New research reveals the top 10 healthy eating myths[1]&[2] Londoners believe most, including believing all processed food is unhealthy (63%), that breakfast is the most important meal of the day (56%) and following a low-calorie diet is the best way to lose weight (49%).

The survey by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd reveals the healthy eating myths Londoners believe, including thinking that eating healthy is expensive (50%), eating at night causes weight gain (51%) and that you need to eat small, frequent meals for optimal health (56%).

Top 10 Believed Health Myths:

All processed food is unhealthy – 63%
Eat small, frequent meals for optimal health – 56%
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for everyone – 56%
All low fat and diet foods are healthy alternatives – 51%
Eating at night causes weight gain – 51%
Eating healthily is expensive – 50%
A low-calorie diet is the best way to lose weight – 49%
Weight loss requires tracking calories and macros – 44%
All supplements are a waste of money – 40%
You can exercise away a bad diet – 38%

When it comes to barriers to healthy eating, worryingly 21 percent of Londoners admitted they’re confused by which foods are healthy, and which aren’t. Other barriers include a lack of motivation (31%), a lack of time and competing priorities (22%), and not having the best equipment to cook healthy food (21%).

Top 5 Healthy Eating Barriers:

Lack of motivation – 31%
Lack of time and competing priorities – 22%
Confused by which foods are healthy and which are not – 21%
Not having equipment to cook healthy – 21%
Don’t have the knowledge to cook healthily – 17%

The top ways Londoners have tried to eat healthier are eating more fruit and vegetables (29%), avoiding sugary foods (25%) and by cooking with olive oil (21%). A huge 78 percent of Londoners have steamed their food to try and eat better, while more than half (51%) have turned to air frying.

The most important reasons that make Londoners want to eat healthier are to lose weight (38%), to have more energy (37%) and to avoid getting unwell (27%). Other reasons include getting fit for summer (22%) and feeling more confident (25%).

Nutritionist and Wellness Expert, Lily Soutter, commented on the research findings: “Conflicting nutrition advice is confusing and frustrating for many. With the internet providing large amounts of misinformation, it can be difficult to know right from wrong when it comes to healthy eating. It’s therefore not a surprise that many struggle to maintain a healthier lifestyle. Debunking these common nutrition myths may break down some barriers to healthy eating by helping individuals to make more informed choices.

“Making too many dietary changes at once can be overwhelming and hard to maintain, especially when time is poor or under stress. However, small sustainable changes can be more impactful to long-term health. For example, swapping our deep-fried foods for air-fried means we can still enjoy our favourite classics and overtime may be beneficial to our waistline.”