Cooking methods affect nutrient retention in food by influencing the availability and stability of vitamins and minerals. For example, boiling vegetables can lead to significant loss of water-soluble vitamins due to leaching into the cooking water, while steaming often retains more nutrients. Similarly, cooking techniques that utilize lower temperatures and shorter cooking times, such as microwaving or sautéing, can preserve nutrient content better than prolonged cooking methods like roasting or baking.