How well do YOU know your food?

Test your health IQ with this quick quiz.

If you want to, you can leave your score in the comments section. It will be interesting to compare how well people REALLY know their food!

How health savvy are you?

By Melanie McGrice, Accredited Practising Dietitian

Sure you can spot an apple in a fruit line-up but let's test your knowledge with some other common foods in your diet! Try this quiz to get a really close look at the foods you're eating and see how health savvy you are! Answer each of the 10 questions TRUE or FALSE, you will get 1 point for every correct answer! Why not get your family and friends involved and try and answer the questions together. Let's have a little fun with your food!

1. Consumption of too much cola can cause osteoporosis

TRUE or FALSE

2. A slice of bread has more kilojoules than a glass of red wine

TRUE or FALSE

3. Eggs should be avoided if you have high cholesterol levels

TRUE or FALSE

4. A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids may reduce your risk of

developing Alzheimer's disease

TRUE or FALSE

5. A high intake of aspartame artificial sweeteners is one of the

main causes of cancer in Australia

TRUE or FALSE

6. Low GI white bread is just as healthy as wholemeal bread

TRUE or FALSE

7. Full cream milk is high in fat

TRUE or FALSE

8. Margarine is high in trans fats

TRUE or FALSE

9. Most nuts contain at least 50% fat, therefore, should be avoided

by people who want to lose weight

TRUE or FALSE

10. If a product has 300mg of salt (sodium) per 100g as recorded on the nutritional label, it is considered to be a low salt option

TRUE or FALSE

ANSWERS:

1. TRUE. Cola based drinks contain caffeine and phosphoric acid which have been shown to adversely affect the bone and hence bone mineral density.
2. FALSE. An average 30g slice of bread contains approximately 300kJ/70cal whereas a 160ml glass of dry red wine contains a whopping 450kJ/107cal.
3. FALSE. The Heart Foundation recommends that up to six eggs per weeks can still be enjoyed as long as you are consuming a diet which is low in saturated sat.
4. TRUE. Emerging research suggests that omega-3 docosahexanoic acid (DHA) may play an important role in the prevention of late onset Alzheimer's disease.
5. FALSE. According to Cancer Council of Australia, there is no evidence that artificial sweeteners cause cancer, or are at all unsafe in the doses consumed.
6. FALSE. Wholemeal bread contains bran and wheatgerm which make the bread less energy dense and more nutrient rich than refined white bread. Breads with whole grains are healthier for us as they contain a myriad of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and other nutrients in the inner and outer layers of the grain.
7. FALSE. Even full cream milk contains only 4% fat, whereas skim milk contains less than 1% fat.
8. FALSE. Most margarines in Australia contain negligible amounts of trans fats.
9. FALSE. Incorporating a small portion of nuts such as almonds, walnuts or pistachios into a balanced diet can assist with weight maintenance as they are high in protein and fibre, so are more filling than many other snack food choices.
10. FALSE. A ‘low salt’ food is defined as a food with a sodium concentration of no more than 120 mg per 100 g. The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommends that Australian adults consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day (equivalent to about 6,000 mg (6 g) of salt).

FINAL SCORE:

9-10. Excellent! You know the facts about your food and am up to date with the latest nutritional research.

6-8. Good work. You answered most questions correctly and have a good general knowledge on nutrition.

1-5. Good try! You might want to brush up on some facts on the latest findings that can help you improve your health and wellbeing.

It's important to know the facts about what you are eating. Take some time and do some research - because you ARE what you eat!

JW

References

• www.morethanmedication.com.au