A real-life deadliest catch — canned tuna recall

Frozen ahi tuna from Costco.
I’ve never eaten canned tuna, thankfully. I much prefer tuna steaks like these.

A major canned tuna recall is underway. The product may cause deadly botulism, reports the Associated Press. Botulism can bring on difficult in breathing, paralysis and, ultimately, death.

“Tri-Union Seafoods of El Segundo, California, last week recalled certain lots of tuna sold under the Genova, Van Camp’s, H-E-B and Trader Joe’s brand names, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 

“The company said that lids on the “easy open” cans may have a manufacturing defect that could cause the products to leak or to become contaminated with the bacteria that causes botulism. 

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Another Chicago-area fast-food salad option

Regular readers of my blog know that McDonald’s salads, without the high-salt dressings, were a mainstay of my lunch diet over the years. But in 2023, those salads disappeared from McDonald’s menus. victim of Pandemic-related menu changes.

I’ve been searching for a quick-salad alternative ever since, trying Wendy’s and a chain called Zupas among others. I’m adding another option now, a salad at Chicago-area chain Buona Beef, its Tuscan Harvest Chicken salad.

Priced at $11.19, the salad has a nice mix of chicken, cranberries, apples, spinach and romaine lettuce. Eat at a Buona’s and it comes in a real bowl, not a plastic container, a civilizing touch absent at other outlets.

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Eating healthy on restaurant week, sort of

Chicago is in the midst of its annual restaurant week, a time when local restaurants offer specially priced menus to draw people in on cold winter days and nights. It’s a good time to try new places but can you find healthy offerings? Well, sort of.

Restaurant food is notoriously high in salt, fat and sugar. So you need to be picky, and also know you’ll likely go off your healthy menu more than once.

My oyster-appetizer.

My wife and I so far have gone to two restaurants, Pescadero, a suburban seafood place; and Big Jones, a Cajun restaurant in Chicago. We also plan a trip to L Woods, another suburban spot, since we live in the suburbs.

Seafood dishes tend to be healthier per se, assuming they aren’t loaded with sauces heavy in fat and salt.

I opted for the oysters to start my Pescadero meal, they’re served raw, so aren’t mucked up with salt or fat. I had the octopus for my main course. It was grilled and wonderfully tasty, if you love octopus as I do.

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Time for some healthy Super Bowl snacks

Grilling our swordfish steaks.
Grilled swordfish steaks could be a hearty Easter dinner choice. Or try this recipe from the Times..

Super Bowl Sunday isn’t just about football and new TV ads. It’s also about snacking, big time. But most American snacks are not heart healthy, so I’ve tried over the years of doing this blog to give you some healthy, and tasty, alternatives. Just click this link to review all my Super Bowl-related posts.

To get into specifics, how about swordfish steaks for your main course of the day? Use a salt-free spice rub to give them great flavor.If weather allows, grill them outside to spare your house a fishy smell afterwards.

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Private label food sales continue to grow

U.S. private label food sales rose $9 billion to a total of $271 billion in 2024, reports the Private Label Manufacturers’ Association, a processors’ trade group. Interestingly, some of the biggest expansion in the category is coming from nontraditional food retailers like Walmart and Target, reports The Food Institute, a food news site.

Walmart recently introduced Bettergoods, a premium private label line offering plant-based alternatives and specialty items, for example, the Institute reports.

“Dollar General revealed plans to bolster its arsenal of more than 3,200 consumable private label products with roughly 100 new offerings under its Clover Valley brand. Additions include honey mustard, blue cheese, and Thousand Island salad dressings; apple cinnamon fruit and grain bars; and eight flavors of ice creams,” the Food Institute story also relates.

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Even Christmas treats get downsized

Christmas 2024 seems long way away these cold January days. But before my neighbors (finally) take down their outside decorations, I wanted to write about how even Christmas candy is getting downsized in the face of rising ingredient costs these days.

My wife (or was it Santa?) gave me these marshmallow Snowmen in my Christmas stocking this year. They’re a regular item at our local Dollar Tree store.

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Shame on you Boar’s Head

My dad loved Boar’s Head cold cuts. Glad he can’t see what’s happened to the brand lately.

Boar’s Head cold cuts were always my dad’s favorite. He was old-school when it came to food — he believed in the promise major brands made in those days, namely that they sold superior products. He would tell anyone who would listen at family parties that Boar’s Head was the best.

So I’m glad he’s not around today to see how the mighty have fallen. Not only did Boar’s Head have a major recall last year after a listeria outbreak was linked to products from a factory it runs in Virginia. But now a new report details sanitation issues at several other Boar’s Head plants, reports The Patch and other sources.

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5 Tips for Picking Weight Loss Supplements

Many Americans have resolved to lose weight in 2025, often turning to weight loss supplements for support. While certain botanical ingredients may aid appetite control, metabolism, and health goals, experts advise caution when choosing supplements.

Here, Dr. Leena Pradhan-Nabzdyk, assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and CEO and co-founder of Canomiks, shares key tips to help consumers make informed choices.

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Weight loss & food choices, really?

LoseIt has been pumping out a lot of diet info as the new year begins. This one particularly caught my eye because it seems kind of guffy, Most-Logged Foods in 2024 by Those Who’ve Lost 50 Pounds or More.

Banks are something I have daily.
Photo by Couleur on Pexels.com

Does eating these foods regularly lead to weight loss? That’s the implication. But our nutrition and eating habits are much more complex than that, I’d contend.

LoseIt looks at it this way, “Food choices play a crucial role in losing weight, and our Lose It! members understand this well. From breakfast to dinner, they carefully log their meals to maintain consistency and stay on track with their weight loss goals. These 11 foods were the most popular in 2024 among members who achieved an impressive weight loss of 50 pounds or more.”

You decide. The food are eggs, bananas, blueberries, chicken breast, white rice, bacon and 2% milk.

Bacon and white rice are on my heart-patient do-not-eat list, so I’m not so sure if they would help me use weight. I’m lactose-intolerant, so milk is also out. Egg prices have gone so high recently because of bird flu that I’m stopped buying them. And I don’t like blueberries. I do eat bananas every day to maintain my potassium levels.

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New year, new diet troubles, hello 2025

A new year usually starts with new diet resolutions. This is the year you’re going to eat right, and drop some pounds in the process. But then…reality hits. Most of us fall off the food wagon pretty quickly. Lose It, the diet tracking app, recently wrote about the seven main reasons why and what to do about them

The new year is normally new diet time. Read here how to do it right.

The first tip, set realistic calorie goals.

“If your calorie budget is unrealistically low, it won’t be long before you blow it. “Eating too few calories when trying to lose weight can be counterproductive and harmful,” says Theresa Gentile, RDN, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics who is based in New York City,” Lose It writes.

“Gentile says that extreme calorie restriction can slow your metabolism and alter hormones related to hunger and appetite, making it harder to lose weight.”

The piece goes on to talk about emotional eating as well as sleep habits and water consumption, among other tips. Give it a read and get back on that diet today.

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