Food myths - fact or fiction?

Don't you sometimes wonder if some of the food myths you hear about in the kitchen are really true? Microwaves emitting radioactive waves into your food; preservatives killing you softly….you know, lots of chatter about food that gets your brain wondering? Here are some food myths that we'd like to BUST Myth: Wash raw meat before you cook with it

Often we're led to believe that it's better to wash off bacteria from raw meat before we cook it. Truth:

The truth is that when you cook meat correctly, all bacteria will die, so there's really no need to wash raw meat before cooking.

Also, you may well be spreading bacteria into your sink when you do wash raw meat, so just to be on the safe side, don't bother.

Myth: Preservatives are bad for you Truth:

Well, preservatives in vast quantities are most certainly bad for you. However you must remember that preservatives have been used for many, many years to keep food available for longer and to prevent bacteria from growing.

Natural preservatives are going to be a better choice for you however food companies that manufacture food products that need to have a decent shelf life have very clear guidelines about what is safe or unsafe to do to food in order to preserve it.

If you're looking for healthy ways to preserve your own foods, check out this useful list here. Myth: Frozen foods are unhealthy Truth:

Not at all. Fresh fruits and veggies are most nutritious at the time that they are picked.

However, on their way to the store (shipping/transport) they lose many of their nutrients. By the time they are sold as fresh produce, they may contain fewer nutrients than fresh goods that are frozen straight after picking. It's a fact. In fact frozen foods don't need any preservatives to keep them safe from harmful bacteria as bacteria are unable to grow at sub-zero temperatures.

Also, you don't need to be scared of ‘freezer burn' as this is simply the result of air hitting the frozen food which allows the ice to modify in colour. (Of course if your food wasn't packed properly at the time of freezing, you may want to double check before you defrost to eat) Myth: Eggs are bad for your heart

Remember being terrified by stories of cholesterol from eating the occasional egg? Heart attack stuff, right? Truth:

Wrong! The yolks of eggs do contain a fairly high amount of cholesterol which your body regulates (by producing less cholesterol naturally).

The real Cholesterol problem comes from saturated fats and Trans fats of which eggs contain 2% saturated fats and ZERO Trans fats. Ideally, you shouldn't have more than one egg a day if you're healthy, or two eggs per week if you have a little extra cholesterol.

Bottom line, eggs are not the problem, the fat in foods often determines how healthy foods are. Myth: Microwaving your food is a bad idea

microwave food myths Truth:

Microwaves used to cook your meals are not nuclear power plants with vast amounts of radioactivity just waiting to zap your food. Microwaves do however contain extremely weak radiation but they are deemed safe for consumers to use. The heat generated from the cooking process is what cooks the food and not the microwave itself. If you use the correct containers when microwaving your food, it simply cooks your food, it doesn't ‘nuclear destroy' it.

In fact, add some water to your dish of fresh veggies, cover loosely and let the heat from the cooking process steam your veggies to perfection. Steaming is one of the healthiest cooking methods on the planet, so stop panicking if you use your microwave.

The jury is out on this one as many people disagree. It's going to come down to personal choice, but we say it's all good.

These are some of our busted food myths - drop us a line if you have a few you would like to share with our readers.