Question 1

A common question about consuming fruit and vegetables is around which is best to eat: fresh or frozen, cooked or raw?"

Accepted Answer

Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as or even more nutritious than fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh fruits and vegetables have to travel a long way from the farm to your plate so they can lose nutrition along the way. Frozen fruits and vegetables are picked and frozen almost immediately so their nutrients are retained. Frozen vegetables can be very handy when you are time poor, as they are often pre-chopped. They can also be useful if the availability of fresh vegetables is limited in your area.
 
The method of cooking can also influence the nutritional content. Water soluble vitamins such as vitamin C are most affected by heat and water. Steaming and microwaving are the best cooking methods for vegetables to retain their nutrients. These methods take less cooking time and do not require much, if any, water. Methods such as boiling require much more water and the cooking time is often longer so the loss of nutrients is greater. However, cooking vegetables also makes them much easier to digest so nutrients are more easily absorbed compared to raw vegetables. It may be beneficial to eat a variety of raw and cooked vegetables.

Question 2

What are calories and kilojoules?

Accepted Answer

Calories and kilojoules (kJ) are units of energy found in food. Think of them like centimeters and feet—different ways to measure the same thing. While kilojoules are part of the International System of Units, calories use the metric system.

Question 3

Microwaving vegetables destroys their nutrients

Accepted Answer

We should worry less about nutrient loss and more about eating more vegies.
 
Microwaving your food has no more effect on the nutrients in that food than any other way of heating it. Heat does cause a small drop in some nutrients such as folate, vitamin C and thiamin — but this can never be avoided, no matter how you cook your food.
 
Cooking in a microwave has its advantages. The shorter cooking time means there’s less time for heat to affect sensitive nutrients. And as a bonus, with little water needed, there are minimal losses caused by nutrients leeching into the cooking water.

Question 4

Sugar makes kids’ behaviour hyperactive

Accepted Answer

It’s not the sugar at the party – it’s the party!
 
The sugar and hyperactivity link is one of the most popular food-behaviour myths doing the rounds. Yet science has firmly busted this fable, with dozens of studies failing to find any link. When parents are unaware if their child has been given sugar or a non-sugar substitute, they can’t recognise any difference in their child’s behaviour. It’s only when they believe their child has had a sugary drink, even though the drink contains no sugar, that they rate their offspring’s behaviour as more hyperactive.

Question 5

Is diet soft drink bad for you?

Accepted Answer

Diet colas contain phosphoric acid (used to impart a ‘tang’, or sour flavour) while lemon and lime flavours use citric acid. Both these acids can cause dental erosion, where enamel is dissolved from tooth surfaces. So they can actually be just as harmful.

Question 6

Fats?

Accepted Answer

From a nutrition perspective fats are triglycerides, fatty acids, and phospholipids that provide 9 kcal/g.

Question 7

What are essential fatty acids ?

Accepted Answer

The two essential fatty acids are:
Linoleic acid (omega-6)
Alpha-linolenic (omega-3)
These fatty acids are essential because we can't synthesize them. 
 
This is because we do not have an enzyme capable of adding a double bond (desaturating) beyond the omega-9 carbon counting from the alpha end (the omega-6 and 3 positions).

Question 8

Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency?

Accepted Answer

Essential fatty acid deficiency is rare and unlikely to occur, but the symptoms are:
Growth retardation
Reproductive problems
Skin lesions
Neurological and visual problems

Question 9

What role does cholesterol play in your body?

Accepted Answer

Cholesterol often gets a bad reputation, but it's essential for your body. It helps build cell membranes, produce vitamin D, hormones, and bile acids. The good news? Your body naturally makes all the cholesterol it needs, so you don't have to get it from food.

Question 10

What is metabolism and why is it important?

Accepted Answer

Metabolism is the process your body uses to convert food into energy, keeping you alive and active. It powers everything from breathing to moving. While food provides energy, the ultimate source of energy for life on Earth is the sun, which plants convert into energy through photosynthesis. This energy travels through the food chain to fuel our bodies.

Healthy Eating Bowl

Frequently asked questions

A common question about consuming fruit and vegetables is around which is best to eat: fresh or frozen, cooked or raw?"