- Raw honey.
- Foods that are slightly cooked on the outside, but raw on
the inside: rare or medium-rare beef, lamb or fish, and
eggs (lightly fried, poached or soft boiled).
The nutritional quality of foods is affected by cooking, and by
deep freezing and other common factors associated with food stor-
age. Individual nutrients may be adversely affected by a number of
factors that reduce their levels in food. Consider the following: - Many nutrients are affected by cooking, including vita-
mins A, C, thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), pantothenic
acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), and E, as well as biotin, the
carotenoids and folic acid. - Glutamine, lysine and threonine are amino acids unstable
to heat. The more they are heated, the more is lost. - During cooking, significant amounts of nutrients may be
lost in liquids that are not consumed. - Compared to fresh foods, both freezing and canning can
reduce nutrients. For example, niacin loss in frozen veg-
etables may be 25 percent and in canning 50 percent. - Foods stored for longer periods may lose nutrients, even
when they are still “fresh.” After 48 hours, for example,
lettuce may lose 30-40 percent of its vitamin C content. - Ripened foods generally have higher levels of nutrients.
Tomatoes have more vitamin C and beta carotene when
ripe compared to unripe; bananas have more vitamin C
when ripe compared to medium ripe. - Some vitamin E is destroyed by cooking, food processing,
and deep-freezing. - Dietary supplements should also be made from raw
foods. These should be labeled as such — not just veg-
etable and fruit concentrates, but freeze-dried concen-
trates, which are made through a slow, cold evaporative
EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY • 163