Eating habits that seem right but are wrong

Some people think that just eating a lot and eating delicious food is enough nutrition, but according to Dr. Dao Thi Yen Thuy - Head of Nutrition Department, Hanh Phuc International Hospital - this is not true.

Doctors share common misconceptions that cause meals to lack essential nutrients for the body.

Regularly eat only a few types of food

There are some foods that are considered rich in nutrients and very good for health, so many people still think that just focusing on eating a lot of those foods is good, for example, beef. In 100g of beef, there are up to 21g of protein along with vitamins B12, B6, minerals, calcium, potassium, zinc, magnesium, iron, providing 218 kcal of energy - twice as much as fish and many other types of animal meat.

Because beef contains many nutrients, is rich in protein that helps improve health, prevent diseases and promote the formation of new proteins, it is considered an indispensable food to nourish those who want to improve their health, have poor appetite due to illness, dieters who are afraid of malnutrition, and people who play sports.

Or in the case of some women often choose fish as the main food in family meals. Fish provides enough protein and has amino acids, good fats, minerals with important trace elements. Fish fat has vitamin D, good for health. The amount of protein in fish fluctuates from 16-18%, the amount of fat varies depending on the type of fish.

For the above reasons, some families often choose beef or fish as the main food in each meal without supplementing, combining other foods or changing different dishes during the day. However, when eating too much of one type of food, the body will have excess nutrients and lack other nutrients because there is no opportunity to eat other dishes.

In fact, there is no single food that contains all the necessary nutrients to provide the body with all 4 nutrient groups. Therefore, it is necessary to change dishes and combine foods in meals to balance nutrition every day.

Avoid starch and fat to lose weight

People who want to lose weight often do not eat starch and sweets, only eat vegetables and meat. The theoretical basis for encouraging the application of this regime is that when people eat protein-rich foods, they will quickly feel full and the amount of food entering the body will decrease. Meanwhile, because of the lack of carbohydrates, fat is not completely burned, protein is also quickly broken down, causing these nutrients to not be absorbed into the body to the maximum, and to be eliminated early.

However, this is not true because starch and fat are two main sources of energy. If the body lacks energy, it will be sluggish and not function well, and can cause hypoglycemia, causing fainting. This condition, if prolonged, leads to malnutrition and reduced resistance, making it easier to get sick. If you are overweight or obese, you should only abstain moderately and not eat too much.

In fact, every day the body needs to be provided with adequate nutrients from nutrients such as starch, protein, fat; to micronutrients such as vitamins (vitamin A, group B, C, D, E, K, H, PP...) and minerals (calcium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, phosphorus...); trace elements (iodine, selenium...).

Depending on age, gender, physical activity, physiological condition (children, pregnant or lactating women, elderly people...) and the pathology of each body, different amounts of nutrients need to be provided.

According to the National Institute of Nutrition (Ministry of Health), children's nutritional needs are often calculated according to age and gender. Adults need an average of 1,600 - 2,200 kcal depending on gender and level of physical activity (for example, women who do light labor need 25-30 kcal, while men who do medium labor need 30-35 kcal/ideal weight per day). Therefore, in a meal, energy from carbohydrates should account for about 55-65%, protein 15-20% and fat 25-30%, helping to balance nutrition for the body.

Boycott some foods because of rumors

Amidst the current unverified information, many housewives have quickly avoided some familiar foods because they believe they are harmful to health. For example, the rumor that pickled vegetables account for 1.4% of the body's daily salt intake, easily leading to the risk of stomach cancer and increasing blood pressure; fresh bamboo shoots contain oxalic acid which can cause kidney stones; or even packaged foods that are controlled by authorities such as instant noodles are also said to lack nutrition and easily cause heat in the body, indigestion...

Associate Professor - Dr. Le Bach Mai (Former Deputy Director of the National Institute of Nutrition) also believes that there is no bad food, only bad meals, and eating the wrong way is not good for health. Taking instant noodles as an example, she said that a common package (75g) usually contains 40-50g of carbohydrates; 13-17g of fat and no less than 6.8g of protein, so it can provide the body with 300-350 kcal (equivalent to 15-17% of the daily energy needs of adults). At the same time, this is also considered a basic food, similar to rice, porridge, vermicelli, noodles, pho... so it can be completely combined with many other foods to create a complete, nutritious meal.

Accordingly, to enjoy instant noodles properly and eliminate health concerns, consumers should pay attention to combining green cabbage, bean sprouts, chrysanthemum greens, pennywort, water spinach, carrots, tomatoes... In addition to vitamins and minerals, the presence of fiber in vegetables makes starch absorbed more slowly, increases the amount of stool excreted to help avoid constipation, does not cause heat in the body, reduces the risk of hemorrhoids, prevents high blood cholesterol, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Each bowl of noodles should also be supplemented with beef, pork, shrimp, eggs... or a little mushroom, tofu to make the instant noodle meal more balanced in terms of energy from protein, especially the balance between animal and vegetable protein. In addition, users need to check the quality of the noodle package before choosing such as: check the expiry date, packaging safety and licensing from competent authorities to ensure food safety and hygiene.

Even a food, no matter how rich in nutrients, if used excessively or not combined with other foods, will cause adverse effects on the body. Therefore, instant noodles or any single food is not the cause of harm to health, but it is important that users know how to use it properly.