Food Myths: Can You Spot Them?
Test your food IQ: Decide if the following statements are true or false. The correct answers follow this quiz.
____1. Honey has fewer calories than sugar.
____2. Brown eggs are better for you than white eggs.
____3. Fats are always bad for you.
____4. People should avoid snacks.
____5. Raw vegetables have more vitamins than cooked vegetables do.
____6. People should not eat starchy foods.
____7. Eating fish makes you smarter.
____8. Prunes are good for you.
Answers
1. False. Honey is a kind of sugar. Both honey and sugar have the same number of calories.
2. False. Brown eggs and white eggs are exactly the same, except for color. Their texture, taste, and nutritional value are the same.
3. False. Fat is an important part of a healthy diet. It contains many vitamins and is good for your cells and internal organs. Too much fat can be bad for you, though, because it contains too many calories. Saturated fats can be bad for your heart. Click on Fat Facts for more information.
4. True and False. Snacks like chips and cookies are poor choices. They can fill you up without giving your body the nutrients that it needs. Other snacks—like fruit, cheese, nuts, and fresh vegetables—are perfectly fine.
5. True and False. If you boil vegetables without using the water later for soups or sauces, you'll lose the vitamins from the cooked vegetables. Steaming, stir frying, or cooking vegetables with a pressure cooker are better ways to cook vegetables. Most of the vitamins won't leach out with those methods.
6. False. Starches have a bad reputation. In fact, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, and cereals—also called complex carbohydrates—have little or no fat. They also have less calories than the same amounts of meat. Starches are full of B and C vitamins and fiber. Some combinations of starches—like rice and beans—are full of good protein, too.
7. False. Fish is very good for you, but it won't make you smarter.
8. True. Prunes are a great source of fiber. Other good sources are fruits, vegetables, whole-grain cereals, and whole-grain breads.
More Food Myths
Don't believe everything you read and hear about diets. Be especially careful about the messages of:
• Those best-selling diet books. If one of the diets that they're pushing appeals to you, always check with your doctor before trying it.
• Radio and TV talk shows. Again, hot news doesn't always make for healthy eating.
• Well-meaning friends and relatives. Your sister might think you need to eat more protein. Your kind neighbor might say, "One little piece of pie won't kill you." Thank your friend or loved one for the concern—then follow your doctor's advice.
• TV commercials and ads in magazines. Easy microwave meals can look very appealing. Often they're loaded with salt and sugar, though. Always read the food labels on such products.
Food Fads to Flee From
Do you want to aim for a healthy weight? Have you read about some people's stunning results with trendy new diets?
Remember the old saying, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." That certainly applies to fad diets. The best way to lose weight is to eat sensibly over the long term. That means a balanced diet from all of the food groups. Losing 1 to 2 pounds a week is the healthy way to lose weight. Ask your doctor or registered dietitian about ways to lose weight the healthy way.
Avoid food fads that push diets:
• Based on eating one food. - You may lose weight on this type of diet because it gets pretty boring to eat only grapefruit all day! The danger is that no single food contains all of the nutrients that your body needs.
• That are high in fiber and low in calories. - Some fiber is important for a balanced diet, but too much fiber can lead to cramping and diarrhea. That's not a very healthy way to lose weight!
• That are high in protein and low in carbohydrates. - Again, eating too much of a good thing (like protein), but not eating other important things (like carbohydrates) does not make for a healthy, balanced diet.
• That are all liquid. - Talk with your doctor about liquid meals that you can buy in the drugstore. They should only be used with a doctor's guidance.
Also, avoid fads that call for no diet at all, like:
Fasting - Not eating for two or more days can be harmful. Without enough food, you will begin to get weak and lightheaded. This type of diet can put stress on your kidneys, too.
