The Biggest Food and Nutrition Lies Our Parents Ever Told Us
The editors of Cooking Light are spilling our parents' dirty secrets and myth-busting their bold-faced food lies. Don't worry, mom and dad, we still love ya!
1. You have to wash your eggs before cracking them
Struggling to cook healthy? We'll help you prep.
And if I didn't, I'd get salmonella.
2. That beets taste bad
I never tasted one until I grew up only because my mom hated them and never cooked them. Turns out, they're one of my favorite vegetables.
3. Milk is the only way to build strong bones and get enough calcium
Right, because cheese, yogurt, kale, and broccoli don't have any calcium at all.
Related: 10 Foods for Strong Bones
4. If your stomach hurts, drink tea
My family swore this would "cure" any stomachache.
5. Flat Coca-Cola will cure nausea, warm milk will help you sleep, and eating breakfast first thing in the morning is crucial
The first two have no science to back them up, but eating breakfast is pretty valid. Here's what to eat for breakfast to start your day off right.
6. You have to drink milk to be tall
I've never had a sip in my life (refused it since age 1), and I'm a 5'10" female.
7. Eating bread crust will help you "run fast and jump high"
What can I say, I was a gullible child. I ate plenty of crust, and I still can't break a 12-minute mile.
8. Carrots keep your eyes blue
Carrots may not change your eye color, but it turns out there are some foods that can improve your eyesight.
9. Butter sandwiches make you "pretty"
When there are no groceries in the house, parents can get really creative.
10. You can't swim for 30 minutes after eating or else you'll drown
You might feel slight cramping, but experts confirm this is just a myth—eating before swimming is not a contributing risk for drowning.