If you have children, you’ll know that it’s easy to overthink everything—especially when it comes to nutrition and food safety! However, there are so many sayings and ideas connected with food that have been retold by generation after generation. Some are right, and some are wrong. Many are even laughed at.

However, when it comes to nutrition and our children, it’s important we set the record straight. So you can have all the right information—and refrain from freaking out unnecessarily!

So here are some classic myths and misconceptions that you may have heard in relation to nutrition, and the facts to replace them:

Some foods are ‘good’ for you, and some are 'bad'.

Labelling foods as either ‘good’ or ‘bad’ is a bit misleading. All foods provide some form of nutrition. However, the importance lies in finding the right balance of foods, not villainising or overly praising different foods. It’s actually a very poor way to eat to have too much of some foods and not enough of others—everything in moderation is the way to go.

Eating fresh grapefruit burns fat.

It’s said that eating fresh fruit is one of the best ways to stay healthy. However, there is no evidence whatsoever that any one kind of food accelerates your metabolism. Grape fruit is a great source of vitamin C, which can help your toddler absorb iron.

Protein and carbohydrates should not be eaten at the same meal (the ‘food-combining diet').

Thinking that eating protein and starchy foods together will overstress your child’s digestive system is inaccurate. This theory doesn’t actually have any scientific foundation. Your child’s digestive system is well-equipped to deal with both food groups simultaneously, so there is no need to worry. Ideally, toddlers should be offered a balanced plate at each meal, which should consist of protein and carbohydrates, amongst other key nutrients such as fats and iron.

Brown eggs are better for you than white eggs.

Comparing brown and white may be worthwhile when we’re talking about the nutritional content of toast, but when it comes to eggs, this is a misconception. The nutrient content of an egg is completely unaffected by the colour of the shell.

Fruit juice and diet drinks are healthy, sugar-free, and better for your teeth.

Fruit juice and sweetened drinks add additional sugar during processing. So even pure, unsweetened fruit juices are actually high in fruit sugars—a mix of sucrose, glucose, and fructose, to be specific. Even when soft or fruit drinks are artificially sweetened or sugar-free, the acidity of fruit-based drinks, juices, and carbonated drinks like cola reacts with tooth enamel and can cause damage and decay to teeth. So, the bottom line is to keep fruit juice and sweetened drinks to a minimum for your kids!

Low-fat or skimmed milk contains as much calcium as full-fat milk.

This is a true statement! Only fat is removed from whole milk, while all other nutrients, like calcium, remain. If you want a general rule of thumb to stick by when considering whether to opt for low-fat over full-fat products, consider this decision carefully when giving milk to your young children. Vitamins A and D are fat-soluble, and removing milk fats consequently diminishes the amount of these vitamins in the milk. Semi-skimmed or low-fat milk is not recommended for children under 2 years of age.

Vegetarian foods are better for you.

A vegetarian diet can be a very healthy way to feed your children and great for the environment. However, the balance and content of food eaten are really important and can be challenging to achieve, especially if your toddler is fussy or has a restrictive diet. Eating convenience foods is fine, as long as they don’t make up the bulk of your child’s diet. Many foods marked as vegetarian actually have no nutritional advantage over similar non-vegetarian items.

A little of what you fancy is good for you.

Everyone likes a treat from time to time, and there’s nothing wrong with letting your child enjoy chocolate or a handful of sweets occasionally. Ideally, children under 2 should avoid sweets and sweeter foods where possible; however, this may be more challenging if they have older siblings. The trick is to treat these foods like any other food and not put them on a pedestal or make your toddler eat their main meal to be allowed them. This helps your little one have a healthy relationship with food while enjoying the occasional sweet treat.

Top Tip: Care should be taken when your children consume soft drinks. To ensure protection against tooth decay, fruit-based and fizzy drinks should be drunk at mealtimes and teeth cleaned afterwards.

What are some common myths about child nutrition?

Unii’s Toddler Nutrition Journey busts some popular feeding myths with facts.