Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I'm sure I'm over-thinking this, but:

I have the impression that it's best to cook stuff just enough, but not too long, so as not to damage it, and reduce its nutritional value.

For example, when adding egg yokes to a soup (for nutritional value), add it in the last 2 minutes, and don't cook the yokes for all the 25 minutes.

Firstly, am I right?

If so, does the same thing pertain to my fancy organic pasteurized milk?

When making a potato soup, should I nuke the potato, then add it to the milk and cook for a very short time, OR

Should I cook the potato in the milk for 25 minutes?

By the same token, I add a banana to the soup. Should I do it at the end, or at the beginning? (I ask this from a nutritional perspective, not from a texture or taste perspective).

Am I completely over-thinking this?

I began to wonder when I started adding egg yokes to my soup. I've always been told to fully cook eggs to avoid salmonella. But, if I'm trying to get the b-vitamins contained in the yokes, maybe I should cook it only for a minute or two?

All thoughts and comments are very much appreciated,

Thanks, Mike

flag	asked Jan 2 at 18:25 CaveMan_Mike 4,911●1●16●53

	as a side note: pasteurized milk has already been 'nuked' – CoconutBliss Jan 2 at 22:38
	Yes, and I do realize that all the bacteria has been killed at the time of pasteurization. I guess I'm wondering if proteins are damaged by cooking milk for 25 minutes, or its vitamins are harmed. – CaveMan_Mike Jan 3 at 4:44

Scratch · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-17 00:33:08Z UTC

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Proteins are denatured by cooking, that's true. This is not a bad thing. Denatured proteins are more digestible than undenatured, and their constituent amino acids are still taken up by the body, they aren't destroyed.

answered Jan 17 at 0:33

Scratch
1,810●2●10

tye · Answer 2 · 2013-01-02 19:18:11Z UTC

Egg yolks can usually be eaten raw, only the whites need to be cooked to avoid salmonella (and this is less likely when you used truly cage-free eggs due to cleanliness).

Other than that, yes, IMHO foods should normally only be cooked "just enough." However, that differs for different foods and uses - long, slow cooking can be done in the crockpot just fine, and you definitely want to let your bone broths simmer away for awhile.

One thing to consider is the temperature - 140 degrees Fahrenheit is enough to kill the bad stuff by denaturing the enzymes but not too rough on the proteins. Generally this means that for non-delicate foods, cooking with water (steam, soup, boiling) is enough to keep from overheating them. But any heat can destroy much of the vitamin content (particularly C and I think K).

You can also "acid-cook" foods by marinating in lemon juice (perfect for liver and organs) or even apple cider vinegar, or by lacto-fermenting them. These damage food very little yet can kill microbes and even improve nutritional content (lacto-fermentation). Then, if you still want them warm, just quickly brown them in a pan with coconut oil and c'est voila'!

As for potatoes and bananas, those are just once in a blue moon things for me since I'm more low carb, but I would think the same things apply. I'm sure a fermented banana-mango chutney would be quite wonderful on meat or veggies! ;-)

Richard · Answer 3 · 2013-01-02 20:18:41Z UTC

Depends. Double edge sword. People who have given themselves food poisoning know this first hand.
It depends on what and how your cooking. This is why I only use cast iron. My best opinion as a cook Cook slow and low. Cook all foods to proper temp most veggies just need to be warmed up if frozen All meats have different cooking temps that must be reached. If you cook poultry to 140 your not doing yourself Any favors. Meat can be flashed cooked or seared and be fine at 140. Eggs are tricky and since I refuse to get ick from under cooking them I don't mess around with eggs.

Is nutrition decreased by cooking? (Proteins damaged?)

3 Answers