SAMPLE MENU FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES
(effect on mineral intake)

1,000 calories each of avocados and dates,
plus 300g (10.6 oz.) romaine lettuce, 200g (7 oz.) carrots.

Note the importance of lettuce for calcium. Now, what happens if we supplement with 300 grams (10.6 oz.) broccoli?

FOOD	Minerals
	Ca	Fe	Mg	P	K	Na	Zn	Cu	Mn
Prev. meal	350	14.8	418	613	7,536	167	4.75	2.81	4.7
+ broccoli	144	2.7	75	198	975	54	1.2	.12	.7
New meal	494	17.5	493	811	8,511	221	5.95	2.93	5.4
GAIN:	+41%	+18%	+18%	+32%	+13%	+32%	+25%	+4%	+15%

One may argue that supplementing with anything will increase mineral intake--which we won't deny. The point of the above is to illustrate the mineral-richness of green vegetables, and that replacing some fruits with some cooked green vegetables results in a net gain.

Effect of diversification on vitamins. We won't repeat the analysis of the above foods for vitamins, but it is clear that broccoli is a good source of vitamin C, folate, and beta-carotene.

Instead, we will investigate what happens when the sample meal above is supplemented with 50 grams (1.8 oz.) of beef liver--a very modest amount. Note: the following is not to convince anyone that liver is necessary for health, but to illustrate how variety can have a significant impact on the nutrient content of your meals.

SAMPLE MENU AS ABOVE
but supplemented with beef liver instead of broccoli
(effect on vitamin intake)

1,000 calories each of avocados and dates, plus 300g (10.6 oz.) romaine
lettuce, 200g (7 oz.) carrots, 50g (1.8 oz.) beef liver.

We thus see the dramatic effects of adding a tiny supplement (50 grams = 1.8 oz liver), especially on B vitamins, including of course B-12, but also vitamin A, which is considerably more bioavailable in that form than in the form of beta-carotene as it appears in vegetables.

• Cooked starches advantageously replace raw (non-animal) concentrated sources of energy on all points: vitamins, minerals, digestibility/bioavailability, sugar load.

• Dark green vegetables (which are easier to eat cooked) are an invaluable source of minerals.

• To obtain an adequate vitamin intake, most important is variety. It's certainly possible, though more difficult, to have a raw varied diet; but incorporating some cooked vegetables may help.

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SEE REFERENCE LIST

SEE TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR: PART 1 PART 2 PART 3

GO TO PART 1 - Is Cooked Food "Toxic"?

GO TO PART 2 - Does Cooked Food Contain Less Nutrition?

GO TO PART 3 - Discussion: 100% Raw vs. Predominantly Raw

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