Rosemary Stanton looked at some popular myths associated with the kind of foods we eat, and when we eat them.

Myth: you shouldn't combine proteins and carbohydrates

There is no scientific evidence to support this idea. The body automatically digests mixtures of carbohydrates and proteins eaten at the same meal. Our very first food, breast milk, contains both, and so do grains, beans, peas, nuts, seeds, breads, cereals, yoghurt and tofu.

Myth: you shouldn't eat carbohydrates after 3pm or you'll get fat

If carbohydrates are restricted you can't eat bread, rice, pasta, noodles, couscous, potatoes, beans (including canned beans), fruit, milk, yoghurt, sauces and desserts. That leaves only meat, fish, chicken or eggs with green vegetables or salad for your evening meal. By cutting out carbohydrates after 3 o'clock you'll probably eat less, but it would probably make more sense just to eat less of everything except perhaps vegetables, because almost everybody needs to eat more vegetables. It makes good sense to eat less fat, because fat has more than twice as many kilojoules as carbohydrate. And it's not the carbohydrate that's the problem, it's the fat you add with cream sauces, butter and frying fats.

Myth: you should eat fruit for breakfast and you should never eat fruit with anything else

Rosemary says there's no scientific evidence to support either idea. Your body can easily digest fruit with other foods. If you eat only fruit for breakfast, you'll probably be so hungry by morning tea that you're more likely to go for junk foods. A bowl of cereal with fruit at breakfast would be a much better idea.

Myth: you shouldn't eat just before you go to bed

Eating before bed is likely to give you indigestion. However, the important thing to remember is to eat breakfast and lunch, and not to leave your biggest meal until the end of the day. Spreading food evenly throughout the day helps keep your metabolic rate up and your weight down.

What to do

There are no special times when you should eat certain foods - you can mix and match as you please. However, if you need to lose weight, the only long-term way to go is to eat a bit less and exercise a bit more.

Copyright CTC Productions 2002