In the News: Eat Your Weeds, Beef Recall, No Grilled Veggie Love & More
From this week's healthy headlines: Weeds for dinner, Obama’s new food safety website, the most popular grilled foods, a new beef recall and McDonald’s egg-cellent decision.
As a kid, I remember pulling pesky weeds from the garden with my dad. Nowadays, folks are paying a pretty penny to buy weeds -- like dandelion greens -- from their local produce stand or grocery store chains like Wegman’s. Folks are picking their own, too. That doesn't mean you should run out to the backyard or nearby park for tonight's dinner. Read up on what’s safe and what’s not first.
I've taught and written about food safety for 10 years now, and I'm thrilled to see some higher powers are shedding light on the importance of food safety in the home and in our supply chain. The Obama administrations just launched a new food safety website that's definitely worth browsing. Check it out and tell me what you think.
I'm sad to report that veggies are low on the list of favorite grilled foods. In a ranking by a marketing firm, hot dogs, pork chops and, of course, hamburgers (number 1!) beat out humble fresh produce. Try grilling some corn or bell peppers this weekend. If we all band together, we can at least take down pork chops next year.
In last week’s round up, I told you about several nut recalls. I had feeling more were coming — and, unfortunately, I was right. Late last week, officials recalled almost 96,000 pounds of beef in Illinois due to possible contamination with the deadly strain of the E. Coli 0157:H7 bacteria. If you're in the affected area, check out this government list of products you need to return to the store.
When pregnant, women often have the randomest cravings (mine was always for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in the middle of the night). But I always tell my pregnant clients that you are not really eating for two and even cravings should be controlled. If you're pregnant, you only need 300 extra calories per day on average -- eating more than that can lead to excessive weight gain and complications for both mom and baby, according to new research.
