Think you are a nutrition-savvy consumer? Take this quiz to see if your “knowledge” is based on popular food myths or on scientific evidence!

1. True or False. It is safe to refrigerate food in the can after opening.
   
   
2. True or false. A late dinner is more likely to cause weight gain than eating the same meal earlier in the day.
   
   
3. Chocolate contains LESS caffeine than ______________.
   A. A 5-ounce serving of brewed coffee
   B. A 5-ounce cup of tea
   C. Neither A nor B
   D. Both A and B
   
   
4. True or false. A no-salt diet protects against high blood pressure.
   
   
5. Olive oil has _______________calories as/than either butter or regular margarine.
   A. The same number of
   B. Fewer
   C. More
   D. Olive oil is a calorie-free food
   
   
6. Fact or fiction. Potatoes and bread are fattening.
   
   
7. When you sit in a sauna or steam room, you can lose weight by losing __________.
   A. Fat
   B. Muscle
   C. Water
   D. All of the above
   
   
8. True or false. The tiny red spots on finfish (such as catfish, snapper, flounder, and tuna) are safe to eat.
   
   
9. ____________ is NOT a great fluid replacement on hot summer days.
   A. Cold beer
   B. Water
   C. Sport beverages
   D. Fruit juices
   
   
10. True or false. The stomach can’t digest carbohydrates and proteins at the same time. You need to separate foods such as fruit from the meal.
    
    
11. True or false. Cooking in an iron skillet improves the iron content of foods.
    
    
12. Foods labeled as “no sugar added” have _________________.
    A. No sugar
    B. Less sugar than products that don’t have this label
    C. Only “naturally occurring” sugars
    D. A and B
    
    

Answers:

1. TRUE. As long as the can is covered well with plastic wrap or foil and then refrigerated, the food remains safe for several days. There may be a slight change in quality (flavor or color), however.
   
   
2. FALSE. The clock really doesn’t make a difference. It’s not when you eat, but what you eat that counts. Not matter when they’re eaten, calories seem to have the same effect on the body. Evidence does suggest, however, that regular mealtimes, including breakfast, reduce fat intake and minimize impulsive snacking, which results in fewer total calories. Staying up late at night may lead to extra snacking, which can increase the total caloric intake. Weight gain would then occur, not because of when you ate the food but rather how much you ate.
   
   
3. D. Both a 5-ounce cup of tea and a 5-ounce cup of brewed coffee contain more caffeine than a 1-ounce milk chocolate bar or an 8-ounce carton of chocolate milk, which each contain about 5 milligrams of caffeine. In contrast, 5 ounces of regular-brew coffee contains 115 milligrams of caffeine, and 5 ounces of regular-brew American tea contains 40 milligrams.
   
   
4. FALSE. If you’re sodium-sensitive, then removing the salt shaker from the table does help protect you against high blood pressure, or hypertension. However, sodium is the real issue, not just salt, which is 40% sodium by weight. Both salt and sodium are used widely in processed foods. Check labels so you consume just a moderate amount, about 2400 milligrams daily. To help control high blood pressure, maintain a healthy weight, be physically active, and avoid smoking.
   
   
5. C. Because liquid oils are concentrated, and solid fats may contain other ingredients besides fat, oils generally contain slightly more fat and calories than equal amounts of solid fat. Per tablespoon, olive oil contains about 14 gams of fat and 120 calories compared to butter with 12 grams of fat and 100 calories. The main difference is in the types of fat contained in each. Olive oil is mainly monounsaturated fat; butter has more saturated fat.
   
   
6. FICTION. That’s a long held myth. In fact, no single food is truly fattening. Neither of these by itself is high in calories, nor does a large percent of its calories even come from fat. A medium, four-ounce, potato has just 88 calories, and an average slice of bread has just 70. Both potatoes and bread are great sources of complex carbohydrates and tend to be lower in calories than fatty foods. However, high-fat toppings or spreads can add up to excess calories. Consider the calories in one tablespoon: sour cream (30 calories), butter or margarine (100 calories), and regular mayonnaise (100 calories).
   
   
7. C. Sitting in a sauna or wearing a rubber belt or nylon clothes when you’re physically active makes you perspire, so you can lose weight. However, pounds that disappear come from water loss, not body fat. In fact, every pound of weight loss after exercise-induced sweating equals two cups of fluid. As soon as you drink or eat something, pounds go right back on. Caution: trying to “sweat” away weight can lead to dehydration.
   
   
8. TRUE. These spots are bruise marks, not contamination. They occur when fish is not handled gently, either when it’s caught or in the supermarket. It’s safe to eat. Be aware, however, that bruised areas often deteriorate faster.
   
   
9. A. Any alcohol, including beer, is a diuretic, which means it increases urine output and so promotes dehydration. It may help quench your thirst, but it’s not the best fluid replacement if you’re sweating already. To rehydrate your body on a hot day, drink water, fruit juices, sport beverages, or other non-caffeinated drinks.
   
   
10. FALSE. First off, you couldn’t separate one nutrient from another even if you wanted to. Most foods are mixtures of several nutrients. Regardless, your stomach and small intestine secrete different digestive enzymes to bread down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Those enzymes are ready and able to work at the same time.
    
    
11. TRUE. Yes, it does. Before the days of aluminum and stainless steel cookware, great-great-grandma unknowingly supplemented her family’s diet with iron from her iron pots and pans. If you have cast iron cookware, you can get the benefits too. Foods with acid, such as tomatoes and tomato products, citrus fruit, and vinegar, help dissolve small amounts of iron from the pot into the cooking liquids—especially good for those foods that simmer and stew for a while.
    
    
12. C. This claim simply means that no sugars were added during processing and packing. All kinds of foods—fruit, fruit juice, vegetables, milk, and grain products—contain sugar as a natural food component.