Topic: fruits and vegetables

In Season Now: January And February Produce Guide + Recipes

In Season Now: January And February Produce Guide + Recipes

Aiming to “eat healthier” this new year? Why not get a little more specific and aim to follow the seasons when it comes to your 2013 cuisine? Eating seasonally is good for you and for the environment. And while people tend to think of winter produce as limited, there’s actually an abundance of things in season now — they just tend to fall outside most of our cooking comfort zones (good artichoke and celeriac recipe, anyone?). Here’s a guide to winter’s bounty in January and February (plus a few recipes to get you cooking with these seasonal ingredients). More »

Global Disease Report: The World Is Fat (And You Need More Fruit)

Global Disease Report: The World Is Fat (And You Need More Fruit)

Well, shit — it’s not just Americans who are living longer but sicker lives, and it’s not just Western nations, either. The new Global Burden of Disease Report – a massive undertaking compiled by the World Health Organization using data from 50 countries over 20 years — found “a massive shift in global health trends,” at the root of which lies widespread obesity. And maybe lack of fruit. More »

Ignore The Hype — Organic Food Is Still Better For You

Ignore The Hype -- Organic Food Is Still Better For You

“Organic food is no more nutritious than non-organic.” If you’ve read a newspaper, looked at Google News or watched The Today Show this morning, you may have heard this (generally preceded or followed by the words “study says,” so you know it’s Science. Sanctioned.). Don’t believe it. If you look a little closer, you’ll see that a “study says” no such thing — at least not if you consider “healthy” and “nutritious” to mean free of pesticides, antibiotics and hormones. More »

You’re Doing It Wrong: How To Wash And Store Your Fruits And Veggies

You're Doing It Wrong: How To Wash And Store Your Fruits And Veggies

Earlier this week, we all got super grossed out by the idea that your canvas grocery bags are secretly harboring oodles of disease-causing bacteria. But it’s not just the bags that are getting E. coli and other harmful bugs on them–it’s the stuff you’re putting in the bag. Stuff you may, then, proceed to eat raw. It’s time you got serious about washing your fruits and veggies. More »

Franken-fruits And Super Broccoli: Are We In For A Future Of Designer Produce?

Franken-fruits And Super Broccoli: Are We In For A Future Of Designer Produce?

‘Witches Fingers’ grapes may sound scary, but what about other types of cross-bred, designer produce? Sure, some of it—cotton candy grapes, anyone?—seems straight out of Willy Wonka. But other designer fruits and veggies—like super broccoli, selenium-enriched tomatoes and vitamin-D enhanced mushrooms—have been engineered to contain more nutrients than typical varieties. That’s a good thing … right? More »

Strange Fruit: Uli Westphal Wants You To Eat More Mutatoes

Strange Fruit: Uli Westphal Wants You To Eat More Mutatoes

Most of us have been trained since we were kids to suss out fruits and vegetables that obeyed the “norms” of clean, healthy produce: No mold, no bruises, and no mutations. But some of the indicators, like the shine of an apple and perfectly round shape of a lemon, actually have little to do with health or sanitation; in fact, farmers actually go to great, unnatural lengths to make their harvest more appealing — and profitable — on the shelf. But German artist Uli Westphal wants us to stop discriminating against our fruit, and start accepting the strange shapes, colors, and sizes that naturally occur in the fields. More »

The Whole Fruit, And Nothing But The Fruit: Nutritional Benefits Of The Peel

The Whole Fruit, And Nothing But The Fruit: Nutritional Benefits Of The Peel

That old adage of “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” isn’t a bad one to abide, but perhaps it should be changed to “an apple peel a day…” A new study says the peel is not only full of heart-healthy fiber; it also helps prevent muscle deterioration and keeps our waistlines in check. Apparently, they contain ursolic acid, which researchers have found keeps our blood sugar and cholesterol levels in check. No one sells apple peel chips yet, but the news will at least save us time the next time we bake an apple pie. And let’s not forget about all the other fruits and veg out there with delicious peels we far too often remove. Turns out the peel of most of our produce have illness-fighting properties and can boost our immune systems. Here’s some interesting facts of different peels and skins that you should be including in your diet. Never peel again! More »

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