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Where to find international food stores in the Boston area Very Local New Orleans Article From & Read More ( Where to find international food stores in the Boston area - Very Local New Orleans )Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health’s Food Farmacy program combines one-on-one meetings with a registered dietitian and access to healthy food options. The program aims to improve health outcomes, nutrition-related knowledge and skills, and dietary habits among patients who are also experiencing food insecurity, or inability to access enough food to live an active, healthy life.
Food Farmacy program manager Laura Rodgers says food and nutrition play an important role in maintaining good health, managing and preventing diseases in patients who have conditions or situations that are responsive to changes in their diet.
“Our goal is to help patients implement healthy diet and lifestyle changes to improve their overall health, as well as manage and prevent chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer,” Rodgers says. “Many of our patients have seen very promising results, including weight loss and reductions in body mass index and blood pressure.”
The Food Farmacy team works closely with patients’ health care providers, as well as local food pantry partners. Patients meet regularly with an LG Health registered dietitian at a food pantry, where they receive nutrition counseling and “shop” the shelves for healthy food for themselves and their families. What’s more, there is no cost to the patient.
Elizabeth Doherty at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Physicians Family Medicine Buck often talks with her patients about changing their diet or eating habits to help improve their health. Even so, she says, many patients don’t know exactly what steps to take, and some are unable to access or afford healthy food, such as fresh fruits and vegetables or low-sodium options.
“Most lifestyle changes require more follow-up and discussion than we can usually provide in a routine office visit,” she says. “Being able to work one-on-one with a dietitian who can spend time with them and have that linked to providing healthy food is really powerful.”
The number of Americans experiencing food insecurity was declining for over a decade before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, that number is now rising, and recently was projected to reach 10.2% in Lancaster County, according to Feeding America. Food security isn’t just about having enough food, Rodgers says. People also need access to healthy foods that support their individual dietary needs.
This story is by Mary Beth Budnyk. Read more at Penn Medicine News.
Article From & Read More ( LG Health's Food Farmacy pairs nutrition counseling with access to healthy food | Penn Today - Penn Today )The pain and frustration from having arthritis can be enough to drastically affect your day-to-day life. The stiffness and swelling that it can cause in your joints can make it difficult to do everyday tasks, as well as participate in your favorite activities. And unfortunately, the pain usually grows with age.
However, if you have arthritis, there are things you can do to help alleviate some of the pain and swelling. And one major way of reducing the inconvenience caused by arthritis is eating healthier foods.
According to Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD a registered dietitian at Balance One Supplements, the best food you can eat if you have arthritis is any food that is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can be something like "fatty fish, walnuts, or chia seeds."
According to the Mediterranean Journal of Rheumatology, an omega-3 fatty acid-rich diet can not only help prevent certain types of arthritis, but it can also make your experience of rheumatoid arthritis less painful.
Omega-3 fatty acids are mainly known to help reduce inflammation, something that is key in living with arthritis. "An anti-inflammatory diet is an ideal diet for those living with RA," says Best, "and this is primarily due to arthritis being an inflammatory condition."
Many people have heard of omega-3 fatty acids, but omega-6 fatty acids are less commonly known. These polyunsaturated fats, which you can find in vegetable oils, as well as most types of nuts and seeds, are pro-inflammatory when consumed in excess.
And according to Best, "when there is an imbalance between the two (omega-3 and omega-6), the body will be chronically inflamed." So finding a balance of omega-3 and 6 is key for reducing inflammation.
The foods that are going to be highest in omega-3s are fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines. You can also get these fatty acids through walnuts, chia seeds, soybean oil, and canola oil.
And if you're not into eating these foods, you can always talk to your doctor about taking an omega-3 supplement.
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You may have heard the grim statistic by now: Around one-third of food produced in the US is never consumed, ending up in landfills as waste.
The biggest benefit of reducing food waste is self-evident — over 10 percent of US households experience food insecurity, and diverting food that’s safe and edible but destined for those landfills to those in need could help millions lead healthier, better lives.
But there’s another benefit of reducing food waste that’s starting to get more attention, and the EPA recently shined a spotlight on it in a new report: “Farm to Kitchen: The Environmental Impacts of U.S. Food Waste.”
“This uneaten food results in a ‘waste’ of resources—including agricultural land, water, pesticides, fertilizers, and energy—and the generation of environmental impacts—including greenhouse gas emissions and climate change,” the authors write in the report.
According to the EPA, food waste accounts for 2 percent of US greenhouse gas emissions — about half that of aviation. While meat, dairy, and eggs compose just a little over a quarter of US food waste by weight, the EPA report authors argue that there are disproportionate environmental benefits to reducing animal product waste. That’s because animal products typically require much more land, water, and energy — and emit more of the greenhouse gases carbon and methane — than plant-based foods.
But there’s another potential major benefit to reducing animal product wastage: preventing hundreds of millions of animals from entering factory farms in the first place.
According to USDA data from 2010, Americans throw out 26 percent of meat, poultry, and fish at the retail and consumer level. Harish Sethu, a data scientist and author of the blog Counting Animals, says America’s meat waste problem means we’re raising about a billion chickens, more than 100 million other land animals (mostly turkeys, pigs, and cows), as well as capturing around 25 billion fish and 15 billion shellfish (mostly shrimp), only to have them wind up in a landfill.
While the data is over a decade old, the situation is likely worse now, as US meat production rose 10.3 percent from 2011 to 2018 while food waste only decreased by 1 percent.
In 2015, the USDA and EPA set a goal of halving food waste by 2030 from 2010 levels. If the US can hit this target, it could help reduce the number of land animals condemned to a lifetime of suffering on a factory farm each year, and the number of fish and shellfish whose lives end in capture and slaughter — though the full extent of the benefit will require more research.
Claudia Fabiano, an environmental protection specialist on food waste at the EPA, told me that reducing US food waste likely wouldn’t cause a drop in US food production, in part because American farmers would compensate by exporting more of their product abroad.
According to Bruce Taylor, however — a chemical engineer and the president of food waste consultancy Enviro-Stewards — reducing meat waste should have some effect on domestic meat production. He pointed to his work with the major pork producer Smithfield Foods as an example. In one processing facility, Taylor figured out how to reduce the amount of pork going to rendering — to be used for other purposes, like pet food — by 30 percent.
Taylor says that if sausage demand goes up as a result, then it’s a wash. “But if people eat the same amount of sausage, then less animals are required to make the same amount of sausage, and eventually the market would correct itself,” he added. “Somebody would end up selling less.”
WRAP, a food waste nonprofit based in the UK, found that when British households reduced food and drink waste 21 percent from 2007 to 2012, they also purchased less food and drink.
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“Reducing the amount of food people in the UK waste in their homes appears to have had a knock-on effect in reducing the amount of food people need to purchase,” Tom Quested, lead analyst at WRAP, told me in email. “Furthermore, research focusing on the EU suggests that this effect could ripple all the way up the supply chain, reducing the amount of food we need to grow.”
We hear a lot about eating less meat — I even wrote a newsletter series about how to do it. But I think it’s time for an additional slogan to enter the conversation: Waste less meat.
While cutting food waste at the production level is the most important step, reducing food waste at the consumer level is also critical because it accounts for about half of all food waste, and once food has reached the consumer, emissions from production, processing, packaging, and shipping are baked into the product.
So how can you waste less meat and other animal products? Understand when your food will actually go bad, use your freezer liberally, and plan ahead.
“A lot of people think their food is bad when it’s actually still perfectly good to eat,” Dana Gunders, executive director of food waste nonprofit ReFED, told me. “The dates on food are really an indicator of when something is of top quality or it’s freshest, but they’re not telling you the food is bad or that you can’t eat it.”
Her general rule of thumb? “If it looks fine, smells fine, and tastes fine, it’s okay to eat.” She encourages readers to visit SaveTheFood.com, a consumer guide from environmental nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council, for more information. (I also recommend this backgrounder by Vox’s Alissa Wilkinson on sell-by and best-by dates.)
Can’t eat it soon? Put it in the freezer. “Freezers are a magic pause button,” Gunders said.
“A lot of people are in the habit of freezing meat but you can freeze milk if you’re going away on vacation — it may separate a little but it’ll be okay. Eggs you can freeze if you crack them out of their shell and scramble them but don’t cook them.” When it comes to cheese, it’s best to shred it before freezing and then use it in cooking after thawing.
Lastly, plan ahead. “If you can, sketch out an accurate plan of your week and when you’ll eat at home, and have that in mind when you’re shopping,” Gunders said. “That’s really critical because shopping is where you commit to the food regardless of whether you eat it or not.”
Reducing waste at the farm level is vital because if meat companies can reduce their mortality rates — the percent of farm animals that die before they can be slaughtered — then they can conceivably reduce the number of animals they need to breed in the first place.
The biggest impact can be made in the chicken industry, simply because of its scale. Five percent of the 9 billion chickens raised for meat in the US — around 450 million chickens — die on the farm or in transportation on the way to the slaughterhouse. Two of the biggest solutions to bring that number down are changing breeding and transportation practices.
Nearly all the chickens raised for food in the US come from a handful of breeds that grow incredibly large, incredibly fast, which not only means the birds are in constant pain, but it can also lead to leg deformities and other health issues that cause premature death, like heart attacks and starvation or dehydration due to the inability to walk and get feed and water.
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“Slower-growing breeds usually are more robust and have lower mortality figures,” Ingrid de Jong, a senior scientific researcher of poultry behavior and welfare at Wageningen Livestock Research in the Netherlands, told me in email.
After they leave the farm, millions of chickens in the US die on the way to the slaughterhouse. They’re often overcrowded into trucks, which can cause life-ending injuries, as can exposure to weather extremes on the road. Under the federal “28-hour law,” these trucks can move farmed animals across state lines for 28 consecutive hours without having to unload them for rest, water, or food. As bad as that is, the law is weakly enforced by federal agencies, exempts poultry, and only covers the length of transport, not transport conditions, according to Dena Jones of the nonprofit Animal Welfare Institute.
Jones reviewed USDA records and found one cold-related transport incident from poultry company Pilgrim’s Pride that resulted in the death of more than 34,000 birds — the largest she had ever seen. “Because so many birds are raised for meat in the US — and the life of a single bird has almost no value to the industry — even 34,000 is viewed as inconsequential,” Jones told me in email. “I’ve monitored these records for more than a decade, and I’ve not noticed any improvement in the situation.”
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Despite lack of progress on reducing the waste and suffering of animals in transport, there has been some movement on changing breeding practices. Over 200 food businesses, including Burger King, Starbucks, and Subway, have pledged to source chicken from poultry companies that use slower-growing breeds. However, only two of the top 10 chicken companies — Perdue Farms and Wayne Farms — say they’ll supply it.
Grocery stores, restaurants, and food manufacturers can also do a lot to reduce food waste.
Federal legislation to standardize expiration labeling — which is done by retailers and manufacturers — would go a long way to reduce consumer confusion and waste. Harvard’s Food Law and Policy Clinic recommends requiring manufacturers that choose to use a date label for quality reasons to use the phrase “best if used by,” and reserve “expires on” for more high-risk foods.
Gunders of ReFED says getting food companies to use new technologies that more accurately predict consumer demand would help prevent surplus purchasing. Passing laws that ban food from entering landfills would be a big lever for change, and seven states and several municipalities have put in place such policies to varying degrees. This incentivizes businesses to donate more unsold food and work harder to prevent waste.
Fabiano of the EPA told me there’s one thing grocers could do to reduce seafood waste specifically. “We are so used to seeing these decadent displays of seafood on ice, but that seafood was generally shipped frozen and is just sitting there and defrosting,” she said. “So once you buy it that way, you do not have very long to consume that fish.” The solution? Selling more seafood frozen, which would make it last longer.
Bruce Taylor of Enviro-Stewards chalks up a lot of food waste in processing facilities to sheer inertia. Employees become used to inefficient processes and faulty machinery, and it can take an objective observer — him, in this example — to come in and notice waste, put a dollar value on it, and suggest small engineering changes that can save companies money and improve efficiency. In one example, his employees at a lobster processing factory pulled what was left off each lobster at the end of the processing line, which amounted to around $350,000 a year of edible meat being wasted.
“Everyone can see what’s happening, they just don’t know what it’s costing them,” he said.
Cutting food waste will be an increasingly critical part of reaching the world’s climate goals as the global population is expected to surpass 9 billion by 2050, requiring a projected 50 percent increase in food production from 2010 levels. Decreasing food waste should help reduce the need for increased production and slow down deforestation, biodiversity loss, and other environmental challenges.
That growing global population will also likely be eating more meat, and in the short term at least, much of it will likely come from factory farms. Food waste reduction will be an important tool in mitigating the number of animals churned through the system — and the system’s immense environmental and ethical toll.
Article From & Read More ( Food waste's enormous impact on animal welfare: wasted meat, milk, and eggs - Vox.com )
Food safety incidents weaken the public’s trust more in national than local governments, according to a study in China.
The work analyzes how food safety troubles affect Chinese people’s trust in the government using survey data.
Food safety problems involve public health but also have a social and political impact with risks varying across people of different socioeconomic backgrounds, according to the study report. Past incidents have included poisonous ham, contaminated baby formula and degraded cooking oil.
These issues weaken the public’s trust in both the central and local governments. Chinese people tend to attribute responsibility to the central government rather than local leaders when concerned about food safety problems. Even though it is the local government that, in practice, has primary administrative supervision over safe food.
Central government has a leadership role in food safety regulations. It enacts laws and makes rules for regulating the industry. Local government undertakes the supervision, including overseeing the quality of food and imposing penalties on violators.
Risk perception based on background
The national agency has tactics to shift the responsibility to local governments and food producers to avoid criticism but it is not exempt from losing the public’s trust when it comes to food safety problems, according to the study published in the Japanese Journal of Political Science.
Food safety risks are unequally distributed. People of high socioeconomic status have more financial and cognitive abilities to protect themselves, while people with less money and education are more vulnerable to health hazards.
People with higher levels of income tended to be more concerned about food safety than those with low incomes. Even though such problems threaten everyone’s health, those less conscious of the dangers to take proper precautions suffer from higher food safety risks.
Highly educated people lose trust in the central government more drastically when food safety problems become worse. Lower educated people hardly realize the food safety issues around them and are less inclined to withdraw trust in the government as a result. They may blame food producers and processors for the problems.
Those with a low income were more inclined to attribute the responsibility for food safety problems to the central government because of expectations that those agencies look after them.
Impact of official action on foodborne disease
Another study found a mixed influence of government intervention on foodborne diseases by using various sources of Chinese data from 30 regions between 2011 and 2019.
Results show that official intervention can have a significant impact on infections. Foodborne diseases decreased by 1.3 percent when government expenditure in this area increased by 1 percent. By strengthening food safety standards and guiding enterprises to offer safer food, regulators can further improve the situation, said researchers.
However, although government measures alleviates food related diseases in local areas, it aggravates them in other regions. The study found relying solely on regulators to rectify foodborne diseases can cause contradictions and conflicts between different regions.
Authorities can affect food safety in production, circulation and sales by enacting laws, issuing administrative orders, and implementing economic penalties.
Modeling found a 1 percent increase in urbanization corresponds to a 0.43 percent increase in foodborne diseases. If people have been educated for one more year, local infections decrease by 2.43 percent. However, this also leads to a lack of food knowledge in other regions and further worsens the issue.
The study results show the impact of government action on foodborne infections will last for two years and there is a need to focus on long-term policies, according to the researchers.
(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)
Article From & Read More ( Study shows food safety problems impact trust in government - Food Safety News )[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Second Harvest Food Bank Receives $3500 Donation from 'Food Lion Feeds' Therogersvillereview Article From & Read More ( Second Harvest Food Bank Receives $3500 Donation from 'Food Lion Feeds' - Therogersvillereview )[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Biting off more than we can chew: Excellent food and ambiance at the Carnival Cafe Therogersvillereview Article From & Read More ( Biting off more than we can chew: Excellent food and ambiance at the Carnival Cafe - Therogersvillereview )If you want to live healthier, step away from these 10 foods and general food categories.
We hate to be the bearers of bad news but yes, that means put down the bacon.
Seen in this photo is bacon cooked in a frying pan. Experts say bacon is one of the worst foods for your health. ( iStock )
1. Bacon
Let’s get this fan-favorite out of the way first. Bacon is not good for your health.
"Many don’t know that the World Health Organization has classified bacon in the same category as tobacco when it comes to carcinogenesis," says Reyzan Shali, MD, referring to the process by which normal cells are transformed into cancer cells. "We have done a good job asking people to give up tobacco, but how come we have not done a good job asking people to not eat bacon?"
2. Turkey bacon
Turkey bacon isn’t a healthy choice either.
"If I can convince my patients to give up bacon, the next question I get is usually whether they can have alternatives to bacon, like turkey bacon. I explain that it's the processing that makes the meat harmful. So replacing bacon with turkey bacon to make it healthier is misguided," says Shali.
"All types of bacon are processed to become bacon, so changing the type of bacon does not change the fact that it’s processed meat" she says, noting that this is a difficult diet change to make, especially if someone has been eating processed food all their lives.
With that said, Shali urges people to remember when they reach for turkey bacon at the grocery store that "it’s processed meat that has nitrates. And according to a study in the Meat Science Journal, in the stomach, nitrite can eventually form carcinogenic nitrosamines in the acidic environment."
3. Fried food
"Fried foods, yet another staple of the American diet that is terrible for our health," states registered dietitian Angela L. Lago, also known as The Mental Wellness Dietitian. "I'm not suggesting that one never has fried foods, however fried foods should not be a staple of anyone's diet. In general, fried foods are higher in fat, salt, and calories, all of which are horrible for heart health and the risk of developing obesity," she continues, highlighting that the type of oil that fried foods are cooked in is of great concern.
"Many times, especially in restaurants and fast food businesses, hydrogenated, trans fats are used, which are associated with heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity. A great alternative is to pan fry at home in olive or avocado oil or use an air fryer to get the same effect without the negative health benefits," Lago comments.
Hand holding Fried chicken and eating in the restaurant (iStock) "…fried foods are higher in fat, salt, and calories, all of which are horrible for heart health and the risk of developing obesity," says registered dietitian Angela L. Lago.
EAT THESE FOOD TO LIVE A LONG LIFE, EXPERTS SAY
4. Potato chips
Andrea Paul, MD, medical advisor to Illuminate Labs, chimes in on why this popular snack food is bad for you: "Chips are known to be unhealthy for a number of reasons. They're low in nutrition, and high in cheap fats and sodium," she says. "This obviously varies by brand, but health-conscious consumers want to avoid chips as a snack."
If you’re craving a crunchy food, opt for nuts or veggie snacks like kale chips, Paul says.
Sugar comes in many shapes and forms. Experts say added sugar is unhealthy for your diet, and to replace with whole foods such as fruit. (iStock)
5. Added sugars
If you see any added sugars on the nutrition facts panels of packaged foods, steer clear. "Added sugar has essentially zero nutritional value and has been shown in medical research to increase risk of obesity and metabolic disease," Paul explains.
"I recommend that consumers try to cut out added sugars entirely from their diet," she adds. "You can replace added sugar with whole foods like fruit or healthier sugar substitutes like blackstrap molasses, which is nutrient-dense and has a lower glycemic index."
6. Processed oils
Try to cut processed oils out of your diet as much as possible.
Arika Hoscheit, a registered dietitian nutritionist with Paloma Health, an online medical practice focused exclusively on treating hypothyroidism, explains why: "Processed oils like grapeseed, soybean, canola, cottonseed, corn, and vegetable oils are generally detrimental to human health and should be avoided. This is because they are heated to extremely high temperatures during processing, which oxidizes the oils," she says.
"Oxidation produces free radicals that can cause damage throughout the body. As we age, our bodies have to work harder than they used to in order to recover from insults," she explains.
"Try to limit or avoid processed oils and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, which are high in antioxidants. Consuming plenty of antioxidants can help to protect the body from any free radicals that are produced," Hoscheit notes.
Researchers have recommended replacing other kinds of fat with olive oil. (iStock)
7. Hydrogenated fats
This category of fats lurks in many packaged foods and fast food products.
"Hydrogenated fats are conclusively shown to increase mortality rates in population studies. It's important that consumers read the ingredient label on their packaged food products, because many popular consumer brands of products like peanut butter contain hydrogenated fats," says Paul, who advises avoiding these fats entirely.
"They don't even add any flavor, and are used to improve cost efficiency for the manufacturer. Peanut butter with a simple ingredient label like dry roasted peanuts and salt is much healthier than peanut butter with hydrogenated fats and added sugar," she says.
MORNING HABITS DOCTORS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS WISH YOU WOULD DO
8. Refined carbohydrates
These include white bread, white rice and pasta, pastries, pizza and more.
"I like to describe refined carbohydrates as foods that started out as nature intended, yet were then stripped of most of their nutrients to make them more palatable and enjoyable for the American public. Refined grain products are known to promote inflammation in our bodies, they are generally higher in sugar, and are also associated with obesity," says Lago. "Gut health is also negatively affected by the standard American diet that lacks fiber and consists largely of processed, refined grain products."
Lago takes the nutrient profile of 100% whole grain sprouted bread as an example. "It is abundant in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients that help our body thrive. Once the bread is processed to become soft, white bread, the nutritional value of the bread plummets, the fiber is stripped, the nutrients are wiped away, and there is little to no nutritional value compared to the original item," she shares.
"Up to 89% of the antioxidant activity in whole grains is lost during processing, flavonoids, zinc, and vitamin E are reduced by 79%, fiber is reduced by 58%.," she adds. "This can be said for rice, pasta, cereals, flour and other whole grains that go through the refining process."
To reduce the risk of developing heart disease, Reyzan Shali, MD, urges her patients to cut out all processed meats from their diet, especially from their breakfast. (iStock)
OLIVE OIL CAN HELP CUT RISK OF DISEASE, HELP YOU LIVE LONGER
9. Breakfast sausages
Consider this while loading your shopping cart: "According to a study [published in Current Atherosclerosis Reports titled] ‘Unprocessed Red and Processed Meats and Risk of Coronary Artery Disease, the available evidence points to strong associations of processed meat consumption with the incidence of coronary heart disorder (CHD)," says Shali.
To reduce the risk of developing heart disease, Shali urges her patients to cut out all processed meats from their diet, especially from their breakfast.
"I know that is not easy, and I have found that helping them take small steps over time can help get them detached from these dangerous breakfast treats," she comments.
10. Processed meat
Even though it's been explained that processed meats like breakfast sausage, bacon and turkey bacon are horrible for your health, this category of food is unhealthy as a whole. Therefore, it merits a standalone section.
Hot dogs, deli meats, packaged bologna, beef jerky, pepperoni and more, should all be avoided as much as possible, if not eliminated from your diet completely. "The World Health Organization has classified processed meats as a group 1 carcinogen, meaning it's known to cause cancer. Processed meats contain chemicals that are not present in fresh meat," says Lago.
"Studies show that people that eat an abundance of processed meats are more likely to have high blood pressure, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as well," she adds.
If you’re looking to make this year your healthiest yet, check out these nine superfoods for a long, healthy life.
Article From & Read More ( These are the worst foods for your health, experts say - Fox News )
More than 300 Kentucky farmers participated in the state’s Farms to Food Banks program last year, and at a recent virtual rally, state officials said they are looking to expand the program to help combat rising food insecurity.
Ryan Quarles, the state’s commissioner of agriculture, said continued funding for Farms to Food Banks, along with other measures, will ensure Kentucky households have access to locally grown produce.
“This money is used to buy up produce from Kentucky farmers that would otherwise not be harvested, that would otherwise rot in the field,” Quarles explained. “And get it into the hands of our food banks.”
In 2021, farmers across 57 counties provided food for more than five million meals through the program. According to Feeding Kentucky, farmers were paid on average around $2,000 to cover the cost of harvesting, packaging and transporting donated agricultural products to a local food bank or pantry.
Quarles also pointed out the state plans to use American Rescue Plan Act funds to help upgrade food pantries.
“We know that our food pantries are not created equally across our state,” Quarles acknowledged. “There’s at least a thousand of them. And so we want to create a mini grant program with a one-time million-dollar ask, so each food pantry can buy a refrigerator, upgrade shelving, etcetera.”
Katrina Thompson, executive director of Feeding Kentucky, said the need for food comes at a time when many Kentuckians, especially those in the western part of the state, continue to seek long-term shelter and other basic necessities in the aftermath of the December tornadoes.
“We’ve had displaced families who don’t have a stove or are living with other family members, living in hotels,” Thompson observed. “We’re really just working with nonperishable foods right now, getting those out to the food banks and out to the pantries.”
A recent census survey found nationwide, nearly 23 million people either “sometimes” or “often” did not have enough to eat. Around 200 million people said their household experienced a loss in income, making it more difficult to purchase food.
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Article From & Read More ( Kentucky Officials Urge Expanding State's Farm To Food Bank Program - Louisville Eccentric Observer )
Barbara and Jim O’Halloran from the Jefferson Area Community Food Pantry accept a donation from Rising Tide Co-op team member Carol Manley (center). (Courtesy photo)
Rising Tide’s November Co-op for Community Days partner was Jefferson Area Community Food Pantry.
Every Wednesday, Rising Tide donates 0.5% of sales to an organization nominated and voted on by their 5,000-plus owners. Thanks to this partnership, Rising Tide Co-op contributed $674 to the food pantry.
Rising Tide views this program as a way to both provide financial and in-kind support to community organizations. In addition to a monetary contribution, Rising Tide helps Co-op for Community Days partners share information about their organizations throughout the month through digital marketing, in-store communications, and meet-and-greets held each Wednesday.
The work done at this 100% volunteer-run food pantry helps meet critical needs for people throughout the Jefferson area. Their doors, located at 72 Gardiner Road, are open at every second and fourth Wednesday from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
For more information or to volunteer or donate, find the pantry’s Facebook page or call 315-1134.
Rising Tide Co-op is a cooperatively owned grocery serving southern Midcoast Maine since 1978 and is open and welcome to anyone who wants to shop, regardless of whether they are a co-op owner or not.
To learn more about Rising Tide Co-op’s work in our community, go to risingtide.coop.
In a recent special edition, National Geographic did a deep-dive into the Blue Zones. The Blue Zones include five different communities across the globe that are known for having the highest concentration of residents living to be over 100. These zones, researched in-depth by author Dan Buettner, include Ikaria in Greece, Okinawa in Japan, Sardinia in Italy, Loma Linda in California, and the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica.
What's particularly interesting about Buettner's research is the breakdown of different diets consumed in each region. While there isn't one specific type of diet each Blue Zone follows (they eat a variety of fiber-rich foods, vegetables, fruits, dairy, and a small amount of meat, and fish), it was easy to determine a few general themes in the types of diets these people follow. Specifically, the more common foods that are consumed.
It was clear that a majority of Blue Zone residents commonly eat a combination of healthy starches. These starches include whole grains, legumes, and potatoes. Vegetables came in a close second for each zone, along with fruit—all foods that are high in fiber and rich in plant-based nutrients.
First, it's important to note the types of carbs that are being consumed by these communities. Whole grains like oats, barley, and brown rice are commonly consumed. Bread products typically have whole grains and most of the time are made from scratch. This includes loaves of sourdough, tortillas, flatbreads, and even pasta.
Sweet potatoes are a staple for the community in Okinawa. Legumes—such as beans, chickpeas, and lentils—are also considered staples for many of the other communities. In Loma Linda, legumes and soy products are more commonly consumed, along with vegetables, while the percentage of grains in their diet is much smaller.
In a dieting world where eating ultra-low-carb is met with such high praise, these communities are welcoming healthy starches with open arms—and living the longest.
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While the longevity of these communities is linked to all kinds of other factors (genetics, exercise, community outreach, and more), research continues to prove the link between eating a high-fiber diet and living a long life.
One study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that diets rich in dietary fiber can reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular, respiratory, and infectious diseases.
Another meta-analysis of 17 studies from the American Journal of Epidemiology found that, for every 10 grams of fiber consumed, it cut the mortality risk for almost one million participants by 10%.
Lastly, a 2019 study in The Lancet concluded that diets high in fiber (consuming between 25 and 29 grams of fiber a day) reduced the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, and also helped with significantly lowering total cholesterol, blood pressure, and even bodyweight.
The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans says more than 90% of women and 97% of men do not get their recommended intake of fiber a day and should consume more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables to reach their goals. The USDA recommends adults up to the age of 50 to consume 25 grams of fiber for women and 38 grams for men. Adults over 50 should consume between 21 and 30 grams.
You can also get a boost of healthy fiber (and starches) in your diet by incorporating these 43 Best High-Fiber Foods For a Healthy Diet into your routine.
Article From & Read More ( The Most Common Food Eaten By The Healthiest People In The World — Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That )Food trucks have become increasing popular and now Feather River College has one that it hopes will benefit not only its students, but the public as well.
Purchased with COVID relief funds, the truck’s primary purpose is to serve students outside of the cafeteria during the pandemic or other emergencies. Using a food truck promotes social distancing during food delivery and serves students outside of the cafeteria during pandemic outbreaks.
“This food trailer will allow us to distribute food and supplies safely and directly to students, supporting their basic food security needs,” FRC president Dr. Kevin Trutna said.
A secondary benefit will be to allow the college’s Nutrition, Food & Culinary Arts students to develop, price, plan, and serve menus to students and the public as they learn the craft of operating a food business. The food trailer would not compete against local restaurants for daily operations, as the goal is to feed FRC students first, and community members for special occasions and as an emergency service.
The trailer is yet to be named, but “Eagles Roost” seems to be favored among several on campus, branding its mobile name from the Eagles Perch campus cafeteria. The Eagles Perch cafeteria will continue to be the primary source of food service and teaching space. The mobile food trailer will supplement instruction at remote locations. “Education and training of FRC students are a key objective to the success of the trailer as students graduate and transition into the local workforce with higher-level culinary skills,” Trutna said.
Another benefit will be to serve the local community during times of disaster, including prolonged power outages, snow events, or other emergencies. “This trailer improves FRC disaster preparedness to support both students and the community,” said Trutna, “It would have been invaluable during the Dixie Fire this summer to mobilize food resources directly to serve community members on site.”
FRC is working to plan a community event for the inaugural opening of the trailer with details to be determined.
Culinary instructor Chef Sean Conry inspects the new Feather River College food service trailer. Photo submitted
Throughout this Food Trek, we will talk a lot about developing local food systems in central Illinois. So maybe we should actually define that term.
So let’s Google it.
According to Community-Wealth.org, “a local food system is a collaborative network that integrates sustainable food production, processing, distribution, consumption, and waste management in order to enhance the environmental, economic and social health of a particular area.”
It sounds a bit lofty, maybe even abstract. But who wouldn't benefit from a system like that? One that can meet the needs of people, the economy and the environment? It's definitely worth a good, close look.
But if all we grow is corn and soy, can we even grow food crops here? Well, that's actually not all that we grow. And in the state that ranks third in the nation for the number of farmers markets, it seems that the answer is yes.
Why is it that those foods that we see at the farmers market still feel like such a novelty?
“We have some amazing soil. We can actually, in the state of Illinois, real almost anything except for citrus and avocados and bananas,” said Raghela Scavuzzo, associate director of food systems development at the Illinois Farm Bureau and the executive director of the Illinois Specialty Growers Association.
There are over 3,600 specialty crop farms around the state, Scavuzzo said.
What are specialty crops? “Your fruits, your vegetables, and your flowers and your herbs, your tomatoes. Anything that is more like actually what you find in the produce aisle of your grocery store,” she said.
Wo why then don't we already have a so-called local food system? Well, being a system, it's not just being able to grow food. Remember, it's also “assessing distribution, consumption and waste management.”
You may be asking: Isn't Illinois a leader in food processing? Well, yes, it is. But not the type of processing that meets the goals of local food systems – ones that, again, enhance the environmental, economic, and social health of a particular area.
Why is Illinois so entrenched in large-scale international farm and food industries? Well, it’s because it was designed that way. In the book, “The Heartland: An American History,” author and University of Illinois history professor Kristin Hoganson digs into the agricultural history of Illinois. And in that book, she talks a lot about how intentionally global our Illinois agriculture was oriented from the very incorporation of this place into the United States.
“Even smaller scale farmers who moved to the wet prairies of Illinois never intended to be completely self-sufficient, right? They wanted to be connected from the start to global economies. They were interested in selling the things they produced the wider markets, both domestic markets and international markets. And from the very beginning, they were interested in having access to global markets as consumers,” Hoganson said.
And our modern approach to farming and food production obviously has continued down that path. In 2020, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Illinois farmers planted 11 million acres of corn and 10 million acres of soybeans, with a good portion of that being used for exports. And it's because those crops are prolific in many ways. They produce an enormous amount of fuel, animal feed, and the basic ingredients for a plethora of processed foods and industrial products.
But for all it's worth in the global marketplace, it doesn’t directly feed us here in central Illinois.
“So part of our vision for Illinois is that Illinois would feed itself. Right now, we import 95% of the food that we eat here, despite the fact that we have 23 million acres of agriculture. And that’s really, it's not resilient. It's not safe. It's not food secure,” said Liz Stelk, executive director of the Illinois Stewardship Alliance. Her group is one of many working on local food systems development in Illinois, a system that she says can benefit the land and climate, farmers, eaters and local economies.
“So one of the things that we do in working with both local food and sustainable agriculture is understanding that one of the best ways that we can build healthy soil is also to diversify what we grow here,” Stelk said. “And one way that we can diversify what we grow here is that we build the infrastructure that would support more local food production.”
But is it even possible to diversify an agricultural system that was designed from the beginning to prioritize global industries with just a few single crops?
“Corn and soy, I think are always going to be a prominent production here in Illinois. We have really good soil to grow corn and soy. And it is needed throughout the world, not just here,” Scavuzzo said.
If corn and soy are here to stay and utilizing the majority of our farmland, can we still get to a place where local food systems gain a substantial foothold?
“Can we get there? Yes. Are we on the cusp of it? Yes. It's just looking at it in a different way,” Scavuzzo said.
And on the next episode, we will continue looking at it differently when our conversation with Scavuzzo and others continues. So stay tuned.
Article From & Read More ( Why a local food system has yet to take hold in central Illinois - WGLT )
Price: $144.95
Where to buy: Amazon, Wayfair
This steamer set comes with a ceramic pot and lid, as well as a steamer basket made of cedar and a terracotta steamer base. Our evaluators unanimously agree that this steamer would be a beautiful addition to the kitchen. But for the price, it had better be.
In our evaluations, it took about twice as long to boil water in it vs. a regular pot of water, but the dumplings we steamed in it came out evenly cooked. The cedar basket even imparted a light and pleasant cedar fragrance. And the pot retained heat, which can be a plus, especially in chilly weather.
“The pot was made of a cuddle-worthy smooth ceramic,” says Perry Santanachote, a CR writer who evaluated each of the steamers we mention here. “It was a cold, wet day, and I literally hugged the pot for warmth while eating dumplings.”
But like many expensive things, it’s pretty high maintenance. Jia, the manufacturer, says before using this steamer for the first time, you should make some congee (rice porridge) by filling the pot with water until it’s about 80 percent full, adding one cup of rice, and letting it simmer. By making this porridge, you’ll fill the pores of the pot with starch, which can enhance its durability, the manufacturer told Consumer Reports.
Even then, you may want to avoid using metal utensils in this pot. In our evaluations, scooping out congee with a metal spoon left marks on the bottom. Plus, its white exterior can darken from the heat. If that happens, Jia says marks can be removed by applying water and baking soda in a 10:1 ratio and letting it sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
Article From & Read More ( Best Food Steamer | Bamboo, Ceramic, Electric, Silicone, Stainless - ConsumerReports.org )
By Sarah Leah Chase
(Jan. 27, 2022) “However comforting, a brown bowl of something doesn’t scream showstopper. Everything has to make a statement these days all the time and brown food most definitely does not do that: it gently beckons us with a whisper rather than a shout. And the truth is we need the calm it bestows.” – Nigella Lawson
Although I have recently been writing a lot about the need to cook and serve cheerfully- colorful food to counteract Nantucket’s bleak winter landscape, the truth of the matter is that at this time of the year most of us likely end up eating brown food several times a week.
The hearty and rib-sticking fare we naturally crave during the winter months translates into roasts, braises, stews and soups that are more often than not predominantly brown in color. This is why I’m delighted that British cookbook author Nigella Lawson devoted an entire chapter to “A Loving Defense of Brown Food” in her most recent cookbook, “Cook, Eat, Repeat” (HarperCollins Publishers, 2021).
Lawson goes on to blame Instagram as “the medium that has probably done the most for the rampant championing of the colorful over the drab,” and laments that pictures of food now tend to get rated for what they look like rather than what they taste like.
To read the complete story, pick up the Jan. 27 print edition of The Inquirer and Mirror or register for the I&M’s online edition by clicking here.
Click here to sign up for “Above the Fold,” The Inquirer and Mirror’s three-times-a-week free newsletter, bringing you both the news and a slice of island life, curated with content created by Nantucket’s only team of professionally-trained journalists.
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Article From & Read More ( In praise of brown food - The Inquirer and Mirror )
What we’re eating.
Welcome. One night last week, cold and tired after a busy day, I craved a very specific comfort food from childhood for dinner: buttered noodles with cottage cheese. It’s cacio e pepe for a toddler’s palate, a very simple variation on mac and cheese, the ultimate comfort food. The meal came together in minutes and hit the spot, as it always does.
I was musing recently about a fantasy dinner party at which I’d serve all the things I loved to eat as a child and realized that most of those foods were unlikely to appeal to guests, who’d have few if any of the positive associations I do with the foods in question. Absent the fond memories of my nursery-school lunchbox or the microwave glow of my family’s 1970s kitchen, cream cheese and jelly on white bread, SpaghettiOs and even my beloved pasta with cottage cheese might not translate to a grown-up dinner party setting.
Of course, not all comfort foods are so personal. It’s soup season in the Northeastern U.S., and in my house, that means as much chili as the largest pot will hold. One week of dinners goes in the fridge, the rest frozen for months to come.
I asked you a couple of weeks ago what foods you’ve found comforting lately. Here’s what some of you said. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
“The one recipe that I relentlessly return to is one that I learned from Mark Bittman: curried sweet potato soup with apricots. It’s so simple but it’s so delicious! The contrast between the sweetness and savoriness makes for an unbeatable combination. It’s so good, in fact, that it’s my only exception to my rule of never diluting the superb taste of sweet potatoes by combining them with any other foods.” —Richard J. Brenner, Miller Place, N.Y.
“One of my favorite restaurants in Portland, Ore., is Kachka, a hip contemporary Russian joint with a beautiful mini grocery housed within the restaurant. We brought home the Kachka cookbook and a pelmeni press, which looks like metal honeycomb. Pelmenis are tiny dough dumplings with various fillings: beef, farmer’s cheese, even sour cherry. We’ve been making pelmenis of all flavors; my favorite so far are filled with spiced ground lamb and served with a red pepper and herb sauce.” —Frances Cannon, Burlington, Vt.
“During this endless winter full of sadness and worry I return to the soups my mother made during the Depression. Her family boarded young women at the Jersey Shore in the summer, and my mother was the 17-year-old cook. She alternated three soups: lentil, split pea and bean. All made the same way, with just an onion for flavor. I find great comfort in these plain soups (though I do toss in a little ham now and then). ” —Ellen McPherson, Nashville
“The New York Times’s chocolate mayonnaise cake. It’s so easy to make. I add chopped walnuts and Bushmills whiskey and sprinkle the top with Icelandic licorice sea salt after removing it from the oven.” —Penny Koelsch, Minneapolis
“Salmon cakes, using salmon from the can, stir up childhood nostalgia and bring comfort and warmth on a cold winter evening. Crisp, golden brown and oven-broiled, salmon cakes are a forgotten dish of simpler times that deserves a comeback.” —Miranda Kessel, Bingham, Maine
“We’ve had this chicken a few times already this winter, and it’s always a hit. I like to pretend that I’m eating it at a Sunday family dinner at my grandmother’s in the French countryside. We like to have it with a little toasted baguette to dip in the broth.” —Merel Kennedy, Mill Valley, Calif.
“A bunch of kale, cleaned and cooked. Sautéed vegetables: onions, garlic, red peppers, diced cooked potatoes or sweet potatoes. I pulse the kale in a Cuisinart and then I put all the cooked-in-advance vegetables into a big skillet with some olive oil and sazón seasoning. Then I add the pulsed, almost puréed kale. This pulsed kale is so much tastier than pieces of it; it’s indescribably good!” —Leslie Gregg, Pittsburgh
After nearly two years, two names and countless ideas for leading a full and cultured life, the time has come for me to move house. Starting Saturday, Feb. 5, and every Saturday thereafter, I’ll be contemplating and recommending and all the other stuff I’ve been doing here in a new edition of The Times’s daily newsletter, The Morning. This isn’t goodbye, it’s just a change of address.
You’ll receive your last At Home and Away newsletter on Friday, Jan. 28. If you’re already receiving The Morning during the week, I’ll be in your inbox bright and early on Feb. 5. If you aren’t subscribed, I’d love it if you’d sign up at the link below.
I wouldn’t mind living in this Parisian micro-apartment.
A eulogy for the semicolon in British fiction.
Out of Order is an entertaining puzzle game that reminds me of those little plastic toys of yore that had a grid of tiles and one empty space and you moved the tiles around the grid, one at a time, trying to complete a picture.
What are you watching, reading, cooking, doing these days? Write to us: athome@nytimes.com. Be sure to include your full name and location and we might include your contribution in an upcoming newsletter. We’re At Home and Away. We’ll read every letter sent. As always, more ideas for leading a full and cultured life appear below. See you on Friday.
Were you forwarded this newsletter? Times subscribers can sign up here to receive it twice a week. There’s more to read, do and watch in our archive. Let us know what you think.
Heralded for offering similar grill and salad bar choices as Fogo de Chão (an international Brazilian steakhouse chain), but at a more acce...
