Common Food Misconceptions

By John A. Mays, MSEd

Over the past two to three generations, we have heard conflicting views on what is a healthy diet. Nutrition advice can definitely be confusing. This situation is most likely due the endless contradictory nutrition messages that bombard the airwaves, all from purported nutrition experts. What's a health conscious person to believe? Here are three common food misconceptions and the real truth behind the hype

All Fats Are Bad

It's time for an oil change in this country. Considering that heart disease is the #1 killer of American men and women, it would behoove all of us to eat a heart healthy diet. This means avoiding the artery-clogging fats whenever possible saturated fat, dietary cholesterol and trans fat. Make extra virgin olive oil your main fat and add in the omega-3 fats from plants and fish.

A Salad Is a Healthy Low
Calorie Food

You might think that eating a salad is your healthiest option but that is not necessarily true. Consider, a chicken Caesar salad at Chili's, loaded with salad dressing, croutons, cheese, and chicken. It clocks in at an astounding 1,010 calories and 76 grams of fat. So what makes a diet-friendly salad? For a healthy salad, think color and plain. Start with a variety of colorful veggies, fruits, beans, and mixed greens. The darker the leaf, the more nutrition it has. Add a small amount of low-fat cheese or another lean protein like beans or hard-cooked egg whites. Top off your salad with a small amount of avocado or chopped nuts to add some healthy fat. Salad dressing can pile on the calories quickly so order your salad dressing on the side. Then just dip your fork into the dressing before you dig into each forkful of salad.

Eggs Are Not Okay To Eat

Eggs are a highly nutritious food containing protein, vitamins B12, D, riboflavin, and folate. An egg a day is recommended if you are healthy and not at risk for heart disease. However, make no mistake about it, egg yolks are chock full of dietary cholesterol. The average egg contains about

220 mg.

The government recommends that for those individuals interested in lowering their LDL or bad cholesterol via dietary means, they should restrict cholesterol intake to a max of 200 mg/day. One egg and you are over the top. Why not chuck some the yolks and eat all the egg whites you want?