Is white rice a nutrition devil? Should we only shop the perimeter of the store? A registered dietitian says these and other healthy food myths are incorrect, and she’s here to set us straight.
Carolyn O’Neil, a registered dietitian and co-author of “The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous!” said diet fallacies are being spread all across the Internet in a an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article.
She started by calling advice such as “shop the perimeter of the grocery store to find the healthiest food products” simplistic, and noted beer and baked goods, which are not beacons of good health, are usually found in this area. Healthy foods like canned beans, rice and whole-grain cereals can be found on in the inner aisles of the grocery store, she said, adding shoppers should look to the nutrition label, not the floor plan, when choosing foods.
White rice and bread are often thought of as less healthy than the brown variety, but O'Neil stated products may look white, but contain ample fiber content. She added enriched white rice contains four times more folic acid than brown rice, and said white vegetables shouldn’t be overlooked either.
Next, she tackles “free-from” products saying manufactures who reduce fat or calories make up for the loss in taste by adding more sugar and salt.