certain foods are cooked. But as it turns out, there are some vegetables that are healthier cooked. Why? Because cooking vegetables often makes it easier for you to absorb the important nutrients that they contain.
As for how to cook them, lycopene is absorbed by your body more effectively when consumed with a healthy fat, so pair your roasted tomatoes with olives, or drizzle them with extra-virgin olive oil.AsparagusThis springtime veggie is chock-full of cancer-fighting vitamins A, C, and E — and a 2009 study published in the International Journal of Food Science&Technology revealed that cooking it boosted its antioxidant activity by 16 to 25%.
And that's not all—another 2009 study in the Journal of Food Science revealed that cooking carrots with the skins on can triple their overall antioxidant power. Whether you opt to roast them or boil them is up to you—just be sure to skip the frying pan, as this method reduced carotenoid levels by 13 percent.