Does cooking destroy the nutrients in vegetables? Not necessarily. Discover how steaming, boiling, roasting, microwaving, frying and eating vegetables raw can affect vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds—and learn simple ways to preserve more nutrients when preparing food at home.

Most of us judge food by its nutrition label—but our bodies don't. The structure of food, known as the food matrix, plays an important role in how quickly we digest food, absorb nutrients, regulate blood sugar and even how many calories our bodies extract. Learn why whole fruit differs from fruit juice, why whole nuts and nut butter aren't metabolically identical, and why preserving the natural food matrix may benefit your health more than focusing on calories alone.