You may not realise it, but healthy cooking myths are everywhere. If you’re getting ready to cook a meal, you want it to check all the boxes: tasty, easy to prepare, and nutritious enough to give your body what it needs. Sounds simple, right? But that last one can actually be pretty fraught — which can make you start second-guessing what you’re putting on the table.
For one, the term “healthy” is often oversimplified; it can actually mean different things to different people. What one person needs could be completely different from another, depending on things like genetics, any conditions they may have, how active they are, their cultural background, or even how much stress they’re under. Add on the fact that the nutrition world is swirling with half-truths and misconceptions, and it’s no wonder that lots of us struggle to even know where to begin with cooking nutritious food.
While there are a few overall principles that generally won’t lead you astray — like making sure you’re getting enough protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats to feel satisfied and energised — some of the other advice out there is best handled with caution. We asked nutrition experts to spill on what they consider to be the biggest “healthy cooking” myths out there and what to know instead. Consider this your trustworthy guide for whenever you’re stumped.
Is it really worth it?
1. Cooking with fat is a no-go
In the good old ’80s and ’90s, the low-fat trend was at its peak: The macronutrient was systemically vilified for causing a myriad of health issues, most notably heart disease, Wendy Lopez, MS, RD, cofounder of Diabetes Digital, a virtual nutrition counselling platform for people with diabetes and prediabetes, tells us. As a result, lots of folks felt they needed to rely on steaming or boiling instead of sautéing or other oil-based cooking methods.
But as we’ve learned since, the research linking specific kinds of fats, even the saturated kind, to heart issues was weak — and skimping on the macronutrient in general can be a problem. “We need fats for the body’s proper functioning. It serves as a concentrated source of energy and plays a key role in nutrient absorption,” Lopez explains. In fact, many vitamins and minerals — like A, D, E, and K — are fat soluble, which means they need to be eaten with fat to dissolve and absorb fully into your body, she adds. In short, if you’re making a stir-fry, you won’t get the full nutritional benefits from the broccoli, carrots, or peppers unless you eat them with a fat source. What’s more, fats like oils, butter, nut butters, and avocado add flavour and smoothness to your meals, which can elevate them from meh to excellent.
"By silencing these conversations, we are perpetuating the stigma that surrounds gynaecological health.”
2. Seasoning with salt is bad for your heart
Salt is another ingredient that gets a bad rap but is actually essential, Lopez says. Along with adding flavour to your food, it’s crucial for bodily functions like maintaining your nervous system and regulating overall hydration. But because folks with health conditions like high blood pressure are often advised to take in as little as possible, the gen pop tends to think they need to avoid it completely.
Most adults, though, can safely eat between 1,500 and 2,300 milligrams per day, according to the American Heart Association. That equates to roughly one teaspoon of salt. While that might not seem like a lot, it’s rare that you’re getting more than a pinch or two of the stuff in most dishes. A recipe may call for a full teaspoon, but that’ll be divided among multiple servings. (Remember: The sodium content varies depending on the type of salt too. Finer table salt contains 2,300 mg per teaspoon compared to just 1,920 mg per teaspoon of coarse kosher salt.)
That said, you still shouldn’t go overboard on sodium, Lopez says — too much of it has been linked to high blood pressure and heart disease, she explains. So if your doctor has recommended sticking to a certain amount, heed that level; if not, don’t be afraid to add it here and there to your meals.
3. Fruit add-ins pack too much sugar
Fruit adds a hint of refreshment and a dose of sweetness to a whole bunch of meals: oatmeal, cereals, salads, and desserts, for starters. Which unfortunately has led to some folks thinking, That’s too much sugar, which could raise blood sugar levels and the risk of diabetes.
While eating a whole lot of certain fruits may pose a problem for people who already have diabetes, the reality is that it doesn’t bring the same risk to those without the condition. In fact, according to a 2016 review in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation, eating more of the sweet stuff may actually reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. “Along with natural sugar, fruit has vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, water, and fibre, all of which benefit our health,” Rhyan Geiger, RDN, owner of Phoenix Vegan Dietitian, says. That’s why guidelines recommend you eat one and half to two cups a day of it. So go ahead and mix it into your meals — most people aren’t hitting that guideline, so adding a little to your meals can help you reach that.
Avoid storing it in the fridge and let it melt, don’t chew.
4. Processed convenience foods are nutritional voids
Way too many people believe that turning to packaged ingredients — whether to make their prep quicker or just because they like the taste — means a less nutritious meal, and that whole foods are simply morally superior to the processed stuff, Cara Harbstreet, MS, RD, of Street Smart Nutrition, says. “It can also veer into ableism and food elitism, with the assumption that everyone is physically and financially able to cook all meals from scratch,” she explains.
The truth is that many store-bought foods are processed to some degree — whether for preservation, safety, or convenience—without sacrificing health benefits, Lopez says. In fact, “Certain processing methods, such as fortification, can enhance the nutritional value of foods by adding essential vitamins and minerals,” she adds. So if relying on quick-cooking packaged foods like microwavable rice packets, breakfast cereals fortified with calcium, or even frozen dinners helps you get what you need to feel satisfied without breaking the bank or eating into your schedule, you shouldn’t hesitate to do it.
Enter cold szn armed and ready.
5. It’s fresh veggies or bust
Many people turn to fresh produce as the de facto best option when it comes to healthy cooking, but that’s not always the case, according to Lopez. Frozen or canned vegetables (which are technically processed) are just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts—and typically taste better than out-of-season fresh offerings because they’re harvested and preserved when they’re at their peak flavour-wise. Think about the difference in taste between a tomato in the winter versus one in the summer — they’re basically two completely different things.
Plus there’s just no comparison between the two when it comes to affordability and accessibility, Harbstreet says. Low-cost frozen and canned vegetables make it easier to hit daily recommended produce intakes without having to overspend on time or money. Think of that pasta dish you’re making: You know including some courgette, mushrooms, or peppers could add nutrients, fibre, and flavour to your meal, but you just can’t muster up the energy to get slicing. If you’ve already got a frozen bag of the precut stuff? Sprinkling that into your skillet is a whole lot more doable after a long day at work. What’s more, Harbstreet says, because some canned or frozen veggies are already precooked to some degree, they shorten your prep time too.
6. Brown rice is the way to go
Swapping brown rice for white rice is often touted as a great way to eat more fibre, but that sub doesn’t quite deliver the nutritional punch that’s promised, Harbstreet says. “The net difference per serving is only about 1 to 1.5 grams [more].”
If you really don’t care for the taste or texture of the whole grain version, don’t force it on your plate simply as a way to boost your fibre intake, she says. Instead, she recommends thinking of rice as a vehicle for fibre-rich stuff you do enjoy, like veggies, nuts, seeds, and legumes. You could add a fourth of a cup of lentils to your next batch of white rice and get a bigger fibre boost than you would from eating brown rice alone, or you can stud your bowl with roasted diced veggies like cauliflower or brussels sprouts.
7. If you’re cooking, it better be Mediterranean
Flip open any health magazine and you’re sure to find an aesthetically pleasing photo of greens, lean meats, olive oil, and herbs — the epitome of the Mediterranean diet, which has become the poster child for healthy eating over the last couple decades. But there’s no one right way to eat healthy, Harbstreet says.
“This belief that a Eurocentric eating pattern is the pinnacle of healthy eating leads to the assumption that anything that differs from that is deviant and disease-promoting,” Harbstreet explains. As a result, we tend to discount other cuisines from around the world in favour of what we’re used to and end up losing access to a lot of great nutrition sources in the process — from gut-healthy fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut to anti-inflammatory spices like turmeric. “It’s long past time to include these options when talking about healthy ways of cooking and eating,” she says.
Some say that bed rotting is actually rooted in depression. We ask the experts.
8. Microwaving zaps all the nutrients
Microwave ovens are often blamed for destroying the nutrients in food or, even worse, blasting what we eat with radiation. While it’s true that microwaving can change the nutritional composition of food, it doesn’t do it any more than other cooking methods like sautéing, roasting, or pressure cooking. According to Geiger, how much depends on exactly what food and what nutrients you’re looking at. For instance, thanks to its relatively quick cooking time and lack of water, microwaving leads to less loss of vitamins A and C and less degradation of B1 and B6, a study in Frontiers in Nutrition found. And in case you were worried that the radiation from the microwave could pose a health risk, you can rest easy: There’s just no reliable link there. So if microwaving is a convenient way to get yourself to eat more nutrient-dense food on a consistent basis, then go ahead and nuke it up, Geiger says.
9. Healthy cooking is time-consuming and expensive
When asked which healthy cooking myth is the most prevalent and detrimental, almost all of our experts agreed that it’s the belief that you need a lot of money and free time to cook nutritious meals. When social media is filled with influencers hawking beautifully crafted, 100% fresh food, it’s hard to not feel like you have to do the same in order to have a well-rounded diet. But it doesn’t need to be that deep: You can get a nutritious meal on your table that’s quick, convenient, and budget-friendly with the right resources and knowledge, Lopez says.
Meal prep can be your friend here, she explains. Who says that you have to cook a different nutritious meal every day? Combine that with time-saving tips like incorporating nutrient-rich processed foods and canned or frozen fruits and veggies, as well as flavour boosters like tasty fat sources and the ingredients you actually like, and making your own “healthy” meals can be a lot more convenient and accessible — which just might get you more excited about the possibility of cooking in the first place.
This article originally appeared in SELF.
