Healthy eating quiz

True or False? Half a can of baked beans has more fibre than an apple?

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Half a 420g can of baked beans is bursting with around10g of fiber, four to five times that of an apple. For quick, summer meals keep baked beans in the pantry, along with their high-fiber cousins chickpeas, lentils and kidney beans.

Which of the following is considered a starchy vegetable?

• Broccoli

• Carrots

• Corn

• Spinach

Answer explanation

All veggies are good for us, but some contain more carbohydrates than others. Corn, potato, yams and kumara are considered starchy veggies, so include them in the carb quarter of your dinner plate. Non-starchy vegetables are low in carbs and kilojoules — think lettuce, cucumber, tomato, cauliflower, Asian greens and carrots. Fill at least half your plate with this type of veggie

In which food would you find the energy-boosting mineral Iron?

• Steak

• spinach

• Wholegrain bread

• Kidney beans

Answer explanation

! Iron is found in both animal and plant sources, but our bodies are better able to absorb the iron found in red meat. You can increase your iron absorption from plant foods by pairing them with vitamin-C rich foods. Try adding red capsicum to your next stir-fry, or orange segments to a spinach salad.

Which of these foods provides the most kilojoules?

• 2 squares of Lindt dark chocolate

• small fillet of salmon

• 2 slices of full-fat cheddar

• 20 almonds

Answer explanation

Salmon (1160kJ), almonds (620kJ), cheese (600kJ), chocolate (470kJ). While NZ King salmon is considerably higher in kilojoules than a couple of squares of chocolate, it’s rich in healthy omega-3 fats and is a great source of protein. Instead of focusing solely on the kilojoule content of a food, consider its nutritional value too. Nuts are rich in protein, fiber and unsaturated fat, but will have more kilojoules than a handful of potato chips that are devoid of nutrients.

Adequate intakes of vitamin D are hard to achieve through diet alone?

• True

• False

Answer explanation

. Between September and April a daily walk or another outdoor activity with some skin exposed to the sun in the early morning or late afternoon is recommended. Between May and August getting that activity in the hours around noon when UVB levels are highest, is best for vitamin D production. Vitamin D is found in small quantities in a few foods such as fatty fish (salmon, herring and mackerel). Liver, eggs and fortified foods such as margarine and some low-fat dairy products (milk and yoghurt) also contain very small amounts of vitamin D.

Packaged foods are the main sources of unhealthy sodium in our diets. Which is the best guide as an upper limit to look for?

• 1000mg per serving

• 600mg per serving

• 100mg per serving

Answer explanation

When comparing two products, use the ‘per 100g’ column and choose the one with the lowest amount of sodium. To limit the salt in your diet, look for ‘no-added-salt’ or ‘reduced-salt’ versions of pantry staples such as stock, baked beans, canned legumes and tomato paste.

True or False? A teaspoon of sugar has more kilojoules than a teaspoon of honey?

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Honey has 92kJ per teaspoon, whereas sugar has just 66kJ. Both are considered ‘free sugars’, the kind the World Health Organization recommends we limit our intake of. For an average adult, it’s suggested we have no more than six teaspoons of sugar each day. To put that in perspective, a 600ml bottle of Coke has 14 teaspoons of free sugars!

A good guide to a serving of red meat is...?

• Your hand

• 1/2 your plate

• Your palm

Answer explanation

Many of us easily overdo our intake of meat, and a high intake of red meat is known to increase our risk of colorectal cancer. Wave goodbye to massive 300g T-bone steaks. When you’re shopping, look for raw cuts of around 100g-125g, which is about the size and thickness of your palm. To help you reduce your meat intake why not incorporate 1-2 meat-free meals to your week.

Which nutrient is the most filling?

• Fat

• Carbohydrates

• Protein

Answer explanation

Research shows that people who follow higher protein diets experience less hunger and are better able to maintain a healthy body weight. Fiber and low-GI carbohydrates also help you stay full. So for a healthy start to the day, try a protein-rich smoothie made with fruit and reduced-fat milk, and a slice of grainy toast with peanut butter.

Which of these drinks has the highest caffeine content?

• 250ml can of Red Bull

• 250ml cup of instant coffee

• 250ml cup of black tea

• 250ml cup of plunger coffee

Answer explanation

plunger coffee (100mg), instant coffee (83mg), ), Red Bull (80mg), Black tea (57mg). While some people are caffeine sensitive and need to minimise their intake, most adults can tolerate 3-400mg each day and it can even be good for us. However it’s easy to overdo the caffeine, especially with coffee on tap or large bottles of energy drink. High amounts of caffeine are really not good for us!