My guys get both, but certain ones perfer different things.

For instance, Papi will nibble at an uncooked carrot, but if I cook it, he will dig through a bowl of them. He likes the mushyness I think.

My question is, is there a nutritional difference between cooked and uncooked vegies?

Mine like different things as well. Sometimes they prefer raw other times they prefer cooked.

As for nutritional difference I would assume it's like people. For example a raw carrot is better then a carrot that has been boiled to mush because the nutrients are all in the water it was boiled in now. However if it's steamed and crisp it retains much of it's nutrients. I am not entirely sure though.

You are correct Kris...thats what I was taught

when you boil vegetables they lose the nutrients to the water.. ... try

to steam the carrots and see if that makes a difference josh ..

I have read most often that raw or steamed vegetables were the most healthy. This is an interesting twist on that theory.

Culinary Shocker: Cooking Can Preserve, Boost Nutrient Content Of Vegetables

I am impressed by the question and interesting point, Big Blues, about cooked veggies. My grandfather (a U.S. trained physician of Italian descent) always insisted on the superiority of lightly cooked or steamed vegetables with garlic and olive oil, over raw vegetable. I sort of half listened to him, assuming it was his ethnic bias. As I've grown older and learned more, I understand his logic. Heat is transformative, and that's what we do when we cook, we transform the food. In addition to what the article says, I also wonder if heat breaks down the cellulose walls that comprise the plant's fiber, thereby allowing more nutrients to be released when ingesting. Grinding and pureeing probably accomplishes pretty much the same thing, I don't know.

Also, what Josh pointed out... if it's more 'nutritious' it hardly matters if the parrot doesn't eat it. I see my macaws eat a raw carrot like a piece of soft wood. Most ends up on the floor. Mushiness might mean the way to go!

Why choose? Give them both. I use both raw grated and diced cooked carrots in my gloop. Some veggies you need to cook (like sweet potatoes or spaghetti squash, for example), some are good either way (like zucchini or tomatoes), some need to be raw (like cucumber). The key is to offer as wide a variety and as many variations of the 'better' veggies as possible.

Thanks for the info Bea

I agree, I give both, I was just curious about the differenct in nutritional value.

Does anyony have a list of what veggies HAVE to be cooked or HAVE to be given raw?

Josh, I haven't started a list yet. It's something that would be good to have, no doubt.

There's a lot of information about this; Here's just a few links;

Culinary Shocker: Cooking Can Preserve, Boost Nutrient Content Of Vegetables [CLICK LINK]


Boiling Broccoli Ruins Its Anti-cancer Properties, According To Study [CLICK LINK]

New evidence that crushing garlic before cooking can reduce the loss of garlic's healthful properties. [CLICK LINK]

Cooking Tomatoes Boosts Disease-Fighting Power [CLICK LINK]

Cooked Carrots May be Better than Raw Ones [CLICK LINK]

Frozen or Fresh?
Frozen peas typically have about 60% more carotene than 'fresh' peas (that have been exposed to light during their trip to the market and while awaiting sale). [CLICK LINK]