Vegetables are certainly one of the healthiest foods rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protective plant compounds, they play a big role in maintaining general health and preventing common diseases. However, when it comes to cooking vegetables, how you cook them can make a difference in their nutritional value.

Among the most common cooking methods are boiling and steaming, both of which affect vegetables in different ways. Although boiling immerses the vegetables in water, steaming uses hot vapor to cook the food. So, should you steam or boil vegetables for the best health benefits?

Vegetables have such essential nutrients that they present loads of health benefits to humanity. They are not just rich in vitamins but carry beta-carotene also, which acts like a shield against oxidative stress from any source and decreases the chances of severe diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. In addition, vegetables act like a great source of dietary fibers, which are imperative to digest food, maintain healthy blood sugar, and increase satiety for a long time.

However, as healthy as vegetables are, the way they are cooked plays a huge role in how well our body can absorb these nutrients. The cooking method you choose can either enhance or diminish the nutritional value of your vegetables.

Is Steaming A Healthier Choice?

Steaming is considered to be one of the healthiest methods for cooking vegetables. In this method, the vegetables are placed in a perforated basket above boiling or simmering water and allow steam to rise and cook the food gently. Since steaming doesn't require direct contact with water, there is a loss of fewer nutrients as compared to boiling.

One of the main benefits of steaming is that it does help retain water-soluble vitamins, vitamin C and B vitamins, which are commonly leached out when boiled vegetables soak in water. Research evidence has shown that steaming can have a higher concentration of retention of some vitamins, including vitamin C, beta-carotene, and flavonoid antioxidants, than boiling does. In fact, it was found in a 2009 study that steaming broccoli, one of the healthiest vegetables, would retain the most nutrients in comparison to five other ways of cooking, including boiling, microwaving, and stir-frying.

Steaming also maintains plant compounds like flavonoids, which are among the most potent antioxidants known for their association with several benefits, including cancer prevention. A study on different cooking methods showed that steaming enhanced the flavonoid antioxidants in most vegetables, including broccoli, spinach, and carrots. However, some vegetables, such as carrots, are increased in beta-carotene when steamed. Beta-carotene is a form of vitamin A that is crucial for eye health and immune function.

One of the interesting results of comparative research between steaming and boiling is that the vitamin C loss is less during steaming, especially as it is one of the sensitive vitamins to heat and water. It has been demonstrated that, in terms of loss, steaming vegetables have shown a very minor loss of vitamin C, only 14%, after five minutes of steaming. However, a loss of 54% was noted when boiling the vegetables.

Does Boiling Causes Loss of Nutrients?

Boiling the vegetables can save so much time, but boiling the vegetables does not guarantee their highest nutrient retention. Boiling simply puts the vegetables under hot water and cooks it under direct heat. However boiling can be said to be very swift since it will result in getting rid of nutrients found in water. To explain, many vegetables have massive portions of vitamins; for example, vitamin C can be dissolved by hot water during boiling. Most, therefore will leach away from the prepared meals.

Aside from Vitamin C, beta-carotene is one of the few major losers in boiled foods. Laboratory tests done on peas and cauliflower reveal that their more than 50 percent levels of antioxidants were destroyed. Boiling also causes huge losses of vitamins and minerals to vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. If you have to boil your vegetables, try to limit the time and avoid overcooking to minimize the loss of nutrients.

Interestingly, some vegetables, like carrots, may benefit from boiling, as boiling has been shown to increase the bioavailability of beta-carotene. However, this benefit is typically outweighed by the significant loss of other nutrients when boiled.

Can Microwaving Vegetables Be A Healthier Alternative?

If you’re looking for an alternative cooking method that preserves nutrients, microwaving could be a good option. Microwaving is the method of cooking food using electromagnetic waves and requires very less or no water. Thus, microwaving is a gentler method of cooking that helps retain water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C. A study conducted in 2003 showed that vegetables such as zucchini, carrots, and beans, when cooked with little water in a microwave oven, had a significantly high amount of phytonutrients compared to those cooked by other methods, including boiling.

How to Cook Vegetables- Tips to Make The Choice

While steaming and microwaving are excellent ways for cooking vegetables, you can take it to the next level for maximizing the health benefits of your vegetables by using healthy fats in cooking. For instance, sautéing vegetables in extra-virgin olive oil can enhance the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, D, E, and K. Olive oil is also rich in antioxidants and polyphenols, which provide additional health benefits.

When cooking vegetables, do not overuse salt. Instead, season with fresh herbs, spices, and lemon juice. This will provide flavor without the negative health effects of too much sodium.

This argument in the war between steaming and boiling vegetables: it is simply a way to better retain the nutrients in food. This way of cooking helps in keeping vitamins and antioxidants from vitamin C, beta-carotene, and flavonoids that play an important role in human health.

The better it would be to steam the vegetables if you want to derive maximum health benefits from it. Steam or broccoli, spinach, carrots-any food cooked- is only allowed by steaming so that a maximum amount of nutrient value is retained. Further alternative, to microwaving, minimal water can be used too. No matter how one cooks his vegetables, add healthy fats like olive oil and season with herbs; in this way, nutrition of these vegetables will be maximized further.

Making small differences in how you prepare vegetables can make a big difference in your health. The next time you get ready to prepare a meal, steam it instead of boiling so that you have a much healthier, more nutrient-rich plate of vegetables.

Effects of different cooking methods on health-promoting compounds of broccoli. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2009

Influence of cooking methods on antioxidant activity of vegetables. J Food Sci. 2009

The Indian Council of Medical Research–National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) has launched a new policy document aimed at tackling childhood obesity and promoting healthier diets and food environments for children and adolescents in India.

Released under the multi-institutional 'Let's Fix Our Food' (LFOF) consortium, which was launched in 2022, the policy comes as India faces a growing burden of obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, hypertension, cancer and respiratory illnesses.

The document outlines evidence-based recommendations to improve food environments and encourage healthier dietary habits among children and adolescents.

"Evidence-based, multisectoral policy action is essential to create healthier food environments for children and adolescents. Collaborative initiatives such as the Let's Fix Our Food Consortium are important for addressing the growing burden of overweight, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases in India," said Dr. M. Srinivas, Member (Health), NITI Aayog.

What Does The Policy Recommend?

The policy outlines recommendations across several areas, including:

• Healthy school food environments
• Nutrition literacy
• Front-of-pack nutrition labelling
• Regulation of unhealthy food marketing to children
• Taxation of foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS)
• Healthier dietary fats
• Salt reduction
• Low-sodium salt substitutes
• Social and behavior change communication
• Youth engagement
• Fiscal measures to promote healthier diets.

India's Growing Obesity, Malnutrition Burden

The policy highlights India's growing double burden of malnutrition.

According to the National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6) fact sheets for 2023–24, the prevalence of overweight children under five has increased to 3.4%, up from 2.1% in NFHS-4 and 1.3% in the previous survey.

The survey also found that although stunting among children under five has declined to 29.3%, acute malnutrition (wasting) remains unchanged at 5.2%, and only 15% of young children receive an adequate diet.

"Malnutrition is no longer only about undernutrition. Rising obesity, driven by unhealthy diets, challenges healthy growth among children and adolescents," said Marie-Claude Desilets, Chief of Nutrition, UNICEF India.

Key Recommendations

The Let's Fix Our Food Consortium was established to generate evidence and drive policy action for healthier food environments, particularly for children and adolescents. Based on multidisciplinary research and expert consultations, the policy recommends:

Stricter Advertising Rules

• Enforce legal restrictions on marketing HFSS foods to children and adolescents.
• Ban misleading health claims and deceptive advertising across all media.

Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labels

• Introduce mandatory, easy-to-read nutrition labels on packaged foods.
• Help consumers quickly identify products high in fat, salt and sugar.

Healthier School Food Environments

• Restrict junk food in and around schools.
• Ensure affordable, healthy food options and monitor school food environments using NEAT-S.

Tax Junk Food

• Levy taxes on HFSS foods and sugar-sweetened beverages to discourage consumption.
• Use fiscal measures to make healthier foods more affordable.

Strengthen National Programs

• Integrate these measures into initiatives such as the Ayushman Bharat School Health and Wellness Programme to promote better nutrition and physical activity.

New Tools to Support Healthy Eating

The consortium also launched practical tools to help schools and adolescents make healthier food choices.

• Nutrition Environment Assessment Toolkit for Schools (NEAT-S): A framework to help schools assess and improve their food environments by promoting healthier canteens.
• Digital Literacy Modules: An interactive e-learning platform and comic books developed by ICMR-NIN to help adolescents understand food labels and reduce their intake of excess sodium and unhealthy fats.

The initiative is supported by several national and international organizations, including UNICEF India, the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), and other partners.

Global hunger declined for the third consecutive year in 2025, but an estimated 645 million people still went hungry, while rising food prices linked to the Middle East conflict threaten to slow progress, according to a new UN report.

An estimated 7.8 percent of the global population—around 645 million people—were affected by hunger in 2025, down from 8.1 percent in 2024 and 8.6 percent in 2022, according to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026 (SOFI 2026) report released on Tuesday by five UN agencies—FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO.

The figure represents 14 million fewer hungry people than in 2024 and 43 million fewer than in 2022, marking the third consecutive year of improvement.

"While we welcome the clear progress we have made in reducing hunger, a healthy diet still remains unaffordable for one in three people globally. Obesity is rising and progress on maternal and child nutrition is stalling," said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Over 2 Billion People Still Face Food Insecurity

Also read: Want Healthier Lungs? Add More Kale And Spinach To Your Plate, Suggests Study

Despite the decline in hunger, 25.8 percent of the world's population—around 2.1 billion people—experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2025, meaning they were forced at times to compromise on the quality or quantity of the food they consumed.

This is down from 27.1 percent in 2024 and 28.7 percent in 2020, equivalent to 86 million fewer people than in 2024 and 135 million fewer than in 2020, although levels remain above those seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Progress Uneven Across Regions

Africa is now home to the largest number of hungry people, with 309 million affected.

More than half (56.6 percent) of Africa's population experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2025, compared with:

• 20.3 percent in Asia
• 22.9 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean
• 8.7 percent in North America and Europe

Women continue to be disproportionately affected by food insecurity, although the gender gap narrowed slightly in 2025.

Middle East Conflict Could Slow Progress

The report warned that the ongoing Middle East conflict could delay global efforts to end hunger by driving up food prices through higher energy and fertilizer costs.

Depending on how long the crisis affects food inflation, 510–520 million people could still face hunger by 2030, compared with 503 million projected before the conflict, the report said.

It also noted that other risks—including extreme weather events such as El Niño in 2026 and 2027—were not included in these projections and could further worsen the outlook.

The report warned that the conflict, combined with extreme weather and declining humanitarian funding, threatens to reverse recent gains in reducing global hunger.

"This report is a stark reminder that food systems fail millions of children and families. Food, health, education and social protection must go hand in hand to protect the most vulnerable children and women from global shocks," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

Healthy Diet Now Costs 25% More

Nutritious food has become up to 25 percent more expensive over the past five years, leaving 2.69 billion people—nearly one in three globally—unable to afford a healthy diet.

The average global cost of a healthy diet rose to US$4.28 (PPP) per person per day in 2025, up from US$3.44 in 2021 and US$2.94 in 2017.

Dr Ghebreyesus urged governments to adopt policies that make "healthy food the easy choice," including promoting breastfeeding, front-of-pack nutrition labelling, taxing unhealthy products, and protecting children from harmful food marketing.

"Healthy diets are not a luxury—they are the foundation of health and must be within everyone's reach," he said.

Love your daily cup of coffee? The way you brew it could make a difference—not just for its taste, but also for your cholesterol levels.

A new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA), published in the peer-reviewed journal Circulation, stated that for most healthy adults, drinking up to five cups of black caffeinated coffee a day (up to 400 mg of caffeine) is safe and may even benefit heart health.

However, the statement, based on a review of the latest evidence on caffeine and cardiovascular health, noted that the brewing method matters because some types of coffee contain compounds that can raise LDL, or "bad," cholesterol.

Black Coffee May Benefit Heart Health

Also read: Extreme Heat To Drive US Heart Disease Burden Up 200% By 2050: Study

According to the AHA, moderate consumption of black, caffeinated coffee without added sugar, cream, or flavored syrups has been linked to several cardiovascular benefits.

A review of the latest evidence found that drinking three to five 8-ounce cups of regular black coffee daily was associated with a lower risk of:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Heart failure
• Type 2 diabetes
• Some abnormal heart rhythms.

"Caffeine consumed in coffee is a key part of daily life for millions of people, and in our review of the most recent research, for most adults, intake of up to 400 mg of caffeine/day, the equivalent of up to five cups of caffeinated coffee per day without added sugars or fillers, is safe and does not increase cardiovascular risk," said Gregory M. Marcus, chair of the scientific statement writing group and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

Why Brewing Method Matters

While coffee itself may support heart health, the AHA highlighted one naturally occurring compound—cafestol—that can raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

Cafestol is found in both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, but its levels depend on how the coffee is prepared.

Cafestol, associated with increased LDL cholesterol levels, is high in unfiltered coffee, including:

• French press
• Espresso
• Turkish coffee
• Boiled coffee

In contrast, paper-filtered coffee and instant coffee contain little to no cafestol, making them a better choice for people concerned about cholesterol.

Read More: US Cardiologist Explains Why 2026 AHA Cholesterol Guidelines Recommend Starting Young

Coffee And Blood Pressure

The statement also found that coffee's effect on blood pressure is complex, and they called for more studies to better understand this relationship.

Yet the findings revealed that among people with normal blood pressure, drinking one to three cups a day was associated with a higher risk of developing hypertension, while consuming more than three cups daily was linked to a lower risk.

Coffee May Lower Diabetes Risk

Although caffeine may temporarily reduce insulin sensitivity, regular consumption of black caffeinated coffee has been linked to a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. Researchers believe this benefit is likely due to compounds in coffee other than caffeine.

Energy Drinks Are Not the Same

The AHA cautioned that the findings do not apply to energy drinks or energy shots. These products contain much higher concentrations of caffeine—around 40–69 mg per fluid ounce, roughly three to four times more than regular brewed coffee—and have been linked to high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, and other cardiovascular risks, even in healthy adults under 30.

No Universal Recommendation

Marcus stressed that there is no one-size-fits-all recommendation for caffeine intake because people respond differently based on age, genetics, medications, underlying health conditions, and how quickly they metabolize caffeine.

He advised people to pay attention to how their body responds to caffeine and discuss their intake with their healthcare provider if they experience symptoms such as palpitations, anxiety, or sleep disturbances.