1. The colour of fruits and vegetables can actually represent their phytochemical content. Phytochemicals help give fruits and vegetables some of their healthy properties. For example, lycopene creates the red pigment in tomato and capsicum whereas anthocyanin in blueberries create the deep blue/purple colour.
2. What is the difference between extra virgin and regular olive oil? Extra virgin is typically more expensive, and for good reason as it is produced from the first pressing of the olives without using heat. This is compared to other olive oil variants which are made using heat or mixed with other oils. To put it simply, extra virgin olive oil has a higher nutrient content.
3. If you want to get technical, peanuts are actually considered legumes, not nuts! This is because peanuts grow in pods underground, whereas real nuts such as cashews and almonds grow on trees. Does this mean we should be calling peanut butter… legume butter?
4. Vitamin D is one of the only nutrients that does not need to be consumed through the diet! In fact, most people obtain only 5-10% of their vitamin D requirements from food. The remainder is synthesised in the body in response to sunlight exposure. Also, a heads up – spending more time in the sun will not equal more vitamin D as only a certain amount can be ‘absorbed’ at one time.
5. We know that leucine is an integral amino acid when it comes to muscle growth, acting as the ‘trigger’ for muscle protein synthesis. Whey protein is often associated with high amounts of leucine and other essential amino acids. However, did you know that corn has a higher leucine content than whey protein? Bear in mind that this does not determine the quality of the protein, which is calculated using the essential amino acid content.