The 15 Worst Health & Diet Myths

“I don’t know what to order,” my friend told me over lunch recently. We were sitting in a great new Italian restaurant near my office.

“I know,” I replied, scanning the menu. “Everything looks terrific!”

“Yeah, but everything is bad for you!” she exclaimed, practically in tears. “I’m passing on the veal—red meat causes cancer. And the eggplant parmesan—cheese has fat, which gives you high cholesterol. And the bread plate—carbs give you diabetes. I can’t eat anything! And I’m really hungry!”
With those kinds of fears, it’s a wonder my “health-conscious” friend didn’t die of starvation: no protein, and no fat, and no carbs? What’s left? Fortunately, as author of Eat This, Not That!, I was able to calm her lunch plate panic, and explain that most of what we consider “bad for you” foods aren’t bad for you at all—they’re just innocent victims of well-intentioned misinformation. A well-balanced diet, combined with some smart choices, is all you need to lose pounds and keep most of our greatest health worries at bay. But many food and nutrition “myths” persist, confusing our food choices and making weight-loss harder and eating less enjoyable. So relax, and start enjoying food again: Here are 15 food fallacies you can forget for good.

Myth #1: Too much protein hurts your kidneys
Reality: Protein helps burn fat, build muscle, and won’t harm your kidneys at all
Way back in 1983, researchers discovered that eating more protein increases the amount of blood your kidneys filter per minute. Many scientists immediately made the leap that a high-protein diet places your kidneys under greater stress. They were proven wrong. Over the past two decades, several studies have found that while protein-rich meals do increase blood flow to the kidneys, this doesn't have an adverse effect on overall kidney function.

Put the Truth to Work for You: Eat your target body weight in grams of protein daily. For example, if you're a chubby 180-pound woman and want to be a lean 160, have 160 grams of protein a day. If you're a 160-pound guy hoping to pack on 20 pounds of muscle, aim for 180 grams each day.
Bonus Tip: Lose weight fast. Build muscle. Get out of debt. Whatever your resolution for 2011, here's your plan.

Myth #2: Sweet potatoes are healthier than white potatoes
Reality: They’re both healthy!
Sweet potatoes have more fiber and vitamin A, but white potatoes are higher in essential minerals such as iron, magnesium, and potassium. As for the glycemic index, sweet potatoes are lower on the scale, but baked white potatoes typically aren't eaten without cheese, sour cream, or butter—all toppings that contain fat, which lowers the glycemic index of a meal.
Put the Truth to Work for You: The form in which you consume a potato—for instance, a whole baked potato versus a processed potato that's used to make chips—is more important than the type of spud.
Myth #3: Red meat causes cancer
Reality: Research says enjoy the steak!

In a 1986 study, Japanese researchers discovered cancer developing in rats that were fed "heterocyclic amines," compounds that are generated from overcooking meat under high heat. Since then, some studies of large populations have suggested a potential link between meat and cancer. Yet no study has ever found a direct cause-and-effect relationship between red-meat consumption and cancer. The population studies are far from conclusive. They relied on broad surveys of people's eating habits and health afflictions—numbers that illuminate trends, not causes.

Put the Truth to Work for You: Don't stop grilling. Meat lovers who are worried about the supposed risks of grilled meat don't need to avoid burgers and steak—just trim off the burned or overcooked sections of the meat before eating.

Myth #4: High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is more fattening than regular sugar
Reality: They’re equally fattening. Beware!

Recent research has show that fructose may cause an increase in weight by interfering with leptin, the hormone that tells us when we’re full. But both HFCS and sucrose—better known as table sugar—contain similar amounts of fructose. There's no evidence to show any differences in these two types of sugar. Both will cause weight gain when consumed in excess. The only particular evil regarding HFCS is that it’s cheaper, and commonly shows up everywhere from bread to ketchup to soda.

Put the Truth to Work for You: HFCS and regular sugar are empty-calorie carbohydrates that should be consumed in limited amounts. How? By keeping soft drinks, sweetened fruit juices, and prepackaged desserts to a minimum.
Myth #5: Too much salt causes high blood pressure
Reality: Perhaps, but too little potassium causes high blood pressure too

Large-scale scientific reviews have determined there's no reason for people with normal blood pressure to restrict their sodium intake. Now, if you already have high blood pressure, you may be "salt sensitive." As a result, reducing the amount of salt you eat could be helpful. However, people with high blood pressure who don't want to lower their salt intake can simply consume more potassium-containing foods—it's really the balance of the two minerals that matters. In fact, Dutch researchers determined that a low potassium intake has the same impact on your blood pressure as high salt consumption does. And it turns out, the average person consumes 3,100 milligrams (mg) of potassium a day—1,600 mg less than recommended.

Put the Truth to Work for You: Strive for a potassium-rich diet—which you can achieve by eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and legumes—and your salt intake won't matter as much. For instance, spinach, broccoli, bananas, white potatoes, and most types of beans each contain more than 400 mg potassium per serving.

Myth #6: Chocolate bars are empty calories
Reality: Dark chocolate is a health food

Cocoa is rich in flavonoids—the same heart-healthy compounds found in red wine and green tea. Its most potent form is dark chocolate. In a recent study, Greek researchers found that consuming dark chocolate containing 100 milligrams (mg) of flavonoids relaxes your blood vessels, improving bloodflow to your heart. And remember: Milk chocolate isn't as rich in flavonoids as dark, so develop a taste for the latter.

Put the Truth to Work for You: Now that you know which "bad" foods aren't actually so awful, you need to know which deceptively dangerous diet-destroying foods to avoid. Check out our must-see slideshow of 25 "Healthy" Foods that Aren’t.
Myth #7: Gas station snacks are nutritional nightmares
Reality: Even at filling stations, you’ll find food that isn’t filling

Beef jerky is high in protein and doesn't raise your level of insulin—a hormone that signals your body to store fat. That makes it an ideal between-meals snack, especially when you're trying to lose weight. And while some beef-jerky brands are packed with high-sodium ingredients such as MSG and sodium nitrate, chemical-free products are available.

Put the Truth to Work for You: Sometimes, the service station is a healthier rest stop than a fast food joint. Heck, even pork rinds are better than you’d think: A 1-ounce serving contains zero carbohydrates, 17 grams (g) of protein, and 9 g fat. That's nine times the protein and less fat than you'll find in a serving of carb-packed potato chips.

Myth #8: Restaurants comply with nutrition disclosure regulations
Reality: Most restaurants would rather load you up with additional cheap calories

Even though many restaurants offer healthy alternatives, you could still be at the whim of the kitchen's cook. A recent E.W. Scripps lab investigation found that "responsible" menu items at chains ranging from Chili's to Taco Bell may have up to twice the calories and eight times the fat published in the restaurants' nutritional information.
Put the Truth to Work for You: Restaurants run from us, but they can't hide. Discover their secrets every day by signing up for our free Eat This, Not That! newsletter or by following me right here on Twitter, and you'll make 2011 the year of your flatter, toner belly!

Myth #9: Sports drinks are ideal after-workout refreshment
Reality: You need more than that to keep your muscles growing

Carb-loaded drinks like Vitaminwater and Gatorade are a great way to rehydrate and reenergize; they help replenish glycogen, your body's stored energy. But they don't always supply the amino acids needed for muscle repair. To maximize post-workout recovery, a protein-carb combination—which those drinks may not offer—can help.
Put the Truth to Work for You: After you suck down that sports drink, eat a bowl of 100 percent whole-grain cereal with nonfat milk, suggests a 2009 study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. A glass of low-fat chocolate milk is a good choice as well.

Myth #10: You need 38 grams of fiber a day
Reality: More fiber is better, but 38 is nearly impossible

That's the recommendation from the Institute of Medicine. And it's a lot, equaling nine apples or more than a half dozen bowls of instant oatmeal. (Most people eat about 15 grams of fiber daily.) The studies found a correlation between high fiber intake and lower incidence of heart disease. But none of the high-fiber-eating groups in those studies averaged as high as 38 grams, and, in fact, people saw maximum benefits with a daily gram intake averaging from the high 20s to the low 30s.

Put the Truth to Work for You: Just eat sensibilty. Favor whole, unprocessed foods. Make sure the carbs you eat are fiber-rich—that means produce, legumes, and whole grains—because they'll help slow the aborption of sugar into your bloodstream.
Myth #11: Saturated fat will clog your heart
Reality: Fat has gotten a bum rap

Most people consider turkey, chicken, and fish healthy, yet think they should avoid red meat—or only choose very lean cuts—since they've always been told that it's high in saturated fat. But a closer look at beef reveals the truth: Almost half of its fat is a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid—the same heart-healthy fat that's found in olive oil. Second, most of the saturated fat in beef actually decreases your heart-disease risk—either by lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, or by reducing your ratio of total cholesterol to HDL (good) cholesterol.

Put the Truth to Work for You: We're not giving you permission to gorge on butter, bacon, and cheese. No, our point is this: Don't freak out about saturated fat. There's no scientific reason that natural foods containing saturated fat can't, or shouldn't, be part of a healthy diet.

Myth #12: Reduced-fat foods are healthier alternatives
Reality: Less fat often means more sugar

Peanut butter is a representative example for busting this myth. A tub of reduced-fat peanut butter indeed comes with a fraction less fat than the full-fat variety—they’re not lying about that. But what the food companies don’t tell you is that they’ve replaced that healthy fat with maltodextrin, a carbohydrate used as a filler in many processed foods. This means you’re trading the healthy fat from peanuts for empty carbs, double the sugar, and a savings of a meager 10 calories.

Put the Truth to Work for You: When you're shopping, don't just read the nutritional data. Look at the ingredients list as well. Here's a guideline that never fails: The fewer ingredients, the healthier the food.

Myth #13: Diet soda is better for you
Reality: It may lead to even greater weight gain

Just because diet soda is low in calories doesn’t mean it can’t lead to weight gain. It may have only 5 or fewer calories per serving, but emerging research suggests that consuming sugary-tasting beverages—even if they’re artificially sweetened—may lead to a high preference for sweetness overall. That means sweeter (and more caloric) cereal, bread, dessert—everything. In fact, new research found that people who drink diet soda on a daily basis have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Put the Truth to Work for You: These days, the world of food is full of nasty surprises like this one, and knowledge is power. Check out Eat This, Not That! 2011 and Cook This, Not That! for the best food, nutrition and health secrets, and avoid shocking waistline expanders with our slideshow of 20 Salads Worse Than a Whopper.
Myth #14: Skipping meals helps you lose weight
Reality: Skipping meals, especially breakfast, can make you fat

Not eating can mess with your body's ability to control your appetite. And it also destroys willpower, which is just as damaging. If you skip breakfast or a healthy snack, your brain doesn't have the energy to say no to the inevitable chowfest. The consequences can be heavy: In a 2005 study, breakfast eaters were 30 percent less likely to be overweight or obese.

Put the Truth to Work for You: The perfect breakfast? Eggs, bacon, and toast. It's a nice balance of all the nutritional building blocks—protein, fiber, carbs—that will jumpstart your day. The worst? Waffles or pancakes with syrup. All those carbs and sugars are likely to put you into a food coma by 10 a.m.
Myth #15: You should eat three times a day
Reality: Three meals and two or three snacks is ideal

Most diet plans portray snacking as a failure. But by snacking on the right foods at strategic times, you'll keep your energy levels stoked all day. Spreading six smaller meals across your day operates on the simple principle of satisfaction: Frequent meals tame the slavering beast of hunger.
Put the Truth to Work for You: Make sure each mini meal blends protein and fiber-rich complex carbohydrates, which will sustain the feeling of fullness. Check out our super-handy list of the best snacks for weight loss.
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15 Health Food Imposters

If you're reading this (and the evidence is pretty good that you are), you're probably interested in buying the healthiest foods. Just like us, you may even reach automatically for items with a "health halo," such as spaghetti sauce (love that lycopene!), or labels like reduced fat!, low sodium!, and whole grain! But unless you're a supersavvy shopper, be warned: Your diet may conceal some nasty surprises. That low-fat cottage cheese you love? It could be higher in sodium than potato chips. And the low-fat dressing you drizzle on your salad? It could contain nearly as much sugar as two chocolate chip cookies. The truth is that no manufacturer wants to compromise on flavor, so even healthy-sounding products can contain appalling levels of sugar, salt, and bad fats. To save you time, we've flushed out some of the most surprising offenders—and found some truly healthy alternatives.

DISASTER: SNEAKY SALT

Even foods that sound healthy can be loaded with salt—and that can spell trouble. Most Americans already consume double the recommended amount of sodium—currently set at 1,500 mg, or about 2/3 teaspoon of table salt. (The limit was just lowered by the National Academy of Sciences and the American Heart Association from 2,300 mg a day.) If you're in the high-intake group, that could significantly escalate your blood pressure and increase your risk of strokes and heart attacks (even if your blood pressure is normal), says Elisa Zied, RD, author of Nutrition at Your Fingertips.

CULPRIT: McDonald's Premium Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken contains 890 mg of sodium—more than half the recommended daily limit. And that's without the Caesar dressing, which can pile on another 500 mg. (Select the low-fat Italian and it's even 30% higher!) In these ready-to-go salads, says Lona Sandon, RD, an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, "the worst part is usually the chicken, which is often cooked in a high-sodium marinade for flavor and may also be injected with a sodium solution to keep the meat moist." smarter choice: Skip the entree salad and go for the burger with a garden salad on the side. A McDonald's plain hamburger has 520 mg of sodium (250 calories, 9 g fat); add the side salad (20 calories, 0 g fat, 10 mg sodium) or snack-size fruit-and-walnut salad (210 calories, 8 g fat, 60 mg sodium).
CULPRIT: Bertolli Roasted Chicken and Linguine packs a whopping 1,350 mg of sodium in a serving. And if you eat both servings in the 24-ounce package (it's not a stretch), you'll consume almost double your daily sodium in one sitting. Like other manufacturers, Bertolli uses the preservative sodium phosphate—in addition to table salt to flavor this frozen entree.
Smarter choice: Amy's Kitchen Light in Sodium Black Bean Enchilada has just 190 mg of sodium per serving.

Our editors picks: See the 49 best prepared foods for your health.

CULPRIT: Near East Spanish Rice Pilaf contains 910 mg of sodium in its 2.5-ounce serving (240 calories, 0.5 g fat)—nearly two-thirds of the recommended daily dose (and more if you add butter as suggested). That's high, even by the standards of these supersimple dishes, which generally contain about 500 to 800 mg of sodium.
Smarter choice: Near East Original Plain Whole Grain Wheat Couscous contains no salt; simply season with your own spice blend. Bonus: Many herbs and spices like cilantro and turmeric are packed with disease-fighting phytonutrients.

CULPRIT: Breakstone's Fat-Free Cottage Cheese has 400 mg of sodium per 4-ounce serving (70 calories). That's like eating 2 ¼ 1-ounce bags of Lay's potato chips. In order to give cottage cheese its curds-and-whey consistency, manufacturers must add salt during production. This salt, plus the natural salt contained in the milk used to make the cheese, gives this typical health fixture a surprisingly high sodium level.
Smarter choice: Equally creamy and still diet friendly, Sorrento Low-Fat Ricotta (140 mg sodium and 100 calories per 4 ounces) is worth trying.

DISASTER: SNEAKY SUGAR

You know that treats such as soda, ice cream, and cookies are loaded with the sweet stuff. But various forms of sugar—especially high fructose corn syrup—sneak into a wide array of savory items, too, where you would hardly expect to find them. "When you remove fat, you also remove moisture, so manufacturers add sugar to help retain moisture and flavor," notes Sandon. Besides the obvious danger to your teeth and your waistline, excess sugar ups your risk of heart disease. Remember: Your recommended limit is 25 g of added sugar a day (about 6 teaspoons, or 100 calories).

Why is sugar so addictive? Natural ways to cut your cravings.

CULPRIT: Prego Traditional Italian Sauce sounds so healthy. (How could "traditional" marinara be anything other than wholesome?) But its third ingredient is sugar, which is added to balance out the acidity. Combined with the natural sugars in the tomatoes, that makes for a total of 10 g.
Smarter choice: Muir Glen Organic Garlic Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce has only 4 g of sugar. For an option that's also low-salt, try Amy's Organic Low Sodium Marinara Sauce (5 g sugar and just 100 mg sodium).

CULPRIT: At 33 g per 8-ounce glass, Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail has as much sugar as a can of soda. (The word cocktail is a red flag.)
Smarter choice: For a refreshing (and guilt-free!) alternative, try flavored seltzer, such as Vintage Raspberry Seltzer (0 g added sugar).

CULPRIT: Haagen-Dazs Low-Fat Vanilla Frozen Yogurt has 21 g of sugar in a half-cup serving—nearly double the amount in real ice cream such as Edy's Grand French Vanilla (11 g) and close to your limit for the entire day.
Smarter choice: Edy's Whole Fruit No Sugar Added Fruit Bars will satisfy your sweet tooth with just 2 g of sugar and only 30 calories per serving (0 g fat).

Slim your middle with these lower calorie ice cream treats.

CULPRIT: Maple Grove Farms Fat Free Honey Dijon Salad Dressing has 8 g of sugar in 2 tablespoons. That's like tossing 10 jelly beans into your salad.
Smarter choice: Newman's Own Lighten Up Balsamic Vinaigrette has just 1 g of sugar (and 4 g fat). Wish-Bone Light Italian has 2 g of sugar (2.5 g fat).

DISASTER: SNEAKY FAT

If low-fat foods add sugar to make up for missing flavor, then full-fat varieties must be healthy and satisfying, right? Not when you look over labels with an expert eye. One pitfall is heart-stopping saturated and trans fats, which increase blood sugar levels, blunt insulin resistance, and decrease your ratio of good to bad cholesterol. Then there's the serving size, which can trick you into thinking you're getting a dollop of fat—when you are actually getting most of a day's serving. Overall, try to keep fats to 35% of caloric intake. (In a 1,600-calorie diet, that's 62 g.)

CULPRIT: Calbee Snack Salad Snapea Crisps may be vegetable-based—and baked—but they still have 8 g of fat per 1-ounce serving. That's almost as much as a small bag of Lay's potato chips.
Smarter choice: For a chiplike feel with a protein bonus, try Glenny's Lightly Salted Soy Crisps, which have just 1 g of fat per serving (5 g protein and only 170 mg sodium). If you're looking for vegetables, try Just Tomatoes, Etc.! Just Veggies, a mix of freeze-dried carrots, corn, peas, peppers, and tomatoes that has 1 g of fat (4 g protein and just 40 mg sodium).

CULPRIT: Fage Total Plain Classic Greek Yogurt has 23 g of fat (18 g saturated) and 300 calories in 1 cup. That's not to say there aren't good reasons to buy this ultrathick and creamy yogurt. It's a great source of calcium (you'll get 25% of your daily value in a 1-cup serving) and protein (15 g), plus it has those good-for-your-gut live active cultures. But the whole-milk variety has 5 times the fat content of the 2% fat version and twice the calories (300, versus 150 in the 2% product).
Smarter choice: Fage Total 0% Plain Greek Yogurt is made with fat-free milk so it still provides all the calcium and cultures, and it even has a power-packed 20 g of protein, all with no fat and just 120 calories.

How a Mediterranean diet can change your waistline and your life.

CULPRIT: When you survey the king-size choices at the concession stand, movie popcorn doesn't look so bad. But think again: According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Regal (the country's biggest movie theater chain) serves a medium-size popcorn with 60 g of saturated fat (and 1,200 calories)—as much as five Burger King Whoppers. The problem: It's popped in artery-clogging oils, then topped with even more offending fats in the buttery topping. "They don't call them tubs for nothing," says CSPI senior nutritionist Jayne Hurley, RD.
Smarter choice: BYO. Newman's Own 94% Fat Free Microwave Popcorn has just 1.5 g of fat per serving, none of it saturated or trans fat. (Just don't get caught.)

CULPRIT: Aidells Smoked Chicken and Apple sausage has 11 g of fat (3.5 g saturated) and 160 calories per link (and really, who eats just one link?). Many brands of poultry sausage have only slightly less fat than typical sweet Italian sausage (12 g) because they're often stuffed with some of the fattiest parts of the chicken, including the skin and dark meat.
Smarter choice: Low-fat grilled chicken breast has only 3 g of fat (and 140 calories) in 3 ounces.

CULPRIT: Amy's Indian Paneer Tikka has 19 g of fat (and 320 calories) in a 9 ½-ounce serving. You'd think going meatless would be a healthy choice, but you can blame the cheese (made with whole milk), as well as the oil the dish is cooked in.
Smarter choice: You don't need to swear off Indian completely. Amy's Indian Mattar Tofu provides protein (12 g) and also delivers fiber (5 g) with just 8 g of fat.