Listeria outbreak kills two, sends 33 to hospital

Subway's spicy Italian, avoid it like a salt plague! — *A fan of cold cuts? Check what you bought, Boar’s Head has a major recall underway.*

A major recall of deli meats has accounted for two deaths and put 33 people in hospitals, reports Patch.com. Products involved are from the Boar’s Head brand, with cases of people being sickened by the products reported in 13 states as of late July.

“The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” health officials said in a news release. “This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Listeria. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported, as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak,” Patch reports.

Boar’s Head already is facing at least one lawsuit. The recalled meats are thought o be causing listeria in people who eat them.

“The company last week announced a recall of several types of deli meats, including all liverwurst products, as well as some types of ham, salami and bologna.

“The recall includes 207,528 pounds of products that were shipped to retail locations nationwide. See the full list of recalled products,” Patch reports.

July 30, 2024 0

Why we love unhealthy foods — dah, it’s the taste

Americans generally know that food high in sugar and fat are unhealthy for them, but knowing that and changing their behavior are two different things, reports a new analysis from the online data collection site YouGov.com.

“Nearly four in five US consumers (79%) say foods high in sugar are unhealthy, followed by high in saturated or trans fats (74%), and high in calories but low in nutrients (71%). Deep-fried (70%), fast food (68%), and salty snacks (68%) are also rated as unhealthy by a majority of respondents,” the site reports.

So why eat it all? “Data indicates that taste is the primary driver when asked about chips (65%), candies (58%), sodas (49%) and fast food (39%). The variety of flavors offered by these foods is a significant draw (33% chips, 30% candies, 20% sodas and 17% fast food),” the site reports.

Healthy food can taste good too, you just ahve to work on it. Try our recipe page to start.

July 13, 2024 0

Fake meat meets grass-fed, which would you pick?

The makers of imitation meats such as Impossible Burger are running into more competition from grass-fed meats, reports The Food Institute, a food news site.

McDonald's third-pound sirloin burger has too much salt and fat for me to eat it.

“Growing interest in sustainably-raised meats, including grass-fed beef, is challenging meat alternatives, which continue to struggle with adoption and repeat purchases among their primary consumer base – flexitarians.

“Sustainable meat production is rising across the food industry, as products with Regenerative Organic Certification experience significant growth.

“Several major food companies have made regenerative commitments in 2024—including big meat players like JBS and Tyson—and some QSRs (quick-serve restaurants) have also revamped their menus to include more ‘climate-friendly’ animal products,” the Food Institute reports.

I’ve had the alternative meat products and worry about the salt in them. An ultra-lean grass-fed burger seems to me a better alternative to traditional 80% high-fat ground beef when you get that urge for red meat.

July 11, 2024 0

Red & white zucchini boats for July 4th

The Fourth of July usually means grilling lots of meat on a grill or two (or four like I have in my outdoor kitchen) but don’t forget your vegetarian family members or friends — here’s a great stuffed zucchini boat you can make on the grill as well.

It already has two colors for the 4th, kudos if you can find a way to add something blue — maybe the plates you serve it on?

Any regular reader of my blog knows I love zucchini and regularly post recipes from famous chefs like Giada D. Follow this link for a page of past posts with zucchini recipes.

*Our tilapia, zucchini and corn dinner. Another zucchini alternative.*

But back to the latest recipe I found on a site called SimplyItalian Cooking. The ingredients:

Medium zucchini
Onion
Tomato
Garlic
Breadcrumbs
Italian cheese (Romano or Parmesan)
Olive oil
Basil
Salt and pepper (optional — leave out the salt)

The instructions:

Continue reading →

July 4, 2024 0

A primer on building your food budget

Rising food costs have obsessed consumers in these post-Covid times. While signs have emerged that costs have leveled off, they likely won’t fall any time soon, so everyone needs to work on budgeting for their food needs. If you haven’t done this, a good place to start is with this primer The New York Times ran recently entitled 9 Tips to Stretch Your Food Budget.

Among the tips are changes in lifestyle — eat less meat, snacking less and avoid wasting food. But there are also ways to save money, like using coupons and knowing your grocery store and how to find the cheaper offerings in a. given food category.

Coupons these days are largely digital, be sure to have the shopping app for every store you shop at to get their best deals. Also, check out national couponing sites. These tend to have coupons for major brands, which I tend to avoid because they’re usually the most expensive, but you can get occasional deals.

My goal is to only buy sale/coupon items every time I shop, and to save at least 30% off full prices overall. You can see an example of one of my recent receipts here with all the discounts noted.

July 3, 2024 0

Month: July 2024