Food Facts

We are bombarded daily with information about how to maintain a healthy diet, but how many of the so-called facts we take as gospel are really true?

Frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables are not as nutritious as fresh.
This all depends on how the fresh produce has been kept. If it has languished in the fridge for a week then it may not even have as much nutritional value as tinned or frozen. Generally speaking, though, frozen or tinned produce has as many vitamins as fresh.

Vegetarians don’t eat enough protein because they avoid meat.
Vegetarians usually eat a wide variety of protein-rich foods, such as legumes, dried peas, beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds and soy products.

All fibre prevents heart disease.
Studies have shown that it’s only soluble fibre, found in products such as oat bran, oatmeal, beans, peas, lentils, apples, strawberries and citrus fruit that appears to lower cholesterol.

Insoluble fibre, found in wheat bran, whole grain products, fruit and vegetables, hasn’t been directly linked to boosting heart health, but it is believed to help prevent certain cancers, such as colon cancer, so has other health benefits.

All vegetable oils are good for the heart.
This is a sweeping statement and one often quoted, but not all vegetable oils are good for you.

Coconut, palm and palm kernel oils (often found in packaged goods, such as biscuits and cakes) contain saturated fats, which can be detrimental to maintaining a healthy heart. The same is true of vegetable oils which have been hydrogenated (or partially hydrogenated). It’s essential to read the nutrition panels on labels. The words ‘partially hydrogenated’ indicate the inclusion of trans-fatty acids, which aren’t good for your heart.

On the other hand, extra-virgin olive oil, canola, safflower, sunflower and corn oils contain polyunsaturated fats, which are believed to help lower cholesterol. The same goes for peanut oil, but that should only be used if you are certain there is no one in the family with a peanut allergy.

A low-fat diet guarantees weight loss.
Low-fat does not necessarily mean low-calorie. If we’re talking about a low-fat diet with a high intake of fruit, vegetables and fibre-rich foods, then yes, the title might well be true because they not only are low-calorie but are also filling.

But what about the huge array of low-fat products calling to us from the supermarket shelves? We need to read the labels instead of assuming that they’ll be good for weight loss.

Many of these products have a high sugar content. Another thing to look for is the fibre content. If this is low then you may feel hungry soon after eating because it isn’t filling enough. After all, pure sugar is fat free but nobody is going to believe that will fill you up and help you lose weight.

As with most things in life, exercising commonsense is the best guide to healthy living.

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