for

Food
Myths,
DEBUNKED
When Does
Food Really
Expire?

The Wine
Versus
Beer Debate

Are Eggs
Bad for You?
contents
3 The Myth: You Should
Always Toss Expired Food

6 The Myth: Wine Is Better

for You Than Beer

8 The Myth: Veggie Chips Are

Healthier Than Potato Chips

10 The Myth: Chugging

Water Is the Best Way to
Hydrate

12 The Myth: Eggs

Are Bad for You

2 TIME FOR HEALTH

 1

THE MYTH
You should always toss expired food
▶ THE TRUTH
Expiration dates don’t mean
what you think they do

Not sure if a
food is expired?
Understanding what
the label means will
help you decide.
By Jamie Ducharme

▶ Most Americans are needlessly

tossing out packaged food—not be-
cause the food has gone bad, but
because they take the date stamped
on it far too literally.

Many people wrongly believe that

FROM LEFT: KSENIYA OVCHINNIKOVA/GETTY; TATIANA ATAMANIUK/GETTY

food product dates—often prefaced

by “best by” or “sell by”—are feder-
ally regulated and indicate the point
after which the food is no longer
safe to eat. (Neither is true: Label-
ing decisions are made voluntarily
by food companies and are meant to
help consumers determine how fresh
a food is, according to the USDA.) In
one 2019 study published in the jour-
nal Waste Management, researchers
surveyed more than 1,000 people
about the phrases and dates on food
packages. 84% said they throw out
food at least occasionally.

3
LABELING DECISIONS ARE MADE VOLUNTARILY
BY FOOD COMPANIES AND ARE MEANT TO HELP
CONSUMERS DETERMINE HOW FRESH A FOOD IS,
ACCORDING TO THE USDA.

The study shows “not only that con- What are the differences management reasons. And the “use
sumers widely misunderstand current between food date labels? by” date is the last recommended day
labels, but also that misunderstand- “Best by” refers to when a food is that a product can be eaten at peak
ing and misplaced trust in the labels at peak flavor or quality, says Janell quality, Goodwin says. “These are all
lead to excess reported discards,” the Goodwin, a former technical informa- dates of quality and freshness, not
authors write. tion specialist with the USDA (who of safety,” she says. Yet in the Waste
was not involved with the study). “Sell Management study, 42% of people
Here’s what you need to know about by” indicates how long a store should thought “use by” referred to safety,
food labels and what to toss when. sell or display a product for inventory and 19% thought the same of “sell by.”

4 TIME FOR HEALTH

 In an attempt to clear up confusion, some wait to freeze an item, the less the it depends on what the product is.”
industry groups, including the Grocery freshness and quality will be” when Unopened canned goods may be unaf-
Manufacturers Association (GMA) you defrost it. Frozen food should fected for years as long as the pack-
and the Food Marketing Institute, are stay safe indefinitely, but its quality aging is intact, while dried foods like
pushing to narrow the list of food date may degrade over time. pasta may get stale or change flavor
labels to only two options: “best if used slightly if kept for a long time.
by,” which would relate to freshness and When it is time to defrost, Goodwin
quality, and “use by,” which would refer says the safest way to do so is by plac- How long can you keep
to the last safe day to eat highly perish- ing food in the refrigerator until it leftovers?
able foods. While some food companies thaws, rather than leaving it out on You should be able to see, smell or
now voluntarily follow this two-date the counter. taste when cooked food has spoiled,
system, as far as the federal government Goodwin says. (If you have any doubts,
is concerned, no date that’s stamped on How long does pantry food you can consult the USDA’s Food-
a package refers to safety. really last? Keeper app, a comprehensive guide to
In theory, shelf-stable foods like how long specific foods last.) But she
Should you throw out food pasta, snack foods, canned goods, says you should generally throw out
past its label date? baking products and jerky really do leftovers after about four days.
There’s no reason to trash something last indefinitely, Goodwin says. But
just because the date printed on the that doesn’t mean they’ll taste as “Spoilage bacteria does grow in
package has come and gone, Good- they should forever. “It means they the refrigerator,” she says, so even
win says. “If the date passes during will be safe indefinitely,” she says. properly stored leftover food won’t
home storage, a product should still “However, for freshness and quality, last forever. ■
be safe and wholesome if handled
properly until the time of spoilage is
evident,” she says. Instead, use your
senses: Spoilage bacteria will typi-
cally produce a noticeable change in
odor, flavor or texture. If none of these
have developed, it’s probably safe to
keep your food. (You can help protect
yourself from bacteria that cause food-
borne illnesses, like E. coli and salmo-
nella, by cooking or reheating foods to
USDA-recommended temperatures.)
The only product with a firm use-by
date is infant formula, Goodwin says.
FROM LEFT: ALEKSANDR ZUBKOV/GETTY; RUSLAN DASHINSKY/GETTY

Otherwise, you can usually trust your

gut over the package date.

Can you freeze food that

might go bad?
Freezing excess food, like meat and
bread, is a great way to cut down on
waste. If you know you likely won’t use
all of something, freeze it sooner rather
than later, Goodwin recommends.

“Anything that’s frozen will not

spoil, no matter when you freeze it,”
Goodwin says. But “the longer you

5
 2

THE MYTH
Wine is better for you than beer
▶ THE TRUTH
The opposite could be true

6 TIME FOR HEALTH

 Good news for beer to speculate that the average wine was lower among moderate drink-
drinker may eat more healthfully than ers who bought craft beer instead of
drinkers: Studies the average beer drinker, which could other types of alcohol. “This effect
suggest that tipping explain away many of the health perks was slightly bigger than for red wine,”
a pint may have the linked to wine. says Michael McCullough, a profes-
sor of agribusiness at California Poly-
same effects as sipping More recent research that controlled technic State University and an author
a glass of vino. for diet and other lifestyle variables of the study. Meanwhile, the con-
By Markham Heid concluded that drinking moderate sumption of “macro” beer—noncraft
amounts of beer—roughly one per day beers like Budweiser—was associated
for women and two for men—offers with much smaller heart and diabetes
▶ Decades ago, researchers noticed the same heart-health benefits as wine. risk reductions.
that French people—despite typically
eating a diet with lots of foods contain- Meanwhile, studies have found that McCullough says craft beer is often
ing saturated fat and cholesterol—had cheese and some other sources of unpasteurized and unfiltered, and
lower-than-expected rates of heart saturated fat and cholesterol may not so contains more plant compounds,
disease and early death. Some called independently raise a person’s risk for yeasts, bacteria, vitamins, miner-
this phenomenon the “French para- heart disease and premature death. als and other potentially healthful
dox,” and they went to work figuring That undercuts the “French paradox” constituents than macro brews. But
out an explanation. Wine emerged as phenomenon that propelled wine to he says the research comparing the
a prime candidate. health stardom in the first place. health effects of various types of alco-
hol is incomplete. “It’s possible that
Moderate wine consumption is a Wine and beer are more or less equal people who drink light macro beer
component of traditional Mediter- when it comes to lowering a person’s drink more of it because it’s lower in
ranean diets, which research associ- heart-disease risks, says Demosthenes calories,” he says. And heavy drink-
ates with lower rates of disease and Panagiotakos, a professor of nutrition ing is associated with higher rates of
mortality. A 1992 study in The Lancet and dietetics at Greece’s Harokopio heart, liver and brain disease.
found evidence that drinking wine University. “Red wine has been the
and other types of alcohol could pre- most studied alcoholic beverage,” The idea that any alcoholic bever-
vent or reduce arterial blockages. he says. “Yet recent epidemiological age should be considered “healthy”
Other research from around that time studies and clinical trials reveal simi- is controversial; some recent studies
found that people who drank wine, lar relationships for beer.” concluded that no amount of alco-
as opposed to beer, had lower mor- hol is safe. Still, much research has
tality risks. Later work zeroed in on a Some of the most recent evidence found that low or moderate alcohol
group of compounds found in grapes, finds that some types of beer may be consumption is associated with better
called polyphenols—resveratrol in even healthier than red wine. A 2016 health outcomes.
particular—as the likeliest source of study in the Journal of Wine Eco-
wine’s ostensible health benefits. Red nomics analyzed the shopping habits While it’s still possible that one type
wine, more than white, is packed with and health outcomes of more than of alcohol will turn out to be healthier
resveratrol. And the belief that red 30,000 Americans. After controlling than another, it’s too early to crown a
wine is healthier than other alcoholic for diet quality, stress and other var- champ. For those who prefer beer to
beverages took root. iables, the study found the incidence wine, there’s no reason to dump your
of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes beloved suds. ■
But beer may have gotten a bad
rap. A 2006 study of grocery-store
KLAUS VEDFELT/GETTY

purchases in Denmark found that

people who bought wine also tended
to buy more fruits, vegetables and
WINE AND BEER ARE MORE OR LESS EQUAL
other healthy foods than people who WHEN IT COMES TO LOWERING A PERSON’S
bought beer. This study led experts HEART-DISEASE RISKS.

7
 3

THE MYTH
Veggie chips are healthier
than potato chips
▶ THE TRUTH
Only if you crunch the right ones

Experts say the swap

may not provide the
nutritional benefits
you expect.
By Markham Heid

▶ If you’re trying to sneak more vege-

tables into your—or your kid’s—diet,
swapping regular potato chips for
veggie chips or sticks may seem like
a healthy substitution. But nutrition
experts say some of these ostensibly
good-for-you snacks are just junk food
in disguise.

“Those veggie sticks are super popular

at my 6-year-old’s kindergarten, but
they’re really no better than potato
chips,” says Liz Weinandy, a staff
dietitian at the Ohio State Univer-
sity Medical Center. “They have very
small amounts of spinach or tomato
paste, but they’re still a deep-fried
food, and they’re not going to contrib-
ute to your daily vegetable intake in a
way that supports overall health.”

Some brands of veggie snacks are actu-

ally made primarily from ground-up
potato. “Often veggie chips and straws

8 TIME FOR HEALTH

 LOOK FOR
VEGETABLE
CHIPS THAT HAVE
THE VEGETABLE
PRODUCT AS THE
FIRST OR SECOND
INGREDIENT ON
THE LIST.

contain potato starch [or] potato flour “We know that deep-fat frying can ping regular potato chips in favor of
as their primary ingredients, and you promote low-grade inflammation,” those types of products could pro-
may see powdered spinach, for exam- she explains. Research has also linked vide a bit more fiber and a little less
ple, toward the end of the ingredient consuming acrylamide—an organic sodium, she says.
list—meaning many of these veggie compound that forms when potatoes
chips are really quite similar to potato and some other starchy foods are “Look for vegetable chips that have
chips,” says Caroline Meehan, a regis- fried—to an elevated risk for heart the vegetable product as the first or
tered dietitian and nutritionist at the disease and mortality. (Some “baked” second ingredient on the list,” Meehan
University of Maryland Medical Center. veggie snacks may not be fried in oil, advises. She also recommends shop-
but those are uncommon.) ping for a snack that has fewer than
Veggie chips benefit from what 200 milligrams of sodium per serving
researchers call the “health halo effect,” But while veggie chips and straws and at least a few grams of fiber.
because, at a glance, they may seem aren’t healthy, those made with actual
nutritious because of the way they’re vegetables (and not potato starch) may Weinandy understands that some
packaged or promoted. But that aura be an upgrade over old-school chips. people don’t like vegetables, or that
of health is an illusion, Weinandy says. trying to get kids to eat vegetables can
Some brands produce chip varieties be a chore. For these folks, she rec-
One example: The packaging of some made with parsnips, sweet potatoes ommends blending leafy greens into
veggie straw products depict photos and other non-white-potato vegetables. smoothies or adding chopped vege-
FROM LEFT: JENIFOTO/GETTY; DUCKYCARDS/GETTY

of whole vegetables and trumpet the “I still would not make the argument tables to pancake batter or casseroles.
straws’ lack of preservatives and artifi- that this is a healthy food,” says Dana These are creative, tasty ways to inject
cial flavors. While cutting these addi- Hunnes, a dietitian and adjunct assistant more of these healthy foods into your
tives is a good thing, many traditional professor at the UCLA Fielding School diet, she says. Veggie chips are not the
potato chips and other unhealthy of Public Health. “The real healthful- answer. “They may have a little more
snack foods can make similar claims. ness would come from eating the actual nutrition,” she says, “but the nega-
And all these visual and textual cues, vegetable or root in a more natural form, tives still outweigh the positives.” ■
coupled with the word “veggie,” can such as boiling, sautéing or baking.”
hoodwink consumers into thinking
veggie chips and straws are healthy. But for someone who’s going to eat
But they’re not, Weinandy says. fried chips one way or the other, skip-

9
 4
Consuming H2O

THE MYTH slowly throughout the

day is more effective
Chugging water is the than drinking a lot of
it at once.
best way to hydrate By Markham Heid

▶ THE TRUTH ▶ Dehydration is a drag on human

performance. Among athletes, it can

There are better

cause fatigue and sap endurance, and
for the rest of us, even mild dehy-
dration can interfere with a person’s

ways to beat thirst mood or ability to concentrate.

Water is cheap, healthy and hydrat-

ing. The National Academy of Medi-
cine has recommended that women
and men consume at least 91 fluid
onces and 125 fluid ounces of it a day,
respectively. (For context, one gallon
is 128 fluid ounces) But pounding
large quantities of water morning,
noon and night may not be the best
or most efficient way to meet your
hydration requirements.

“If you’re drinking water and then,

within two hours, your urine output
is really high and [your urine] is clear,
that means the water is not staying in
well,” says David Nieman, a professor
of public health at Appalachian State
University and director of the Human
Performance Lab at the North Caro-
lina Research Campus. Nieman says
plain water has a tendency to slip right
through the digestive system when
not accompanied by food or nutrients.
This is especially true when people
drink large volumes of water on an
empty stomach. “There’s no virtue to
that kind of consumption,” he says.

In fact, clear urine is a sign of over-

hydration, according to the Cleve-
land Clinic. And some of the latest

10 TIME FOR HEALTH

 research supports Nieman’s claim that and with no food, they’re probably
guzzling lots of water is not the best just peeing most of that out,” Nieman
way to stay hydrated. says. Also, the popular idea that con-
stant and heavy water consump-
For a 2015 study in the American Jour- tion “flushes” the body of toxins or
nal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers unwanted material is a half-truth.
compared the short-term hydration While urine does transport chemi-
effects of more than a dozen differ- cal by-products and waste out of the
ent beverages: everything from plain body, drinking lots of water on an
water and sports drinks to milk, tea, empty stomach doesn’t improve this
beer and a specially formulated “rehy- cleansing process, he says.
dration solution.” Based on urine
analyses collected from the study vol- In rare cases, excessive water con-
unteers, the researchers concluded sumption can even be harmful. “In
that several drinks—including milk, athletes or people who are exercising
tea and orange juice, but not sports for hours, if they’re only drinking
drinks—were more hydrating than water, they can throw out too much
plain water. (Lager was a little less sodium in their urine, which leads to
hydrating than water, but a little an imbalance in the body’s sodium
better than coffee.) levels,” explains Nieman. This imbal-
ance (called hyponatremia) can be milk and fruit juice tend to look pretty
Of course, no one’s suggesting that deadly in some cases. In this scenario, good in these hydration studies,” he
people dump water in favor of milk sports drinks and other beverages says. Some of Nieman’s research has
and OJ. Water is still hydrating. So are with nutrients and sodium are safer found that eating a banana is better
sports drinks, beer and even coffee, than plain water. than drinking a sports beverage when
to some extent. But the authors of the it comes to postexercise recovery. And
2015 study wrote that there are several While hyponatremia and excessive he says eating almost any piece of fruit
“elements of a beverage” that affect water consumption aren’t big con- along with some water is going to aid
how much H₂O the body retains. cerns for nonathletes, there are better the body’s ability to absorb that H₂O
These include a drink’s nutrient con- ways to keep the body and brain and rehydrate. (These hydration rules
tent as well as the presence of diuretic hydrated than to pound water all day apply to athletes as well, he says.)
agents, which increase the amount of long. Sipping water (or any other bev-
urine a person produces. Ingesting erage) a little bit at a time prevents the The bottom line isn’t that people
water along with amino acids, fats kidneys from being overloaded, and should drink less water, nor that they
and minerals seems to help the body so helps the body retain more H₂O, should swap it out for other beverages.
absorb and retain more H₂O—and Nieman says. But for those hoping to stay optimally
FROM LEFT: JANINE LAMONTAGNE/GETTY; ASTRAKAN IMAGES/GETTY

therefore maintain better levels of hydrated, a slow and steady approach

hydration—which is especially impor- Drinking water before or during a to water consumption and coupling
tant following exercise and periods of meal or snack is another good strat- water with a little food is more effec-
heavy perspiration. egy. “Drinking water with amino tive than knocking back glasses of
acids or fats or vitamins or minerals H₂O between meals. ■
“People who are drinking bottles and helps the body take up more of the
bottles of water in between meals water, which is why beverages like

EATING ALMOST ANY PIECE OF FRUIT ALONG WITH SOME WATER IS GOING
TO AID THE BODY’S ABILITY TO TAKE UP THAT H2O AND REHYDRATE.

11
 5

THE MYTH
Eggs are bad for you
▶ THE TRUTH
In moderation, they’re
a nutritious option

12 TIME FOR HEALTH

 “Eggs are also one of the only foods
that naturally have vitamin D,”
Zeitlin says, “which helps to keep
bones strong.”

Should you eat egg yolks?

One of the biggest points of confu-
sion is whether egg yolks are good
or bad for you. For years, yolks had
a negative reputation because of their
dietary cholesterol, which experts
warned was damaging for health.
One large egg contains 186 milli-
grams cholesterol; the recommended
daily value for cholesterol is less than
300 milligrams.

“It was once thought that eggs were

associated with an increased risk of
heart disease because of their high
cholesterol content,” says Maciel.
Two dietitians say Are eggs healthy? “Current research shows that for most
Nutrition experts agree that the pro- people, dietary cholesterol may not
that consuming eggs, tein and vitamins in eggs make them significantly affect the cholesterol
yolks and all, is likely a healthy option. “I would say eggs are levels in your blood.”
a healthy choice. very healthy, with 13 essential vita-
mins and minerals,” says registered But the cholesterol debate is ongo-
By Cassie Shortsleeve dietitian Brigitte Zeitlin. “Plus, they ing. A 2019 study published in JAMA
are a good source of high-quality pro- looked at the dietary habits of nearly
tein, which is what our bodies use to 30,000 adults in the U.S. and tracked
▶ Eggs dominate the menus of all build and maintain strong, healthy them for up to 31 years. Researchers
sorts of breakfast spots, from fast- muscles.” One large egg has about concluded that the dietary choles-
food chains to organic cafes. But the 6 grams of protein, according to the terol in eggs was linked to a moder-
humble egg comes with a lot of ques- USDA’s nutrition database. One large ately increased risk of cardiovascular
tions: Will eggs raise your choles- egg also contains only 72 calories, disease and early death, even when
terol? Should you order an egg-white providing a lot of nutrition in a small people ate relatively few of them.
FROM LEFT: RAMZI CHEBBI/EYEEM/GETTY; GMVOZD/GETTY

omelet or embrace the yolks? And caloric package. For each half-egg eaten per day—
what about organic eggs—are they meaning just three to four more eggs
really more nutritious? Eggs are also rich in nutrients including per week—a person’s cardiovascular
biotin (which helps you convert food disease risk increased by 6%, and their
There’s still a lot that scientists need into usable energy), choline (an essen- risk of early death went up by 8%, the
to learn about the health benefits tial micronutrient involved in metabo- researchers found.
and risks of eggs. But there’s plenty lism, among other functions), vitamin
that experts already know about how A (important for the immune system) The research isn’t definitive; more is
to incorporate eggs into a healthy and lutein and zeaxanthin (antioxi- needed. But for now, experts recom-
diet. Here, dietitians weigh in on what dants that help protect your body from mend talking to your doctor when
you need to know about nutrition free radicals), says registered dietitian trying to decide on a reasonable
in eggs. Ryan Maciel. number of eggs to eat.

13
 to cholesterol levels in the blood. Fahrenheit or hotter and following
“Risk factors that are more likely other basic food safety practices.”
THE NUTRITION OF related to heart disease risk include
EGG WHITES BEGINS genetics, lack of exercise and lifestyle What’s the healthiest way
AND ENDS WITH choices like smoking and alcohol con- to prepare eggs?
sumption,” Zeitlin says. Cooking your eggs is good for you,
PROTEIN AND SOME
and not just because doing so reduces
B VITAMINS, WHICH IS In fact, a study in 2018 published in the risk of food poisoning. “Cooking
WHY MANY EXPERTS the journal Heart found that people eggs makes the protein more digesti-
ENCOURAGE EATING who ate about one egg a day had lower ble and increases the bioavailability of
THE WHOLE EGG. rates of heart disease and stroke, biotin,” says Maciel.
possibly because of eggs’ ability to
increase levels of “good” HDL choles- When it comes to getting the most
terol, which can help fight fat buildup nutrition, you have plenty of equally
In addition to cholesterol, the yolk in blood vessels. Another study, pub- good choices. “You can really eat
also contains many of the egg’s nutri- lished in 2016 in the American Journal your eggs however you prefer: scram-
ents. Egg yolks include high amounts of Clinical Nutrition, also found that bled, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, omelet
of iron, folate, vitamins, lutein and eating one egg a day wasn’t a problem or poached,” Zeitlin says. “As long
zeaxanthin. “While the yolk contains for people who were at greater risk for as you are eating the whole egg, you’ll
less protein than egg whites, it does heart and cholesterol problems. be getting all the nutrition the egg has
provide several healthy nutrients, to offer.”
such as fat-soluble vitamins, essen- However, it’s good to keep in mind
tial fatty acids and antioxidants,” that research in this area is ongoing— There are, of course, ways to make
says Maciel. a certainty for nearly every contro- eggs even more nutritious, like pair-
versial question in nutrition science. ing them with vegetables. “Omelets
Should you eat egg whites? Moderation is likely best. are a great way to include more veg-
The egg-white craze—anchored by gies in your diet while getting in a
foods like egg-white-only omelets, Should you buy rich source of protein,” says Maciel.
cookies and waffles—was once con- organic eggs? Zeitlin also likes to combine eggs
sidered healthy. But the nutrition of There are legitimate reasons to con- with a good source of fiber, like veg-
egg whites begins and ends with pro- sider organic eggs. Research shows gies, fruit or whole grains. “The com-
tein and some B vitamins, says Maciel, that organic farming practices can be bination of protein and fiber will
which is why many experts encourage better for the environment, and cage- keep hunger pangs at bay for a longer
eating the whole egg. free, free-range and organic eggs are period of time,” she says. “If I’m
typically better for animal welfare having a hard-boiled egg for a snack,

MAGONE/GETTY
“For one, your omelets will be more compared to conventional eggs, Maciel I like to include a clementine or some
delicious when you include the yolk,” says. Buying organic reduces the risk grapes for a little fiber.” ■
says Zeitlin. “But you’re losing almost of consuming antibiotics, chemicals
half the amount of protein in the egg and heavy metals, too, he says.
when you ditch the yolk. You’re also
missing out on those essential vita- But if you’re trying to reduce the risk
mins and minerals like vitamins D, E, of foodborne illnesses, like salmo-
A, choline and antioxidants.” nella, buying organic won’t guarantee
that the eggs will be safe. “The risk of
Will eggs raise your an egg being contaminated with sal-
cholesterol? monella is very low and has nothing to
The data have at times conflicted, and do with whether or not it is organic,”
there aren’t definitive answers yet. But Zeitlin says. “The best way to avoid
some recent research suggests that food poisoning is to cook eggs to an
dietary cholesterol isn’t solidly linked internal temperature of 160 degrees

14 TIME FOR HEALTH