Myth #1: Fresh Food is better than frozen. When available, farm fresh produce is always best. But, especially during winter months, the "fresh" fruit and vegetables sold at your local grocery store or market have traveled great distances. When fresh produce sits for long periods of time, it loses nutrients. And, the far too common practice of treating produce with shelf life-enhancing chemical compounds doesn't help. On the other hand, frozen fruits and vegetables are flash frozen promptly after harvest and retain their nutrients until they're defrosted. You can save even more of the nutritional content by gently steaming these rather than microwaving or boiling.

Myth #2: Dried fruit isn't as healthy as fresh. This is another case where choosing an alternative to fresh produce during the off-season is definitely a nutritious choice. Dried fruits, such as raisins, apricots, apples, currants, dates, figs and cranberries provide a burst of nutritious food energy and are also full of figure-friendly fibre.

Myth #3: You can cut down on salt by not using it at the table. Shunning the salt shaker is always a good idea, but this is certainly no reason to feel smug! Only 10-15 per cent of the salt in our diet is added at the table. A whopping 75 per cent of the salt we consume comes from processed and packaged foods, so avoiding them is the best way to curb a salt habit you may not even know you have!

Myth #4: Vegetarian dishes are always a good choice. Don't let the label "vegetarian" fool you into thinking a dish is super healthy. Some vegetarian dishes contain a lot of fat, especially if they're made with cheese, oil or creamy sauces or if they've been fried. Vegetarian dishes can be heavy on pastry, bread and pasta, too, so aren't always a waist-loving choice. Lean beef, skinless chicken, turkey breast and pork loin with plenty of steamed veggies on the side make for a much healthier choice than a rich, creamy pasta primavera.

Myth #5: Organic food is completely pesticide-free. It's true that organic food isn't treated with manufactured chemical pesticides and fertilizers-but that doesn't mean it's pesticide-free. According to current regulations, organic foods may be treated with organic pesticide compound. These are similar to manufactured pesticides but are developed from a natural state rather than artificially in a lab. So while it's fairly safe to say the pesticides used on organic food are less harmful than commercial ones, it's not safe to say these pesticides aren't harmful at all.

Myth #6: Organic food is contaminated with bacteria from manure fertilizer. Organic food may not be completely free of pesticides, but it certainly isn't full of manure! Actually, more manure is used in conventional farming than in organic agriculture and the number of recalls due to manure-related bacterial contamination is greater for conventional foods. This is because organic farmers must compost manure to remove harmful bacteria before using it as a fertilizer. In conventional farming, the manure is usually spread on fields raw.

Myth #7: Organic produce is no more nutritious than conventional. While a number of scientific studies have compared organic and conventionally grown foods have showed no difference in their key vitamin and mineral content, organic foods have been shown to have lower nitrate levels and higher vitamin C and selenium levels than conventionally produced foods.

Myth #8: Eating pasta will make you fat. The low-carb revolution caused many people to miss out on one of the healthiest foods in the world. Pasta is made from semolina flour, which comes from durum wheat. Unlike the wheat used for bread, this is a very high protein wheat source. And, the carbohydrates pasta provides are an excellent source of fuel for the body. But, too much of anything is always bad, so make sure your pasta meals are balanced. Make a little less pasta and fill out the dish with a variety of vegetables, lean meat and low-fat cheese toppings.

Myth #9: If you want to lose weight, you'll have to cut out the nuts. Nuts are a high-fat food source, but they're also very nutrient dense and make for an incredibly satisfying snack. In small amounts, nuts can be an important part of any weight-loss program because they curb cravings and help you stay full longer. Nuts are excellent sources of protein, fibre and minerals-and the "˜good' fats they contain may also contribute to healthy hair, skin and nails!

Myth #10: Dairy products are bad for you. Unless you're allergic to milk products, there's no good reason to cut this food group out of your diet. Dairy products contain many of the nutrients and compounds we need to be healthy, including protein and calcium. Dairy products are available in low-fat and fat-free versions, so try these if you're concerned about fat and calories.