Food Choices

Healthier food choices not only benefit people, but they can also have a positive impact on the environment. We share articles highlighting issues in the current food environment as well as articles about promising alternatives.

Vitamin C

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Breakfast Ideas for Strong Bones and Osteoporosis Prevention Osteoporosis is a major concern, the older you get. It causes your bones to become more brittle, increasing the likelihood of broken bones. You probably already know that vitamin D and calcium are the best nutrients for strengthening your bones. Getting more of these nutrients will help prevent osteoporosis and other bone related problems. While you could take a multi-vitamin, the healthier solution is to eat meals filled with nutrients. As it turns out, some of the foods containing the highest levels of calcium, vitamin D, and other vital nutrients are essential breakfast foods. Orange juice, cereal, milk, and yogurt are all great sources of healthy nutrients. If you prefer to keep your breakfast light, or already have a set morning meal, salmon and various cheese are also good options for getting vitamin D and calcium. Nutrient Rich Breakfast Ideas Take a look at each of these breakfast options and try to choose one for each day of the week. Also notice the included calcium content of each meal, when picking out your breakfast: • 1 cup of calcium-rich cereal (500 milligrams of calcium) • 8 ounces of soy milk (80 to 500 milligrams) • 1 cup of milk (300 milligrams) • 1 cup of yogurt (300 to 400 milligrams) • 8 ounces of orange juice (200 to 340 milligrams) Various cheeses, and even eggs, have vitamin D and calcium; though, in smaller amounts than the items listed above. Consider having a cheesy omelet or scrambled eggs served with a glass of milk or orange juice. That alone would likely add up to at least 500 milligrams of calcium. Searching for Your Own Calcium Rich Foods The foods listed may not include your preferred breakfast choices. When searching for your own calcium rich foods, pay attention to the food labels. Food labels often list calcium and other nutrients as a percentage of the daily recommended value. The standard recommended amount of calcium that an adult should consume each day is 1000 milligrams. So, if a food label states that the product as 25% of your daily recommended value of calcium per serving, it would have 250 mg of calcium. Add another decimal point to the end of the percentage, and you have your total per serving in milligrams. Additional Tips for Stronger Bones Along with a healthy breakfast, there are a few other tips you should follow for stronger bones. If you have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis, then you should consume 500 milligrams of calcium, three times a day. Make sure that each of your three meals is full of calcium to reverse the effects of osteoporosis. Strength training is another method that you can use for building bone strength. Regular exercise helps increase your flexibility, build muscle, and promotes stronger bone growth. The bottom line is that the key to strong bones is calcium and vitamin D. Get it any way you can, but preferably with your morning meal. Start basing your breakfasts around healthy foods that contain your essential nutrients, such as cereal, milk, and yogurt. Ward away osteoporosis and promote strong, healthy bones. References: http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/living-with-osteoporosis-7/diet-nutrition

Is there anything vitamin C cannot do? As more and more research comes out on this powerful nutrient, it seems like vitamin C is part of almost everything your body does. In fact, the latest research indicates that hitting your daily vitamin C intake can help you in your weight loss efforts. How Vitamin C … Read more

How to Prevent Anemia with Tahini

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3d-illustration,Of,Hover,Flue,Bacterias,Like,Corona,Or,Covid-19,In

Anemia can be a troubling illness to deal with. People that suffer from anemia are often fatigued and prone to fainting. Luckily, there is a great way to prevent your chances of becoming anemic – eat more tahini! What is Anemia? Anemia is a medical condition that occurs from a lack of healthy red blood … Read more

Breakfast Ideas for Strong Bones and Osteoporosis Prevention

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Breakfast Ideas for Strong Bones and Osteoporosis Prevention Osteoporosis is a major concern, the older you get. It causes your bones to become more brittle, increasing the likelihood of broken bones. You probably already know that vitamin D and calcium are the best nutrients for strengthening your bones. Getting more of these nutrients will help prevent osteoporosis and other bone related problems. While you could take a multi-vitamin, the healthier solution is to eat meals filled with nutrients. As it turns out, some of the foods containing the highest levels of calcium, vitamin D, and other vital nutrients are essential breakfast foods. Orange juice, cereal, milk, and yogurt are all great sources of healthy nutrients. If you prefer to keep your breakfast light, or already have a set morning meal, salmon and various cheese are also good options for getting vitamin D and calcium. Nutrient Rich Breakfast Ideas Take a look at each of these breakfast options and try to choose one for each day of the week. Also notice the included calcium content of each meal, when picking out your breakfast: • 1 cup of calcium-rich cereal (500 milligrams of calcium) • 8 ounces of soy milk (80 to 500 milligrams) • 1 cup of milk (300 milligrams) • 1 cup of yogurt (300 to 400 milligrams) • 8 ounces of orange juice (200 to 340 milligrams) Various cheeses, and even eggs, have vitamin D and calcium; though, in smaller amounts than the items listed above. Consider having a cheesy omelet or scrambled eggs served with a glass of milk or orange juice. That alone would likely add up to at least 500 milligrams of calcium. Searching for Your Own Calcium Rich Foods The foods listed may not include your preferred breakfast choices. When searching for your own calcium rich foods, pay attention to the food labels. Food labels often list calcium and other nutrients as a percentage of the daily recommended value. The standard recommended amount of calcium that an adult should consume each day is 1000 milligrams. So, if a food label states that the product as 25% of your daily recommended value of calcium per serving, it would have 250 mg of calcium. Add another decimal point to the end of the percentage, and you have your total per serving in milligrams. Additional Tips for Stronger Bones Along with a healthy breakfast, there are a few other tips you should follow for stronger bones. If you have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis, then you should consume 500 milligrams of calcium, three times a day. Make sure that each of your three meals is full of calcium to reverse the effects of osteoporosis. Strength training is another method that you can use for building bone strength. Regular exercise helps increase your flexibility, build muscle, and promotes stronger bone growth. The bottom line is that the key to strong bones is calcium and vitamin D. Get it any way you can, but preferably with your morning meal. Start basing your breakfasts around healthy foods that contain your essential nutrients, such as cereal, milk, and yogurt. Ward away osteoporosis and promote strong, healthy bones. References: http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/living-with-osteoporosis-7/diet-nutrition

Osteoporosis is a major concern, the older you get. It causes your bones to become more brittle, increasing the likelihood of broken bones. You probably already know that vitamin D and calcium are the best nutrients for strengthening your bones. Getting more of these nutrients will help prevent osteoporosis and other bone related problems. While … Read more

Old Family Cookbooks: A Time Machine Back to Your Grandmother’s Kitchen

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Old Family Cookbooks Are Like a Time Machine

Old family cookbooks stuffed with all sorts of extra recipes clipped from newspapers, magazines, and even canned food labels are like a time machine back to our grandmothers and long-lost aunts. You never know what you will find in them!

Are You Ready to Eat Bugs for the Good of the Planet?

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Sustainable protein counter in grocery store

  Amidst growing concerns about future global food security, many people are thinking about sustainable ways to provide adequate protein for the world’s growing population. In their book, Sustainable Protein Sources, a team from the U.S. and Canada warns that the world’s population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, bringing with it a … Read more

Researchers Are Working Hard To Save Us From Avocado Disappointment

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Illustration of Ripe and Overripe avocados

Who hasn’t cringed after coming home from a grocery shop to find that those expensive avocados we thought were going to be ripe and tasty turn out to be duds? Despite learning to feel for that perfect amount of squish when squeezing for ripeness at the store, I still find myself having to toss too … Read more

You Really Should Know Where Your Coconut Oil Comes From And Who Harvested It

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Southern pig-tail macaque mother with her baby

  This isn’t an article about what kind of cooking oil is healthiest for you. This is an article urging you to make sure that if you buy coconut oil, it comes from a humane and sustainable source. Environmentalists and animal rights activists have done a good job of shedding light on the heartbreaking deforestation … Read more

Are People Constantly Annoyed With You Because You Don’t Eat Meat?

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Woman Annoyed with You

There are all kinds of beliefs wrapped up in a decision to pursue a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. The attitudes vegetarians and vegans encounter from people around them can be complex. I grew up in an Army household and one of the benefits was we bought our groceries at a post commissary which, by law, … Read more

Is Using Food As “Software” for Bioengineered Meat Really Our Future?

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Scientist holding cultured mean in laboratory

A remarkable report by the independent think tank, RethinkX, predicts total collapse of the dairy and cattle industries within ten years as traditional dairy and beef products are replaced by cheaper, laboratory-derived micro-organisms programmed to serve as modern equivalents. The report titled, “Rethinking Food and Agriculture 2020-2030 — The Second Domestication of Plants and Animals, … Read more

Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) Needs You Now

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Box of vegetables from local farm

If you’ve always done your best to dodge invitations to go in on a share (aka, subscription) to a CSA farm (community-supported agriculture), this might be the year you change your mind. For many people, the lure of fresh fruits and veggies delivered weekly by a local farmer to a central neighborhood pick-up point just … Read more