Border Dietitians - Facts on Food

With so much information about health and nutrition, it can be difficult to know which advice to follow. Our Accredited Practising Dietitians (APDs) have exposed the truth behind some of the popular nutrition myths.

Fact: Weight gain is all about calories in versus calories out, so carbohydrates won’t cause weight gain unless they contribute to excess calorie intake. People often lose a lot of weight quickly when they go on a low carbohydrate diet, but a big portion of this weight is the water that is stored with carbohydrate in the body.

Studies show that those people who successfully maintain weight loss usually consume diets that are higher in carbohydrates and lower in fat, watch their total calorie intake and exercise for up to an hour each day.

Fact: If we eat too much of foods high in fat or sugar, or eat them too often, it can lead to weight gain. However, this doesn’t mean cutting out your favourite foods, and there are lots of other delicious foods that we should all be eating more of, including fruit, vegies and oily fish.

If you are stuck for ideas for healthy meals, visit our recipes page and experiment with something different.

Myth: When it comes to exercise, the rule is “no pain, no gain”.

Fact: Any movement is better than no movement. If you haven’t been active for a while, start at an easier level. As your fitness level improves, increase the time you spend doing activity or increase the intensity by jogging instead of walking or lifting heavier weights. It is good to aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. This doesn’t have to be all in one go, you could break it up into a brisk 15 minute walk in the morning and the evening.

Fact: It’s not so much about when as how much you eat. If you eat more calories than you burn off, whether you spread them across the day or eat them at night, you will gain weight. However, it can be easy to eat more calories than you need by snacking in front of the TV at night.

Myth: All fats are bad and should be avoided if you are trying to lose weight.

Fact: We need fat! Fat is an essential part of a healthy diet, however it is higher in calories than carbohydrates and protein so can contribute to excess calorie intake. You can reduce the amount of fat you eat by choosing lean meat and trimming visible fat before cooking; choosing reduced fat dairy products; using low fat cooking methods such as steaming, grilling, microwaving and stir-frying; and limiting ‘takeaway’ foods.

Whilst some fat is essential in the diet, not all fats are created equal. Saturated fats in animal fats (including butter), palm oil and coconut oil raise ‘bad’ cholesterol levels which increases the risk of heart disease. Replace saturated fats with the good fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, found in vegetable oils, nuts and oily fish.

Fact: As the name suggests, breakfast is an important meal to ‘break’ the ‘fast’ of the past eight or more hours. People who skip breakfast tend to snack on higher sugar and fat foods mid-morning, and studies show that those who eat breakfast are better at managing their weight.

If cereal and toast for breakfast sound boring, check out our recipes page for other healthy and delicious ideas.

Myth: I know it’s important to eat healthier foods, but they are far more expensive.

Fact: Whilst some healthier foods are more expensive, healthy eating doesn’t have to be! Lean meat costs more than other cuts, but you can make meat go further by cooking it in dishes with cheaper ingredients such as seasonal, frozen or canned veg, beans or pulses.

Generic food products can also save you money. Choice Magazine recently asked 140 home testers to compare a range of generic and brand foods. They found that in most cases the generic brands were just as good as the brand name products. Many generic products are also nutritionally similar to the big brand names.

Packaged or prepared snack foods are usually more expensive than snacking on fruit or veg. Buying a muffin for morning tea could cost you $12 per kg, whilst a banana can be as little as $2 per kg.

Myth: Most of the salt that we consume is added at the table and in cooking.

Fact: In truth, only 10 to 15% of the salt in our diet comes from the salt that we add during cooking or at the table. 75% comes from processed foods. A slice of cheese contains around 600 mg of sodium, whilst a slice of ham has around 1,020 mg of sodium.

The average Australian consumes approximately 8 or 9 times more salt than our bodies need for good health. The Heart Foundation recommends that we should at least reduce our salt intake to no more than 6g of salt a day. This is equal to 1½ teaspoons of salt or 2,300 mg of sodium a day.

Facts on Food and Good Nutrition