Vegan Nutrition with Dina Aronson, M.S. R.D.

Dina Aronson, MS, RD is a vegan dietitian whose specialties include chronic disease prevention, vegetarian/vegan nutrition, and lifestyle management. She is the founder and director of VeganRD.com, a nutrition consulting company. Active in many vegetarian nutrition organizations, Dina was the recipient of the American Dietetic Association's Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award in 2002.

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I tend to eat a lot of raw vegetables (too lazy to cook them sometimes). Are most vegetables more nutritious raw or cooked, or does it vary from plant to plant?
-Michael

Dear Michael,

There are entire books written on this topic, because the answer to your question is complex. Bioavailability (how easily a nutrient is used from a food by the body) varies from plant to plant, and from nutrient to nutrient. For this reason, I recommend a mixed diet of both raw and cooked foods. If you're interested in a raw diet or are curious about which veggies supply which nutrients best raw or cooked, please consult a raw foods cookbook; there is a large selection at http://www.rawfoods.com/bookstore.

Disclaimer: The advice given here is for eductional purposes only. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.

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