Which One Is Healthier, Eating Crude Vegetables Or Cooking?

Illustration of enjoying vegetables (Pexels/Ella Olsson)

JAKARTA - Vegetables are food ingredients that can be consumed in various ways, either fresh or raw, or consumed after cooking them first. However, have you ever asked which ones are healthier between fresh vegetables and cooked vegetables?

Quoting from Health, on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, fresh vegetables do have extraordinary advantages compared to cooked vegetables. One of them contains vitamins and minerals that are still intact.

Fresh vegetables also have enzymes that can help digestion. These enzymes help the body process food better and faster.

While cooked vegetables, sometimes some of the nutrients are reduced due to the heating process. Starting from vitamin C which can be reduced, to some antioxidants disappear because it is very sensitive to heat.

"It (the cooked process) can destroy vitamin C in vegetables," said professor of food science at Cornell University, Rui Hai Liu, quoted from Scientific American.

However, that does not mean cooked vegetables have no benefits. There are several benefits and reasons why cooked vegetables can be healthier in some conditions.

Like some vegetables cooked are easier to digest after cooking, as the fiber will become softer. For example, carrots and tomatoes, which have high antioxidants after cooking.

In addition, there are several green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli that contain oxalic acid, which can bind minerals such as calcium and prevent the body from absorbing them. However, this oxalic acid content will decrease after cooking, so that calcium absorption in the body is more optimal.

Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the choice of vegetables that will be cooked and how to cook. In cooking vegetables with several techniques, they have their own strengths and disadvantages, as below.

1. Boil

Boiling ideal vegetables for types of soft vegetables, such as potatoes, green beans, and carrots. However, keep in mind that exposure to high temperatures in water can cause nutrients in vegetables to dissolve into the water, so that taste and texture decrease.

2. Begitus

MenEMis involves cooking vegetables by adding a little oil or butter. This causes kerentization on the outside and can help maintain the natural taste and texture of vegetables.

3. Memanggang

gang is a good cooking method for various types of vegetables, such as tubers, cauliflower, and brussel cabbage. This method is done by using a high-temperature oven, so that it can forecast its natural sugar and produce crunchy textu.

4. Frying

Lastly, frying technique, which can make vegetable textured borders and add flavors to various vegetables. However, frying also adds unhealthy fats and can damage some hot vegetable nutrients.

Thus, it can be concluded that fresh or cooked vegetables have their own advantages. The choice depends on the type of vegetable and what benefits you want to get.

If you want to get vitamins and enzymes that are still intact, fresh vegetables are eaten raw is the right choice. However, if optimizing the sensation of eating with other flavors, easy to digest, then cooked vegetables can be your choice.