Raw vegetables and fruits. Are raw vegetables and fruits good for you in summer?

As children, we were often told to eat vegetables. Children rarely like vegetables, so the memories of these instructions do not warm their souls. Maybe this is one of the reasons why vegetables are often absent from the diet of adults? If you are one of these people, then correct yourself quickly. It turns out that moms were right: vegetables are not only tasty, but also very healthy.

We answer common questions about vegetables and share useful tips on their use and preparation.

What's good about vegetables?

Vegetables must be present in the diet of an adult. They are rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other valuable substances, which improve health and improve the functioning of many organs. Vegetables also contain healthy fiber, which gently cleanses the body of waste and toxins and normalizes functioning. digestive system and speeds up metabolic processes in organism.

Vegetables also contain antioxidants - these are substances that, when they enter the body, fight free radicals that destroy the immune system. As a result protective forces increase, and the risk of occurrence and development of many diseases decreases. In other words, vegetables rejuvenate the body from the inside out.

How often should you eat vegetables?

Vegetables must be present in daily diet, that is, ideally they should be eaten every day. This is the easiest way to fill your body with vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances. Vegetables hold the record for nutrient content when compared to other foods.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults eat five servings of vegetables a day or 500 grams of fruit. You can eat vegetables for breakfast, lunch or dinner - it all depends on your taste preferences, imagination and culinary abilities.

What vegetables are the healthiest?

All vegetables are equally healthy. Don’t hesitate and feel free to try all the fruits that you see in front of you at the market or in the supermarket. Experiment, try new flavors and make your diet as healthy, varied and rich as possible. Every vegetable is different unique composition, which means that variety will allow you to maximally enrich your body with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants and essential oils.

An important point: try to give preference to seasonal fruits. They are record holders for content useful substances. In summer, lean on cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, and in the fall buy turnips, pumpkin, parsnips.

Are only raw vegetables healthy?

Be sure to include it in your diet fresh vegetables: They contain a maximum of useful and nutritious substances, as well as fiber. Raw fruits cleanse the body and act as a “broom” for the intestines. The functioning of the digestive system will only improve.

At the same time, you can cook vegetables and process them at high temperatures. Part beneficial properties will be lost, but only part. Vegetables will still be healthy. Try to steam them, in the oven or on the grill. Don't use too much high temperatures to preserve maximum benefits in vegetables. If possible, cook vegetables unpeeled: this method “seals” the beneficial substances inside the fruit. If you decide to cook vegetables, then throw them into already boiling water and not for long.

What happens if you don't eat vegetables?

Lack of vegetables in the diet can lead to a lack of vitamins and minerals in the body. This condition is called “vitaminosis” and significantly affects human life. With vitamin deficiency, a person experiences increased fatigue, prone to depression, gets tired quickly, and metabolic processes in the body slow down.

At long absence Including vegetables in the diet can cause problems with digestion, skin and the functioning of some other organs. Immunity will fall, and with it resistance to viral and infectious diseases. Scientific research also showed that a lack of vegetables in the diet increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

How to choose vegetables?

To select quality, fresh and useful fruits for yourself and your family, buy vegetables not in supermarkets, but in markets and from farmers. You can also ask the seller for a product certificate, which will become a kind of guarantor of the quality of vegetables.

When choosing fruits, pay attention to their appearance. They should be appetizing, rich in color, without dents or rotten parts. If the vegetables seem stale to you, then it is better to refuse to purchase such a product. Most likely there are practically no useful substances left in it. Vegetables should not smell musty or rotten.

I would like to tell you a little about which specific vegetables are delicious raw and which ones are not. Some of this probably doesn't apply to vegetables, but I'll combine it into one article.

Before the raw food diet, I terribly adored eggplants - stewed, fried, baked, every eggplant dish. I usually thought eggplant tasted better meat dishes! True, this was no less harmful, since eggplants absorbed a lot of fat. So, having become a raw foodist, at first I couldn’t imagine how I would live without eggplants. And I tried to eat them raw. Complete disappointment. The eggplants are kind of wimpy and tasteless. I tried it a couple of times – it’s disgusting. Moreover, both their own from the dacha and from the markets. Both young and more mature.

I have repeatedly heard that raw foodists speak very positively about beets. Either I haven’t tried really good varieties of beets, or this is simply not my product. It's so disgusting, it's like eating earth. Despite the fact that I really liked boiled and stewed beets.

Sugar beet.

No matter what they say, it doesn’t taste good to me. Firstly, the taste itself is terrible, and secondly, it really hurts the throat.

In addition, my friend, who is far from a raw food diet and cannot imagine life without meat, loves raw potatoes. She constantly eats it while she cooks. But no matter how much I tried, I can’t imagine how this is possible. In addition, from severe hunger. I don't know what could be more unpleasant. I tried very young potatoes just dug out of the ground, more mature ones, very mature ones, different varieties, yellow, white, pink. And she's all scary.

But the young carrots are simply delicious! Thin, not overripe, just pulled out from the garden. I’ve never seen such delicious young carrots in a store; I’ve only eaten one like this at our dacha.

There are unpleasant and pungent varieties of radishes; there is nothing good about them. And there are very sweet and tasty ones! Fairy tale. I ate radishes mono without anything, about 30 at a time, amazing.

It’s not uncommon to be quite tasty! Some varieties, like radishes, are sweet, tasty and not pungent.

On dishmania, this was almost the number two product for me. at the end of the eggplants. How delicious my grandmother cooked beans, it’s simply beyond words! Based on this and on a raw food diet, during the first months I was not able to agree that I would not have it and tried to love it in its raw form. But. unfortunately, it is bitter and tasteless. But no discomfort later it was not, as is not uncommon for some. The beans were fresh, just from the garden.

Yummy! But only when young. Dairy, so to speak. At a time when the seeds have not yet ripened, and the fruits themselves are small and thin. These zucchini remind me of low-fat avocados. Very tasty!

Ripe zucchini.

Not the same anymore. The taste is lost and something unpleasant and repulsive appears.

They say there are delicious sweet pumpkins, but unfortunately I haven’t seen any like them.

Broccoli.

Very tasty. Especially the stems, without flowers. Adore! Again, I went crazy over cabbage during my dishmania, but it also turned out to be incredibly tasty raw. I don’t know about the store, I’m talking about ours from the dacha.

Cauliflower.

Average. It seems okay, okay, but not great. There is no thirst for it.

Kohlrabi cabbage.

Delicious stuff. That’s why it tastes best when eaten raw, not cooked.

White cabbage.

Also delicious, like broccoli. Perhaps the most delicious of all cabbages. And the cabbage itself and the stalk. Moreover, such cabbage is tasty both in Russia and in tropical countries. Different, but both delicious.

Brussels sprouts.

Oh, how I liked it stewed, before the raw food diet. And raw it is bitter...

Chinese cabbage.

Cool stuff, very tasty. Despite the fact that it looks more like a salad, greens.

For so long I thought raw corn tasted bad until I really tried it. good variety. From that time on, I fell in love with this luxurious product! Sweet, juicy, tasty, filling. Mmm!

Homemade cucumbers are very tasty. They just have a catchy taste that store-bought cucumbers don’t have (they just smell delicious and nothing more).

By and large, for me it is a fruit. No comments. I love homemade tomatoes, I’m just crazy about them.

Colored pepper.

These peppers can also be called fruits! They are incredibly sweet, juicy and delicious. I only ate these at our dacha. Indescribably delicious!

I would like to separate the champignons. Just the smell of them drives me crazy. And there’s nothing to say about the taste. At first I only fell in love with their hats, and later with their legs too. Well, very tasty! And the feeling at the end of them is good, as if you were eating fruit.

Raw chanterelles are also super delicious. And they are never bad.

Green pea.

Ooooh, what is possibly tastier than young green pea just from the garden. It goes without saying that there are unsweetened varieties available, but I this moment I'm talking about sweet and juicy ones. Divinely delicious thing! It's impossible to break away. I have adored peas all my life, since childhood.

I was quite amazed when I heard from some raw foodists that beans are tasteless and unfit for food. I don’t know who ate which particular beans, but we grow the most beautiful varieties at our dacha! The main thing is not to wait until they turn purple, but there are plenty of them milky form, while they are big and green. Then they are juicy and incredibly tasty! Beans are the number two tasty treat after peas.

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Vegetables can cause flatulence and even constipation

This happens rarely, but it does happen. Some people who are losing weight, abruptly changing their diet from sweets and bread to vegetables, complain of problems with stool. This is due to the fact that fiber, which is found in vegetables and bran, swells in the intestines, absorbing water. It takes up a lot of space, and the body is forced to get rid of it, as well as the breakdown products that fiber collects from the intestinal walls. Fiber acts as a broom here. However, if the long-suffering body lacks fluid, i.e. you don't drink much clean water, constipation may occur. Therefore, those who have always turned away from vegetables should introduce them into their diet gradually. First, combining stewed and raw, gradually increasing the proportion of raw. Eat vegetables once a day or even every other day, and then more often. You can also use other proven methods for constipation, for example.

Concerning increased gas formation, then it’s all about the cluttered intestines. If you don't have serious problems with it, you just need to clean it. And vegetables will do this themselves if you eat them day after day. To prevent bloating from causing you discomfort at first, exclude foods from your diet that causing gas formation: fresh White cabbage(can be replaced with pickled or stewed), radishes, radishes, some fruits (grapes, persimmons, bananas), brown bread, vegetable protein, whole milk. It is also very important not to interfere different products in one meal. Those. sat down to lunch, eat vegetables and meat, and leave cottage cheese or yogurt for an afternoon snack. And if you want fruits, then eat them without any other food.

And so, how to eat raw vegetables...

Twice a day, and more if you want. Strictly before meals, like a diet pill. First - vegetables, then - other food. There should be a lot of vegetables! Imagine a heaping bowl of soup vegetable salad... This is the smallest portion. Gradually you will become so accustomed to vegetable diet that a day without vegetables will seem somehow unsatisfactory in terms of food. Lose weight for your health!

A healthy diet cannot be imagined without vegetables. A lot of tasty and nutritious dishes are prepared from them to improve health, cleanse the body and effective weight loss. This article reveals which vegetables can be eaten raw, examines their beneficial properties and rules of consumption.

The undeniable benefits of raw vegetables

It has been proven that moderate consumption of raw vegetables helps replenish the body's reserves of valuable fiber, which protects against heart and vascular diseases, prevents constipation and reduces cholesterol. This kind of food fills you up. important vitamins E and C, gives us potassium and calcium. It is known that ascorbic acid promotes the production of collagen fibers, tocopherol works as strong antioxidant, sufficient calcium intake helps maintain healthy teeth and bones, thanks to potassium, blood pressure remains normal. It is noticed that heat treatment Some vegetables slightly reduce the concentration of these elements in their composition.

Safe Eating Raw Vegetables

If a person's menu is dominated by raw vegetables, then care must be taken to avoid undesirable consequences. A definitely negative point is the poor adaptability of our digestive system to adequately digest large amounts of fiber from plant foods. It is important to know one secret - to prevent increased gas formation after eating raw vegetables, they must be thoroughly chewed, making at least two dozen jaw movements for each bite. Another one useful recommendation for feeling comfortable on a raw food diet - this cooking light vegetable cocktail. You can use a blender for this purpose. This approach helps to intensively grind coarse fibers, and also consume a whole range of healthy foods at once.

List and properties of raw vegetables

The most popular raw vegetables

The following products can be eaten both after cooking and without heat treatment; they have dietary and medicinal qualities:

• raw beets - contains a lot of fiber, cleanses the blood, improves digestion;
• raw carrots - lowers cholesterol, strengthens gums, source of vitamin A;
• raw young zucchini - lowers the level of sugar in the blood, in grated form it is useful for pregnant women with edema, and has a low calorie content;
• raw pumpkin - supplier of amino acids, fatty acids, manganese and potassium;
• raw parsnip - helps strengthen hair, heals skin and nails, and is useful for cystitis.

Now let's look at foods that are much healthier in their raw form than in their cooked form.

Raw arugula

The Mediterranean green leafy vegetable is not very common in our country. The fiber in the product gives a lasting feeling of satiety and supplies the body with antioxidants and glucosinolates. Antioxidants are substances that prevent premature aging the body by combating destructive activity free radicals. Glucosinolates significantly reduce a person’s susceptibility to cancer processes in the pancreas, colon, lungs, prostate and mammary glands. It has been noted that arugula is a powerful supplier of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K and folic acid. From this product you can get a lot of iron, phosphorus, copper, calcium, and potassium. Found in: a large number of chlorophyll, thanks to which human DNA is protected from damage, and the liver is less affected by toxic substances released by mold and other fungi - aflatoxins.

Many nutrition experts do not recommend boiling arugula, as heating the product imparts a pronounced bitter note to the taste. In addition, a hot vegetable loses a significant share of its beneficial properties. A smarter solution is to serve the product in a salad. Olives, tomatoes, sunflower seeds, feta cheese and similar types of cheese go harmoniously with arugula.

Raw watercress

When thinking about which vegetables can be eaten raw, it is impossible to overlook one more leafy product. All types of watercress, that is, garden, watercress and lettuce, are of great value for the body, as they contain beta-carotene, which is a precursor to vitamin A - natural antioxidant. It should be noted that vitamin C also provides an antioxidant effect. It is also worth mentioning a significant proportion of useful substances: iron, calcium, fiber, magnesium, zinc, potassium, protein. For example, just a couple of handfuls of chopped lettuce contains enough vitamin K to cover about two hundred percent daily requirement person in this substance. Among other things, the product is filled folic acid- that is, vitamin B9, vitamin E, vitamin D, vitamin B2.

It is believed that cooking this leafy vegetable takes away from him the indicated nutrients. An attractive feature of the product in its raw state is that it has great taste. For this reason, experts call for the abandonment of heat treatment. Watercress is good addition to a homemade sandwich or sandwich, and can also be included in salads.

Raw pepper

Pepper lovers have a chance to replenish vitamin C reserves in the body. A 100-gram serving of the product contains a maximum of 144 milligrams of ascorbic acid. There is no doubt that peppers are good for healthy people, but can cause harm to the body if diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver are diagnosed. In this case, the solution would be to stew and bake the vegetable.

It is likely that the above-mentioned vitamin C is partially or completely destroyed during cooking; in order to obtain it, you need to give preference to the raw vegetable. Peppers are well suited for appetizers and salads; dip sauce and hummus go well with this product.

In addition to the products reviewed, it is worth mentioning broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower; when these vegetables are cooked for a long time, many vitamins and minerals are lost (instead of boiling, it is better to choose blanching, grilling, baking or steaming). As we have already found out, some vegetables are healthier uncooked or with minimal processing, but under no circumstances should they be eaten raw beans and potatoes, as they are dangerous to the health of the digestive system.

To maintain health gastrointestinal tract raw vegetables and fruits should make up at least a third of the diet. This way, on the one hand, you will not overload your body with fiber, and on the other hand, you will receive the necessary dose of vitamins and microelements. You can expand your diet with the help of vegetables that we are used to eating after cooking - it turns out that in their raw form they can be not only much healthier, but also tastier.

Cauliflower

This vegetable must be present in your diet: low-calorie, with high content fiber, vitamins C and K (vitamin K promotes normal blood clotting and resists the development of osteoporosis). Cauliflower contains choline, a substance that has a positive effect on brain health and maintains the structure of cell membranes.

Break the head of cabbage into florets, add to a vegetable salad or serve with any buttery dressing (homemade mayonnaise, hummus or guacomole) - you will be pleasantly surprised by the fresh and crunchy taste of this vegetable.

Broccoli

One of the main products for women's health(it resists the development of tumors and normalizes estrogen levels) has a beneficial effect on the health of other family members: broccoli is high in vitamins A, C, potassium, and folic acid. This flower (and broccoli is nothing more than a blossoming inflorescence) is good for the health of the heart, eyes and for normalizing blood pressure.

When boiled or baked, cabbage requires additions: on its own, it does not have an expressive taste, but when raw, it is tasty even without toppings and spices. The cuttings and stalk of the inflorescence are especially good in a salad or as a snack on their own: remove them upper layer(peel)– and enjoy the rich taste.

Beet

It’s certainly true that what we rarely eat raw is beets, but in vain! It is rich in vitamin C, potassium, folic acid, and stabilizes the functioning of the immune and circulatory systems. Just n grate it or cut it into thin slices using a vegetable peeler, add a little black pepper and lemon juice - delicious salad ready.

Young zucchini

This vegetable is best alternative cucumbers, surpassing them in the content of useful substances. B vitamins, vitamins A and C, a nicotinic acid, potassium make the young fruit indispensable in the summer diet. Let us add that he is one of the most low calorie foods in the world, which is very important for everyone who wants to lose weight. Cut the young fruits into thin slices, season lemon juice or sesame dressing - and your favorite dish will live on your table for a long time.