'My friends' misconceptions about healthy eating are driving me crazy!'

 'My friends' misconceptions about healthy eating are driving me crazy!'

There are many assumptions made about food and drink and it is no wonder that when we see interesting and clickbait 'facts' on blogs and social media we are forced to believe them.

Here, I am not talking about innocuous assumptions like 'eating carrots improves eyesight' or 'eating chocolate increases libido'.

But assumptions that heavily influence our daily diet and often prove to be true, we seem to believe them.

When was the last time you heard that 'molasses is healthier?' But have an intolerance to gluten'.

I studied nutrition at university, so for the most part I can tell the difference between fact and hypothesis (although I have a reputation for believing what friends say).

Let us tell you about a few assumptions that we often hear but in reality are not necessarily true:

'Carbs are not healthy'

I've been hearing this for years, especially from people trying to lose weight, but often from friends who just want to eat healthy. But there is some confusion regarding what is a carb and what is not.

A friend recently refused to eat bread with soup during lunch because she was avoiding carbs, but then picked up a delicious drink! (We all do something like this.

(A member of the BBC Food team says she declared 'I'm not going to eat carbs anymore' while eating a roll as a teenager).

Carbs can be controlled in different ways in the diet. Some people don't want to eat carbs after a certain time of day.

There is also a popular saying in Essex, UK, that goes something like this: 'Carbs should not be eaten in the days leading up to a holiday and any bikini-wearing occasion.'

Should we really do this? The three main types of carbs, sugar, starch, and fiber, are very different from each other, and when these three enter the body, our bodies excrete sugar and other carbohydrates in different ways.

Carbs are our main source of energy. But it's important to choose carbs like rice, bread, pasta, fruits, and vegetables that also provide other nutrients and fiber.

Also read this

Five myths about weight loss

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Eight benefits of eating alone

What are the hidden harms in cooking food?

Most of us don't get the 30g of fiber recommended for adults (by Public Health England). What's the fuss about fiber after all?

They aid in digestion and provide food for the good bacteria in the gut to perform many functions that are beneficial to our body.

'All calories equal'

I have once heard an argument that foods can be judged by their calories.

Once each dose is converted to a mere number, people can compare it to another dose.

I've heard that 'it doesn't matter if I eat two pieces of milk chocolate or one banana because they both have the same number of calories.'

Let's take the example of chocolate and banana. Both have about 90 calories, but the chocolate may be higher in fat.

And they're also high in sugar, which can spike blood sugar levels and make you feel hungry again.

In comparison, because of the fiber in bananas, the absorption of sugar in the body is slow. This blood sugar rises gradually and you don't feel hungry again for a long time. Bananas are also notable for their additional vitamins and minerals.

It's also important to look at nutrients rather than just calories. Eating only by counting calories can have negative effects on your eating habits.

'Healthier natural alternatives to sugar'

So we consequently believe that natural sugar alternatives are healthier.

A friend told me that she 'puts honey in her tea instead of refined sugar (white sugar) because it's natural and better for me.' But the body still thinks of it as sugar.

Acorn or maple extract is often found in friends' cupboards. Someone recently asked me if I had any honey or acorn extract that they could borrow.

But brown sugar is also made by adding molasses to white sugar.

Some of these natural sugar substitutes may contain even more micronutrients than sugar. But these are so few in number that they don't matter much. They are still Chinese.

The problem comes with breakfast cereal. Granola or other cereal bars are high in honey but are marketed as a healthier option.

According to the World Health Organization, we should keep sugar to less than five percent of the recommended daily energy intake.

This means eating six to seven teaspoons of sugar a day. Ready-made foods and fruit juices are also counted among them. 

'Eating vegetables will not provide protein'

After drinks I am often offered chicken nuggets. Friends say, 'Without eating meat or fish, you won't have protein in your diet, will you?' This advice was often given when I ate only vegetables for a while.

Most vegetarians get their protein needs from milk, eggs, pulses or fruits. It is good to include these sources in the diet so that new cells can be formed and the rest can be repaired.

Protein is actually made up of amino acids and our body cannot make new types of amino acids, so it is important that we get them from food.

Animal protein can be obtained through milk or eggs. They contain all these amino acids.

While plants do not contain all of these amino acids, we can supplement them with essential protein foods. Beans with toast or double bread would be a good example.

Some micronutrients are missing from vegetables,