True or False – Frozen fruits & veggies are usually as nutritious as fresh ones

Posted on November 14, 2012

True.

There is no question that consuming more fruits and vegetables in our diets results in a variety of positive health benefits. It is recommended that we consume between 8 and 10 servings a day, but in reality most adults consume between 2 and 4 servings. Freezing fruits and vegetables for resale started to occur on a large scale basis in the mid to late 1920’s, and articles written on the health aspect of these products started to appear in the early 1930’s. When many people think of “fresh” fruits and vegetables they think of what they see and buy in grocery stores. In reality, the produce sold in grocery stores may not be that fresh. Consider that produce must be picked (often before it is ripe), then sometimes stored for a day or two, transported (sometimes for thousands of miles) to a grocery store where it again might sit in storage for a day or longer.

Sometimes chemicals are added to produce to finish the ripening process, and then it is placed on the shelf for purchase, where again it might sit for a day or longer. This entire process can easily take 1 to 2 weeks and can lead to significant nutrient loss. In contrast, frozen fruits and vegetable are often picked at their peak of ripeness (the time when they are most nutrient packed) and frozen within hours, theoretically locking in many of those nutrients. One study which examined antioxidants in fresh and frozen vegetables was published in the Journal of Food Science (2008). The authors concluded “the assumption that frozen vegetables have a lower antioxidant potential than fresh ones is not a universal truth, but depends on the vegetable considered” and “frozen cooked vegetables often present a higher antioxidant activity than the corresponding fresh ones”.

Reference:
Danesi F & Bordoni A: Effect of home freezing and Italian style of cooking on antioxidant activity of edible vegetables. Journal of Food Science (2008), Vol 73, pps. H109-H112.

Categories: Myths

True or False – Breakfast should be your largest meal of the day

Posted on October 22, 2012

False.

This is another one of those myths that sounds logical when you think about it. Eat your largest meal in the morning and all those calories will be “burned” off as you go about your daily business. However, it is not true. Our bodies’ burn calories breaking down and absorbing the food we eat. This is called diet-induced energy expenditure and is responsible for about 10% of the calories we burn every day. This idea of having breakfast be your largest meal has been around for sometime and is still popular today, you’ve likely heard the saying eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper. Well, not everyone likes eating breakfast, especially a huge breakfast! This eating pattern is sometimes referred to as the reverse diet because for most people, dinner is their largest meal of the day. I could find no scientific evidence that showed the number of calories we use to digest and store food is any different for food eaten early in the morning, during the middle of the day, or late at night. Actually, Taylor & Garrow (2001) reported that neither the number of meals we eat during the day, nor a morning fast had an impact on energy expenditure. Research does show that skipping breakfast and consuming more calories later in the day is related to obesity. However, there is not a cause and effect relationship between these two variables. Skipping breakfast doesn’t “cause” you to become obese. Maybe those who skip breakfast overeat at other meals, or aren’t as active as individuals who consistently have breakfast. Keep in mind, weight loss or weight gain comes down to the simple equation of calories in vs. calories out.

Reference:
Taylor M & Garrow J: Compared with nibbling, neither gorging nor a morning fast affect short-term energy balance in obese patients in a chamber calorimeter. International Journal of Obesity (2001), Vol 25, pps. 519-528.