IINsider’s Digest: Antibiotics & Weight Gain, Unscrambling the Egg Debate, and More!
The use of antibiotics tops the headlines this week as the New York Times reports that the FDA won’t stop antibiotic use in factory farming at least for another five years. Farmers have long known that antibiotics fatten up livestock, and new research suggests that the effect is same on humans. In other news, IIN visiting teacher Dr. David Katz debunks the claim that eggs are as unhealthy as smoking, and the EWG offers a shopping guide for 100 cheap and healthy foods.
Cartoon Stickers May Sway Kids’ Food Choices
Reuters
Researchers have found that children are more likely to choose an apple over a cookie if the apple is branded with an Elmo sticker. Seeing as cartoon characters are already heavily used in junk food advertising, should we use kid-friendly stickers on fruits and vegetables to encourage healthy eating? Read more.
Top Ten Links of the Week: 2/11/11 – 2/17/11
Lots of good little stories today, along with a chicken saga of near-epic proportions. It will beak you out.
1) Politics of the Plate: Co-opting an Unsustainable Food System – Student-Run Collectives Replace Junk Food Franchises on College Campuses
With a headline like that, this had to be about UC Berkeley. Fortunately, those crazy hippie kids have the smarts and drive to back up their freewheeling ideas, like a healthy food co-op to replace a planned fast food chain. Hooray for the future! It’s looking bright, and somewhat jam bandy.
2) New York Times: Chicken Vanishes, Heartbreak Ensues
A diverse Brooklyn neighborhood comes together for a stolen chicken. It’s like Steel Magnolias, minus the accents, characters, armadillo cake, and diabetic shock, but with a chicken.
Top Ten Links of the Week: 2/4/11 – 2/10/11
It’s a rough week for working moms, a good week for buying food cheaply, and a terrible week for heavy wine bottles and weak shelving. Read on for the magic.
1) Wise Bread
5 Things Other Grocery Stores Should Steal from Trader Joe’s
Best Money Tips – Eat Healthy for Under $ 5 a Day
Best Money Tips – How to Get Groceries for Free
Sex Up Your Sandwich – Ideas for Budget Conscious Brown Baggers
Not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR way relevant posts from the fine folks at Wise Bread this week. Read ‘em and … well, don’t weep. But enjoy them thoroughly. That’s what they’re there for.
2) The Kitchn
How to Cook Moist and Tender Chicken Breasts
How to Start a Food Storage Plan on $ 10 a Week
On Cooking Through Your Pantry – Using Up Odds and Ends
Coming in a close second, this trio of super-useful Kitchn posts.
How To Feed Your Family Healthy Meals on a Tight Budget
Expand the description and view the text of the steps for this how-to video. Check out Howcast for other do-it-yourself videos from Stabbey and more videos in the Grocery Shopping category. You can contribute too! Create your own DIY guide at www.howcast.com or produce your own Howcast spots with the Howcast Filmmakers Program at www.howcast.com Sure, junk food offers lots of calories for not much money. But you can create your own “happy” meals that are tasty, nutritious, and inexpensive. To complete this How-To you will need: Oatmeal Evaporated or powdered milk Frozen and canned vegetables Seasonal fruits Bananas Apples Air popper and corn kernels Nuts Inexpensive cuts of meat Peanut butter Eggs Chunk light tuna Beans Brown rice Baking skills A Crock-Pot Step 1: Start with hot cereal Start the day with a hot cereal; they’re much cheaper than cold cereals. Oatmeal is a nutritional winner and very inexpensive if you buy a container of plain, old-fashioned oatmeal. Step 2: Stretch your milk Stretch your milk dollars by diluting a can of evaporated milk or some powdered milk with water to create whole milk. Step 3: Stock up on frozen veggies Stock up on frozen vegetables when they go on sale. Unless your produce was just picked, it’s just as healthy — or even more so — to eat the frozen stuff, which locks in the nutrients. Tip: Canned vegetables are another cheap alternative to fresh, but rinse them before eating because many are loaded with salt. Step 4: Eat fruits in …