Myths about nutrition tend to stay around for years and somehow they touch a very sensitive button in many of us. We want to be the best super mom ever and when our best friend shares her amazing nutrition discovery, we may look at each other and wonder if it has any validity.
Great news! I am sharing some of the most popular nutrition myths so you can be charged with up-to-date accurate nutrition information. Let’s take a look; some will ring a bell while others will make you go back to your best friend and set them straight. Whenever you do, be aware, nutrition is one of the most controversial topics, right up there with politics and religion!
Calories eaten at night are more fattening
It is the total calories that count, not the time of day you eat them. There is no “witching hour” that makes food more likely to adhere to your hips. That said, avoid late night eating. People who skip meals to devour a feast later will probably overeat more calories than they would have eaten they had spaced meals through the day and paid attention to calories not time!
Your body can’t tell the difference between honey and sugar
As far as your body is concerned, there is no difference if you dip you’re your sugar bowl or squirt from your honey bottle. Honey, sugar and even high fructose corn syrup are all broken down into glucose and fructose. Honey is a little sweeter than sugar so you may use less, but that is the only benefit. Raw sugar, brown sugar, cane sugar, turbinado sugar, etc. are all basically the same. Honey is less refined than white sugar, but that only means more molasses, which is nutritionally insignificant. And by the way sugar does not cause diabetes – another popular myth.
Low fat means low calories
Whenever you see the word “low” on the label, that should be your clue to keep looking a little further. One important number people forget to look at is to look at the serving size and total calories on the Nutrition Facts Label. Low fat foods (especially fat-free foods) may have the same amount of calories than regular versions. Bottom line, low fat or fat free foods don’t give you the license to eat all you want.
Multigrain foods are made with whole grains
The only way to know (for sure) if you are eating “whole grain” is when you see the word “whole” leading the ingredient list in front of every grain. Multigrain, 7-grain, even cracked wheat, you can’t assumed 100% whole grains were used. Even breads and cereals stating “made with whole grains” may contain few whole grains.
Frozen vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh
Just-picked vegetables and fruits do provide more vitamins and minerals. If you are lucky enough to get just-picked produce, because the longer that fresh produce stays in the storage, the more the nutrient levels may drop. The beauty of frozen vegetables and fruits is that they are flash frozen immediately after picking in order to preserve the nutrients. Use your microwave to cook your veggies, so you may continue preserving nutrient.
