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:

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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

The quest for a new non-sugar sweetener goes on, with some bad news, some good

Finding a non-sugar sweetener for food and beverages, one without it’s own unwanted side-effects, has been the holy grail of food processors for as long as I’ve written about the food business (40 years). A new possibility, brazzein, is getting some positive attention now.

Another, Xylitol, long used in sugar-free candies and elsewhere, is getting negative attention, however.

“A new study linking the low-calorie sugar substitute xylitol to an increased risk of heart attack or stroke,” reports The New York Times.

“For the new study, the researchers measured the levels of xylitol in blood plasma samples of over 3,000 participants who had fasted overnight. They found that people with the highest xylitol levels had roughly double the risk of heart attack, stroke or death within the next three years compared to people with the lowest levels,” the Times reports.

Xylitol, also known as sugar alcohol, has never been something I could eat much of without becoming bloated and…well, you know. So this study isn’t worrying me so much.

But I am interested to read a company has received permission to use brazzein, a sweet protein produced through fermentation, reports The Food Institute.

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June 24, 2024 0

Know what prebiotic sodas are? Here’s a primer

The term prebiotics has been part of the yogurt landscape for years but now prebiotic sodas are getting some attention. But there are obstacles that may keep more brands from moving into the category, notes a recent report.

To define, first, a prebiotic is “a nondigestible food ingredient that promotes the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the intestines,” according to a Google definition. That usually means fiber and, sure enough, prebiotic sodas have fiber in them.

“Prebiotic sodas have become a phenomenon, even if their ingredients remain a mystery to most consumers. Many industry insiders feel brands like poppi and OLIPOP are here to stay,” reports The Food Institute, an industry news site.

“Prebiotic sodas have substantial long-term potential,” Todd Redmon, partner at PA Consulting, told The Food Institute. “Scientific research continues to uncover the benefits of prebiotics for digestive health, immunity, and even mental health.”

Poppi (it may spell its name in all lower-case but here sentences start with capital letters) is the leading brand in the $100 million-in-annual sales category which has about a dozen brands already, the Food Institute reports.

But consumers largely don’t know what’s in these drinks and their price is relatively high, so experts wonder how popular they will become.

There also seems to be something intrinsically odd about drinking a carbonated beverage to keep regular.

June 18, 2024 1

Grocery costs stable in May but still higher than 3 years ago

The good news is that inflation, and the increases seen in food prices the past three years, are moderating. The bad news, those food prices are still 20% higher overall than they were three years ago.

*Everything you buy should be a deal or a sale, check this receipt of mine to see the savings.*

Grocery prices were unchanged in May compared with April, according to Consumer Price Index information released for May recently.

“Wednesday’s report indicated that consumers are beginning to get some relief from the price spikes of the past three years. Grocery costs were unchanged, on average, from April to May, after actually falling 0.2% the previous month. Food prices have risen just 1% over the past 12 months, though they’re still up about 20% from three years ago,” reports Associated Press.

Smart shopping can cut your food bills, always be on the lookout for digital deals and other possible savings when you plan your weekly food shopping trips.

Producers won’t cut prices unless demand drops dramatically, so it’s up to you to manage your budget and find the deals.

June 12, 2024 1

Ozempic fallout — a new line of frozen foods

The arrival of new weight-loss drugs like Ozempic is shaking up the food business, sometimes in unexpected ways. After report on top of report predicting declining sales of US junk food, one food processor, Nestle, has decided to embrace the new drugs by introducing a new food line to appeal to those taking them.

*A Nestle PR photo of what one offering in its new line will look like.*

“Vital Pursuit, a brand of line of frozen foods with significant protein and fiber content, is ‘intended to be a companion for GLP-1 weight loss medication users and consumers focused on weight management in the U.S.,’ as well as being ‘well-suited to support a balanced diet for anyone on a weight management journey,’ according to the company,” reports MediaPost.com.

Expect to see more such products, high in protein but perhaps lower in calories. No mention, however, about salt, fat or sugar content. We can’t wait to get our hands on nutrition labels for products in this new line. Watch for products in stores during the fourth quarter of this year.

May 29, 2024 0

A reminder to check ahead when eating out

Restaurant menus are notoriously filled with high-salt, high-fat, high-sugar offerings. If you’re trying to lower your consumption of those that evil threesome, you need to do your research before eating out. That’s why we have an entire page of this blog devoted to eating away from home.

*Halibut on a carrot puree at a restaurant in Milwaukee which is, sadly, no longer there. What was the salt content? We asked for it without salt added.*

Are people doing their research? A recent study by foodservice supplier US Foods shows a large chunk of the population is checking menus before going out, for a variety of reasons.

The study found 83% of people eating out review menus from home before going to a restaurant, and of those, 50% decide what they’ll order before setting foot in the restaurant.

Also encouraging, from a health standpoint, 58% say nutritional value information impacts their ordering, although here portion size and calorie content seems to be the major concern.

More people need to be checking salt content, it’s the most dangerous in most restaurant options.

US Foods gathered this data by surveying 1,003 people last September, reflecting the demographic makeup of the general American population.

May 14, 2024 0

More good news on olive oil, it can deter dementia

Olive oil should be a go-to good fat for any heart patient. Plus it can taste great, I use it not only on salads but on grilled veggies and a host of other dishes, just check my recipe page.

And now there’s more good news, a study has found it can cut the risk of developing dementia.

According to a report in Everydayhealth.com:

*Olive oil we brought back from Italy in 2017.*

“Scientists examined data collected over almost three decades on about 93,000 middle-aged adults. At the start of the study, participants were 56 years old on average and had no history of cardiovascular disease, a major risk factor for dementia.

“Every four years, participants completed dietary questionnaires detailing what foods they typically ate and indicating how often they consumed olive oil: no more than once a month; up to 4.5 grams (g), or 1 teaspoon (tsp) daily; between 4.5 and 7 g (1.5 tsp) daily; or more than 7 g daily.

“Compared with people who rarely if ever consumed olive oil, those who got at least 7 g a day were 28 percent less likely to die of dementia-related causes by the end of the study, according to results published in JAMA Network Open.

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May 7, 2024 0

The No Salt, No Fat, No Sugar Journal

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

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

Red & white zucchini boats for July 4th

A primer on building your food budget

The quest for a new non-sugar sweetener goes on, with some bad news, some good

Know what prebiotic sodas are? Here’s a primer

Grocery costs stable in May but still higher than 3 years ago

Ozempic fallout — a new line of frozen foods

A reminder to check ahead when eating out

More good news on olive oil, it can deter dementia

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