10 foods you should eat fresh and raw

 10 foods you should eat fresh and raw

You undoubtedly already know that a ripe, red apple is a far better option than a slice of sugar-laden chocolate cake. That much is self-evident, and for some people, it is sufficient to keep them on track with a balanced diet.

However, recognizing the best methods to prepare various meals is critical to optimizing their nutritional advantages for individuals who want to take their health to the next level. Baking, boiling, steaming, grilling, or roasting some meals boosts their nutritious value, allowing your body to absorb more.

Cooking other foods, on the other hand, has the reverse effect, making it far more difficult for your body to absorb vitamins and minerals than if you ate them raw. While roasted vegetables with olive oil and pepper may look nicer (and easier to chew), you may be trading nutrients for taste without even realizing it.

Take a look at the list of foods below to see which ones are healthier to eat raw and why, as well as links to tasty raw dishes to try!

Nuts (Pistachios)

Nuts are a key source of good fats that may help you balance your diet, despite being higher in calories than most other health foods. These necessary fats really aid in the reduction of bad cholesterol, the prevention of blood clots, and the promotion of healthy arterial health.

Choose a range of almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, and other nuts that haven't been roasted in oil and haven't been salted when it comes to nuts. Raw nuts are richer in iron and magnesium than cooked nuts, and they don't contain GMO oils. If you're looking for a fast yet tasty snack, have this naked raw trail mix recipe on hand.

Berries

Adding dried berries to a bowl of mixed nuts has become a trendy snacking fad for a sweet and salty snack. Dried berries, on the other hand, don't have the same nutritious value as their fresh counterparts.

Berries that have been dried may contain up to two or three times as much sugar, resulting in an increase in calories and carbs. They lack crucial water-soluble vitamins and minerals that made them so nutritious in the first place because they've been dehydrated.

To keep calories down and gain from their nutritious worth, go to fresh, raw berries. Try this wonderful looking yogurt parfait dish with fresh or frozen fruit for breakfast.

Coconut 

For all of the great benefits it has to offer, coconut deserves its own spot on our list. Drinking large volumes of raw coconut water can restore fluids more effectively than drinking plain water alone, and the oil derived from the coconut meat includes good fats that benefit both the brain and the heart.

Avoid coconut-flavored manufactured foods like bars, chocolates, and pastries, which are high in sugar and provide little nutritious benefit. To produce a wonderful butter replacement, learn how to make coconut butter from raw, shredded coconut.

Garlic

Garlic is one of those foods that is nearly always eaten cooked. Garlic, like onions, contains allicin, a phytonutrient that may be absorbed in larger levels when eaten raw.

According to research, raw garlic ingested two or more times per week reduced the incidence of lung cancer. You can still benefit from cooked garlic; you'll simply have to consume more of it to acquire the same nourishment it provides in its raw form. Try this creamy garlic dressing recipe for salads and vegetables if you're stuck on how to utilize garlic without cooking it.

Fruit Juice

There are a plethora of juice cans, cartons, and jugs available in stores that claim a plethora of health advantages; but, nothing beats buying the raw ingredients and juicing them yourself. Store-bought juices are processed, which can deplete the nutritious content of the components while also adding chemicals, tastes, coloring, sweeteners, and preservatives.

Juicing raw vegetables and fruits assures a nutrient-dense beverage that hydrates, detoxifies, improves digestion, boosts energy, and even helps with weight reduction. Make your own grapefruit strawberry juice from home instead of going for the closest box at the grocery store.

Chocolate 

Chocolate is the health food's Jekyll and Hyde. Raw cacao is high in antioxidants, can help lower blood pressure, boost mood by increasing serotonin, and even help curb cravings – but add sugar, flour, oils, and other ingredients that turn your cocoa into decadent sugar bombs, and you completely negate the health benefits of this beloved superfood.

If you can, try to get your hands on some raw cacao nibs, which are the roasted and processed components of the cacao bean. If you can't get enough chocolate, try this recipe for raw cacao chocolate bars.

Beets 

Although the red beet root has a high sugar content, its nutritious advantages more than make up for it. Beets are abundant in fiber, vitamin C, potassium, manganese, and folate, a B vitamin that can help strengthen your immune system, enhance your stamina, combat inflammation, decrease your blood pressure, and even prevent cancer.

When beets are cooked, they might lose up to 25% of their folate (a healthy brain compound that helps reduce the risk of birth defects during fetal development). If you're having trouble getting acclimated to eating beets raw, try this mixed salad with raw beets, carrots, apples, and a ginger lime dressing for a wonderful boost of flavor.

Broccoli

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that should be on your shopping list at all times. This superfood is not only high in vitamin C, calcium, potassium, and protein, but it also has a seemingly infinite list of nutritional advantages... It also includes sulforaphane, an antioxidant that helps with anti-aging and immunity as well as fighting cancer cells, lowering blood pressure, and improving heart health.

People who ate broccoli raw absorbed sulforaphane faster and in larger levels than those who ate it cooked, according to a research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. For a change of pace from the usual raw broccoli salad, try this very simple and tasty raw broccoli soup dish.

Onions

Believe it or not, the same thing that makes you cry when cutting onions is also what you should eat more of to improve your health. This phytonutrient, known as allicin, aids in the reduction of high blood pressure, the prevention of cancer, and the promotion of cardiovascular health. When you eat onions raw, you receive more of it than when you eat them cooked.

Include both red and yellow onions for a natural dose of quercetin, a bioflavonoid with anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial qualities to aid in the battle against all kinds of viruses, including the common cold. Try them with this recipe for raw onion wraps.

Red Bell Peppers 

When it comes to vitamin C, citrus fruits are frequently the first thing that comes to mind, but red bell peppers should be right up there with those oranges, lemons, and limes. Red bell peppers are a potent antioxidant and an excellent source of vitamin B6, vitamin E, and magnesium, with approximately three times the daily vitamin C need.

You may be able to cook your red bell peppers for a short time over moderate heat while maintaining their sweetness, but roasting, frying, or grilling them at a temperature higher than 375 degrees Fahrenheit will cause their vitamin C qualities to break down. To get the most nutritional value from them, eat them uncooked. Take a peek at this delicious raw pepper packed with confetti guacamole dish.

Conclusion

How many of these things do you already consume raw? If you haven't already, have a look at the suggested recipes for some inspiration. Remember that selecting any of the items on this list versus processed garbage, whether raw or cooked, is always healthier for you.