Episode 3 Food: Truth or Scare


Episode 3

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Every day, we are bombarded with conflicting information

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about our favourite foods.

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One minute, we are told something is good for us, the next, it's not

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and we are left feeling guilty about what we are eating.

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So, we have been wading through the confusion

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to separate the scare stories from the truth

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so that you can choose your food with confidence.

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Hello and thank you so much for joining us on the programme

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that unravels the truth behind all those baffling headlines

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and theories, telling us all what we should and shouldn't be eating.

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There are so many scare stories around,

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you can easily forget that food is something to enjoy,

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but even if, like me, you are fed up of being warned away

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from the stuff you like, you'll still want to know how much

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of the advice we are getting really stacks up.

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And whilst we all do know that what we eat has a massive impact

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on our energy levels and even our moods,

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today, we'll be finding out what difference is made by how we cook it

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and I find this really interesting,

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even what time of the day that we have it.

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Coming up -

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after new reports claiming you might not need it,

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we have a test to see if having breakfast

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makes any difference to your day.

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The full English - how did that go for you? What was good about that?

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I just felt fuller. Like, usually of a morning,

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I don't get full until, like, lunchtime.

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We have another experiment too - to find out if it is true

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that instead of three square meals, you would be better off with six

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or even just one.

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I thought I'd easily be able to eat it all

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but I am starting to struggle now.

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And as we discover the truth behind warnings about cooking

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with olive oil and even barbecues,

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we have surprising advice on the best way to cook your veg.

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Almost a third of people say they don't eat breakfast

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so it must be music to their ears when they see newspaper reports

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suggesting that it might not be the most important meal of the day

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after all, as the age-old adage goes.

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But to find out once and for all

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what difference a good breakfast makes to your day

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and what it should be, we drafted in a family of volunteers

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to put some of our favourite breakfasts to the test.

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We are spoiled for choice on how to start the day.

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My typical breakfast is actually fruit.

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Fruit or yoghurt, to be honest.

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I just love my eggs and I love my Weetabix.

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But I do think that it does start you off for the day,

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even if it is a very light...

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You should have something before you go out.

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For breakfast, I choose porridge cos it helps me go to the bathroom.

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-Most important meal of the day.

-You don't want to go out of the house

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feeling hungry, so you need to eat something.

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We only have an egg-and-bacon breakfast

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maybe Saturday or a Sunday morning,

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so during the week, we are back to porridge, cereals,

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boring stuff.

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But... And that is it, just to try and keep as healthy as you can.

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But whilst that lot and millions more of us

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think that we are doing the right thing by having breakfast,

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there's a whole host of reports and headlines saying

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it might not be that simple.

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For me, breakfast is a must and I suppose it goes right back

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to my growing up days when my mum, bless her, would never let us

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go to school without a cooked breakfast, every single day.

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But there are some people who say, do you know what,

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I just don't need breakfast, I don't like it, I just don't want it.

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So, at the end of it all, is it a question of preference and choice

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or does breakfast really do you some good?

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Well, to help us test if breakfast really is essential,

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and if so, what is the best thing to eat,

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we have called in the Meegan family from Liverpool.

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Mandy, who is the mum of the family, finds it a constant battle

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to get the kids fed and ready for the day ahead.

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-Come on, Os.

-Come on, Os.

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And it is one that she doesn't always win.

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Come on, lads.

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On a regular basis, every morning,

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I have lots and lots of healthy food in the kitchen

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and that can range from cereal, eggs, bacon, bananas.

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However, your kids get to a certain age

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where they will want to eat what they want to eat.

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Ten-year-old Oscar is nuts about cereal,

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scoffing nearly a box of his favourite every fortnight.

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I like sweet and sugary cereals...

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..because they are, like, tasty.

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But like almost a third of us,

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13-year-old Tilly eats nothing at all in the mornings.

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I don't really think much about breakfast,

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I don't really have time to cos I've got to get to school.

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Meanwhile, Mandy is determined to start her day

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with something nutritious.

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Of a morning, I do have a green smoothie...

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..because I like it and it makes me feel energised

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and it fills me up.

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Lovely.

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-Smells like...

-It smells like...

-..loads of...

-..poo.

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For the next few days,

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they'll all give up their usual start to the day

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and instead, road test a bunch of different breakfasts

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that we'll send round each morning.

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And then we will see which one

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leaves them feeling the most energised.

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Running the experiment for us is nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston

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who, like me, is a big fan of breakfast.

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How important overall do you think it is for people to have breakfast?

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I think breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day

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and I think that when we have a good breakfast

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and we keep our fuel levels more stable throughout the day,

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we make better choices throughout the rest of the day.

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I find that if I have eggs in the morning, that my energy level

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all day is really good, but if I just had a bit of toast,

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even if it was wholemeal,

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-it wouldn't have the same effect at all.

-No, absolutely, same here.

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So I wouldn't be without a good breakfast in the morning

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unless I really could not manage

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but I would always try to have a good breakfast to start me off.

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It has long been argued that a good breakfast sets us up

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for the day and can also reduce the amount that we snack,

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but the anti-breakfast camp points to research

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that found skipping breakfast didn't have a significant effect

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on either the body's metabolism or indeed eating patterns.

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So which side of the fence will the Meegans come down on

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after trying our breakfast selections?

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Over four mornings, we will send them

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four different starts to the day and they will have no idea

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what is destined for their plates until we deliver it.

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-ALL:

-Oh.

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-MANDY CHUCKLES

-Nice.

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Yvonne's kick-starting the experiment with a much-loved brekky

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and indeed my own favourite.

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Nice eggs, nice bit of bacon. Only eight rashers, that's all right.

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Today's box is all the goodies that the Meegans need

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to rustle up a hearty full English.

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Right, look, I'm going to give the drill, you are on sausages.

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Sausages cook first. Get the tinfoil out, Till.

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Normally, they'd only have a cooked breakfast as a treat

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so they are delighted.

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I think this is better cos there is more variety.

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Yeah, you've got bigger food but you have got variety.

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You've got your meat, all that malarkey.

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It might look a lot, but it should keep the Meegans going for longer

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and it might even make them eat less throughout the day.

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One study suggests that eating up to 700 calories at breakfast,

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followed by a small lunch and dinner,

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cuts the amount we snack throughout the day.

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This is a really big plate of food with lots of protein.

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It is going to digest slowly over the morning and I would expect

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the family to feel fuller, more satisfied and I would expect them

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to have better stamina and energy as they go through their morning.

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A cooked breakfast has got a lot less sugar

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than Oscar's regular cereal, and for Tilly, who is normally

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used to nothing for breakfast, it has immediately given her a boost.

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If we didn't have a breakfast this morning,

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I'd probably be starving now.

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but because I've had a full English, I just feel fine

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and I don't feel hungry and I feel I've got energy for the rest of the day.

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After 40 minutes, I would say I felt more energised

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and ready to go home and wash their school uniforms.

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The protein in the meat and eggs is great fuel for the family

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but there is more good stuff on the plate as well.

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There's wholemeal bread on this breakfast, putting in the vitamins,

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minerals and fibre. The tomatoes, obviously great,

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full of important antioxidants like lycopene.

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Eggs bring us sources of iron and vitamins and minerals.

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And presumably scrambled egg better than a fried egg?

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Yes, or a poached egg would probably be even better.

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Grilling the meat and cutting off any extra fat would also make

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this breakfast better, but Yvonne would go one step further

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and swap the bacon and sausage for vegetarian alternatives

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which would be lower in fat and salt.

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She'd also add some more protein-packed extras

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like baked beans or mushrooms.

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Back in Liverpool, it is day two

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and our second box has arrived.

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Let's have a little look in here.

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-Oh!

-THEY LAUGH

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Well, yous are made up.

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Today's choice is the nation's preferred start to the day -

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cereal - and Yvonne has chosen Oscar's favourite -

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honey and nut coated flakes.

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-You'd eat that, wouldn't you?

-Yeah.

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Almost two-thirds of people who eat breakfast choose cereal,

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but mum Mandy is not impressed.

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I just think it is non-descript, it is like having sweets.

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-What about you, Oscar, do you feel full?

-Yeah.

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Neither Mandy nor Tilly are won over,

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even though Tilly wouldn't normally have any breakfast at all.

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After my brekky this morning, I feel just the same really,

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I don't really feel much different.

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It's not my chosen breakfast because it's too sugary

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and I am not used eating cereal at all.

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The reason Mandy hates the cereal is probably why Oscar loves it.

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It is sweet. So sweet in fact that his favourite brand

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contains more than 11g of sugar in a portion

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and that is more than a third of a standard 30g serving.

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Trouble is, one study found that most of us

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put far more than 30g of cereal into the bowl

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and that means we are probably eating more sugar than we realise.

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A lot of the cereals that we get in, they are really refined,

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they are really processed and they have been loaded with sugar.

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There is not a lot of inherent flavour left in them

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so they have to add a lot of sugar in to make them taste nice

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and sometimes quite a lot of salt as well, actually.

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This kind of breakfast might impact our mood, our energy levels

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and affect the types of food we eat later on in the day.

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It is not a breakfast that Yvonne would recommend.

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If we fill up on sugary cereal first thing,

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our blood sugar is going to go high,

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we are going to release the sugar storage hormone insulin,

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it's going to drop our blood sugar down, we are going to be irritable,

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we might be feeling more emotional, we might be feeling that we are

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craving more sugar and more things to pick that blood sugar back up

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again and that, over time, can lead to us producing too much body fat

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and it can lead to obesity and diabetes.

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So, what is your advice generally in doing the best for yourself

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and your children in terms of cereal?

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Get used to how to read a label because on the back of that label,

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it will tell you how much sugar there is in there

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and that is the part that says carbohydrates, of which sugars.

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So when we had a look, we found that the cereals ranged between

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about 6% sugar and about 37% sugar.

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-And what should it be?

-If we can get a cereal that is about 10% sugar

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and even more, ideally, choose a wholegrain cereal,

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one where you haven't had the natural nutrients processed out.

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Look for a cereal that has some nuts, that has some seeds

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and has some things in there that are going to add some protein

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and add some good fats and help us to digest that more slowly.

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They help to keep our blood sugar levels more balanced throughout

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the day, so our blood sugar isn't fluctuating up and down, making us

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hungry and irritable and wanting more sugar to keep us going.

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It's halfway through the Meegans' breakfast experiment.

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They have two mornings to go, but on one of them,

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they can expect a big surprise.

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We'll find out exactly what that is later on in the programme.

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How many times a day do you have a meal?

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Well, for generations,

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we've been told to eat three square meals every day.

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Two relatively small ones and a big main meal

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and it is something the overwhelming majority of us still stick to today.

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I mean, I know I do.

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We have our main meal in the evening but I know that we eat too late.

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All that traffic, getting home, it is eight, half past eight

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-and that's not good.

-But it seems a case of old habits may not always be

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the best ones, so we are going to put that to the test.

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Most of the time, I still stick to the three meals a day

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I was brought up on, but that is not how everyone does it.

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Could I ask you, how many meals do you eat a day?

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-Meals a day? Oh, five.

-Five meals a day?

-Yes.

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-Three.

-Three?

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-And that's your traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner?

-Yup.

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-And is that...?

-I'm the same. I cook them for him...

-You cook them, so...

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THEY LAUGH

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-One.

-One?

-One main meal, yeah.

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-OK. Which meal's that?

-Evening.

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-So, you have lots of smaller meals throughout the day?

-Yes.

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-So, you get most of your calories from one main meal?

-Yep.

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-OK, that's very good, and why is that?

-Cos I'll get fat.

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If the headlines are to be believed,

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any number other than three seems to be the way forward.

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From one or two big meals a day to six or even nine small ones,

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each has been claimed to be better for us

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than we've traditionally been told.

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So what is the truth about how often we should eat?

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Well, with the help of nutritionist, Ian Marber,

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we have set up an experiment to see what effect

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three very different eating patterns will have on our volunteers.

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Mitch, Chloe and Matt all work together

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at this call centre in Leeds.

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Matt is going to eat just one large meal in the middle of the day,

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Chloe will spread her normal daily calories over six meals

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and Mitch will stick to the traditional three meals a day.

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-I'm quite happy with three square meals.

-I know, it's your normal day.

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-Yeah.

-I'll just watch you, enviously.

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CHLOE LAUGHS

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Ian and I will be keeping a careful watch on all three

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to see how their mealtimes impact on them,

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not just physically, but mentally, too.

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There are two issues here. First, there is the emotional response

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and there's the physiological response and the emotional response

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-of watching other people eat is that you want something to eat.

-Yeah.

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It may be that Matt doesn't normally eat something till lunchtime

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anyway, but of course, human nature is, the moment you're told

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you can't have something, you want it, that is the way we're built.

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8am and it is time for breakfast.

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Mitch is about to tuck in to his first of three meals -

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a bacon butty.

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Chloe is kicking off her six-meal plan with a plate of scrambled eggs

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and an apple.

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But the only thing on Matt's menu is a rather uninspiring glass of water.

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Right, let's tuck in, Mitch. Sorry, Matt!

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CHLOE LAUGHS

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So, Mitch and Chloe have got a fairly hearty breakfast,

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-haven't they?

-Yes. Scrambled eggs...

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So, of course, she's got protein

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and protein breaks down quite slowly into glucose

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-so I would expect that to give her energy for two or three hours.

-OK.

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So, in fact, she would probably be feeling quite normal

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and quite sort of powered up.

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But Matt hasn't eaten yet today and by mid-morning, he's feeling tired.

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His glucose levels will be fairly low.

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Physiologically, he'll be feeling one thing,

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psychologically, he'll probably be feeling quite deprived.

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Chloe however is on six meals a day.

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That is very different from her regular eating pattern

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and her body is not yet telling her it is ready for the next meal.

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She's just about to eat again, she's not actually hungry,

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nor really looking forward or wanting to eat again.

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If that sort of normal?

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From a physiological perspective, entirely normal,

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to be expected, but had she had a huge bowl of processed cereal

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and a cup of caffeinated coffee with sugar in it, for instance,

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the energy may have had similar calories,

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the energy it created would have run out very quickly,

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simply because they are simple carbohydrates.

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It's 11 o'clock in the call centre

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and time for Chloe's second meal.

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Meanwhile, Mitch is a little peckish but his energy levels are OK.

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Poor Matt, though, he has only had that glass of water

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and he's feeling really hungry and rather sluggish.

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It's not long.

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-Not long to lunch.

-It is quite long.

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It's not long. I need to tell myself it's not long.

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Mind over matter.

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Matt's one-meal diet may sound extreme

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but in fact in Roman times, it was pretty much the norm.

0:16:130:16:17

And in many European countries today,

0:16:170:16:19

it's still the case that the largest meal of the day

0:16:190:16:21

is at lunchtime with a lighter one in the evening.

0:16:210:16:25

Research has shown that this approach can help lower

0:16:250:16:28

your blood sugar and cholesterol and help you lose weight.

0:16:280:16:32

But for Matt, who is running on empty, waiting for his one and only

0:16:320:16:35

lunchtime meal is really taking its toll.

0:16:350:16:37

I'm really hungry now and I'm now really tired

0:16:370:16:40

and a bit foggy headed.

0:16:400:16:41

It's finally lunchtime and Matt's only meal of the day is a whopper.

0:16:430:16:47

It's roughly the same amount he'd normally get through in a day

0:16:470:16:50

and is made up of the kind of foods he likes to eat.

0:16:500:16:53

The big difference of course is that today, they are all in one sitting.

0:16:530:16:57

Oh, wow, Matt.

0:16:570:16:59

Oh, yes.

0:17:000:17:01

THEY LAUGH

0:17:020:17:04

I went into this quite arrogantly

0:17:060:17:07

but this is going to be a bit of a challenge.

0:17:070:17:09

You reckon you can eat everything, don't you? I don't think you can.

0:17:090:17:12

-I can definitely...

-What are you going to start with, Matt?

0:17:120:17:15

THEY LAUGH

0:17:150:17:17

-Enjoy.

-Yeah, let's go.

0:17:170:17:18

Chloe is struggling to face eating again

0:17:200:17:22

just two hours after her last small meal.

0:17:220:17:25

I'm not overly hungry, so even this is over-facing me a little bit,

0:17:250:17:29

so that would... I just don't think I could do it.

0:17:290:17:32

Matt has a huge pile of food to get through.

0:17:340:17:36

In fact, an hour later,

0:17:360:17:38

while the others are back at their desks, he is still eating.

0:17:380:17:42

I am slowing down much more than I thought I would.

0:17:450:17:48

When I first saw it, cos I hadn't eaten the whole day,

0:17:480:17:51

I thought I'd easily be able to eat it all,

0:17:510:17:53

but I'm starting to struggle now.

0:17:530:17:55

We have all skipped breakfast at one stage or another

0:17:550:17:57

but certainly wouldn't necessarily sit down

0:17:570:18:00

to that enormous amount of food in one go.

0:18:000:18:03

And of course, he will have had quite a lot of carbohydrates,

0:18:030:18:05

quite a lot of everything, actually, and I suspect afterwards,

0:18:050:18:08

he will feel unusually tired, for two reasons.

0:18:080:18:10

First of all, the digestive system is working hard,

0:18:100:18:13

using up a lot of energy,

0:18:130:18:14

and also, he has been running on adrenaline, so effectively,

0:18:140:18:16

those adrenal glands will switch off

0:18:160:18:18

and so he doesn't have that extra kick, as it were,

0:18:180:18:20

and he will begin to relax

0:18:200:18:22

and probably find it quite difficult to concentrate.

0:18:220:18:24

While Matt struggles to cope

0:18:240:18:26

after his one and only massive meal of the day,

0:18:260:18:29

Chloe, on her six small meals, is doing rather well.

0:18:290:18:33

Chloe's body, by the way,

0:18:330:18:34

is actually going to be nicely regulated throughout the day.

0:18:340:18:37

That's what I expect, because eating little and often means

0:18:370:18:40

you've got glucose being created, which makes energy,

0:18:400:18:43

then as soon as the glucose starts to run out

0:18:430:18:45

and your blood glucose levels come down, she is going to be

0:18:450:18:47

eating again so she will probably make a better food decision.

0:18:470:18:51

So, as Chloe gets ready to eat her fourth meal,

0:18:510:18:53

Matt has hit a wall and has gone for a lie down.

0:18:530:18:56

And that's as you'd expect, isn't it? He's overloaded his body.

0:18:570:19:00

He's overloaded, yes, and simply, his lack of energy is simply

0:19:000:19:03

because his digestive system is taking up a lot of energy

0:19:030:19:06

and leaving less for him.

0:19:060:19:07

It's six o'clock and as the workday draws to an end,

0:19:090:19:12

Matt is still recovering from his feast.

0:19:120:19:14

Chloe is getting ready for meal number five

0:19:140:19:16

and Mitch is preparing for his main meal of the day.

0:19:160:19:20

He has got soup and chicken with vegetables and dressing.

0:19:200:19:25

So I guess this one's mine then.

0:19:250:19:27

Yeah, and no guessing which one's Matt's.

0:19:270:19:29

Another exciting meal.

0:19:290:19:31

This is Mitch's last meal of the day, so hopefully,

0:19:330:19:35

it will be enough to see him through.

0:19:350:19:37

With the working day over, our volunteers go home

0:19:380:19:41

and eight hours after his only meal,

0:19:410:19:44

Matt is having a surprising reaction to his lunchtime feast.

0:19:440:19:47

I felt fine all evening, I've had no cravings, and surprisingly,

0:19:470:19:52

I think I like this diet more as the day has gone on.

0:19:520:19:54

So, it was a big effort at lunch,

0:19:540:19:56

it was a big effort in the morning to not eat anything

0:19:560:19:58

but now I feel normal, I think it's worked out OK over the whole day.

0:19:580:20:01

I could get used to it.

0:20:010:20:03

Mitch is feeling good, too,

0:20:030:20:04

although he has had less of a change from his normal routine.

0:20:040:20:09

I'm still feeling quite energetic, not feeling tired,

0:20:090:20:12

usually feel a bit more tired at this point in the day.

0:20:120:20:15

Erm, I'm definitely not hungry

0:20:150:20:18

and have not been tempted to eat anything.

0:20:180:20:21

There are lots of conflicting claims about when is best to eat

0:20:210:20:24

but it is generally believed that eating a big meal

0:20:240:20:27

just before bed means the body is more likely to store

0:20:270:20:29

calories as fat rather than burn it off as energy.

0:20:290:20:33

Having your biggest meal at lunchtime

0:20:330:20:35

and something lighter in the evening has the opposite effect

0:20:350:20:37

and like Chloe's six-meal plan,

0:20:370:20:39

has been shown to help weight loss, too,

0:20:390:20:41

probably because, as Chloe is discovering, it keeps you full.

0:20:410:20:44

It's time for her sixth and final meal of the day.

0:20:450:20:49

I'm not really hungry, I was sort of relaxed on the sofa,

0:20:490:20:52

I don't usually eat at this time so I am not used to it.

0:20:520:20:55

Erm, but I'm going to eat it anyway.

0:20:550:20:58

While eating so often was a struggle for Chloe, she was never hungry,

0:20:590:21:03

so you could say she fared the best in today's experiment.

0:21:030:21:07

Maybe that is because her mini mealtimes perhaps came closest

0:21:070:21:10

to what many experts do recommend.

0:21:100:21:13

Breakfast within an hour of getting up,

0:21:130:21:16

lunch three to four hours later,

0:21:160:21:18

then a mid-afternoon snack,

0:21:180:21:20

dinner around six to avoid overloading your body before bed

0:21:200:21:24

and finally, a late snack to keep you full.

0:21:240:21:27

But while three meals and two healthy snacks

0:21:270:21:29

might generally be considered the best approach,

0:21:290:21:32

Ian says there is no need to get too hung up on exactly

0:21:320:21:35

how many meals you split your daily calories into.

0:21:350:21:39

What has happened is that the human body is very adaptable

0:21:390:21:41

and so if they were to continue this experiment for weeks and weeks

0:21:410:21:44

and weeks, so eat once a day, three times a day,

0:21:440:21:46

five or six times a day,

0:21:460:21:48

the metabolism adapts and what will happen over a period of time

0:21:480:21:52

is that you begin to become very used to what you are doing.

0:21:520:21:55

They all took positives and negatives from it, really.

0:21:550:21:58

-Mitch being probably the least affected, but...

-Yes.

-..there were

0:21:580:22:02

certainly very interesting parts of all three of them.

0:22:020:22:05

I wouldn't want to be Matt, though. Couldn't do one a day.

0:22:050:22:08

Do you know at what time of day your metabolism is most efficient?

0:22:080:22:12

If you are an early riser, you might need a big breakfast

0:22:120:22:15

or if you are a night owl,

0:22:150:22:17

studies show it may be better for you to have a large lunch.

0:22:170:22:20

Go to bbc.co.uk/food

0:22:200:22:23

to take our test to find out what is right for you.

0:22:230:22:26

Still to come...

0:22:290:22:30

we find out if the Meegans are any closer to proving

0:22:300:22:33

whether breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.

0:22:330:22:36

Oh, God.

0:22:360:22:38

That looks disgusting.

0:22:380:22:40

That is ridiculous.

0:22:400:22:42

And we get to the bottom of warnings about the safety

0:22:420:22:45

of some of the cooking oils we use every day.

0:22:450:22:47

But first...

0:22:500:22:52

The best way to cook your food has been debated for centuries

0:22:520:22:55

and I can't see that changing any time soon.

0:22:550:22:58

-How are you?

-Very well, Joe, how are you?

0:22:590:23:01

But even as a fruit and veg trader, I hadn't fully appreciated

0:23:010:23:04

what an amazing difference the cooking method you choose

0:23:040:23:07

can make to the amount of goodness you get when you eat it.

0:23:070:23:11

Take for instance, one of my bestsellers - the simple carrot.

0:23:110:23:15

Could I ask you, how would you cook this?

0:23:150:23:18

Oh...

0:23:180:23:19

-generally, boil it.

-Steam it.

0:23:190:23:21

I might peel it, chop it into small bits

0:23:210:23:24

and braise it in the oven with a lot of butter.

0:23:240:23:26

-I have got a carrot here...

-Mm-hmm.

-How would you cook that?

0:23:260:23:30

-Erm, I'd boil it or roast it.

-You'd give it to her!

0:23:300:23:32

I would cook that whole,

0:23:320:23:34

I would boil it for about ten minutes then roast it whole.

0:23:340:23:37

-Oh, would you?

-Yeah.

-Very good.

0:23:370:23:39

Olive oil, maybe rapeseed oil.

0:23:390:23:41

-A bit of thyme and garlic. Delicious.

-Very nice.

0:23:410:23:44

Sounds delicious. Do you think that is the healthiest way to cook it?

0:23:440:23:47

No, it's not, but it's delicious.

0:23:470:23:49

Do you think that is the healthiest way to cook it?

0:23:490:23:51

-Erm, probably steaming it would be the healthiest.

-Yeah.

0:23:510:23:54

-Steam it.

-Steam it?

0:23:540:23:55

-If you were cooking, yeah.

-OK.

-Microwave? In the microwave?

0:23:550:23:58

-Microwave. Yeah, maybe.

-Posh, she is. Steam.

-Steam? Steam?

0:23:580:24:01

I'd probably go for the steaming option, too.

0:24:020:24:05

But as always, there is no shortage of conflicting headlines

0:24:050:24:08

telling us which way is apparently the best to cook our veg.

0:24:080:24:11

Some claiming a particular method would kill all the nutrients.

0:24:110:24:15

Others insisting it would give you more.

0:24:150:24:17

So to try and settle this properly, we are going to put it to the test.

0:24:170:24:21

We have called in the help of Professor Graham Bonwick

0:24:230:24:26

and his team at the University of Chester's Food Centre.

0:24:260:24:29

They are going to steam, stir-fry, boil and microwave

0:24:320:24:36

a bunch of carrots,

0:24:360:24:37

testing the level of vitamin C inside before and after cooking

0:24:370:24:41

to see which method keeps those vitamins most intact.

0:24:410:24:44

Of course, carrots contain a lot more goodness than just vitamin C,

0:24:460:24:50

but because heat kills vitamin C very quickly, its levels will drop

0:24:500:24:53

more than anything else during cooking, which makes this

0:24:530:24:56

an ideal test to measure the impact different cooking methods can have.

0:24:560:25:00

Because of the heating involved,

0:25:010:25:03

they'll all have some sort of effect on the nutrients within the carrots.

0:25:030:25:07

Typically, I think we would expect to see losses in the levels

0:25:070:25:12

of nutrients within something like carrots and those losses would

0:25:120:25:15

probably range between about 25% and 40% of what was there originally.

0:25:150:25:20

To lock in more of those vitamins,

0:25:200:25:22

here is a tip you probably never knew.

0:25:220:25:24

Before you even start cooking your carrots,

0:25:240:25:27

keep an eye on how thin you slice them.

0:25:270:25:29

Although you will cook faster with smaller pieces, potentially,

0:25:310:25:35

because they have a bigger surface area

0:25:350:25:37

and a greater likelihood of contact with air, that will actually

0:25:370:25:40

speed up and breakdown of some of the nutrients,

0:25:400:25:42

particularly vitamin C, so it is usually recommended

0:25:420:25:45

that if you want to preserve nutrients,

0:25:450:25:48

you don't chop up your veg into very small pieces.

0:25:480:25:52

So, cooking carrots whole and then slicing them

0:25:530:25:56

will preserve more vitamin C than slicing before you cook.

0:25:560:26:00

I'll bet that's not the way most of us usually do it.

0:26:000:26:03

And the same applies for other veg, too.

0:26:030:26:05

You can steam cauliflower florets and broccoli florets,

0:26:060:26:10

that sort of thing, fairly whole, so again,

0:26:100:26:12

that reduces the impact on them.

0:26:120:26:14

While it is inevitable that our carrots will lose some of

0:26:170:26:20

their vitamin content, whichever way they are cooked, an obvious way to

0:26:200:26:23

guarantee you will get 100% of that vitamin C is to eat them raw.

0:26:230:26:27

But that way, you will miss out on some other goodies,

0:26:280:26:32

because it is only during cooking that carrots release

0:26:320:26:35

an important antioxidant called lycopene,

0:26:350:26:37

which has been associated with reduced risk of some cancers,

0:26:370:26:41

so cooked carrots have a real extra benefit.

0:26:410:26:45

And in fact, quite a few veg, including peppers,

0:26:450:26:48

cabbage and asparagus, turn out to be better cooked because again,

0:26:480:26:52

that is when some of the antioxidants and nutrients are unlocked.

0:26:520:26:55

The same is true for spinach.

0:26:550:26:57

Eat it raw and you will get more B vitamins, vitamin C and potassium

0:26:570:27:02

but the leaves contain an acid that actively stops some other nutrients

0:27:020:27:05

being absorbed by the body.

0:27:050:27:07

The cooking process kills that acid,

0:27:070:27:09

letting you get more of the goodness.

0:27:090:27:11

Back at the lab,

0:27:140:27:15

Graham and his team have finished their carrot cooking test.

0:27:150:27:18

There was a clear winner

0:27:180:27:19

when it came to which one of the four methods kept in

0:27:190:27:22

the most vitamin C, and it wasn't the one I was expecting.

0:27:220:27:26

The winner is stir-frying.

0:27:260:27:27

That has preserved most of the vitamins and minerals

0:27:270:27:30

within the carrots, because you tend to cook it very quickly

0:27:300:27:34

and the overall effect on the food is reduced.

0:27:340:27:37

Stir-frying preserved a whopping 89.8% of the carrots' vitamin C.

0:27:390:27:44

Steaming was the next most effective

0:27:450:27:47

but it was way behind with just 42.9%.

0:27:470:27:50

Next came boiling,

0:27:520:27:53

after which 41.2% of the vitamin C was left.

0:27:530:27:57

Then finally, the microwave,

0:27:580:28:00

which on this occasion, kept only 25.3% of the vitamin C in place.

0:28:000:28:05

That was a real surprise to me,

0:28:070:28:08

as there is plenty of other research suggesting

0:28:080:28:11

microwaves are better for preserving nutrients than methods like boiling,

0:28:110:28:15

as you will typically have a shorter cooking time and use less water.

0:28:150:28:19

Not only that,

0:28:190:28:20

but microwaves are very efficient in breaking down the cell walls

0:28:200:28:23

of the veg, meaning some of those other vital nutrients

0:28:230:28:25

are more easily released.

0:28:250:28:27

But as for that great result for the stir-fried veg, well, it seems

0:28:290:28:33

that is no fluke as earlier this year, a new study led to headlines

0:28:330:28:36

declaring that frying is a better way to lock in nutrients

0:28:360:28:39

than boiling.

0:28:390:28:40

Although, of course, then comes the question of which oil to use.

0:28:420:28:46

And as we will see later in the programme,

0:28:460:28:48

that opens up a whole new can of worms.

0:28:480:28:50

Earlier in the programme, we left the Meegan family

0:28:580:29:00

from Liverpool halfway through their experiment to find out

0:29:000:29:03

whether breakfast really is the most important meal of the day,

0:29:030:29:06

and if so, which is the best breakfast?

0:29:060:29:09

Well, I was delighted to see confirmation that a cooked breakfast

0:29:090:29:11

can be really healthy.

0:29:110:29:13

My old mum would be saying, "See? Told you so."

0:29:130:29:15

But let's find out if the same can be said

0:29:150:29:17

for some other popular choices.

0:29:170:29:19

With some studies suggesting that breakfast

0:29:200:29:22

isn't all it's cracked up to be,

0:29:220:29:24

we've asked the Meegan family to help us find out once and for all

0:29:240:29:27

if breakfast truly does give you the best start to the day.

0:29:270:29:31

We have eaten everything here except that one piece of toast.

0:29:310:29:36

They are road testing a bunch of breakfasts

0:29:360:29:38

to see how each makes them feel.

0:29:380:29:40

They all loved the full English

0:29:400:29:41

but the sugary cereal did not go down too well with mum Mandy

0:29:410:29:44

and 11-year-old Tilly,

0:29:440:29:46

even though it was Oscar's favourite.

0:29:460:29:49

It just is non-descript, it's like having sweets.

0:29:490:29:52

Now, it's day three.

0:29:540:29:56

-THEY ALL GROAN

-Oh, God.

0:29:560:29:58

-What is it, porridge?

-No, it's...

0:30:000:30:04

-That looks disgusting.

-This...

0:30:040:30:06

It's ridiculous.

0:30:060:30:08

It's actually granola.

0:30:080:30:09

And it's definitely not a hit with the Meegans.

0:30:090:30:12

This takes me ages to chew.

0:30:120:30:15

But it's too sweet for me. It's too sugary.

0:30:160:30:19

It is quite healthy. You know, it's healthy.

0:30:190:30:22

It's easy to see why Tilly might think that the granola is healthy.

0:30:220:30:26

The oats in it are full of fibre, vitamins and minerals

0:30:260:30:29

and the nuts and seeds are packed with protein and good fats.

0:30:290:30:33

But is it any better than Oscar's favourite cereal,

0:30:330:30:35

or, indeed, the full English breakfast?

0:30:350:30:38

We asked customers in this cafe to tell us

0:30:380:30:40

which of our three breakfasts so far is the healthiest.

0:30:400:30:44

So here we have the granola, with a little bit of yoghurt.

0:30:440:30:46

We have the full English here.

0:30:460:30:48

And then this is just sugary cereal.

0:30:480:30:49

Which do you think is the most healthy here?

0:30:490:30:52

Well, my preference would be the granola

0:30:520:30:54

and that is what I would have.

0:30:540:30:55

-You would have that every day?

-Yes.

0:30:550:30:57

I think the fried, because that's what we're hearing now.

0:30:570:31:00

You know, that eggs are good for you, that bacon...

0:31:000:31:03

..is good and you have the tomato.

0:31:040:31:08

Which one do you think is the most healthy?

0:31:080:31:10

Er, well, obviously...

0:31:100:31:12

-I would go with the granola, but I think it's a trick.

-Right.

0:31:120:31:15

-I don't trick anybody.

-No! I'm not saying you do trick.

0:31:160:31:19

LAUGHTER

0:31:190:31:20

Overall, most believe that the granola has the fewest calories.

0:31:200:31:24

But is that really the case?

0:31:240:31:26

-Looking at the calorie intake...

-OK.

-Yeah.

0:31:260:31:29

..this one had...

0:31:290:31:30

402 calories in that portion.

0:31:300:31:32

-OK?

-OK.

0:31:320:31:34

The fried has got...

0:31:340:31:35

416.

0:31:350:31:37

-But the granola is the worst, in terms of calories.

-Oh, my goodness.

0:31:370:31:40

It's got 463.

0:31:400:31:42

Wow!

0:31:420:31:43

The granola, which you think is the most healthy,

0:31:430:31:46

is 463 calories.

0:31:460:31:48

-Really?

-So the highest calories of all three. Cor!

0:31:480:31:52

That looks so much better, doesn't it?

0:31:520:31:53

LAUGHTER

0:31:530:31:55

In terms of calories,

0:31:550:31:56

the cooked breakfast is the best of these three by far.

0:31:560:32:00

And while you might assume that granola is a healthy choice,

0:32:000:32:02

that's not always the case.

0:32:020:32:04

I don't think we can go to a shop

0:32:040:32:06

and pick up a packet of granola off the shelf

0:32:060:32:08

and make the assumption that that's going to be healthy.

0:32:080:32:10

And that's down to one crucial ingredient.

0:32:100:32:13

One of the things about a granola is that it's crunchy

0:32:130:32:16

and, to make it crunchy, they are putting sugar in that

0:32:160:32:19

that they are going to then bake and give it that lovely texture.

0:32:190:32:22

So we should look at the carbohydrates of which sugars

0:32:220:32:25

on the back of the packet and choose one which is lower sugar.

0:32:250:32:29

But take the sugar away

0:32:290:32:31

and Yvonne says you would be left with a healthy breakfast.

0:32:310:32:34

The oats are going to be good for us,

0:32:340:32:36

because oats are going to help us to have a good store of vitamins

0:32:360:32:40

and minerals and fibre that reduces cholesterol as well.

0:32:400:32:43

So the oats are a great start

0:32:430:32:44

and then there are the nuts and the seeds.

0:32:440:32:46

The nuts and the seeds, of course, are going to bring us protein

0:32:460:32:49

and they are fatty, so they are going to be calorific,

0:32:490:32:51

but they're bringing us good fats.

0:32:510:32:54

If you love the crunch of granola, but not the sugar,

0:32:540:32:57

Yvonne suggests adding some rolled oats to the bag

0:32:570:32:59

to make the sweetness go further.

0:32:590:33:02

Meanwhile, back in Liverpool,

0:33:020:33:03

the granola hasn't left Mandy feeling ready for a busy day.

0:33:030:33:07

I don't feel particularly energised.

0:33:070:33:10

I feel a bit sluggish, if I'm honest.

0:33:100:33:12

But at school, Tilly who normally doesn't eat at all in the morning

0:33:120:33:16

has found that the breakfast so far is starting to change her mind.

0:33:160:33:19

When I have breakfast, I do feel more like I have energy,

0:33:200:33:23

because I'm more full up as well.

0:33:230:33:24

So I'm not thinking about food as much

0:33:240:33:26

and I can go on the day without eating any snacks at all, really.

0:33:260:33:31

It's the final day of our breakfast experiment.

0:33:330:33:36

And there's an unexpected twist for the family.

0:33:360:33:38

You open.

0:33:400:33:41

-ALL:

-Oh!

0:33:430:33:46

Nothing.

0:33:460:33:48

What's going on?

0:33:480:33:50

I actually want some breakfast now. I'm starving now.

0:33:500:33:52

-Now there's nothing there.

-LAUGHTER

0:33:520:33:55

Uh-oh, Yvonne has sent the box empty, to compare how different

0:33:550:33:58

the family would feel about eating nothing at all.

0:33:580:34:01

And, although that used to be the norm for Tilly,

0:34:010:34:03

after just three days, she's been won over.

0:34:030:34:07

I feel a bit disappointed, cos I was expecting something to eat.

0:34:070:34:09

So I think I am going to be a bit hungry throughout the day

0:34:090:34:12

and I'm going to have less energy as well.

0:34:120:34:14

And, to Yvonne, that's no surprise.

0:34:140:34:16

While there are studies suggesting that skipping breakfast may not

0:34:160:34:19

significantly impact the body's metabolism,

0:34:190:34:22

or even help weight loss, Yvonne firmly believes that feeling hungry

0:34:220:34:26

all morning will have a negative impact on your general well-being.

0:34:260:34:30

We know how it feels if we don't have breakfast,

0:34:300:34:32

that it doesn't feel so good.

0:34:320:34:34

It does seem some people can get away with it more than others.

0:34:340:34:37

We are all different in our genetic make-up.

0:34:370:34:39

But science is telling us that, no, it's not a good thing.

0:34:390:34:42

There was an interesting study in America and it didn't prove

0:34:420:34:45

that breakfast was the most important meal of the day,

0:34:450:34:48

but I think what it did show, in terms of our whole health,

0:34:480:34:51

is that people who eat breakfast were the healthier people.

0:34:510:34:54

And it's not just our bodies that benefit.

0:34:540:34:56

Our brains do as well.

0:34:560:34:58

Our energy supply

0:34:580:35:00

and whether our energy is fluctuating up and down

0:35:000:35:03

really affects our mental performance.

0:35:030:35:05

So when our blood sugar is low, we get more forgetful,

0:35:050:35:08

we can't concentrate as well, we get more irritable.

0:35:080:35:11

So our mind is very closely...

0:35:110:35:13

Cos it needs fuelling, just like the rest of the body.

0:35:130:35:15

Our mind is very closely linked to our blood sugar levels

0:35:150:35:18

and what we're really looking for is stability throughout the day.

0:35:180:35:22

And after having no breakfast,

0:35:220:35:24

that's something Tilly certainly didn't feel.

0:35:240:35:27

After having no breakfast this morning,

0:35:270:35:29

I felt more hungry in school and in lesson time, I was just hungry.

0:35:290:35:33

So I was thinking more about food than I was with lessons.

0:35:330:35:37

With the experiment over, Yvonne has come to see

0:35:370:35:40

which was the family's favourite breakfast overall.

0:35:400:35:44

For me, the breakfast, the cereals have not gone well for me

0:35:440:35:48

cos I'm not a cereal person.

0:35:480:35:50

And what about for you, Tilly? How did that go?

0:35:500:35:52

I've enjoyed having breakfast, but because I'm going to school,

0:35:520:35:55

I don't really have time for breakfast.

0:35:550:35:57

So I've enjoyed having breakfast of a morning.

0:35:570:35:59

And what about the full English? How did that go for you?

0:35:590:36:01

What was good about that?

0:36:010:36:02

I just felt fuller. Like usually, of a morning,

0:36:020:36:04

I don't get full until, like, lunchtime.

0:36:040:36:06

So that's really quick!

0:36:060:36:07

-That you have seen the benefits of having breakfast.

-Yeah.

0:36:070:36:10

-And how about you, Oscar?

-Um...

0:36:100:36:14

My favourite breakfast was the full English breakfast.

0:36:140:36:18

The Meegans loved it.

0:36:180:36:19

And whilst a full-on meaty fry-up should not be a daily choice,

0:36:190:36:22

a grilled breakfast with some healthy substitutes

0:36:220:36:25

doesn't have to be just an occasional treat.

0:36:250:36:28

But if a cooked breakfast is just too much faff for you,

0:36:280:36:30

the morning meal most experts swear by is porridge.

0:36:300:36:34

It's super-nutritious and studies have even shown that whole grains

0:36:340:36:37

like oats can reduce your risk of fatal heart conditions.

0:36:370:36:41

Adding fruits, nuts and seeds can bring extra vitamins and fibre

0:36:410:36:45

but be very careful with sweet toppings like honey,

0:36:450:36:48

which can trigger blood sugar ups and downs.

0:36:480:36:51

Another healthy choice is a simple boiled egg,

0:36:510:36:53

which is packed with protein, fats and essential amino acids.

0:36:530:36:57

Add in some wholemeal soldiers as well to dip

0:36:570:37:00

and the fibre makes it more filling.

0:37:000:37:02

But what's the healthiest breakfast of all?

0:37:020:37:04

Well, of course, it's the one nutritionists eat.

0:37:040:37:06

What do you have for breakfast?

0:37:060:37:08

I might have a boiled egg, mashed up onto some rye toast

0:37:080:37:11

with some sun-dried tomato paste and a handful of spinach.

0:37:110:37:14

If I've got time, then I probably have a cooked breakfast

0:37:140:37:17

but probably with asparagus - I love asparagus at breakfast.

0:37:170:37:20

Three months on and a full English

0:37:200:37:22

is firmly on the Meegans' weekend breakfast menu.

0:37:220:37:25

And in the week, while Tilly still finds it hard

0:37:250:37:28

to find the time for breakfast before she leaves the house,

0:37:280:37:30

Mandy is at least able to encourage her to take a banana

0:37:300:37:34

to eat on the way to school,

0:37:340:37:35

while she tucks in to her much-loved smoothies.

0:37:350:37:38

If you firmly believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day,

0:37:420:37:46

and you're looking for new ideas for a healthy breakfast, go to...

0:37:460:37:49

..for fresh and easy recipes to start your day.

0:37:510:37:53

From bacon and eggs to crumpets and pancakes,

0:37:530:37:55

you'll find delicious and healthy alternatives to get you going.

0:37:550:37:59

Now, long championed by celebrity chefs,

0:38:030:38:06

olive oil was supposed to be our healthy friend in the kitchen.

0:38:060:38:09

And, finally, some more olive oil...

0:38:090:38:12

Can't have enough olive oil in this dish.

0:38:120:38:15

As a dressing on salads or to cook with,

0:38:150:38:17

we were told that if we used olive oil,

0:38:170:38:19

then at least we were doing something right.

0:38:190:38:22

But, in recent years, some reports have questioned

0:38:220:38:24

whether cooking with olive oil is such a good idea.

0:38:240:38:27

And, indeed, made us wonder

0:38:270:38:29

whether we should be using any sort of oil to cook with at all.

0:38:290:38:33

What oil do you cook with?

0:38:330:38:35

Um...probably olive oil most of the time.

0:38:350:38:38

Olive oil? OK.

0:38:380:38:39

And do you think that's the best oil to cook with?

0:38:390:38:41

It's better than vegetable oil.

0:38:410:38:43

It's always one of the ones that's in my recipe books,

0:38:430:38:45

-so that is probably why I pick it!

-It's better than lard.

0:38:450:38:47

I think butter's probably the healthiest, actually.

0:38:470:38:50

-Rapeseed oil.

-OK, and why is that?

0:38:500:38:52

Because it has been advertised as being good

0:38:520:38:55

and it's supposed to be good for heating.

0:38:550:38:57

Better than olive oil, if you use a little bit to cook with.

0:38:570:39:01

Olive oil most commonly

0:39:010:39:02

or sometimes sunflower oil if you don't want the flavour

0:39:020:39:05

or groundnut oil if we are doing stir-fries or something.

0:39:050:39:08

And butter!

0:39:080:39:10

So who's right?

0:39:100:39:11

We asked nutritionist Linia Patel

0:39:110:39:13

to help clarify which oils to put in your pan.

0:39:130:39:16

There's lots of confusion around what types of oils

0:39:160:39:19

you should use for cooking.

0:39:190:39:21

Very commonly, people think that olive oil is really good for them,

0:39:210:39:24

so they tend to use olive oil in all their cooking.

0:39:240:39:27

Now, when cooking oils get hot, they start to smoke,

0:39:270:39:31

although at what temperature that happens

0:39:310:39:33

depends on which type of oil you're using.

0:39:330:39:36

Heat continuously beyond that smoke point,

0:39:360:39:38

and the chemical make-up of some oils can change.

0:39:380:39:41

In a way that, again, depending on the oil,

0:39:410:39:44

can create fats that aren't good for us.

0:39:440:39:47

Some fats are bad fats that we don't want to be having in our bodies

0:39:470:39:50

because we can't get rid of those fats.

0:39:500:39:52

Lurid headlines may suggest olive oil is among the oils

0:39:530:39:57

producing those fats but that has been furiously dismissed by many,

0:39:570:40:01

including the industry itself.

0:40:010:40:04

The consensus seems to be that what is most likely to be affected

0:40:040:40:08

if you cook it too high is the nutrients and taste.

0:40:080:40:11

And it certainly shouldn't be singled out as being dangerous.

0:40:110:40:15

As for other oils,

0:40:150:40:16

the general advice is not to heat any beyond its smoking point.

0:40:160:40:21

So which oils should we be using?

0:40:210:40:24

There so many things out there,

0:40:250:40:27

so it's not surprising at all that people are getting confused.

0:40:270:40:30

Now, what we've got to remember is that there's not one product

0:40:300:40:34

that's going to be your miracle cure.

0:40:340:40:36

While there isn't a single one that does the job for everything,

0:40:360:40:39

if you're frying at a high temperature,

0:40:390:40:42

choose an oil with a high smoke point.

0:40:420:40:44

Linia recommends rapeseed oil and peanut oil.

0:40:460:40:49

For stir-fries, again try rapeseed oil or canola oil.

0:40:490:40:53

Both of which get very hot before they start smoking.

0:40:530:40:57

Sunflower oil isn't so good because of its low smoke point.

0:40:570:41:00

Or you could occasionally forget oil entirely

0:41:000:41:03

and go for two old favourites.

0:41:030:41:06

You have things like butter and you have things like lard,

0:41:060:41:09

which people think is forbidden to cook with

0:41:090:41:11

but, actually, we now know that it's not as bad

0:41:110:41:14

to make our roast potatoes in some butter or lard at the weekends.

0:41:140:41:18

But while we're debunking scare stories to do with cooking,

0:41:180:41:21

there's one more very alarming myth we should bust.

0:41:210:41:24

The headlines will tell you

0:41:260:41:27

it's the most dangerous way of cooking imaginable,

0:41:270:41:30

and it happens not in the kitchen, but in the garden.

0:41:300:41:35

Yes, every year, we're told that barbecues are apparently bad for us.

0:41:350:41:39

VERY bad for us.

0:41:390:41:41

And however often that story's knocked down,

0:41:410:41:44

it resurfaces every single summer.

0:41:440:41:46

We found it going back decades, but before you bin your barbie,

0:41:470:41:51

we asked Linia to put this one into perspective.

0:41:510:41:55

So we occasionally get headlines that tell us

0:41:550:41:58

we shouldn't be having barbecues because they also cause cancer,

0:41:580:42:01

but what we have got to remember is it's not quite that simple.

0:42:010:42:04

There are two apparent risks with barbecues.

0:42:040:42:07

Firstly, if animal fat falls onto the extremely hot coals,

0:42:070:42:11

the smoke it may turn into can contain harmful chemicals,

0:42:110:42:14

some of which have been linked to cancer.

0:42:140:42:17

If that smoke then touches the meat, it can contaminate it.

0:42:170:42:20

To avoid this, marinating the meat first can help protect it.

0:42:200:42:24

The second risk is when you burn your food,

0:42:250:42:28

which can also produce chemicals that have been linked to cancer.

0:42:280:42:32

But the great British weather simply doesn't allow for us

0:42:320:42:35

to barbecue and burn meat often enough

0:42:350:42:38

for the risk to be anything to worry about.

0:42:380:42:41

So there's no need to cancel the Bavin summer barbecue just yet.

0:42:410:42:44

There's always time to have a barbecue

0:42:470:42:49

and you should not be avoiding having a barbecue.

0:42:490:42:52

And, in any case, Linia says any story focusing on just one aspect

0:42:520:42:55

of our diet needs to be put very firmly into perspective.

0:42:550:42:59

It's not about that one food increases your risk of cancer,

0:42:590:43:02

it's about the bigger picture.

0:43:020:43:03

It's about the fact that you are eating processed food overall,

0:43:030:43:06

you are overweight, you are not exercising.

0:43:060:43:09

That in itself is a much higher risk of cancer

0:43:090:43:12

than just simply, you know, having a barbecue

0:43:120:43:15

where you eat some blackened meat once in a while.

0:43:150:43:18

Whether it's in the newspapers or online,

0:43:260:43:29

it really is the case that every day brings new advice

0:43:290:43:32

on what we should eat and what we should avoid.

0:43:320:43:34

And, you know, while a lot of that stuff

0:43:340:43:36

really is valuable information that can keep us healthy,

0:43:360:43:39

there are times when you can't help wondering

0:43:390:43:41

if some of those reports have been deliberately written

0:43:410:43:44

just to scare us off.

0:43:440:43:45

I know. Just like that story about barbecued meat giving you cancer -

0:43:450:43:48

completely blown out of proportion,

0:43:480:43:50

yet the papers roll it out every summer.

0:43:500:43:52

Well, I'd like to think that most of us

0:43:520:43:53

do see through the more scaremongering headlines,

0:43:530:43:56

but the trouble is that - and this really is a problem -

0:43:560:43:58

when we see stories like that particular one,

0:43:580:44:00

it can make you more sceptical

0:44:000:44:02

about reports that could have a genuine health message as well.

0:44:020:44:05

That is the problem. We are bombarded with so much information,

0:44:050:44:08

we don't know what's right and what's wrong.

0:44:080:44:10

Well, hopefully today, we have been able to clarify

0:44:100:44:13

at least some of the confusion around the things we are eating

0:44:130:44:16

and given you a few useful tips for when you're cooking it as well.

0:44:160:44:19

There's more on some of the topics

0:44:190:44:20

we're talking about throughout the series at...

0:44:200:44:24

But I'm afraid that all from us now.

0:44:240:44:26

Thank you very much for watching. Goodbye.

0:44:260:44:28

Good to have you with us, Bye-bye.

0:44:280:44:30

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