An apple a day keeps the doctor away, spinach will make you strong and carrots will give you night vision. These are among the silly sayings people have been throwing around for ages in a bid to get kids to eat well. But where do they come from and is there any truth to them? I talk to NZ Healthy Food Guide nutritionist Claire Turnbull to find out more.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
There's no doubt that fruits and vegetables play an important part in keeping us healthy and well. Turnbull, author of Lose Weight for Life, says two servings of fruit a day is best (and follow the 5+ a day rule - making it up with at least three servings of veg). However, your daily fruit dose does not have to contain an apple. Turnbull's not sure where this old rhyme comes from, and it's certainly not harmful, but variety is great for your body. Sticking with seasonal produce will help you mix it up, plus if you are lucky enough to eat the delicious pickings straight from the tree, you'll know how much better seasonal goodies taste. (FYI: I love a handful of blueberries in my breakfast smoothie, some raisins for an afternoon pick-me-up or an orange to sweeten up a vegetable juice.) The World Health Organisation says getting your daily dose of fruit and veg reduces the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancers.
Spinach makes you strong
Sure, this green leafy vegetable has some iron in it. But the myth - perpetuated by the cartoon muscle man Popeye and his inhalation of cans of the stuff - is actually based on a bit of a stuff up. "They made a mistake with the nutritional analysis back in the day and put the decimal point in the wrong place with spinach, making it look like it had a huge amount more iron that in really did!" Turnbull says.