There are few issues I really like greater than a meals fable. Extra particularly, busting a meals fable. In at this time’s put up, I need to bust a couple of myths for you, together with a couple of which have numerous dogma behind them. I’m additionally together with hyperlinks to a few of my previous article for The Seattle Instances or The Washington Submit on these subjects (doable paywalls…sorry). Take pleasure in!
Fantasy 1: You must by no means refrigerate tomatoes
That’s true a number of the time, however not all the time. It relies on the place your tomatoes got here from — the backyard, the farmer’s market, or the grocery retailer.
In case your tomatoes got here out of your yard — or from a farmers market the place you belief they haven’t been refrigerated—retailer them at room temperature in the event that they nonetheless have to ripen, however retailer ripe tomatoes within the fridge and eat inside three days for very best quality, letting them come to room temperature first. The standard of ripe tomatoes will deteriorate extra at room temperature than when saved briefly within the fridge.
In case your tomatoes come from anyplace else (i.e., a grocery retailer), assume they’ve already been refrigerated. Retailer them within the fridge till you’re prepared to make use of them.
If you wish to geek out extra on these tomato factoids, I totally credit score J. Kenji Lopez-Alt (writer of the superb and geek-worthy cookbook “The Meals Lab) and his Serious Eats column on the topic.
Fantasy 2: You must keep away from white meals
Really, numerous white meals are filled with diet, and will even be referred to as superfoods! These embody cauliflower, garlic and white button mushrooms, to not point out bananas, pears, white peaches and nectarines, jicama, parsnips, ginger and even the standard potato.
- Cauliflower. A member of the super-healthy, phytonutrient packed cruciferous household, together with broccoli and kale, which get all of the credit score. A few of their phytonutrients have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Attempt it roasted.
- Garlic. Similar to the cruciferous household, the allium household, which incorporates garlic, onions, leeks, shallots and scallions rightfully deserve superfood standing. The phytonutrients in garlic could assist defend us towards coronary heart illness, continual irritation and will even sluggish the event of a number of forms of most cancers. Whenever you chop or mince garlic, let it sit for 10 minutes earlier than including it to what you’re cooking to spice up the manufacturing of useful compounds.
- White mushrooms. Mushrooms embody a sort of fiber that will assist preserve your blood sugar and levels of cholesterol wholesome, in addition to antioxidants. In addition they provide that savory umami style that makes meals extra scrumptious, they usually may even act as a stand-in for meat in some recipes.
I wrote an article for the Washington Post that provides heaps extra data on these superfoods.
Fantasy 3: You shouldn’t prepare dinner with further virgin olive oil
The actual fact is that high quality EVOO is secure — and scrumptious — to prepare dinner with at any temperature usually used within the residence kitchen. You possibly can even bake with it! It’s true that EVOO has a decrease “smoke level” (the purpose when an oil begins to smoke and break down and produce unhealthful free radicals) than refined oils like canola oil, vegetable oils and light-weight olive oil, its smoke level is excessive sufficient to be a healthful selection for nearly all forms of cooking we do at residence. Mediterranean nations, particularly Greece, prepare dinner all the pieces in extra-virgin olive oil.
Smoke level relies upon partly on the standard, age and situation of the oil. Good-quality EVOO is secure in a variety of 350-410 levels, partly as a result of it’s wealthy in antioxidants, which defend the oil from turning into broken when heated. Poor high quality oil, or oil that has gone rancid, may have a decrease smoke level.
I debunked this fable (and a handful of different olive oil myths) in The Seattle Times.
Fantasy 4: Coconut oil and butter are good for you
No, butter’s not again, and coconut oil doesn’t deserve its well being halo. These saturated fat are nice moderately from a culinary perspective, however they don’t do something in your well being. There’ve been numerous headlines saying that saturated fats’s not “as unhealthy for you” as was as soon as thought, or that coconut oil is wholesome as a result of it “behaves” in a different way than different saturated fat once we eat it.
The actual fact is that saturated fats does nonetheless increase ldl cholesterol and there’s no analysis to again up the claims made in favor of coconut oil. Mainly, the Emperor has no garments. From a culinary perspective, I believe each coconut oil and butter have their place within the kitchen, however simply don’t take into account them well being meals. You’re a lot better off utilizing olive oil.
For extra, see my Seattle Times column on butter, and my column on coconut oil.
Fantasy 5: Fruit has an excessive amount of sugar OR fruit is a “free” meals
Fruit accommodates pure sugar, however that’s not the identical factor because the added sugar that, sure, we should always keep away from going overboard on. However, fruit is mostly greater in carbs and energy than greens, so although we should always “eat our fruits and veggies,” veggies win.
Most of us have a candy tooth, as a result of that was our first style to develop as infants. Fruit is fabulous, and it nature’s good wholesome candy. Nutrient-wise, fruit is much like greens, filled with nutritional vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fiber and water. However…it has extra carbs. So in case you’re extra energetic, you would possibly profit from extra fruit. Much less energetic, much less fruit.
You will discover rather more data in an article I wrote for The Seattle Times.
Bonus meals fable: Soy meals are unhealthy (and trigger most cancers)
The actual fact is that conventional soy meals are a superb supply of plant-based protein, and have been discovered “not responsible” of the well being crimes they’ve been charged with. The jury’s nonetheless out on the extremely processed soy present in protein powders and power bars. What individuals are typically frightened about are phytoestrogens. One kind of phytonutrients in soy, isoflavones, can also be a phytoestrogen — a plant compound that weakly mimics the impact of the hormone estrogen. This as soon as raised considerations that consuming soy would possibly enhance breast most cancers danger.
The American Most cancers Society says the proof signifies that soy meals are secure and probably useful. When eaten often, isoflavones have been linked to decrease danger of breast and prostate most cancers, in addition to coronary heart illness, kind 2 diabetes and osteoporosis. Nevertheless, it’s greatest to keep away from excessive doses of isoflavones in complement type, and the jury’s out on the soy protein isolate discovered in lots of power bars and soy “meats.” Learn more in my Seattle Times article on plant proteins.
As an additional, further bonus, listed here are hyperlinks to articles I’ve written on two very myth-worthy subjects, gluten and low-carb diets:
Carrie Dennett is a Pacific Northwest-based registered dietitian nutritionist, freelance author, intuitive consuming counselor, writer, and speaker. Her superpowers embody busting diet myths and empowering girls to really feel higher of their our bodies and make meals decisions that assist pleasure, diet and well being.
