what vegetables can i eat raw? page

**Mike Gager** · 08-26-2011, 10:29 AM

ok first off i dont like vegetables. well to be fair, i dont like very many vegetables that i have tried. i do like raw carrots and raw broccoli, raw celery sticks are ok, green peppers too. however once i cook any of those things, especially when steamed, they are just disgusting.

asparagus is gross steamed, grilled, or roasted, califlower the same, just ick.

so im wondering maybe its the cooking part that kills it for me? i have read eating vegetables raw can be not as healthy but then again ive heard the opposite as well. whats the real deal?

when i go to the store i see all of these vegetables that i know i should be eating but just cant bring myself to buying any because ive had such bad luck. maybe if i could get something that i dont have to cook it would be easier? so what are some vegetables that i can eat without any real prep that are healthy and taste good?

**Leida** · 08-26-2011, 10:34 AM

I love raw cabbage - both red and green. Everyone in my family is wild about cucumbers (they also go great into smoothies and gazpachos in the summer!). I also like raw radishes, daikon and reds; raw yam. I also like all tomatoes and peppers raw. Our nightly veggie plate is generally baby carrots, colored pepper, celery, radishes, red cabbage and cucmbers.

Cauliflower I love mushed - I boil it and zoop in a blender with a bit of coconut milk to be a consistency of cream of wheat or thin mushed potato.

I really love broiled zuccini and eggplant chips (ev olive oil and coarse salt).

Did you try and vegetables au gratins? particulary cauliflower.

**Mike Gager** · 08-26-2011, 10:38 AM

what is au gratins?

**TigerLily** · 08-26-2011, 10:39 AM

What about cucumbers?

How about a spinach salad with a nice warm bacon dressing? (That's what I am making today!)

**Leida** · 08-26-2011, 10:42 AM

Au gratins is basically sliced vegetables in a shallow dish broiled with a golden crust of some fat (butter), eggs, cheese and crumbs (mushroom or sliced almonds in PB/Paleo case).

**lucyh** · 08-26-2011, 10:44 AM

Raw kale is a good, sturdy salad green, and I don't see anything wrong with eating any of the vegetables you mentioned raw. I second the mashed cauliflower suggestion, I had some last night with a ribeye for dinner. I poured the pan juices over the cauliflower-delicious!
I also love grilled zucchini, eggplant, and red peppers.

I think there are advantages to both raw and cooked vegetables (I have heard, for example, that cooking spinach allows you to absorb certain nutrients that you don't get when you eat it raw, but raw spinach is still high in other nutrients).

I'd say it's better to eat lots of raw vegetables than none at all, if that's all you can do.

**Leida** · 08-26-2011, 10:46 AM

Lol, yeah, eat both, enjoy, and let the reasearches duke it out!

**yodiewan** · 08-26-2011, 10:53 AM

Just don't eat TONS and TONS of raw cruciferous vegetables (broccli, collard greens, cabbage, kale): Cruciferous vegetables - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Or you might end up like this woman: The Body Odd - Back away from the bok choy, ma'am

She was eating 2-3 heads of bok choy a day. She basically caused extreme hypothroidism. Cooking makes this a non-issue.

**Monty** · 08-26-2011, 11:02 AM

Squashes/eggplants/things like that are probably better off cooked. But if you can do veggies raw, go for it. But green beans and snow/sweet peas are awesome raw or cooked. Broccoli is good if you "blanch" it. Boil some water and add it for a few minutes. Doesn't get all soggy and still has some crunch to it. If you don't want to buy something, just sample it at the store...people do it all the time with those candy/nut bins. Why not do it in the produce department?