Yes, it is perfectly wise to eat raw and cooked food together. With that in mind, you need to consider a couple of safety concerns when preparing such a meal, particularly when it comes to raw meat.
Both raw and cooked foods can provide many health benefits. Whether you combine the two in one healthy diet is an interesting question. In this article, we’ll explain how eating raw foods along with cooked foods is feasible. We’ll also go through the safety measures that need to be taken, both when cooking and storing food.
Mixing Cooked Foods and Raw Foods
Raw food diets can consist of raw fruits and vegetables, raw meat, or both. In particular, raw vegetables are already packed with nutrients. Having them along with cooked vegetables can constitute a great meal. There are probably some vegetables that you might prefer cooked, so why not include them in the mix?
A plant-based diet rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals is a good foundation for healthy living, positively affecting both physical and mental health. The same goes for raw and cooked fruits.
Besides, cooking food breaks down many of the tightly bound raw components of fruits and vegetables. This makes them more easily digestible and releases more of their nutritious compounds. The result is more energy and caloric value, despite the inevitable loss of some water-soluble vitamins.
This makes the blend of cooked and raw versions of food even more appealing. On one hand, raw plant foods preserve most of the essential nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin A, minerals, and fibers. On the other hand, cooking increases what can be absorbed by the human digestive system. Assuming an optimal method, the cooking process preserves phytochemicals and can help extract more of them, which can provide many protective health benefits. It also increases the vegetable’s antioxidant capacity.
Another way to mix cooked and uncooked foods is by having cooked meat along with raw vegetables. This is pretty common and can greatly enhance the meal’s flavor. For instance, chicken or steak works well with a raw salad. The main thing to watch out for is to make sure the uncooked meat never goes near the vegetables so as to not contaminate them. All in all, many cooked food elements can fit in very nicely in a raw food diet.
You might also prefer to consume raw meats. However, this comes with significant risks. Raw meat is likely to contain harmful bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Clostridium, among others. The risk of contracting a food-borne illness when eating raw or undercooked meat.
Meat can be eaten raw at a reduced risk. By making sure it’s fresh, you limit the extent to which bacteria will multiply. While combining raw meat with cooked food is very uncommon, it’s important to always separate the two to prevent bacteria from thriving in the warm temperature of cooked food and causing food poisoning.
Storing Cooked Foods and Raw Foods
While it’s fine to place different types of raw food together, provided they are properly cooked afterward, placing safely cooked foods along with raw foods can be very risky. Cross-contamination occurs when the two aren’t well separated. Certain foods such as fruits and vegetables present less risk, but raw meat should definitely be isolated from other ready-to-eat foods.
There are many ways to separate raw from cooked food before storing them in the fridge or freezer. Covering food with tightly-fitting lids, plastic, or foil film can prevent potential contamination. The same applies to preparing food; ready-to-eat food should always be separated from other raw foods, especially meat and animal products.
In case raw food was somehow mixed with ready-to-eat food, the latter should either be thoroughly cooked again or discarded. In some cases, proper reheating will kill the bacteria and prevent contamination. However, for certain types of food such as poultry and dairy products, bacteria can multiply and is not killed by high cooking temperatures.
One of the most common bacteria that can emerge from cross-contamination is staphylococcus, which is as hard to pronounce as it is to get rid of. This bacteria produces harmful toxins that can easily spread to cooked foods and can lead to poisoning. The symptoms are usually mild, but they can cause severe complications, especially to at-risk populations.
The only way to prevent the many risks associated to cross-contamination is by making sure raw and cooked foods are well separated. Food should also be prepared in a clean environment, using clean equipment. When dealing with raw and cooked foods, it’s important to always wash your hands, particularly whenever you touch raw foods.
Final Thoughts
We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to make sure that we lead healthier lifestyles. The raw diet is something you certainly need to consider, especially when you have the correct information at your disposal. A raw food diet consisting of healthy whole foods is already great on its own. If you prefer to eat some other foods cooked, it’s never a bad idea to blend the two into a nice and balanced meal. Both have many benefits.
For instance, wellness professionals believe that raw food can contribute to better mental health and reduce the risk of chronic disease. In contrast, cooked food can significantly alter its caloric value and increase the availability of its nutrients. It is a downright winning mix!
FAQs on Mixing Cooked and Raw Food
• Is it healthy to eat cooked and raw food together?
Both cooked food and raw food can be good for health. Assuming they’re prepared safely, they can constitute a very healthy and balanced diet.
• What are the risks of eating cooked and raw food at the same time?
Certain raw foods contain harmful bacteria. When these are mixed with ready-to-eat foods, they can cause cross-contamination. Certain foods are best cooked to prevent this.
• Can raw and cooked food be stored together?
Definitely not. They should be placed in separate containers and stored separately if possible, especially when it comes to raw meat and dairy products.
Hi, my name is Brett White, and I have a passion for cooking, and following a raw diet. Eating raw has completely changed how I view food, and has led me down a much healthier and happier path in life over the last three years.
Through Addicted To Veggies, I want to share with you my favorite raw recipes. From brownie recipes, to recipes containing pumpkin, my site is full of delicious and wonderful options to consider.
