Hello Beautiful!

It looks like you're new to The Community. If you'd like to get involved, click one of these buttons!

In this Discussion

What foods can you not eat raw?

For instance, is there any veggie or seed/nut or bean that would ever be harmful if consumed raw? Is there any raw food that you can have too much of.....you know like they used to say about spinach before they realized the calcium in it negated the acidity of the oxalic acid to have any harmful effects? That kind of stuff.

What should I watch out for in my diet? Any suggestions for very simple beginnings to add a few entrees to my table that are raw?

Thanks J

Comments

  • SuasoriaSuasoria Raw Newbie

    Here's a recent thread with some raw foods to avoid

    http://goneraw.com/forum/what-foods-should-be-avoided-are-potentially-poisonousharmful-raw

    And one on most practical recipes that would probably be helpful for beginners...

    http://goneraw.com/forum/most-practical-raw-recipes

    Just call me "finder of lost threads" today...

  • Thanks oh mighty finder of lost threads! I was curious about this too :)

  • Does anyone know about green beans? I swear I had some at Whole Foods once that didn't seem cooked, just marinated, but I've tried eating them since and they taste absolutely terrible raw and I've heard they are poisonous. Is this a wives tale? How do you make them taste good?

  • Gosh I hope raw green beans aren't poisonous, I eat them all the time. I chop them up into little bits with red bell pepper and snow peas and marinate them in nama shoyu, ginger, and a little olive oil. I usually do this in the evening and let it sit in the fridge overnight. The green beans turn bright green like when they are cooked and it tastes really good. Like stir frys from my cooked days!

  • WinonaWinona Raw Newbie

    Oh Bah, green beans are poisonous raw - i love to freeze them then thaw them out, so they taste 'cooked'

  • beanybeeganbeanybeegan Raw Newbie

    Green beans, Had them for Thanksgiving as a Green Bean Cass.. Freeze the small green beans over night. Dehydrate them for 3-4 hours, combine with your sauce. I like a garlic cheese sauce than mushroom gravy.

    Clean out small red peppers or large Anaheim etc.. Freeze them . Use to fill. I like Relleno's, or unchicken stuffing.

    I cant stand plain raw green beans and most of the dry legumes are ugh. Ones I do like are all sprouted: peas, lentils, black-eyed peas, mung and adzuki. just plain soaked beans are a digestive problem.

    I don't like eating mushroom as they are a fungus and ditto goes for vinegar.

  • carrie6292carrie6292 Raw Newbie

    I find that raw onions are the only raw veggie that gives me gas - i mean, really bad gas. I love onions but i have to limit my consumption.

    There are a million debates about certain veggies/fruits not being good for you: corn, mushrooms, rhubarb, cashews, etc.... I guess it's what you feel comfortable with. I try to limit my intake of those foods that could be toxic and dangerous.

    Green beans are not poisonous...

  • Raw green beans are definitely not poisonous. As a little girl I wouldn't eat them any other way. In the summer I would sit in our green bean teepee munching beans and playing with the leaves, which are like velcro. I still prefer my green beans raw.

    The only thing I can think of that wouldn't digestible raw is potatoes...

  • carrie6292carrie6292 Raw Newbie

    I love raw potatoes... do they really not digest well? Jicama is a good 2nd - to be honest, i haven't had a raw potato in a long time, but i used to love them sprinkled with seasoned salt :) yum! I just love my Jicama - but, hate the price! Now i find that Jicama's are covered in this thick wax. I had one for 2 days and it started oozing out rotten stuff... nasty!

  • waterbaby12347waterbaby12347 Raw Newbie

    I add a small amount of raw poke to my green smoothies, just make sure when harvesting, you pick it at least a couple of inches above the ground... always use the small new shoots, even off older plants if you like... They are a great colon cleanser so don't put a ton into your smoothie... A 1/4 cup is enough with a full blender of other veggies..

    Could be used in larger quantities for a colonic replacement, I suppose.... LOL If you are brave and full of it... LOL

  • ambiguousambiguous Raw Newbie

    There are some beans that can be poisonous raw, like kidney and (of course) lima. Raw fava beans are very poisonous to some people (people whose forbears are from the Mediterranean region are most at risk), though others can eat them just fine. Many people will recommend that you avoid raw soybeans.

    Potatoes aren't necessarily poisonous, though their leaves are (so I hear). Stay away from (white) potatoes whose skins have started to go green. And as waterbaby suggests, poke can be poisonous in large quantities but medicinal in small quantities.

    Generally I think it's safe to say that bitter greens are best consumed in small quantities. Beet juice will make you vomit in large enough quantities, especially on an empty stomach (yes, I know from experience), but of course it's wonderful for you in moderate quantities.

    Plus, mangos have a chemical that is related to the irritant in poison ivy; it's concentrated in the skin of the fruit. Some people are very sensitive to it.

  • Branwyn32Branwyn32 Raw Newbie

    I thought potatoes and eggplants (nightshade family veggies in general) were harmful if eaten raw in large amounts. Maybe a little is ok? I'm not sure.

  • raw potatoes are really good for you. they soothe your digestive tract. i would stick to red poatoes or sweet potatoes.

    cashews shouldn't be consumed raw or cooked. most people don't know about it, but cashews are not actually a nut. Cashews are a seed and they are not supposed to be eaten. Cashew shells contain a skin irritating toxin (similar to poison ivy). Cashews marketed as raw are actually steamed to expel the toxins. I don't know about you, but I won't eat anything that has to be processed in order to not be toxic.

    http://cavewomanrunner.wordpress.com/2008/11/17/cashews-bad-for-you/

    http://cakeandcommerce.typepad.com/cake_and_commerce/2008/02/what-i-learned.html

    http://www.wisegeek.com/are-raw-cashews-really-poisonous.htm

  • garlic, onions.

  • joannabananajoannabanana Raw Newbie

    kelly, i had no idea about cashews!!! i am so shocked and upset about that now. i love cashews so much, but don't want to eat them if they are naturally toxic.

  • I'm really confused about garlic/onions not being good for raw consumption. I have always heard that raw garlic is amazing for you, and onions are quite good.

    I know they are quite strong, but other things which might be considered an irritant (such as cayenne pepper) are supposedly great.

    If you could shed some light it would be greatly appreciated

  • raw onions and garlic are really good for you. i know that garlic is so alkalizing that if you drink raw garlic juice on a full stomach you'll throw up (just like wheatgrass)...i don't think many people plan on drinking garlic juice though haha. if you have a cold, eating a clove of raw garlic will get rid of it in a day. i can see how it could be an irritant if you eat a lot of onions or garlic by themselves but if you don't eat too much at a time and you mix them with other vegetables it's super healthy.

  • Here's some information that convinces me to keep eating raw garlic (as long as it doesn't irritate me in the future). It's from "The Tao of Health, Sex, and Longevity" by Daniel P. Reid, pg.81:

    Chinese texts clearly state that in order to be fully effective, garlic must be consumed raw. Modern science confirms the efficacy of this ancient remedy. American biochemists have discovered that 'allicin', the active component in garlic, works as a powerful antibiotic and fungicide.... Garlic is also effective in ridding the alimentary canal of worms and other parasites, preventing colds and influenza, and giving a tonic boost to the libido. Regular daily consumption of fresh, raw garlic provides round-the-clock protection against a host of contagious diseases and parasites.

    Also, there is a note in Ani Phyo's cookbook about how if you remove the little green vein inside a clove of garlic it won't bother your stomach the ways it does for some people. Interesting.

    Hope this information is useful!

Sign In or Register to comment.