I meant to post this two weeks ago. It got lost in the shuffle until Dustin’s most recent post reminded me of it. (Speaking of, do check out Dustin’s post. It’s a very good one on steps to feeling well.)
This article from the New York Times proposes that eating your veggies raw all the time is good, but not necessarily the best approach if you’re trying to get the most nutritional bang for your buck. A growing amount of research is finding that variety, as often is the case, is the key.
Says the article:
The amount and type of nutrients that eventually end up in the vegetables are affected by a number of factors before they reach the plate, including where and how they were grown, processed and stored before being bought. Then, it’s up to you. No single cooking or preparation method is best.
There seems to be a tradeoff with nearly every kind of preparation method. Some NYT readers discuss the article further here, if you’re interested.
The article does mention the F word: frying, as in apparently it’s the worst method to prepare food. Dang it.
That’s really interesting. I know some people who swear by raw food, but I’ve also read that a variety of raw and properly cooked is best. Thanks for putting this post up — I can’t wait to read the full article.
There are many raw foodies on the west coast. Passionate buggers!
I have a friend in LA who’s raw. She looks great, but man, I couldn’t do it. I’m glad that the best way to get nutrients is by variety, one of my favorite things in the world. And also, that article was one inspiration for no fried food June.
Thanks for the mention first of all. And a big thank you to Allie for coming to check out my page. Anyway, I go with the “Eat Food, Not too much, Mostly Plants” philosophy (Michael Pollan I believe) that coincides with the whole “Everything in moderation” concept. I know that there are some veggies that you get more out of when cooked and then others that you get more out when raw. Either way, just eating more veggies than meat and eating veggies regularly is the first step.
Allie, V and Noelle: The raw foodies are very passionate, and I will say they’re all probably a lot healthier than I. But I just can’t commit to eating all my veggies raw.
Dustin: Moderation is my M.O. I think you’ve got a good approach. And you’re right, more veggies is the first step.