SHAPE UP
Test your nutrition, food 'IQs'

By Charles Stuart Platkin

I'm always amazed by what I know and don't know, and how much I continue to learn about nutrition. But there are a few questions that come up over and over again when I talk to people about the pursuit of healthy living. Take the following nutrition and food 'IQ' test and see how you do.

Q. Are seven-grain and multigrain breads better for you than 100 percent whole wheat?

A. Not necessarily. Bread labeled "100 percent whole-grain" is made with flour that contains the entire grain kernel — including the bran, the germ and endosperm. However, most multigrain breads contain enriched-wheat flour along with other grain flours — basically a mixture of whole wheat and enriched flour with caramel coloring.

This means they offer less fiber and lower amounts of other key nutrients, such as zinc and vitamin E. Plus, whole grains have been associated with promoting weight loss (feeling full longer) and a reduced risk of cancer and heart disease. Look at the first ingredient on the Nutrition Facts panel. If it isn't some sort of 100-percent whole grain, you are being shortchanged.

Q. Are brown eggs better than white eggs?

A. This one used to get me — I was surprised to learn that the shell color has nothing to do with nutritional content. The only thing that determines egg color is the type of chicken it came from.

Q. If the ingredient list says hydrogenated soybean or partially hydrogenated soybean oil — is it good for you?

A. Unfortunately, just because the label has the word "soybean" doesn't mean it's automatically healthy. If it has the word "hydrogenated," it has trans fat —meaning the manufacturer has blasted corn, soybean or other vegetable oils with hydrogen, which helps to keep them stable, makes them more solid and lengthens their shelf life. This process turns good fats (unsaturated) into the unhealthiest fat — trans fat. Check the ingredients label of all processed food for the word "hydrogenated," and avoid those foods when you can.

The good news is that if you only see the words "non-hydrogenated" or "liquid soybean oil," it means the product contains no trans fat.

Q. Is butter better than margarine?

A. Even though margarine is often made with heart-healthy oil such as canola, it fell out of favor for a while because it contained unhealthy partially hydrogenated oil. Plus, margarine has about the same amount of calories (about 100 per tablespoon) as butter. But now, especially because butter is loaded with unhealthy saturated fat, margarine has made a huge comeback because many manufacturers have eliminated trans fat from their products. Stick margarine still has trans fat, but the other types, including many tubs and sprays, have managed to do without. Check the label for saturated fat content and "trans fat free" claims.

Q. Which is healthier — white- or dark-meat chicken?

A. White meat is lower in fat than dark. Skinless white meat is the leanest choice for poultry, followed by skinless dark meat and white meat with skin.

Here are a few healthier-chicken tips:

• Remove the skin before eating.

• Trim all excess fat from the chicken before cooking.

• Instead of using butter and oil to enhance taste, try vinegars, wines, herbs, spices or citrus fruit.

• Cook chicken without added fats by baking, roasting, broiling, grilling or poaching. Stir-fry using a fat-free-nonstick cooking spray.

Chicken breast, skinless

(3 ounces): 140 calories, 3g fat, 26g protein

Chicken breast, with skin

(3 ounces): 167 calories, 7g fat, 25g protein

Chicken drumstick, skinless (3 ounces): 146 calories, 5g fat, 24g protein

Chicken drumstick, with skin (3 ounces): 184 calories, 9.5g fat, 23g protein

Q. Is honey better than brown sugar, and is brown sugar better than white?

A. There is really no nutritional advantage to using honey or brown sugar. Ounce for ounce, the nutrient content of honey is similar to that of white sugar, raw sugar and brown sugar. Although some less-refined, more "natural" sugars may contain minerals, you would need to eat unreasonable amounts for them to make any meaningful contribution to your diet.

Q. Which has the most fiber — steak, skinless chicken breast, chicken breast with skin, or eggs?

A. That's a trick question, because animal products contain practically no fiber. Only plant-based foods have fiber. Basically, the term fiber refers to carbohydrates that cannot be digested. Fiber is present in all plants, including fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes.

Charles Stuart Platkin is a nutrition and public-health advocate. Reach him at info@thedietdetective.com.