Veggie Question

[rosie321]

I have a question about measuring veggies... I find it's easier to calculate the net carbs in veggies when they're raw rather than when they're cooked. I have a food scale that calculates nutritional info and it just seems much more precise than dealing with measuring cups post-cooking. So my question is, does the carb count ever change after cooking? For example, if I start with 5g net carbs of raw zucchini, will it still be 5g net carbs whether I steam it, bake it, boil it, etc.? I know that nutritional content (vitamins and minerals) can change based on the cooking method, but I didn't know if carbs were affected too. Thanks and sorry if this sounds dumb!

[pagliaccia]

Re: Veggie Question

No, it isn't dumb! Measure all veggies raw.

[Georgiana]

Re: Veggie Question

I have a question about measuring veggies... I find it's easier to calculate the net carbs in veggies when they're raw rather than when they're cooked. I have a food scale that calculates nutritional info and it just seems much more precise than dealing with measuring cups post-cooking. So my question is, does the carb count ever change after cooking? For example, if I start with 5g net carbs of raw zucchini, will it still be 5g net carbs whether I steam it, bake it, boil it, etc.? I know that nutritional content (vitamins and minerals) can change based on the cooking method, but I didn't know if carbs were affected too. Thanks and sorry if this sounds dumb!

Cooking vegetables releases sugars from the cell membranes. These sugars will dissolve in the cooking water (if you are cooking in water), so the net carbs will go down slightly unless you are drinking the cooking water. But the percentage by which this happens is so small, that for Induction veggies it makes no difference you should worry about.

All vegetables should be measured raw, because their volume will change in cooking. So 1 cup of raw spinach will go down in volume after cooking, but the carbs you should count are the same as in 1 cup of raw spinach.