When it comes to nutrition it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. There are so many people who give dietary advice with varying levels of expertise. To help you out we’ve busted the 10 most common nutrition myths, check them out below!
Myth 1: I need to eat a lot of protein
FALSE: High protein diets are often in the headlines as the next best diet fix. Protein has a lot of functions in the body and is an important part of our diet. BUT we don’t need a lot.
99% of Australians eat enough protein. Females need around 46g protein/day and males 64g protein/day. Children and pregnant and breastfeeding women need a bit more.
Protein rich foods are in two of the five food groups – and include lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, tempeh, nuts and seeds and chickpeas, beans and lentils and milk, yoghurt, cheese and dairy alternatives. Breads and cereals also contain some protein.
However, having a diet that is mostly made up of protein foods means you can miss out on important nutrients that only come from the other food groups such as fruits, vegetables and wholegrains. Too much read and processed meats, and not enough high fibre foods can increase your risk of bowel cancer. Protein supplements, bars and shakes are expensive and often contain added sugar and fat. It’s better nutritionally to get your protein requirements from real food.
