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Chia, flax and walnuts are rich in ALA, while salmon and sardines provide EPA and DHA directly. All three are omega-3 fats, but they are not interchangeable: the body converts only a limited share of ALA to EPA and an even smaller share to DHA.
Avocado wins on potassium and fiber per 100 grams, but it also carries almost twice the calories of banana. Serving size changes the picture: a medium banana can provide more total potassium than half an avocado simply because the edible portion is larger.
Almonds and pistachios are closer nutritionally than their reputations suggest. A roughly 1-ounce serving of either delivers about 6 grams of protein; almonds have a little more fiber, while pistachios come in a few calories lower.
Chicken breast is not the only high-protein part of the bird. Most cuts provide substantial protein, but fat changes much more. Skinless roasted breast is around 31 g protein and 3–4 g fat per 100 g; skin-on wings can approach 18–20 g fat.
Resistant starch is starch that is not fully digested in the small intestine and reaches the colon, so nutritionally it behaves more like fiber than readily digestible starch. It occurs naturally in legumes, less-processed grains and green bananas, and some can form when starchy foods such as potatoes, rice or pasta are cooked and then cooled. Cooling can raise resistant starch, but it does not turn all of the starch into fiber or erase the food’s digestible carbohydrate.
Simple and complex carbohydrates are mainly a chemistry distinction: simple carbohydrates are small sugars, while complex carbohydrates include longer chains such as starch and many fibers. They are not automatically “bad” and “good.” Whole fruit contains simple sugars along with fiber and micronutrients, while white bread and refined rice contain complex starch but relatively little fiber. Processing, fiber, the whole food and the amount of added sugar usually tell you more about nutritional quality.
Carbohydrates are a family of nutrients that includes sugars, starches and fiber. Sugars and most starches are broken down into smaller units such as glucose, while many fibers and some resistant starch reach the large intestine without being fully digested. Grains, bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, legumes and fruit are major sources; milk provides lactose, while plain meat, fish, eggs and oils contain little or essentially no carbohydrate.
Dietary cholesterol is cholesterol in animal-derived foods and is usually measured in milligrams. Blood cholesterol is carried in lipoproteins such as LDL and HDL and is measured on a lipid panel. Eating 200 mg of cholesterol does not add 200 mg directly to your blood: some is absorbed, while the liver adjusts cholesterol production and handling. For most people, overall diet—especially saturated fat—is a more important LDL target than chasing dietary cholesterol alone, although individual responses differ.
The biggest difference between raw and cooked spinach is volume. One hundred grams raw is a large bowl; 100 g cooked is compact. Iron and calcium therefore look higher per 100 g after cooking, while vitamin C and folate can fall with heat and water. Boiling can also remove some soluble oxalate into the cooking water.
Canning changes food but does not erase its nutritional value. Heat can reduce vitamin C and some B vitamins, while fiber, protein and minerals are generally retained much better. The biggest practical difference is often the packing medium: brine adds sodium, syrup adds sugar and oil adds calories.
Cooking vegetables can reduce heat- and water-sensitive vitamins, especially vitamin C and folate, but it does not destroy their nutritional value. Fiber and minerals largely remain, and heat can improve the availability of carotenoids such as lycopene and beta-carotene. Boiling and discarding water usually causes more loss than steaming, microwaving or short cooking.
Cooking tomato does not create lycopene, but it can make the pigment more bioavailable by disrupting cell walls and changing its physical form. Vitamin C and other heat-sensitive compounds can decline at the same time. Eating tomato with some fat, such as olive oil, also supports absorption of fat-soluble carotenoids.