VegetablesThe green, yellow, orange and red capsicums in the market are not separate varieties but the same fruit at different stages of ripening. Sweetness and some nutrients change as it ripens, and red costs more because it takes longer on the plant.
HealthAs salt carries iodine and edible oil vitamins, rice and wheat flour should be fortified by law, state minister Mir Shah-e-Alam said, suggesting a start with grain supplied through government food programmes.
HealthNutritionist Mousumi Chowdhury says spinach, peas and cauliflower are higher in purines, but research has found that most purine-rich vegetables do not raise the risk of gout; what matters is a sound diet, enough water and a doctor's advice when needed.
HealthIndian nutritionist Namami Agarwal says properly stored frozen vegetables can be part of a healthy diet, but buyers should read the label for preservatives and sodium.
CropsA HarvestPlus Solutions workshop in Pabna called for zinc-enriched rice to be included in government social protection and school feeding programmes; 800 farmers in the district have received BINA dhan-20 seed under the MAIN project.
HealthHilsa, pomfret, Bombay duck, sea bass and prawns carry omega-3, protein, iodine and selenium, yet pregnant women, kidney patients and people with allergies or gout need to choose and limit them carefully.
HealthThe Protein Sovereignty Index ranks India 17th of 43 with 62.1 points, "exposed": imports supply 68.6% of its fertiliser by value, pulse imports hit a record 7.34 million tonnes and 520 million people cannot afford a healthy diet.
HealthMany low-income families like Khaleda and Alfaz in Dhaka's Rampura are dropping protein as prices outpace wages; food inflation reached 7.22 percent in September, and Bangladesh ranks 84th of 122 countries on the 2026 Global Hunger Index.
CropsAn IRRI project coordinator says rice bred for a low glycaemic index, more protein and more micronutrients, such as the Indian variety DRR Dhan 81, is finding a market with food processors.
HealthTo ward off osteoporosis, Dinajpur nutritionist Lina Akter advises a diet with calcium, vitamin D and enough protein, from milk, yoghurt, small fish eaten with their bones, sesame, greens, eggs and lentils.
HealthWeight-loss drugs have fuelled a boom in protein-enriched foods, but consumers are checking labels more closely and dietitians warn that a protein claim does not make a product healthy.
Citing experts at UCL, Yale and Oxford in a BBC report: in healthy people glucose peaks about an hour after a meal and returns to normal within two more hours; only prolonged highs are a concern, and there is little good evidence that glucose monitors help people without diabetes.
HealthAn IFIC-commissioned NIQ analysis of more than 40,000 US grocery products found ultra-processed foods make up about three-quarters of sales and vary widely in nutrient density, while non-UPF products cost more on average.
