Is Raw Food Healthier? Pros and Cons of Cooking Your Nutrients

Uncovering the truth of raw versus cooked food, and what works best for your body.

She started by making a salad challenge. Riya, a health conscious yoga instructor, committed to eating only raw foods for a week. It was mostly fruits and vegetables, nuts, and seeds and she felt light and energized. But, by the fifth day, she was feeling bloated, and her stomach was growling more than it had been. That’s when she began to question this underlying debate of raw food vs cooked food is one really better?

The raw vs cooked food debate has gone on for a long time especially in the world of people wanting to be healthy and have energy. Proponents of raw food diets claim that by cooking food, you destroy enzymes and nutrients that make food nutritious. They have a point, vitamin C is an example of a heat sensitive nutrient. Cooking broccoli and bell peppers would logically reduce vitamin C content in these foods.

But cooking food can also increase bioavailability of nutrients from particular foods. That is the lycopene in tomatoes, and beta carotene in carrots, for instance, is made more available when heat is used. That’s an overall better absorption in our bodies. So, raw food preserves certain things, cooking food increases the nutrient quantity, and bioavailability of nutrients.

Everybody’s gut works differently. Some people do much better on salads and smoothies while some people feel like they have a balloon stuck in their stomach or cold when they do a raw meal. Cooked food, but especially warm cooked food is much easier for some people to digest, especially if they are living in a cold climate or have stomach sensitivities. 

Raw foods can also be very hydrating and cooling to the body, making them great for summertime or detox days. On the other hand, cooked foods are hydrating, warm and they allow for absorption of minerals like iron & zinc from vegetarian sources. It isn’t about being raw only or cooked only, it is about balance.

You don’t have to be a raw foodist or a fully cooked foodist. One possible way to eat is to have some food that is not cooked and some food that is cooked together. You could have a salad or raw fruits, then enjoy a warm vegetable curry or steamed lentils. In this case you have received fiber, enzymes and warmth from just one meal.

Cooking should be a huge part of your meals if you are vegetarian and looking for protein. The vegetarian protein sources Indian households use like lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, tofu, and soy are to be cooked so they can be safely digested, and the protein can be accessed. Eating raw moong sprouts? Perfect! But pair that with some cooked dal or cooked paneer to complete the meal.

Don’t get too worked up about the “raw vs cooked” food conversation. Just listen to your body. Desiring a meal that is light? Go for raw. Feeling slow or cold? Make something warm and healthy. There is no definite answer, but benefits come from diversity.

The experiment that Riya did was not a failure at all. Actually, it was the experiment that led her to her perfect mix of raw juices in the morning and cooked khichdi in the evening. Now she is enjoying both worlds and has no plans to change.

Mix raw vegetables with a good dip or dressing and take vegetarian protein sources Indian dishes like dal-chawal or chana salad for a balanced plate.