Category Archives: Lifestyle

Food Labeling Misconceptions #1: All-Natural

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I have many, but I will not bore or inundate you all at once with a long list of them.   Today we will only look at one: The “Natural” label.

When you look at any packaged food, the words “All Natural” or “Made with Natural Ingredients” splayed across the label are meant to lure you into thinking this product is healthier than the non all-natural package next to it.  I basically consider this totally false and deceptive marketing.  This natural label is implying that a food is more wholesome by virtue of the fact it contains Continue reading →

The Top 10 Food Trends for 2012

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Baby boomers controlling more than 50 percent of the total dollars spent on groceries, farmers as celebrities, and an increased presence of men in the kitchen are among the trends that will most affect food makers and retailers in 2012, according to Phil Lempert, founder of Food Nutrition & Science and CEO of The Lempert Report.  For more than 30 years, Lempert has predicted the top 10 food trends for the upcoming year.  Here is a recap of this years’ Top 10 Food Trends for 2012 as featured in the most recent issue of Food Nutrition & Science.

  • Trend #1 – Food prices: Higher input costs and increased exports will continue to Continue reading →

‘Tis The Season For Holiday Baking Benefits

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There’s no denying that this weekend will include its fair share of holiday sweets and treats.  And I’m not here to tell you to hold back, I mean it is Christmas after all, and I like cookies just as much as the next person.  But, and there’s always a but, there are a handful of ways to increase the health benefits of your favorite cookies, pies, and cakes.  Take a look the list below and you may see that many are already tucked away in your age-old family recipes. Continue reading →

The Reinvented Latke

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Looking for a new twist on the traditional Hanukkah latke?  Have no fear, this week Edible Brooklyn and Great Performances catering held the third annual latke festival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.  And twists there were.  No longer just a crispy potato pancake topped with sour cream and applesauce, these beloved holiday delights were proven widely adaptable to a variety of combinations and mixtures. Continue reading →

Rethinking Thanksgiving Leftovers

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Thanksgiving leftovers are as much a part of the holiday tradition as the dinner itself.  Some people even think the leftovers are the best part of the meal.  But if you’ve had one too many turkey, stuffing, cranberry and mashed potato sandwiches, here are a few ideas to make the most out of everything you’ll be waking up to Friday morning. Continue reading →

Hey Sugar, Sugar

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If you had an 8-oz glass of Sunny D orange juice or an entire Hershey’s milk chocolate with almonds candy bar in front of you, which would you think had more sugar?  If you guessed Sunny D, you are correct.  Shockingly, the glass of “fruit juice” contains 20 grams of sugar while the candy bar contains 1 whole gram less.  And even though your kids may still be buzzing from all their leftover Halloween candy, according to new research, the biggest source of added sugar in the American diet comes from beverages.  The Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity has just released a major study looking at the nutrition and marketing of over 600 sugary drinks to youth.  You can read the full report here, but to give you an idea of what they found, here are a few of the findings: Continue reading →

The Power Of A Pepper

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I have just returned from a week in northern California where apparently I missed one heck of a Northeastern blizzard (I know, I don’t feel bad for me either).  Power outages and sore shoveling shoulders aside, I suppose this means we can look forward to an earlier than expected cold and flu season ….

Luckily there is the power of the pepper, cayenne pepper that is.  Made from dried ground cayenne chilies, cayenne pepper is loaded with capsaicin, the miracle substance known for staving off winter Continue reading →

Better Than Store Bought: 7 Foods To Make At Home

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Interested in how you can increase taste and up the nutrient content in some of your favorite store bought, pre-packaged foods?  If so, click here to check out the article I contributed to for Halogen TV written by freelance writer, Amy Carniol.  In it you’ll find 7 easy and nutritious recipes for common everyday staples including granola, tomato sauce and salad dressing.

DK

Breast Cancer Awareness: Foods, Toxins, Tips and Prevention

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October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month – a time to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure.  There are pink ribbons, pink M&M’s, designer pink accessories, pink beauty products, and even NFL players making touchdowns in pink.  Remaining one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers among American women, rather than talk pink, let’s talk prevention. Continue reading →

Genetically Engineered Food: Just Label It Already

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Nearly 400 businesses and organizations dedicated to food safety and consumer rights appealed to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week in hopes of giving consumers the right to know what’s in their food.  The petition, on behalf of the Just Label It organization, is hoping a mandatory labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods, also known as genetically modified organisms or GMOs, will become mandatory.  More specifically, foods altered with at the molecular level Continue reading →