Food

Why Some Foods in Singapore Sound Healthy But Are Actually Not Healthy

2023-10-15 , 9:27 pm

How many food myths do you unknowingly treat as gospel? How many foods in Singapore sound healthy but aren’t?

Well, it’s time to find out.

1. Breakfast Might Not Be the Most Important Meal of the Day

Yes, you read that right.

While many of us have been sold the narrative of “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, Goody Feed is here to tell you that that might not always hold water.

To understand why, we must first understand why many believe breakfast is the most important meal.

You see, there have been studies showing that those who eat breakfast frequently have reduced risk of certain health problems, including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

However, it appears that such benefits are not derived so much from eating breakfast. Instead, it appears to stem from the general lifestyles led by these breakfast enjoyers.

These breakfast enthusiasts tend to pay more attention to their overall nutrient intake and lifestyle choices, and that‘s what’s making them healthier. Not breakfast.

What matters is the nutrients that you’re getting from your meals.

Think about it this way: Say you eat breakfast daily but have fried chicken for breakfast every day. Of course, that isn’t very healthy.

However, you’ll probably be fine even if you skip breakfast but eat healthy foods for your other meals, such as lunch and dinner.

So, if you’re running late for work, don’t worry too much about breakfast—as long as your overall diet is healthy enough.

2. Brown Rice in Hawker Centres Aren’t Always 100% Brown Rice

Are you a staunch supporter of brown rice?

While brown rice does seem to be healthier than white rice since white rice is processed and brown rice isn’t, you should probably still think twice before ordering brown rice at hawker centres.

The reason? Because brown rice in hawker centres isn’t always 100% brown rice.

More often than not, stalls offering brown rice at such F&B establishments mix white rice with brown rice to make it taste better or save on cost since brown rice is more expensive than white rice.

Well, at least it’s better than eating maggi mee lah.

3. Wholemeal Bread Isn’t That Healthy

We’re frequently told that wholemeal bread is healthy. But is it really?

Wholemeal bread might be better than white bread because it’s more nutritious, but it’s not as healthy as you think.

After all, wholemeal bread, if not 100% wholegrain, is also partially processed.

So, if you’re trying to watch your diet, perhaps avoid bread altogether and opt for whole foods instead.

4. Vegan Food Might Actually Cause Weight Gain

Many of us also believe that a vegetarian or vegan diet is healthier. After all, you’re only consuming vegetables and whole foods—how to be unhealthy?

Well, life finds a way lah. And in this case, the pitfall of a vegetarian or vegan diet is the processed mock meats.

It’s self-explanatory.

These mock meats are usually high in sodium and highly processed—if you’re adopting a vegan diet to eat healthier, you’re better off getting your nutrients from whole foods such as nuts and wholegrains instead of mock meats.

5. Fruit Juice Could be as Unhealthy as Sweet Drinks

Perhaps something else you should know is that fruit juice isn’t necessarily as healthy as you think.

In fact, fruit juices usually contain high amounts of sugar and calories—nearly as much as sweet drinks like sodas.

That is unless your fruit juice is freshly squeezed from actual fruits lah. But more often than not, the fruit juices we purchase from supermarkets aren’t.

You’re better off just eating fruit, as it is.

If you’d like to find out more about these common food myths, you can watch this video here: