Honey is NOT better for you than sugar… and five other common food myths busted

EATING healthy meals can be difficult to keep up, especially when many of our favourite foods have gained a bad name - but here are six common beliefs debunked.

Ranging from honey being better for you than sugar to whether dairy really is good for our bones, this is the truth behind those common food myths.

Honey is healthier than white sugar

The common belief is that because honey is created by bees it's a better choice for you than sugar, but as sugar originates from canes or beets, both foods are equally "natural".

In fact, a teaspoon of honey contains 16 calories, the same amount found in sugar and all of these are added sugars:

• brown sugar
• agave
• brown rice syrup
• molasses
• evaporated cane syrup
• Demerara sugar
• date sugar

Eating chocolate is good for you

While there are some health benefits to eating chocolate because it has elements of the antioxidant, called flavanoids (or flavanols), most chocolate doesn't have enough to make a big difference.

Even 70 per cent dark chocolate may not contain much flavanols because of the processing that takes place from the cacao bean to the edible product.

And although studies show that flavanols can reduce blood pressure and "relax" blood vessels, to feel those benefits, you'd have to eat a significant amount of cacao chocolate.

Watermelon contains a lot of sugar

Just like all fruits, watermelon does contain natural sugars, called fructose, but it is also nearly 92 per cent water which means that sweet taste isn't more sugar.

The reason why many people think watermelon has more sugar is because it has a high glycemic index but a lower glycemic load, meaning the blood sugar doesn't change much after it's eaten.

Dairy is the best for keeping your bones healthy