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Cocoa powder is made from cocoa solids after some cocoa butter is pressed out; chocolate recombines cocoa solids with fat and usually sugar. That is why unsweetened cocoa is typically more fiber-dense and less calorie-dense, while chocolate is richer and sweeter.
Unsweetened cocoa powder is essentially concentrated cocoa solids with no added sugar; cocoa mix is a formulated drink powder that often contains much more sugar than cocoa. A USDA reference cocoa mix has about 65.6 g sugar per 100 g versus about 1.8 g in unsweetened cocoa.
Dutch-process cocoa is treated with alkali to raise its pH. It is usually darker, less acidic, and smoother-tasting than natural cocoa, but alkalization can substantially reduce flavanols. The acidity difference can also matter in recipes that rely on baking soda.
Beta-glucan is a soluble fiber built into the cell walls of oats and barley. It occurs throughout the oat kernel but is often more concentrated in outer fractions such as oat bran; the final amount varies with cultivar and processing.
Wild rice is Zizania, not a variety of brown rice. Per 100 g cooked it provides more protein in USDA reference data, while the fiber difference is small.
Plain instant, old-fashioned, and steel-cut oats can be nutritionally very similar. Processing mainly changes particle size, texture, cooking time, and how quickly starch is digested.
You do not need vinegar or baking soda for routine fruit and vegetable washing. Potable running water and friction are the basics. Some solutions can reduce particular residues under specific conditions, but they do not sterilize produce or work equally on every food.
Fried foods absorb oil because heat drives out water and creates a porous crust. Some oil remains on the surface and can move into that structure as the food leaves the fryer and begins to cool.
Ovens and air fryers are both hot-air cooking methods. With the same food and the same amount of oil, nutrition can be very similar; the difference becomes much larger when air frying is compared with deep frying.
Raw foods can preserve more heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamin C. Cooking can make carotenoids easier to access, change concentration through water gain or loss, and improve safety. There is no universal winner.
Skins of some fruits and vegetables concentrate fiber, polyphenols, and minerals, so peeling can reduce them. The size of the loss varies greatly and does not make the flesh nutritionally poor. Rinse produce before peeling.
Rinse fruits and vegetables under potable running water while rubbing the surface, and use a clean brush on firm produce. Wash even before peeling. Washing reduces microbes but does not sterilize food, and dish soap should not be used on produce.