CookCount articles
Nutrition science in plain words
Short and sourced: what affects nutrient absorption and how to count what you eat more accurately.
78 studies from PubMed
Every source checked by hand; figures come from the abstracts.
Tables come from the calculator
Same USDA data as the diary, so the numbers always match.
Written for Ukraine
We account for our latitude, iodized salt and everyday foods.
Supplements3 min read
How to take iron so it gets absorbed
Why iron tablets are better not taken twice a day, what studies of alternate-day dosing showed, how calcium, tea and coffee get in the way and how vitamin C helps.
6 sources
Supplements3 min read
Vitamins D, E, A, K and omega-3: what to take them with
Why vitamins D and E are absorbed several times better with a fatty meal, how D3 differs from D2, natural vitamin E from synthetic, and fish oil as triglycerides from ethyl esters.
8 sources
Minerals4 min read
Where salt hides: how much is in bread, sausage and pickles
How much salt we really eat, where it comes from, how much is in a sandwich, frankfurters or sauerkraut, and how to eat less salt without bland food.
8 sources
Cooking5 min read
Raw, boiled or steamed: what cooking does to vitamins
Why vitamin C and folate get lost in the pot, why beta-carotene and lycopene are absorbed better from cooked vegetables than raw ones, and how to cook to lose as little as possible.
6 sources
Minerals5 min read
Iodine in Ukraine: why iodized salt still matters
How much iodine Ukrainians actually get, why even mild deficiency is a problem, why iodized salt is the simplest fix, and how not to lose iodine while cooking.
9 sources
Basics5 min read
How much protein do you really need: from the RDA to protein shakes
Where the 0.8 g per kilogram target comes from, why people over 65 need more, what protein supplements actually do for those who train, and whether a lot of protein harms the kidneys.
6 sources
Vitamins5 min read
Vitamin B12: who runs short and why it’s not just vegetarians
Why vegans and vegetarians run short of B12 while after 50 even meat eaters absorb it poorly, as well as which medicines lower it and why the doses in pharmacy tablets are so high.
7 sources
Basics4 min read
How much water to drink: do you really need eight glasses?
Where the eight-glasses advice comes from, what research and official targets say about it, why there’s no single number for everyone, and what to take into account.
5 sources
Vitamins5 min read
Vitamin D in winter: why the sun doesn’t help north of 42°
Why at mid-northern latitudes skin makes almost no vitamin D from November to February, how common deficiency is in Ukraine, how it relates to calcium, and what guidelines say about supplements.
11 sources
Basics4 min read
Flaxseed oil or fish: why plant omega-3 isn’t the same as marine omega-3
Why the ALA in flaxseed oil, walnuts or chia barely converts in the body to the EPA and DHA found in fish, how much conversion actually happens, and what to do if fish rarely makes it to your plate.
4 sources
Minerals3 min read
Tea after buckwheat: how drinks affect iron absorption
Why tea and coffee with buckwheat or legumes lower iron absorption, when to drink them instead, and what helps.
6 sources
Cooking2 min read
Dry or cooked: why grain and pasta calories differ so much
How many calories are in cooked buckwheat, rice, pasta and legumes, why 100 g dry and 100 g cooked are different things, and how to weigh them.
1 source
Minerals2 min read
Is spinach a source of calcium? Oxalates and mineral absorption
Why only about 5% of the calcium in spinach is absorbed, how kale differs, and better places to get calcium.
5 sources
From theory to your plate
Work out your targets
The calculator sets your daily calories, macros, vitamins and minerals, and the diary tells you which foods are better not combined.
Open the calculator