{"id":476589,"date":"2025-12-28T07:02:15","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T07:02:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/476589\/"},"modified":"2025-12-28T07:02:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T07:02:15","slug":"the-listener-2025-collection-10-myths-about-healthy-eating-and-nutrition-busted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/476589\/","title":{"rendered":"The Listener 2025 collection: 10 myths about healthy eating and nutrition busted"},"content":{"rendered":"

As Listener.co.nz<\/a> resident nutritionist, Jennifer Bowden explores myths about nutrition and healthy eating. Here are her top 10 columns of 2025.<\/p>\n

Why sushi is no longer a healthy eating out option<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

\n As sushi\u2019s global popularity has grown, it has been adapted to
\n meet new tastes. Instead of simple small slices of fresh fish (sashimi) or seafood paired with vinegared rice (nigiri) or wrapped in seaweed (maki), Western-style sushi rolls often stray far from the dish\u2019s healthful origins.\n <\/p>\n

Is picky eating just a childhood phase? When you should seek help<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Parents are often concerned about their child\u2019s eating habits, and understandably so as early food choices shape lifelong dietary patterns. While many children go through phases of picky eating, some face more severe challenges such as Avoidant\/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). So, how can we tell if a child\u2019s eating behaviours warrant intervention?<\/p>\n

9 warning signs it\u2019s a fad diet, not a healthy eating plan<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Fad diets are everywhere, offering quick fixes and bold promises to transform your body and life. And as our awareness of the physical and psychological harms of fad diets grows, so, too, have the creators\u2019 efforts to disguise fad diets as \u201chealthy eating plans\u201d or \u201clifestyle changes\u201d.<\/p>\n

Separating fact from fiction is crucial because not only do fad diets fail for 95% of dieters in the long term, they can also spectacularly backfire by causing a slowed metabolic rate, increased body fat storage and appetite, which leads to food fixation, overeating, weight regain and a bundle-load of unnecessary shame for the dieter. So, how can you tell if a healthy eating plan really is a sustainable plan or just another fleeting fad diet in disguise?<\/p>\n

Can fish and chips ever be good for you?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Fish and chips are more than just a meal in New Zealand \u2014 they\u2019re a tradition. Whether wrapped in paper and shared at the beach or picked up for an easy Friday night dinner, this takeaway classic is woven into our culture. But from a nutrition perspective, how does this deep-fried food stack up? And is there a way to enjoy it while still maintaining a balanced approach to eating?<\/p>\n

Why \u2018you are what you eat\u2019 is one of the most dangerous food myths around<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cYou are what you eat.\u201d It\u2019s a saying that\u2019s been repeated so often it sounds like common sense. We\u2019re taught that if we eat healthy food, we\u2019ll be healthy; whereas, if we eat \u201cjunk,\u201d we\u2019ll feel like junk. On the surface, it seems harmless\u2014just a reminder to eat healthily. But scratch beneath the surface, and it reveals a troubling myth with real-world consequences.<\/p>\n

Are vege chips any better for you than potato chips?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Once upon a time, chippies \u2013 the Brits call them crisps \u2013 were simply slices of potato fried in oil, sprinkled with salt and eaten straight from the foil packet. But the snack aisle has had something of a virtue-signalling makeover. Now we\u2019re lured by k\u016bmara crisps, cauliflower crackers, and pea-protein puffs which promise all the crunch with extra virtue \u2013 more protein, more vegetables and less guilt. <\/p>\n

But are these products healthier, or is it just clever marketing hype wrapped in recyclable packaging?<\/p>\n

Is the three bite rule mindful or disordered eating?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Western cultures pride themselves on giving people the freedom to be who they want, do what they want and live how they want – except, it seems, when it comes to food. The food dimension of our lives is fraught with rules – foods are labelled as \u2018good\u2019 or \u2018bad\u2019, \u201ceating windows\u201d dictate when we must feast or fast, and now even the way we eat is being policed – enter Tik Tok\u2019s \u201cthree-bite rule\u201d. But is this so-called mindful eating hack really as wise as it sounds?<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve all heard of the Mediterranean diet, but what\u2019s really in it?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Mention the word \u201cdiet\u201d and many people think of calorie counting, carb bans and flavourless food. But the Mediterranean diet is something quite different \u2014 it\u2019s more a way of eating and living than a prescriptive meal plan, and it\u2019s earned its reputation not through hype, but through decades of solid science.<\/p>\n

Can a snack boost your memory or stop dementia in its tracks?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cEat walnuts \u2013 they look like little brains!\u201d It\u2019s the sort of nutrition advice you\u2019ll find floating around the internet, nestled somewhere between kale smoothies and promises that blueberries will make you a genius. But is there really such a thing as \u201cbrain food\u201d? Can a snack boost your memory or stop dementia in its tracks?<\/p>\n

The ingredients in flavoured milks that might surprise you<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Flavoured milk is a supermarket chameleon. It can appear in brightly coloured cartons aimed at children, slimline sports bottles for gym-goers, or long-life packs in the pantry. With flavours ranging from strawberry to trusty chocolate and newfangled caramel butterscotch, flavoured milk promises all the benefits of milk, plus a bit of fun. But behind the appealing packaging lies a processed product with ingredients you may not expect.<\/p>\n

Save<\/a><\/p>\n