Food Politics

The Annals of Internal Medicine has published what many are calling the “red meat papers”, advising Americans that there’s no need to cut down on consumption of red and processed meats. But in reality, the red-meat papers are not a breakthrough study. In fact, they didn’t study anything at all. They merely re-examined the data using a tool that was designed for measuring the efficacy of pharmaceutical drugs, not lifestyle interventions. Then they declared that decades of research, regulations by international bodies, and common sense were wrong. If you want the facts, here’s what you need to know.

School lunches don’t exactly have the best reputation. But for millions of kids, they are a critical source of nutrition and sometimes the only truly reliable meal of the day. And while there are some subsidy programs in place, many poor families are winding up in ever-deepening cycles of school lunch debt. Why is this happening? And what can we do about it?

Many foods sold in the United States are banned or fiercely regulated in other countries due to harmful additives, growth promoters, genetically engineered ingredients, herbicides, or other dangerous practices. Does this concern you? It should!

Since 2009, enrollees in the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) have been allowed to purchase fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Has the program worked? According to a new study, it has! And the results shed light on how we can uplift the health of children and reverse the onslaught of childhood obesity.

Despite all that we’ve learned about the power of food from tens of thousands of medical studies, rates of chronic disease continue to rise. And the medical establishment continues to apply brilliant science to the treatment of disease — while practically ignoring the central role of nutrition in promoting illness — or preventing it. But the times, they are a-changin'! Find out how medicine is evolving — fast — and what you can do to accelerate the transformation.

Struggling to have (or provide) a healthy school lunch? Provided school lunches are still a work in progress. But you can take matters into your own hands with these homemade, healthy lunch recipes for school (or work).

I studied factory farms for years. Visiting one was far worse than I imagined.

Pesticides on food are being monitored — but see why some pesticide risks are being missed.

People are going nuts about almonds. Consumers are eating more and more of them, and growers are struggling to keep...

Many people adore cheese. Why is it so appealing? And should we be eating as much as we do?

An excerpt from Ocean Robbins’ book “31-Day Food Revolution.”

Help save the planet with the food you eat (and don’t eat)!