Topic of the Day - Food Myths and Misconceptions
#1. Myth: Fat is not more fattening than Sugars; Proteins and / or Starches
Fact: Fat is more than twice as fattening as Sugars; Proteins and / or Starches, here are
the calculations: 1 gram of fat = 9 calories
1 gram of Sugar; Proteins or Starches = 4 calories
#2. Myth: Swithching to oil is the best way to lower fat intake
Fact: This is not true due to the fact that all of the oils contain between 13-16 grams of
Fat, the difference is the type of fat: Saturated, Polyunsaturated and Mono-
unsaturated. Read your labels, you want the majority of the fat to be the mono-
unsaturated fat. Example:
Olive Oil: 15 grams Total Fat
2 grams Saturated Fat
1.5 grams Polyunsaturated Fat
10 grams Monounsaturated Fat
This is a good oil to use due to the high Monounsaturated fat.
#3. Myth: Saturated Fat is bad for you because of the Cholesterol.
Fact: Not all fat has Cholesterol, only animal fat has cholesterol. An oil high is Saturated
Fat is Coconut Oil, however, it contains no Cholesterol because it is plant based.
#4. Myth: Using Ground Turkey is better than using Ground Beef
Fact: This is not always the case, some Ground Beef is very low in fat and some Ground
Turkey is very high in Fat. The true key to all of this is reading the labels, not just
the FDA required labels, but the ingredients as well.
Example:
Ground Turkey Breast has only about 2-4 gams of Fat
Ground Turkey can have as much as 17 grams of Fat
This is why you always have to read the labels thoroughly, to make sure you are
really getting what you think you are buying. Often times store brands are less ex-
pensive, however, that is not always the case.
#5. Myth: Eating more fruits, vegetables and grains does not lower your fat intake.
Fact: It does lower your fat intake as long as you watch what you add to them, most
contain no fat and generally much more fiber, this will make you feel full faster.
What you do have to watch for are things like "Whole Grain Breads and Pastas",
may contain alot of other additional ingredients that raise the fat content. This
is why you really do need to read the labels, especially the ingredient labels, due
to the fact that there are alot of hidden items (right in plain sight) that the manu-
facturers know that most people will ever know about because most people do
not take the time to read the ingredient labels.
#6. Myth: Eating a salad over a burger is always better for you than eating a burger.
Fact: This again is not true, especially with so many salad bars and all of the ingredients
that can be added to the salads, such as the dressings, also there are cheeses, meats,
croutons, etc that are all loaded with fat. Sometimes 40-50 grams of added fat.
Many times a simple burger or a veggie or turkey burger is better than a loaded
salad. Also, Ceasear Salads are generally very high in Cholesterol due to the eggs
used in the dressing.
The bottom line is think smart, think healthy and read those labels. Also, don't be afraid to ask
questions of your wait staffin restaurants, if they cannot answer as to speak to the Chef, they are
there to serve you and that includes answering questions.
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