50 replies to this topic

[sub7]

The following issues are fundamental considerations that everyone interested in his or her health should think about. So here it goes:

First and foremost: What do you think is the best way to clean fruits and vegetables?
-Should one peel the ones that can be peeled?
-How does one deal with those that cannot be peeled as in berries, leafy veggies etc? I cannot imagine a simple rinse with water will remove the parasites and pesticides, if so they would already be clean from the rain.
-Do you guys use fruit and vegetable cleaning solutions?
-How do you deal with frozen vegetables? Is the frozen spinach for example washed before it is frozen, If it is not adequately frozen how can you posibly wash it without turning it into spinach puree?

Also, what is the verdict on the core of the vegetables? Do you eat the core of an apple or pear? Is the additional benefit worth it?

How do you thaw frozen fruits? I usually pour some hot milk on mine but I am wondering how one should proceed to minimize damage to antioxidants?

In any event, these are some of my questions. I hope we can get a productive discussion going because these are fundamental issues that IMO no one can avoid...

Thanks to all

Sub7

[Mark Hamalainen]

Good thread idea

If its possible, buy fruits/veggies that haven't be sprayed with pesticides then you don't have to worry about your peeling/washing method as much right? Good question about the frozen veggies, I've never looked at the packages to see if they are pre-washed or anything...

Although I would prefer to eat food that hasn't been sprayed with pesticides, the current "organic" fashion is abhorrent to me for all the bioconservativism it represents. Organic is an ambiguous blanket term that denounces many perfectly safe agriculture practices such as genetic engineering. Practices which have gone a long way to reduce global hunger!

[ajnast4r]

First and foremost: What do you think is the best way to clean fruits and vegetables?

the veggie cleaners you buy at the store, i believe its a citric acid wash

-Should one peel the ones that can be peeled?

if they are organic(and edible), no... if they are not organic, yes

-How does one deal with those that cannot be peeled as in berries, leafy veggies etc? I cannot imagine a simple rinse with water will remove the parasites and pesticides, if so they would already be clean from the rain

veggie wash

-How do you deal with frozen vegetables? Is the frozen spinach for example washed before it is frozen, If it is not adequately frozen how can you posibly wash it without turning it into spinach puree?

avoid frozen vegetables when possible

Also, what is the verdict on the core of the vegetables? Do you eat the core of an apple or pear? Is the additional benefit worth it?

no

How do you thaw frozen fruits? I usually pour some hot milk on mine but I am wondering how one should proceed to minimize damage to antioxidants?

freezing in and of itself reduces the bioavailability of the desirable compounds...stay away from frozen fruit when possible. gentle heat(no microwave), warm water, or a steamer.

[xanadu]

Actually, frozen veggies are just as good as fresh provided they were frozen fresh. This notion like the beliefs about microwaving do not seem to have scientifice evidence to back them up.

[ajnast4r]

Actually, frozen veggies are just as good as fresh provided they were frozen fresh. This notion like the beliefs about microwaving do not seem to have scientifice evidence to back them up.

go taste a frozen, microwave veggie and then taste a fresh, steamed veggie... and tell me they are the same.

10/10/2003 - The November issue of the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture contains two studies that examined common food storage and preparation techniques. The studies showed that microwaving vegetables can destroy up to 97% of cancer-preventing antioxidants, and that blanching and freezing can destroy up to 70% of vitamins. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables, combined with vitamin and mineral supplementation, maximizes the protective effects.

In the first study, broccoli lost 97 percent of flavonoids, 74 percent of sinapics and 87 percent of caffeoyl-quinic derivatives (three different types of antioxidants) when it was microwaved. When boiled broccoli lost 66 percent of its flavonoids; when tossed in a pressure cooker, broccoli lost 47 percent of its caffeoyl-quinic acid derivatives. Steamed broccoli, on the other hand, lost only 11 percent, 0 percent and 8 percent, respectively, of flavonoids, sinapics, and caffeoyl-quinic derivatives.

When boiled the conventional way (i.e., not in a pressure-cooker), this green lost 66 percent of its flavonoids; when tossed in a pressure cooker, broccoli lost 47 percent of its caffeoyl-quinic acid derivatives.

Steamed broccoli, on the other hand, lost only 11 percent, 0 percent and 8 percent, respectively, of flavonoids, sinapics, and caffeoyl-quinic derivatives.

Vegetables that are blanched before freezing (a common processing technique) can lose up to one third of their antioxidants. Frozen storage can also cause losses, albeit much smaller ones.


you take your chances. ill eat mine fresh

[susmariosep]

Learn from our brother animals.


Should one peel the ones that can be peeled? -- sub7

if they are organic(and edible), no... if they are not organic, yes -- ajnast4r

Have you noticed, everyone here, that man is the only animal that makes so much fuss in the matter of eating?

Many animals eat the whole smaller animal, for example, a big fish just swallows up smaller fish, body, bones, scales, fins, everything. The snake does the same, even an animal bigger than itself.

Other animals just eat whatever they can bite off and swallow safely.


Of course we are talking about fruits and vegetables and how to prepare them in order to eat them safely and derive the maximum of their nutrients.

So I will also contribute my opinion about how to prepare fruits and vegetables to make them safe to eat and to obtain the maximum nutrients from them.


First, you can eat any vegetable and fruit that man has been eating or your community has been eating which no one has ever died from owing to an unknown poisonous substance in it which you have to carefully and completely remove if you want to stay alive eating the vegetable, but you did not.

Second, you can eat any vegetable and fruit that is marketed in any outlet subject to the faithful supervision of your government food and drug inspectors to make sure that any pesticides or insecticides or chemicals sprayed on them don't kill people or hurt them and which can be washed off with water and the common ordinary soap used by your grandparents to wash themselves clean.

Third, you can eat any and all parts of any vegetable and fruit, having observed #1 above, from the tenderest leaf to the roots themselves, provided you can bite and chew the parts and swallow them comfortably. Every part is nutritious and at least also very important provides you with bulk which you also need very badly if you don't want to develop gastro-intestino-colon-ano-rectal problems like constipation and even hemorrhoids and fistula in ano for concentrating on bland foods.


Hope these tips assuage your worries on how to eat vegetables and fruits.

Susma

[sub7]

To state that frozen is worse than fresh is too general a comment IMO. I live in New York City and the freshest produce I can buy still has spent days in the transport system. Also, to say that frozen tastes worse so it must also have less bioavailable nutrients is not a very scientific comment because taste is impacted by a variety of factors. To the best of my knowledge -and please correct me by using scientific arguments here if I am wrong- frozen is better than the several days old stuff you buy in the supermarket.

"blanching and freezing can destroy up to 70% of vitamins" ==> Up to??? what does "up to" mean here? Has there been just one case out of the 30 they looked at? And what about just freezing without blanching?

Sub7

[ajnast4r]

sumsa,

humans are alot smarter than animals, and should adjust our eating habbits accordingly. you go right ahead and trust the govt inspectors as to what chemical poisons are safe on your food....

[sub7]

That's all? Nobody else eating fruits and vegetables on this board?

LifeMirage, if you have a few minutes please share your views with us. I know you are in very high demand and cannot answer every post but IMO this issue is of great importance to anyone who wishes to live longer...

Thanks to all

Sub7

[Shepard]

I only eat fresh fruit, organic whenever possible. I generally don't peel any of the fruits I eat (other than a grapefruit once in a while) since I feel a large portion of their benefits are in the peel. I eat the seeds on some fruits, but never the core/rind of anything.

[wannafulfill]

wait... you'll just bite into an unpeeled banana? Or a lemon?

[Shepard]

No, I don't generally eat bananas or lemons, I was just referring to the fruit that I eat on a regular basis (which isn't anything that most people wouldn't eat with the peel).

[stormheller]

Fruits and vegetables- just eat 'em. I eat tons of fruits and vegetables because the fellow next door delivers produce from farms to supermarkets and always lets us have the pick of the crop. Don't peel apples, carambolas etc., but peel rambutan, lychees, kiwifruit, cantalopes, and other fruits with obviously inedible rinds. Wash your produce with a bit of plain castile soap, eat organic or backyard-grown whenever possible, set up a garden exchange with neighbors, and do NOT eat canned or frozen stuff. Canned foods give you CANcer and frozen produce is just... ugh... . The only frozen foods I eat are Boca Burgers and the ilk, and then only rarely.
Don't cook vegetables that can be eaten raw. Cooked carrots are nasty. Just cook stuff that needs to be cooked, like turnips, bitter melons (damn those are nasty raw), any sort of beans (beans contain a toxic chemical when raw), cabbage (same thing), yams (which must certainly be candied) and such and such.

Sub7, where in NYC do you live? Here (Jamaica Queens) people grow a lot of their own stuff and exchange it with neighbors when they have too much. EVERYBODY has cucumbers and tomatoes in their yard, since they are staples in the foods of every culture. A lot of folks have apple trees as well. If you feel that you aren't getting enough nutrients from the foods you eat, try eating a variety of cultural foods. For example, I am Asian but I also eat Latin, African, Mediterranean, and Caribbean vegetables on a regular basis. Try different things and mix 'em up!

[FunkOdyssey]

Canned food causes cancer? Have anything to back that up? Most canned vegetables have no preservatives and retain their nutritional content better than the fresh variety which is left exposed to air.

[mnosal]

I only eat fresh fruit, organic whenever possible. I generally don't peel any of the fruits I eat (other than a grapefruit once in a while) since I feel a large portion of their benefits are in the peel. I eat the seeds on some fruits, but never the core/rind of anything.

I makes very little sense to eat any seeds. Nature has provided them with strong cellulose shileding to prevent digestion. This facillitates the dispersion of non-windborne seeds thru fecal droppings. You are more thn likely not getting anything out of them other than the potential for Diverticulitis.

These seeds can easily trap in small pockets of the intestines and become inflamed. Not worth the risk IMO. If you insist, take great care to grind them well with the molars before swallowing.

[Shepard]

I only eat fresh fruit, organic whenever possible. I generally don't peel any of the fruits I eat (other than a grapefruit once in a while) since I feel a large portion of their benefits are in the peel. I eat the seeds on some fruits, but never the core/rind of anything.

I makes very little sense to eat any seeds. Nature has provided them with strong cellulose shileding to prevent digestion. This facillitates the dispersion of non-windborne seeds thru fecal droppings. You are more thn likely not getting anything out of them other than the potential for Diverticulitis.

These seeds can easily trap in small pockets of the intestines and become inflamed. Not worth the risk IMO. If you insist, take great care to grind them well with the molars before swallowing.

My post wasn't quite understood, or I didn't explain myself enough. I'm not talking about some crazy shit that would have people running away from me. But, if I eat small grapes, I usually eat the seeds, I eat some dried fruit that still has the seeds in it, and it's nearly impossible to pick them out, and I eat dried pumpkin seeds. I'm pretty sure those are the only ones.

[stormheller]

http://www.ithacahou....packaging.html

Also, my health class teacher said that canned food causes cancer.

[sub7]

http://www.ithacahou....packaging.html

Also, my health class teacher said that canned food causes cancer.

Have you read your own link? It says nothing about canned foods and is clearly talking about plastic wrapping, which is not used in any cannig process that I am aware of. As far as your health teacher, pls ask him/her to provide a source.

On the other hand, you are correct that CANned food causes CANcer due the linguistic similarities. That is simply a risk that all English speakers will have to live with.

Edited by sub7, 20 August 2005 - 04:16 AM.

[ajnast4r]

anything slightly acidic in theory will leach the aluminum from cans... i personally will NOT eat canned tomato anything

[stormheller]

Sub7, my bad, it was quite late. I believe that ajnast4r's explanation is the correct one. Aluminum sure isn't good for you.

[sub7]

stormheller, I was just kidding really.
BTW, I had no idea that acidic canned foods can be harmful. If such is the case I am in deep trouble. I eat small amounts of canned products but they happen to be mostly canned grapefruits and canned tomato sauce ==> both very acidic substances, LOL

Sub7

[ajnast4r]

I eat small amounts of canned products but they happen to be mostly canned grapefruits and canned tomato sauce ==> both very acidic substances, LOL

Sub7

cooking tomato sauce in copper or iron skillets yields enough metal to be considered a food source of each... so stay away from cans. the only thing i eat canned is beans, and im trying to get away from that.

[sub7]

[/quote]
cooking tomato sauce in copper or iron skillets yields enough metal to be considered a food source of each... so stay away from cans. the only thing i eat canned is beans, and im trying to get away from that.[/quote]

I know that some people insist on eating only cooked tomato products due to the increased bioavailability of lycopene and other substances but I was eating canned tomato sauce due to the convenience. Is there any research showing acidic foods in cans to be bad?

Sub7

[wraith]

Without looking it up - I believe I've read that some types of food cans are lined with plastic.
I've also read that canned vegetables have little nutritional value, but that frozen is sometimes superior to fresh. I prefer the taste & texture of fresh to frozen, however. I buy organic frozen veggies so I don't have to worry (as much) about the washing issue.

Stormheller, you seem pretty well informed (and I'm glad for that). Not eating raw cabbage - is that because of aflatoxins?

As far as cooked vs. raw, I have heard that some nutrients are actually made more available by cooking (such as lycopene and vitamin K).

[ajnast4r]

I know that some people insist on eating only cooked tomato products due to the increased bioavailability of lycopene and other substances but I was eating canned tomato sauce due to the convenience. Is there any research showing acidic foods in cans to be bad?

Sub7

u dont need research to tell you acidic food + heat + metal = metal in food
its simple science

I've also read that canned vegetables have little nutritional value, but that frozen is sometimes superior to fresh. I prefer the taste & texture of fresh to frozen, however. I buy organic frozen veggies so I don't have to worry (as much) about the washing issue.

Stormheller, you seem pretty well informed (and I'm glad for that). Not eating raw cabbage - is that because of aflatoxins?

As far as cooked vs. raw, I have heard that some nutrients are actually made more available by cooking (such as lycopene and vitamin K).

how would frozen be in any way superior to fresh?

and how is washing not an issue with frozen organic veggies.. either your washing them or someone else is.

and yea, some foods need to be cooked... some raw. its a good idea to keep a healthy balance of both.

[wraith]

Frozen is sometimes superior to 'fresh' since the vegetables are frozen quickly after being picked rather than being shipped and let sit on the store shelves for an extended period (and then after purchase they might sit in the refrigerator awhile). I suppose then 'fresh' isn't that fresh. I guess the best situation would be if you grow it yourself or purchase from the farmer's market, then eat it soon after.

If the produce is grown organically, then there's no pesticide residue to worry about (at least, no pesticides have been applied directly to the produce; contamination from neighbouring farms might be possible). I don't know if convential frozen veggies are washed at the processing facility as well as I would wash them myself at home.

[sub7]

Organic produce has to be washed just as thoroughly as fresh. Organic will usually have a greater number of parasites sitting on its surface...

[wraith]

mmm... bugs...

For me, the question of getting dirt and bugs off the veggies is a little different from getting the chemical residues off. A quick rinse is all you need for the former.

[goku]

What -- if stored in the freezer -- lends itself to be degraded? I store all grains and many herbs, spices, etc in the freezer until usage cuz I thought it'd be a good idea for preservation. Am I wrong? Is there a general rule here? Or do food products vary depending on what they are?