Category Archives: Culinary

Business, Culinary, Health, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Science And Society, Technology and Society

It’s Not Just Big Sugar

10 Comments

A lot of other food producers profited from the demonization of fat. This is the biggest health disaster in history, I think.

[Update a while later]

There is no reason to even consider eating reduced-fat cheese. Same with all dairy, including milk. Low-fat milk is a nutritional abomination.

It’s almost impossible to find whole-milk mozarella, at least shredded. Fage won’t produce a whole-milk Greek yogurt; best you can do is two percent. And Costco only sells fat-free. Fortunately, Trader Joe’s has started selling its own brand, in whole-milk, at a lower price, so that’s our new yogurt.

Business, Culinary, Health, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Science And Society, Technology and Society

The American Heart Association

4 Comments

…continues to preach junk science:

The American Heart Association recommends a heart-healthy dietary pattern emphasizing fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other nutritious foods and specifically that at least half of grain consumption should be whole grains. Whole grains provide many nutrients, such as fiber, B vitamins, and minerals, which are removed during the refining process.

No protein, no fat. This is the kind of diet that helped kill my father from his second heart attack decades ago, at age 55.

Business, Culinary, Economics, Health, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Science And Society, Technology and Society

Nutrition Labels

9 Comments

The guy who came up with the stupid idea says they don’t work:

If the nutrition label doesn’t work, how else can the government help consumers make more informed, healthier choices? For starters, the FDA should be more like the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the people who created the Internet. Instead of just focusing on trying to fix the unfixable, the FDA could shift its focus toward thinking more creatively about viable solutions and give up on what isn’t working.

First, the FDA would need to honestly concede how little it knows about how different foods and food combinations actually affect individuals with distinct genetic and environmental factors, along with their personal preferences or capacity (or willingness) to exercise. The FDA would need to expand its base of knowledge and understanding within these areas and then consider how manufacturers and consumers would respond to any changes the FDA suggests as a result.

But that would involve having to do real science.

And of course, despite their failure, Michelle and the FDA commissioner continue to cheer lead for them.

[Update a while later]

Sorry, there’s nothing magical about breakfast.

I rarely eat breakfast, except on weekends, or vacation. I’ll generally go all day without eating if I’m just working at home. But when I do eat breakfast, I try to make it mostly protein and fat. Cereal is a dietary abomination, invented by a scientific whack job in Battle Creek.