Busting food and dieting myths

Myths about nutrition seem to linger for years, just like urban legends.

Remember the one about grapefruit burning fat? What about coffee stunting your growth?

No doubt, you've fallen for a few weight-loss myths too. It's easy to do with the continual crop of fad diets promising a quick fix. For National Nutrition Month, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) is encouraging us to be "100 percent Fad Free," the association's theme for this year. That means focusing on your overall health and not the latest diet craze. It also means seeking the truth about food rather than falling for popular myths that may lead you astray.

In honor of this year's theme, we've put together a quiz to help you separate food fact from fiction. See if you can spot the nutrition myths.

Myth or fact?

1. Skipping breakfast helps you lose weight.

Myth. Studies show that breakfast skippers actually compensate for those missed calories by eating more throughout the day.

More information

American Dietetic Association (eatright.org): Provides information about food and nutrition; how to

find a registered dietitian.

American Heart Association (americanheart.org): Offers advice

on heart health, nutrition and

exercise.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (www.mypyramid.gov): Helps you create your own personalized

approach to healthful eating and

exercise.

And you have to eat the right food: If you grab only a doughnut, you may be ravenous before lunch because of a rapid rise and fall in blood sugar, dietitian Elisa Zied, of New York City, said. She suggested a morning meal that contained fiber and protein.

People who regularly eat breakfast tend to have better luck losing weight and keeping it off.

2. Low-fat always means low calories.

Myth. If you see the word "low" on the label, that's your clue to look a little further, suggested dietitian Susan Moores, of Minneapolis. Check for serving size and the number of calories on the Nutrition Facts label. Low-fat foods often contain the same amount or even more calories than regular versions.

That's particularly true for fat-free foods. If fat is taken out, something else is put back in — and that's often sugar. Some studies suggest that snacks with low-fat labels simply entice you to indulge, so you end up eating more calories than if you selected the regular version.

3. You can still eat shrimp and other shellfish on a cholesterol-lowering diet.

Fact. Shrimp may be high in dietary cholesterol but it's low in saturated fat, which is a bigger blood cholesterol-raising culprit. Studies now suggest that saturated and trans fats tend to have a greater effect on our blood cholesterol than the cholesterol we eat, according to dietitian David Grotto, a Chicago-based ADA spokesman.

Experts still advise us to keep a lid on dietary cholesterol to keep our hearts healthy (300 milligrams a day), but we should be even more vigilant about saturated and trans fat. So as long as it's not battered and fried, there may be no need to say sayonara to shrimp.

4. Multigrain foods are always made with whole grains.

Myth. The only way to know for sure is to see if "whole" is in front of every grain in the ingredient list, Moores advised. "Multigrain" only means the product was made with several grains.

You can't assume that whole grains were used. The same is true for "7-grain" or "cracked wheat." Even breads and cereals that say "made with whole grains" may contain few whole grains. Look for products labeled "100 percent whole grain."

5. Olive oil has fewer calories than other fats.

Myth. Somehow, with all the buzz about the heart-health benefits of olive oil, people forget that it's still a fat, said dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix, of New York.

All oils are 100 percent fat and supply basically the same number of calories — about 120 calories per tablespoon. "Light" olive oil has nothing to do with the amount of calories: That simply refers to the flavor.

So even though olive oil contains the "good" monounsaturated fats, be mindful of how much you douse or drizzle.

6. Foods boasting "0 trans fat" contain "good" fats.

Myth. Sometimes the substitution was a saturated fat, which signals no significant improvement.

Turn the product over and check the Nutrition Facts label. Front-of-the-package claims are marketing facts, back-of-the-package claims contain nutrition facts, explained dietitian and ADA president-elect Connie Diekman.

Don't assume that "trans-fat free" is a healthful choice, she said. When a product says "0 g trans fat," by law it can contain up to half a gram per serving. So if you eat a jumbo portion, you may be getting more trans than you bargained for.

7. Organic food is always more nutritious.

Myth. Few studies have compared organic and conventionally grown foods, according to food toxicologist Carl Winter, director of the FoodSafe program at the University of California, Davis.

Some evidence suggests that organic produce may be higher in certain antioxidants, but there appears to be no nutritional advantage to organic milk and meat, he said.

The descriptor refers to the practices on the farm and not the nutritional content of the final product. When it comes to the snack aisle, don't assume that "organic" gives you the green light to load up. An organic cheese puff is still a cheese puff.