MYTH 1: GREEN SMOOTHIES - Surely they're the health holy grail? There's no denying they're very instagrammable, have a cult celeb following and help boost your green intake, but blending fruit and veg does the job our mouths do in digestion. In truth, it's best to eat our fruit and veg instead. Interestingly, 78 percent of us still don't drink green smoothies and 5 per cent of us drink them as a hangover cure.
Vegan
MYTH 2: SPIRALIZING RAW FOOD - is more nutritious and can help you lose weight, correct? No doubt spiralizing is a great way to introduce more nutritious, raw veggies into our diets, but raw calories are still calories, portion control still counts. Interestingly, some veggies such as carrots, spinach and even tomatoes are more nutritious heated, it's easier for our bodies to benefit from their protective antioxidants. What's more when asked, over 42 per cent of us still don't know our spiralizers from our spirulina.
MYTH 3: CACAO VS CHOCOLATE - Cacao has superfood status, so it's healthy right? Although rich in antioxidants and known to help lower LDL 'bad' cholesterol levels, Cacao maybe closer to nature but it's still high in kilojoules. Whilst 46 per cent of Brits recognise Cacao as having superfood status over its naughtier neighbour chocolate, over 42 per cent still had no idea quite why it's better for us to eat.
MYTH 4: FRESH vs FROZEN - Eating fresh veg is better than frozen - is it? In fact, fresh isn't always best. Nutrient levels in frozen fruit and veg can be higher than in fresh, as it's often frozen within hours of harvesting the vitamins are preserved. Good reason for the almost 40 per cent of us that don't yet know that, to stock up on the freezer - guilt-free!
MYTH 5: PROTEIN POWER - Meat eating is better for us than plant based eating, right? Despite being dubbed this year's number one food trend, if we thought the merits of protein and 'plant-based eating' had permeated the national psyche, think again. When questioned, over 53 per cent of Brits believe it impossible to consume the recommended daily amount of protein on a vegetarian or vegan diet, with 60 per cent saying they had not cut down their meat intake in the last two years, assuming vegetarians to be less healthy than those who eat meat. Perhaps the basis for this assumption may be the fact that a third of Brits don't actually know where protein comes from. While 32 per cent could only identify chicken as a source of protein, discounting options like spinach, broccoli and hemp seeds, which actually have more protein gram for gram than chicken or steak.
On that topic, Tammy Fry, International Marketing Director of Fry's Family Foods, who produce a range of frozen vegetarian and vegan products, says: "It's surprisingly easy, varied and delicious for a vegan/vegetarian diet to meet the daily recommendations for protein, as long as calorie intake is adequate. One of the most interesting things about protein is that the body doesn't discriminate between animal and plant-based sources, so the likes of spinach, broccoli, soy, beans and legumes are just as good - if not better - for you than meat."
Furthermore, "With no medical or legal definition as to what counts as a superfood, it's unsurprising that we don't always understand their health benefits. It is important however, that we don't just follow the latest food trends but actually take the time to understand how and why the likes of kale and quinoa are valuable to our health so that they become an integral part of our diet in the future."
Unknown by 38 per cent of Brits, frozen foods can be known to have an arguably higher calibre source of protein and superior in nutritional value to fresh produce, making options like Fry's Family Foods not only time and money saving, but can also help pack more nutrients into your diet.
Formed in 1992, Fry's Family Foods' range of vegan and vegetarian products includes, burgers and sausages, Nature's Plant Proteins, pies and pasties. For more information visit: http://www.frysvegetarian.co.uk/
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