Stupid food myths.
On the latest "top Chef" fiasco the 'head dude' actually referred to lobster as "high cholesterol..."! I about wanted to throw my shoe at the TV! Lobster is almost virtually FAT-FREE~! It's what you SLATHER on it or DIP it in that makes it FATTY. DUH! Shrimp too...shrimp is pretty much sans fat. I hope ya'll don't mind me ranting here about it...for some reason I just find it ludicrous that a supposed 'chef' had the audacity to call Lobster high in cholesterol.
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22 Comments:
Um. Fat is not the same as cholesterol. I think shellfish does have more cholesterol in it than finfish... I just googled around a bit and read that the cholesterol in lobster is similar to that in the dark meat of chicken, while shrimp is even higher than that. So they're not exactly what you'd call low-cholesterol foods.
emily20008 at 10:52PM on 08/13/07
RE:emily20008
How can you qualify that? I mean...uh...a food that is virtually 'fat-free' [alone and just steamed] can hardly contain enough cholesterol to give even a flea a heart attack. C'mon...!
There's not even a whole GRAM of fat in one cup of cooked lobster...check it out:
http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/nutrition/All_Foods/Fish/Lobster_steamed_or_boiled.html
The cholesterol is in MILLIGRAMS!
I'm sorry if I come off a bit 'huffy' about this subject...it just annoys the heckies outta me because I hate people being MISinformed. Ugh!
Okay, Cheffy is slowly steppin' off her soap-box with a sullen face and a pouty look. ;p
cheffy at 11:05PM on 08/13/07
That's right, cholesterol is measured in milligrams, and a cup of lean steak has about the same cholesterol as a cup of lobster (around 100 mg) (this I also looked up on Fitday). The daily maximum dietary cholesterol intake is about 300 mg. So you don't want to sneeze at milligram quantities when talking about cholesterol.
As I said, fat content of food is not the same as cholesterol content; they don't even necessarily track one another. So, in shrimp or lobster, a high proportion of the fat is in the form of cholesterol, even if the fat itself is low. That's all I meant.
emily20008 at 11:24PM on 08/13/07
Sorry cheffy, but fat and cholesterol aren't the same. Just took a look at the info on a package of frozen shrimp. 1 gram of fat, 140mg cholesterol per serving. That 140mg is 47% of the recommended daily intake. The lobster info you link to shows that a serving is 35% of the recommended daily intake. I'd call that high in cholesterol.
smrtboy at 11:33PM on 08/13/07
WOW ! You guys have me sooo confused! grams,milligrams,percentages, fats,cholesterol,daily intake, etc. !! I personally do not have high cholesterol, but those I care about have. And we all love shellfish! I am not privy to nutritional values and measurements, but I like to keep up on healthy cooking and eating. Can anyone give me some simple ,plain talk about this? (like "Shellfish Values for Dummies") : - ) ?
joturtle at 12:13AM on 08/14/07
I think it should also be noted that except for in a small percentage of people who are sensitive to it, dietary cholesterol, such as that found in shrimp, has little or no effect on serum cholesterol. Therefore, the majority of dieters avoiding high cholesterol foods such as eggs or shrimp, (both of which are excellent sources of other nutrients such as selenium) are often doing themselves a disservice.
Rachel10481 at 12:30AM on 08/14/07
I don't know what about percentages is confusing. The data presented in these comments seems pretty clear, not a myth, and certainly not "stupid." People who are not obese can have high cholesterol, hypertension, and many other dietary related health problems and severely suffer the effects as a result. I also think it is fair to assume that Chef Colliccio is pretty knowledgeable about food. I am not sure what the argument really is here other than you disagree with the TV, and wasn't this an issue raised on this website weeks ago when the episode actually aired? Maybe they can link to the archive for you or maybe you should ask a dietician or health professional.
intheyearofthepig at 12:45AM on 08/14/07
RE: Rachel10481
I'm going against the grain here...but I think ANY naturally occurring cholesterol from shellfish is HEALTHY for you. Don't take MY word for it but do your homework and consult your physician if you have family members with health issues. There are GOOD fats that actually FIGHT the bad fats in your diet...Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salmon, most wild caught fish. The teensy amount of 'unholy' cholesterol in shellfish is NOT [to me] in the least bit worrisome. -And fat from BEEF is not the same as fat from shellfish (well, except for yummy mussels which have a higher than average amount of fat).
Henny Penny can say the sky is falling when it comes to shrimp, clams, lobster and go, "Oh no! Oh no! There's some cholesterol in there!" You know what I say? SO WHAT! It's GOOD cholesterol, dipshit! Do your homework...look it up...there is such a thing as GOOD fat. When you DIP it in BUTTER then yeah...it's NOT good for you!
You want to argue semantics on shellfish? Go for it! I'm all rear. ;p
cheffy at 12:47AM on 08/14/07
-And, btw, Rachel...I wasn't calling you a dipshit...just speaking to the general 'atmosphere'...I'm sure you are more than intelligent to put that together but I figure I'd better clarify for all concerned. -end- :)
cheffy at 12:52AM on 08/14/07
Rachel was supporting your argument I am pretty sure. No reason to call anyone a "dip----" either. Not very nice.
intheyearofthepig at 12:54AM on 08/14/07
RE: intheyearofthepig
I know! Darnit! I tried to post my clarification. Sorry if I was a day late and a dollar short. I appreciated Rachel's post and I didn't mean to come off like I was being mean to her. Hmph! I better quit posting for a while. :(
cheffy at 12:59AM on 08/14/07
RE: intheyearofthepig
Just a last thought...and that is...I'm NOT nice. Haven't you noticed? ;)
-----------
"If reality bothers you change the channel."
cheffy at 1:07AM on 08/14/07
I thought we were talking about food idiocy. I edited Rick B (known for Mexican food), and he called crabs mollusks.
Barbara Hanson at 2:01AM on 08/14/07
Misunderstood the topic. Sorry.
Barbara Hanson at 9:17AM on 08/14/07
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholesterol
That can help you figure out what good and bad cholesterol looks like and then you can decide for yourself whether you want to eat lobster, shrimp, etc. I say if your in such bad health that you have to count every milligram of cholesterol you should be sticking to greens.
kitchenlove at 11:09AM on 08/14/07
I'd add that good fats vs. bad fats is a somewhat different question from the amount of cholesterol in shellfish. Yes, we know that oily fin fish (e.g., salmon and sardines) - and for all I know shellfish - have good fats in them (i.e., high in omega-3 fatty acids), but the cholesterol is not the same as any good fat in there. There is no "good" cholesterol. Cholesterol is cholesterol, though it is also a type of fat. Some foods, such as avocadoes, have BOTH good fats (monounsaturated) and bad fats (saturated).
emily20008 at 1:45PM on 08/14/07
Thank you for all the wisdom and different opinions...I know it can get a bit 'dicey' when it comes to certain subjects and I want to apologize for using a bit of 'foul mouth' on this wonderful forum...I shan't do it again.
I have to agree with kitchenlove...if your health is so dire that a small amount of naturally occurring cholesterol from shellfish could throw your whole body out of whack then you have some SERIOUS issues and yeah...stick to the green stuff...no sauce, no dressing, no butter...NUTTIN' but the greens. -And I hope and PRAY that nobody is that ill of health EVER because that would be pure misery [dare I say fire and brimstone?] to a die-hard foodie.
Also, I'd like to add...
If anyone EVER wants to veer a little off course on any threads I personally post, please feel free! I love a bit of good banter and sometimes I even get inspired! :)
cheffy at 2:06PM on 08/14/07
Hmmm....in light of the prior posts, this seems a bit weak, but my Dad told me virtually any food I didn't like would put hair on my chest. This turned out to be a myth, and a pretty stupid one at that.
Oh, and I like lobster.
Vitello Tonnato at 5:35PM on 08/14/07
I hate that stupid myth that you can't wash mushrooms in water. really, i never notice a difference if I spend twenty minutes rubbing them down individually or 2 minutes under the tap.
and um, oof... theres a little tension on this thread! Can't we all make food (and hopefully low-cholesterol food) and not war!?!?!?
B
Hand to Mouth
handtomouth at 6:50PM on 08/14/07
RE: Hand to Mouth
Amen to THAT, Sista!
My hubby grew up working in the 'catering' biz and he'd have to individually peel each mushroom. UGH! Noooooooo spanky you!
I'm pretty much like you...I give my mushrooms a quick 'whirl' in my vege-wash-o-matic (aka salad spinner) and that does the trick! :))
I think the trick to 'water washing' mushrooms is to be as quick as possible so you don't water down the 'gills' and such.
I imagine there's always someone whom will argue wholeheartedly against water-washing mushrooms and I'm sure there are valid points but really? I just don't notice the diff if?
cheffy at 3:41AM on 08/15/07
That celery is a great dieting food because the effort it takes to consume and digest it burns more calories than you're actually ingesting from the celery itself.
I've seen people claim that they wanted to lose weight and all they were going to eat were saltines and celery.
I don't know where the heck people get the idea that this is nourishing enough for anyone (no matter their real need for dietary change).
I guess some people can't tell the difference between starvation and healthy weight loss.
fuuchan at 6:43PM on 08/15/07
Fuuchan: I hear ya. I had a friend who was soooo ridiculous about losing weight--she thought it was only about calories and not the sugars and other crap she was putting in her body. There were many nights where she would eat only ice cream for dinner, and she would justify it by pointing out the number of calories per serving. After some time, she pretty much blew up, since all she was eating was sugar and fat. Not healthy. I too wish people would recognize the need for balance in their diets/lives.
kmnola at 9:52PM on 08/16/07