons of iron, calcium, and iodine. Wonder how Koreans have such dreamy glowing skin? Seaweed! You’ll see Koreans eating raw seaweed paired alongside their food almost every time. They’ve got it right, y’all!
5. Coconuts
The most refreshing drink you could ever lay your hands on was, is and will be coconut water. The meat of the coconut, however, should be savoured in its raw form to gain the most of its nutrition. High levels of magnesium, potassium, sodium and tons of electrolytes in it is just a bonus for raw coconut. We’re getting all kinds of tropical vibes already!
6. Berries
Dried/processed berries are just the perfect evening snack for so many of us but are often mistaken as a healthy snack option. The healthy snack option is actually raw berries! The benefits include a high amount of polyphenols but get altered by processing. Which side are you on now?
7. Broccoli
Okay, I know this does not sound appealing but you’ll thank us later. Broccoli, when consumed raw and fresh, aides in reducing the production of the thyroid hormone. As if this wasn’t a good enough reason, you get potassium, protein and Vitamin C in abundance. You can never go wrong with greens, now can you?
8. Beetroot
We could go on forever about why you need to start replacing your munchies with raw beetroot. It improves your immune system, boosts your stamina, helps lower blood pressure and even helps in preventing cancer. That’s the whole package in just one fruit! While on the other hand, cooking beetroot would cost losing around 25% of its nutrition, which is a lot to lose just for taste. Free lip colour too when eaten raw, remember?
9. Garlic
Just like onions, garlic too is mostly consumed cooked. If you are not a fan of garlic then this fact is just for you. A study reveals eating raw garlic two or more times a week reduces the chances of developing lung cancer. To get the same amount of nutrition from cooked garlic, you’d have to eat it a lot more often than just two times a week.
10. Chocolate
This poor guy’s bad reputation is totally our fault O humans! Raw cacao has the potential to boost your mood, curb your cravings, lower blood pressure and is exceptionally rich in antioxidants. But we’ve managed to kill this power by adding sugar, flour, oil, processed ingredients and turn around to blame chocolate for being unhealthy. Raw chocolate for President!
How about we take a raw food challenge for a week and see how it changes our body? Go raw or go home!
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