When it comes to nutrition and diet, we expect a bit of everything. It's hard to sort things out and really know what's true and what's not. Here's the truth about 10 myths about food.
Frozen fruits and vegetables contain fewer nutrients than fresh fruits and vegetables
MYTH.
Fresh fruits and vegetables retain all their nutritional properties. However, the further they come from, the longer you wait to consume them after picking, the more vitamins and minerals they will lose. Frozen products are no less nutritionally interesting. In fact, they are generally frozen immediately after harvest, precisely to preserve their nutritional properties as much as possible, as well as their visual appearance. Of course, they lose some. Favor fruits and vegetables, but if you're ever short on time, always have frozen fruits and vegetables available.
Guava is the fruit richest in vitamin C
REALITY.
Despite what you might think, it's not the orange that's the richest fruit in vitamin C, but rather the guava. There are 228 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams of guava, compared to 57 mg for oranges. To get the most out of your fresh fruits and vegetables, it's best to eat them raw, as this preserves all their vitamins.
To get calcium, you only need to drink milk.
MYTH.
Although milk is rich in calcium, with 11 mg of calcium per 100 ml of semi-skimmed milk, it is far from the only source. Fruits and vegetables are also a good source of calcium; especially those from the cruciferous family, i.e. turnips, radishes, watercress, cabbage, etc. They contain an average of 30 mg/100 g. There are also mineral waters rich in calcium, such as Courmayeur (576 mg/L), Hépart (549 mg/L), Contrex (468 mg/L), Badoit (153 mg/L) and Perrier (150 mg/L).
Spinach is very rich in iron
MYTH.
We all have images of Popeye in our heads, who is strong because he eats spinach, which is rich in iron. However, it's far from being the vegetable richest in iron. Beans, lentils, or oysters contain more.
Do you know?
It's 2.7 mg of iron per 100 g of spinach, not 27 mg. It was a simple misplaced comma in the 19th century that gave rise to this false legend.
Vitamin C prevents sleep
MYTH.
Essential for facing winter or dealing with fatigue, vitamin C strengthens your immune system and boosts your energy. This doesn't mean it won't keep you awake. It doesn't have any stimulating properties, but a good intake of vitamin C, over the long term, can help combat fatigue.
You need to cut out starchy foods to lose weight
MYTH.
It's important to set the record straight about carbohydrates: they don't make you fat! No food will make you gain weight if you eat it in reasonable quantities; just as no food will miraculously make you lose weight. Weight gain depends largely on your total calorie consumption but also on the nutritional quality of your meals. Starchy foods (the foods richest in carbohydrates) provide you with long-term energy and are particularly satisfying, such as pasta, potatoes, whole-wheat bread, etc. Eating carbohydrates therefore allows you to be less hungry and, in the long run, to eat less. Pretty useful for not gaining weight, right?
Oil is fattier than butter
REALITY.
Composed of 100% lipids, oil is the most caloric fat. Conversely, butter is composed of 80% lipids. There's no need to completely replace oil with butter. These two types of fat provide different fatty acids that are essential to your body. It's advisable to vary your intake.
Skipping meals makes you lose weight
MYTH.
Does skipping meals to lose weight faster sound like a good idea? Think again! Eating when you're hungry is one of the first rules to follow when dieting. Indeed, if you decide to skip a meal, there's a very good chance you'll give in to snacking later. This will lead to a calorie surplus at the end of the day, preventing you from reaching your weight goals.
White chocolate is much more caloric than dark chocolate
MYTH.
For all chocolate and milk chocolate lovers, here's some good news! 100g of chocolate provides between 500 and 600 calories, whether it's dark, white, or milk. For example, 100g of dark chocolate with 40% cocoa provides 30g of fat and 55g of carbohydrates. While white chocolate provides 32g of fat and 58g of carbohydrates. The differences are minimal.
Do you know?
Dark chocolate: sugar + cocoa mass + cocoa butter. Milk chocolate: sugar + cocoa mass + cocoa butter + milk powder. White chocolate: sugar + cocoa butter + milk powder.
Fruit juices are as sweet as soda
REALITY.
On average, fruit juice provides 9 to 12 grams of sugar per 100 ml, compared to 10 grams in soda. A well-preserved fruit juice can provide you with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, unlike soda.
In summary.
It's important to always maintain a critical eye when it comes to nutrition and not believe everything you hear. Form your own opinion by looking at the products you consume.
