Green beans are probably one of the most loved veggies used nowadays. Its sweet flavor is the perfect combination for almost every dish, and it goes well with nearly everything salty.
Since it is prevalent to see green beans on fish, chicken, meats, have you ever wondered about the possibility of consuming green beans raw?
Well, if that doubt was blowing on your mind, in the next part of the article, we will give an in-depth answer.
Can you eat raw green beans? Yes, you could eat raw green beans, but you have to be aware that consuming them in large quantities could lead to side effects such as diarrhea and stomach pain because of the content of lectins.
If you want to know more about raw green beans, keep reading because we will explore how eating green beans can cause poisoning, how to cook them properly, and do many other exciting things.
How toxic are green beans raw?
The level of toxicity of green beans raw can be associated with a middle level.
Some other fruits and legumes are more toxic when eaten raw than green beans; anyway, if you want to eat them raw, remember to wash and sanitize them, avoiding any possible contamination.
The toxicity level of green beans is found only when you eat it raw; otherwise, by cooking it, you will be able to eliminate all the poisoning and the risk that could be associated with it.
Is it healthier to eat green beans raw or cooked?
If there is something true, it is for sure that most people around the planet consume green beans cooked. It is also true that cooking vegetables and other types of foods will decrease the overall nutritional value.
But we also have to consider that eating green beans raw or other types of legumes will increase the risk of getting food poisoning.
It is healthier to consume green beans cooked because when boiled at 100 C, the lectins effect will be decreased by leading them to zero.
Even though there are various ways of cooking green beans, it will all depend upon your preference, whatever method you will use, cooking green beans will always result in the best decision for your health.
Can undercooked green beans make you sick?
Yes, consuming undercooked beans could cause diarrhea, stomach pain, and bloating.
Depending on the method you will use to cook the green beans, ensuring that they are adequately cooked should be your priority. Since they can cause side effects, it is always good practice to make sure you have cooked it perfectly.
So how can you achieve this?
Ensure to wash it perfectly after purchasing it in the grocery store.
It will be best to let the green beans soak all night before utilizing them.
After that, when you are ready to consume it, you can boil it for timing that goes from 10-20 minutes, adding salt, and that’s it.
This procedure will make your green beans tastier, and it helps you avoid the risk of getting sick from the consumption of green beans.
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How do you tell if a green bean is undercooked?
After reading all the risks associated with the consumption of green beans in raw, I can assume that you would like to avoid eating them raw.
An important thing that you can do is understand when the green bean is cooked, avoiding eating green beans that are still undercooked.
Depending on the method you decide to cook, you can realize it in different ways.
Assuming that you cooked the green beans in the more traditionally way, that means by boiling it, you can observe that the green beans will become softer, and the color will become a little bit darker.
If you already served it at the table, and after eating them, you feel a squeaky texture and have a grass flavor, it is certainly another indication that they are undercooked.
Are hard green beans OK to eat?
Depending on the cooking time that you have chosen for the green beans, it might happen that they will remain hard, in that case, it will be best if you recook them by ensuring that they have a softer texture.
Eating green beans raw will result in a more assumption of nutrition, but as we already saw, they can lead to side effects. For that reason, the best thing you can do when you notice that the green beans are hard to eat, it is to let them cook again.
Are raw green beans hard to digest?
If knowing all the facts related to eating green beans raw didn’t discourage you from doing it, your next question could be if raw green beans are hard to digest or not?
Green beans don’t contain oligosaccharides, a complex sugar, that is present on other beans. So, this makes the green beans more digestible than the different variants of legumes that have them.
If you want to be on the safe side, when consuming green beans, you have to ensure that you will cook it properly, better if you boil it.
Final thoughts
Eating raw green beans in small portions will not lead you to any problem, but as soon as you start to consume them in large quantities, particular attention must be taken to avoid getting any food poisoning from them. If you are a lover of raw food and cannot stay without raw legumes, you can eat raw green beans, but only be sure that you will do it in small quantities.
