5 Veggies That Are Healthier Cooked Than Raw

You know carrots are good for your eyes, but do you know why? It’s a compound called beta-carotene, which gives carrots their deep orange hue. Beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A in the body, which is essential for things like—you guessed it!—good vision (along with immune health and healthy skin).

In 2006, researchers found that cooking carrots actually increases the amount of beta-carotene your body is able to absorb.

Tomato sauce, tomato paste, ketchup—chances are that you eat plenty of cooked tomatoes. But if you don’t, now would be a good time to start. If you’re limiting yourself to fresh tomatoes, then you’re only getting about 4 percent of the powerful antioxidant lycopene that this veggielike fruit has to offer, according to research published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. That’s because raw tomatoes have thick cellular walls that make it difficult for our bodies to absorb lycopene. Once they’re cooked, however, the lycopene becomes much easier for our bodies to utilize, says Wendy Bazilian, RD, coauthor of Eat Clean, Stay Lean.

Related: 6 Recipes With Fresh, Local Tomatoes

When Popeye swallowed a can of spinach, what was it that made his muscles bulge? If you’re thinking “iron,” then you might be right. But it could also be folate—a B vitamin essential for cell growth and reproductive health that’s found in dark leafy greens.

While cooking spinach doesn’t increase folate levels, a 2002 study found that steaming spinach keeps folate levels constant. Why is that good? “A whole bunch of spinach wilts down to just a little bit,” she says. “So you’re going to eat a lot more of it after it’s cooked.” And thus, consume more folate as a result.

Related: The Healthiest Way to Eat Veggies

These green stalks are super high in cancer-fighting vitamins like A, C, and E, as well as folate. But the thick cell walls make it hard for our body to absorb these healthy nutrients. Cooking asparagus breaks down its fibrous cells so that we can absorb more of the vitamins.

We know—eating raw pumpkin isn’t really something people do. And that’s a good thing, since cooked squash is incredibly more nutritious (this includes all kinds of squash, like zucchini and acorn), says Bazilian. Pumpkins, like carrots, are rich in antioxidants like beta-carotene, which are much easier to absorb once they have been heated. “Something like a can of cooked pumpkin puree is off the charts in terms of nutrition,” says Bazillian.

Related: 20 Perfect Pumpkin Recipes

While cooked veggies are great, both Bazillian and Pegah Jalali, RD, a dietician in New York City, say that how you cook them matters. Research shows that the absolute best method for cooking veggies is boiling, but not in a big pot of water like you would pasta. Jalali suggests putting 2 to 3 tablespoons of liquid in a pan with your veggies, and then cook your vegetables whole. This not only retains flavor, Bazilian says, but can also provide up to 25 percent more nutrients than veggies that were cut before cooking.

You also want to add a little fat. Healthy fats like olive oil, avocado oil, or flaxseed oil actually increase your body’s ability to absorb key nutrients.

Related: The Healthiest Way to Cook Your Veggies