This article reviews the safety of eating raw Brussels sprouts, how cooking changes their nutrient content, and ways to prepare them.Some people avoid eating certain legumes, grains, and vegetables unless they’ve been cooked due to concerns about antinutrients, or compounds that can inhibit the absorption of important minerals.Unlike certain other vegetables, grains, and legumes, Brussels sprouts don’t contain some of the common antinutrients that some people avoid.When bacteria in your large intestine try to break this and other indigestible fibers down, they produce gases like hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane ( 9 , 10 ).This may cause even more discomfort among people with existing digestive conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), as well as in those who may not be used to eating Brussels sprouts or similar vegetables.Mix thinly sliced Brussels sprouts into a salad with leafy greens and other raw vegetables, such as carrots, radishes, and tomatoes.Mix thinly sliced Brussels sprouts into a salad with leafy greens and other raw vegetables, such as carrots, radishes, and tomatoes.Mix them with slaw ingredients like olive oil, vinegar, honey, brown mustard, minced garlic, almonds or pecans, and dried cranberries.Mix them with slaw ingredients like olive oil, vinegar, honey, brown mustard, minced garlic, almonds or pecans, and dried cranberries.Thinly slice your Brussels sprouts and use them as layering greens on a sandwich, as you would with spinach or lettuce, for a nice crunch.Place Brussels sprouts in your basket, cover them, and let them steam for 5–7 minutes or until the desired tenderness is reached.Heat them for about 5–7 minutes on each side and season them with a few pinches of salt, pepper, and garlic powder or lemon juice.Heat them for about 5–7 minutes on each side and season them with a few pinches of salt, pepper, and garlic powder or lemon juice.Cut your Brussels sprouts in half and toss them in a large mixing bowl with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.Cut your Brussels sprouts in half and toss them in a large mixing bowl with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.Whether you choose to chop them raw into a salad or sauté them as a side dish, Brussels sprouts offer a healthy and delicious addition to meals.
Edward R. Forte
Author