You can’t eat artichokes raw, right? Well, you actually can—and I strongly advise it. So many veggies are steamed or roasted rather than allowed to germinate in their natural environment, even if they have their best characteristics raw.
Raw Vegetables List
Arugula
It’s also worth noting that, as with all leafy greens, arugula contains iron and calcium if consumed in moderation. It can be used to make pizzas and nachos, as well as sandwiches and wraps, adding a nice flavor boost. These arugulas are ideal for making green smoothies.
Arugula is high in antioxidants, fiber, and phytochemicals. It’s a rich source of vitamin K as well as calcium, vitamin C, iron, folate, potassium, magnesium, and provitamin A.
Parsnips
Raw parsnips are delicious and snappy, much like carrots. Place them on a crudite platter or thinly shaved in a salad.
Lettuce
Raw lettuce is versatile, and it may be used to make a variety of different dishes. It can also be topped like a cracker and eaten as a snack. Because it’s mostly water, try juicing it too. Or perhaps another green addition to your green smoothies. Raw lettuce has a crisp, mild, buttery, and spicy flavor.
The nutritional content of lettuce varies depending on the kind. Vitamin A is found in almost all lettuce in small amounts, as well as vitamin C and iron.
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are fantastic raw. They’re far from the cooked variety you were forced to consume as a kid when they’re shredded or shaved very thin.
Watercress
Watercress is a water-loving flowering plant belonging to the cabbage family. It may be eaten raw as a foundation for your salad or added to other vegetables. It’ll also give your sandwiches a refreshing twist. Watercress, with its distinctive flavor and pleasant taste, is a healthy and delicious way to add more greens into your diet. Make sure you try it in the following recipes:
Watercress is high in vitamin C and beta-carotene. It’s also a good source of calcium, iron, folate, and vitamin E. Watercress also includes vitamins B6 and K, thiamin, potassium, and iodine.
Sunchokes
The Jerusalem artichoke, also known as sunchokes, is a tuber that may be shaved and added to salads for extra crunch.
Onions
Onions, raw onions in particular, will add an excellent punch to your guacamole. It’ll also add another layer of flavor and texture to your tartar sauce. You may also thinly slice it and use it as a vegetable in salads, salsas, and burgers or sandwiches.
Corn
Corn is one of the sweetest and most delicious whole grains available. When it’s at its optimum maturity, corn can taste even sweeter raw than cooked. It’s well worth the wait throughout the summertime.
Beets
Raw beets are juicy, delicious, and extra crunchy. Thinly slice or shred them for slaws and salads.
Spinach
Spinach is a good source of iron and vitamin A, as well as several other minerals. Spinach salads are delicious. It’s also wonderful in sandwiches or smoothies. It’ll make a fantastic basis for green smoothies. Raw spinach has a mild, grassy flavor with a hint of sweetness.
Spinach is high in vitamins C and K, carotenoids, folic acid, iron, and calcium. It also includes a variety of plant chemicals including lutein, kaempferol, nitrates, quercetin, and zeaxanthin.
Red bell peppers
Raw red bell peppers make for a delicious snack, chop them up and serve with hummus. They’re also fantastic in salads. Apple and red bell pepper are an excellent combination in smoothies. The flavor of raw red bell pepper is mild, sweet, and fruity.
Red bell pepper is high in vitamin C, with a cup of sliced red bell pepper providing up to 195 percent of the recommended daily intake. It also contains folate, potassium, and vitamins K1, E, and A.
Asparagus
Yes, asparagus is delicious grilled, but you may also make a light and fresh salad by shaving the stalks into thin strips.
Bok Choy
Raw bok choy has already been extolled, but it’s worth repeating: it’s time you tried raw bok choy in more ways.
Kohlrabi
The vegetable should be shredded or shaved thin, and it adds crunch and a mild spice.
Kohlrabi, also known as turnip cabbage or German turnip, can be eaten raw. You may simply julienne, slice, or grate raw kohlrabi into your salad or slaw. Because it belongs to the Cabbage family, it has a similar sweet and spicy flavor. The texture is comparable to that of broccoli.
Kohlrabi is high in vitamin C and a good source of thiamine. A cup contains 93 percent of your daily vitamin C requirement. It’s also high in antioxidants. Kohlrabi has fiber, potassium, and vitamin B6 as well.
Artichokes
If you want to consume them raw, tiny baby artichokes are the greatest option since they lack the inedible “choke” in the middle that has to be scooped out. Toss fresh sliced artichokes with lemon juice to keep them from browning.
Raw artichokes are delicious in salads. To prevent browning, slice them thinly and drizzle with lemon juice. Raw artichokes have a subtle, somewhat nutty flavor that is reminiscent of Brussels sprouts or asparagus.
Collard Greens
Raw collards, like kale, are hearty and dense when thinly sliced and added to a salad.
Collard greens are delicious in salads and slaws. They’re also ideal for wraps and sandwiches. You may also make a lot of smoothies with collard greens. It has a flavor that’s between kale and cabbage, yet it has hints of bitterness to it due to its earthy taste.
Celery root
Shredded celery root has a mild celery taste and is extra crispy, making it ideal for coleslaw.
Zucchini
Raw zucchini slices are fantastic on pizza. Or peel the vegetable and use it in salads or pasta.
Make zucchini noodles with your spiralizer and enjoy! It’s also fantastic for wraps and salads. You may try juicing them or including them (or as a base) to your smoothies. Zucchini has a mild, somewhat sweet, and sour flavor that is delicious in salads or pasta dishes.
Zucchinis are high in antioxidants, including lutein and zeaxanthin. It’s also a great source of folate, potassium, and vitamin A.
Snow peas
Snow peas are edible pod peas with thin and flat pods. Both the seeds and pods are edible. They may be eaten whole and raw as snacks or in salads, and have a sweet flavor with a somewhat crisp yet somewhat delicate flavor.
Peas are an excellent source of iron, calcium, zinc, copper, selenium, and manganese. It’s also high in niacin, pantothenic acid, thiamin, and pyridoxine.
Kale
Kale is a delicious and nutritious vegetable, especially when it’s raw. It makes for a wonderful salad base when finely sliced or shredded, as well as wraps and sandwiches. It will be a welcome addition to your smoothie recipes or a good foundation for them. Raw kale has an earthy flavor with undertones of bitterness that might be juiced.
Kale contains vitamins A, C, and K, folate, alpha-linolenic acid, lutein, zeaxanthin, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and zinc.
Why Eat Raw Vegetables?
Vegetables are high in vitamins and minerals, and some of them, such as water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C and B vitamins, are highly sensitive to heat. According to a research, antioxidants found in certain vegetables are also destroyed during cooking. While some vegetables’ nutrients are better absorbed when cooked, there are others that are best consumed raw.
It’s a huge deal, however consuming just 200g of vegetables every day is not. This is assuming you’re eating about 200g of fruits as well, since according to the WHO, a balanced diet should include at least 400g of fruit and vegetables each day. The vegetables they mentioned, such as potatoes, cassava, sweet potatoes, and other starches-rich roots, do not count.
Simply add a side dish of salad (if possible, in every meal) as a appetizer or as a snack. Then, who knows, perhaps soon zucchini will be served instead of the main course! Raw vegetables, such as zucchini, snow peas, and broccoli florets with hummus dip, are also good snacks.