Eggs, potatoes, coffee: These kitchen staples get a particularly bad rap, but nutrition experts say they don't always deserve the recognition. In fact, dietitians, doctors, and nutrition professors are increasingly advising people to eat them.
Nutritional advice is constantly changing, so consumers can be unsure which foods are actually healthy. NBC News asked nine health experts about the foods they think are unfairly maligned. Here are some of the items they listed, And by abandoning them completely, people may miss out on their benefits.
Eggs are rich in protein
Eggs have been maligned because of their high dietary cholesterol, which medical experts once believed could contribute to heart disease, said Dr. Maya Badibello, associate professor of nutrition at the University of Rhode Island. .
However, the latest science has proven that idea wrong, showing that dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol have different effects on heart health.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, eating foods high in saturated fat, such as red meat, fried foods, and fatty dairy products, can increase the type of cholesterol in your blood and increase your risk of heart disease. . However, there is little correlation between consuming foods containing cholesterol, such as eggs and shellfish, and high blood cholesterol levels or risk of heart disease.
Despite these changes, many people still have a bad opinion of eggs. Budiverow said it could also be due to other foods that are often combined at breakfast.
“When people think of eggs, they also think of bacon and home fries,” she said. These are high in salt and saturated fat. But eggs themselves are nutritious, she added.
The American Heart Association says people can eat one to two eggs daily as a high-quality source of protein. One egg contains about 6 grams.
Eggs are also a source of vitamin D and choline, nutrients that play a role in metabolism, memory, and muscle control.
Eggs also come with the seal of approval from the WeightWatchers program, which uses a point system that assigns value to each type of food or drink based on its nutritional profile. Fruits, vegetables, and lean meats are worth zero points, so dieters don't need to measure portions. Eggs has been on that “ZeroPoint” list since 2017.
Just don't fry the potatoes
It is a well-known fact that the way food is prepared and flavored affects its health. Caroline Susie, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, said potatoes were getting a bad rap because of the unhealthy way they were prepared.
“Potatoes are truly amazing. Unfortunately, we tend to ruin them by not eating the skin, frying them in the sun, or mixing them with everything like sour cream or butter or bacon. Yes,” Susie said. These toppings add saturated fat and should be limited to no more than 13 grams per day, according to the American Heart Association.
A 2021 study found that high intake of french fries Increased risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. However, in that study, boiled, baked, and mashed potatoes were not associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure and were only marginally associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Potato skins are rich in fiber, which aids in digestion. Susie added that potatoes also contain vitamin C and potassium.
She advised roasting, baking, mashed or boiling potatoes and seasoning them with olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs.
Just because it's frozen doesn't necessarily mean it's bad for your health.
Seven nutrition experts lamented the common belief that frozen fruits and vegetables are less healthy than fresh fruits and vegetables.
“Frozen vegetables and frozen foods are harvested at their highest nutrient concentration and flash frozen, so they often retain higher nutritional content than fresh produce,” says Budiverow. “This is especially true if you live in an area with a lot of seasonal variation and easy access.”
Susie said frozen vegetables not only retain nutrients, but can also be cheaper than fresh vegetables and help prevent food waste.
“Sometimes when you buy fresh produce, you just kidding, you basically end up going to the vegetable bin graveyard. It just goes there to die,” she said. “But canned or frozen food lasts longer.”
No need to worry about a few cups of coffee
Coffee has a bad reputation because its caffeine is addictive and overconsumption can cause nervousness and anxiety in some people.
However, the Food and Drug Administration says you can drink up to 4 to 5 cups a day. Research shows that coffee may contribute to a lower risk of cancer, heart failure, type 2 diabetes, and even death.
Badibello said he drinks three to five cups of coffee with milk every day. Her research suggests that coffee can improve cognitive function, and she said she believes the benefits of coffee outweigh the potential drawbacks of consuming caffeine.
“That's a myth that I regularly debunk, because a lot of people say, 'Oh, I'm trying to cut down on coffee and caffeine.' “And this study does not support that coffee, especially without significant amounts of added sugar or creamer, poses a health risk within reasonable consumption ranges,” Badibello said.
Alicia Henson, an education specialist in the master's program in nutritional science and dietetics at the University of California, Berkeley, said the health value of coffee, like potatoes, depends on what's added to it.
“If you go to Starbucks and get a Frappuccino or a coffee with lots of sugar and cream, that's not necessarily a healthy additive,” Henson says.
The type of carbohydrate makes all the difference
Experts say the popularity of low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets has led people to believe that carbohydrates as a whole are unhealthy. However, it is a mistake to think that all carbohydrates are the same.
“It has to do with the quality of carbohydrates: refined grains versus whole grains,” says Dr. Linda Siue, an internist and director of culinary and lifestyle medicine at Kaiser Permanente.
Refined grains used to make processed foods such as white bread, crackers and pastries lack the fiber and nutrients that make whole grains healthy, Siue said. This includes iron and B group vitamins. But quinoa, farro, and brown rice, for example, contain protein, magnesium, iron, and fiber, which can help keep you full for longer.
Dr. Melina Jampolis, a physician-nutritionist in private practice in Los Angeles, says: She said she often recommends one particular whole grain to her patients as a snack, and to their surprise, it's popcorn.
When most people think of popcorn, they associate it with the movie version, loaded with salt, butter, and sometimes sugar, and it's often sold with large sodas. But Jampolis says making popcorn at home using just olive oil and spices makes the snack part of a fibrous, balanced diet. Research has also shown that popcorn contains phenolic acids, a type of antioxidant.
Jampolis added that people should not be fixated on avoiding certain foods. Instead, it's best to cultivate healthy eating patterns that prioritize whole foods over sugar-added, ultra-processed products.
“That's what real experts do,” she says. “We don't necessarily look at single foods in isolation.”
