Health Journal Online

Tag: Food

  • Still Hungry After a Meal? The Science of Food Cravings and Why We Crave Food When Full

    Still Hungry After a Meal? The Science of Food Cravings and Why We Crave Food When Full

    Most people have experienced it. Dinner is finished, hunger is gone, yet the brain suddenly wants something sweet, salty, or crunchy. This familiar feeling explains why many people search for answers about food cravings after eating.

    The body technically has enough energy, so why does the desire for more food appear? Researchers point to a mix of biology, psychology, and environment. The science of food cravings shows that hunger and cravings are not the same thing. Hunger signals the need for calories, while cravings often reflect the brain’s reward system, habits, or emotional triggers.

    Understanding why we crave food when full can help people recognize the difference between true hunger and the urge to eat for other reasons.

    What Are Food Cravings?

    A food craving is a strong desire for a specific type of food rather than a general need to eat. Someone who is hungry might accept almost any meal. A craving usually focuses on something precise such as chocolate, chips, or ice cream.

    Researchers studying the science of food cravings note several characteristics:

    • Cravings are usually linked to highly palatable foods rich in sugar, fat, or salt
    • They often appear suddenly
    • They can occur even when the stomach is physically full

    Because cravings are driven by brain signals rather than energy needs, they can appear shortly after a meal.



    The Science of Food Cravings and the Brain’s Reward System

    The human brain plays a central role in food cravings after eating. Certain foods activate reward pathways that release dopamine, a chemical linked to pleasure and motivation.

    When someone eats foods high in sugar or fat, the brain records the experience as rewarding. Over time, this can create a loop in which the brain expects another reward even when the body does not need additional calories.

    Several biological processes influence cravings:

    • Dopamine release encourages people to seek foods that feel pleasurable
    • Memory associations link certain foods with comfort or celebration
    • Learned habits cause the brain to expect snacks at certain times of day

    Because these signals come from the brain rather than the stomach, cravings can appear even when fullness signals are present.

    Why We Crave Food When Full

    Scientists have identified multiple reasons people experience food cravings after eating. These factors often overlap.

    1. Highly Palatable Foods Override Fullness Signals

    Modern food products are designed to be extremely appealing. Many combine sugar, fat, and salt in ways that stimulate the brain’s reward system.

    Even when the body has eaten enough, these foods can trigger additional desire because they activate pleasure pathways.

    Common triggers include:

    • Sugary desserts
    • Salty snacks
    • Ultra processed foods with strong flavors

    These foods stimulate appetite in ways that whole foods often do not.

    2. Hormones That Regulate Hunger and Satisfaction

    Hormones play a key role in why we crave food when full. Two hormones are particularly important.

    • Ghrelin signals hunger and encourages eating
    • Leptin signals fullness and helps stop food intake

    When sleep is poor, stress is high, or diets are restrictive, these hormones can become less balanced. As a result, the brain may continue seeking food even after a meal.

    3. Emotional and Psychological Triggers

    Emotions strongly influence eating behavior. Many people experience cravings during moments of stress, boredom, or fatigue.

    In these cases the brain is not asking for energy but for comfort or distraction. The science of food cravings shows that emotional eating can become a learned response.

    Situations that often trigger cravings include:

    • Stressful workdays
    • Feeling tired or overwhelmed
    • Seeking comfort after a difficult experience

    These cravings are less about physical hunger and more about mood regulation.



    Cravings not satisfied?


    4. Environmental Food Cues

    Food cues in the environment can trigger cravings without hunger.

    Examples include:

    • Smelling baked goods
    • Seeing food advertisements
    • Watching others eat
    • Walking past a favorite restaurant

    These cues activate memories and reward expectations in the brain. As a result, people may suddenly want food despite feeling full.

    5. Habit and Routine

    Eating habits often develop around routines rather than hunger signals. Many people expect a dessert after dinner or a snack while watching television.

    Over time the brain associates these moments with food. When the situation appears again, cravings follow automatically.

    Habit driven cravings may appear when:

    • Watching TV in the evening
    • Taking a break during work
    • Socializing with friends

    In these cases the craving is connected to context rather than physical hunger.

    Why Dessert Often Sounds Appealing After a Meal

    The common desire for dessert illustrates the difference between hunger and cravings. Scientists sometimes refer to this as the reward driven appetite.

    After a meal the stomach may feel full, but sweet foods still activate the brain’s reward system. Because the brain values novelty and pleasure, it may seek a new taste experience even after eating enough.

    Sweet foods also stimulate dopamine more strongly than many savory foods. That response explains why dessert cravings are especially common.

    When Food Cravings After Eating Are More Intense

    Occasional cravings are normal. However, certain factors can increase their frequency.

    Some common influences include:

    • Sleep deprivation which alters hunger hormones
    • High stress levels that increase emotional eating
    • Restrictive dieting which can intensify the desire for specific foods
    • Blood sugar fluctuations after meals high in refined carbohydrates

    Recognizing these patterns can help people understand the signals behind cravings.

    Practical Ways to Reduce Food Cravings After Eating

    Research on the science of food cravings suggests several strategies that can make cravings easier to manage.

    Helpful approaches include:

    • Eating balanced meals with protein, fiber, and healthy fats
    • Getting enough sleep to support hormone balance
    • Practicing mindful eating to notice fullness signals
    • Reducing exposure to tempting food cues
    • Allowing occasional treats instead of strict restriction

    These strategies help address both biological and psychological triggers.

    Understanding the Signals Behind Food Cravings

    Cravings are not simply a matter of willpower. They reflect a complex interaction between brain chemistry, hormones, environment, and habit. The science of food cravings shows that the brain can seek pleasure and comfort even when the body already has enough energy.

    By understanding why we crave food when full, people can better recognize when a craving is driven by hunger and when it is driven by reward signals or routine. Awareness often makes it easier to respond thoughtfully rather than automatically.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    1. Why do people experience food cravings after eating?

    Food cravings after eating often occur because the brain’s reward system wants pleasurable foods such as sweets or salty snacks. Hormones, habits, and environmental cues can also trigger cravings even when the stomach is full.

    2. Are cravings the same as hunger?

    No. Hunger is the body’s signal that it needs energy. Cravings are specific desires for certain foods and are usually influenced by the brain’s reward system or emotional triggers.

    3. Why do people crave sweets after meals?

    Sweet foods strongly activate dopamine pathways in the brain. This reward response can create a desire for dessert even when fullness signals are already present.

    4. Can food cravings indicate a nutrient deficiency?

    In most cases cravings do not reflect nutrient deficiencies. They are more commonly linked to habits, emotional associations, or the rewarding taste of certain foods.



    Originally published on foodworldnews.com

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  • Stopping Food Intake 3 Hours Before Bed May Improve Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar, and Overall Heart Health

    Stopping Food Intake 3 Hours Before Bed May Improve Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar, and Overall Heart Health

    Stopping food intake several hours before bed is gaining attention as a simple lifestyle change that may support better blood pressure, blood sugar, and overall heart health. By combining stop eating before bed habits with time‑restricted eating, many people are exploring how meal timing interacts with the body’s internal clock and cardiovascular system.

    This approach is not a quick fix, but it is an emerging strategy that aligns nutrition, sleep, and metabolic health in a practical way.

    What Happens If You Stop Eating Before Bed?

    Health professionals commonly recommend leaving a window of at least two to three hours between the last meal and bedtime. In practice, a three‑hour gap gives the body time to digest the evening meal, reduce post‑meal blood sugar, and shift gradually into its night‑time repair mode.

    When heart health meal timing is aligned with this natural rhythm, it may help the body avoid unnecessary strain while a person sleeps.

    People who stop eating before bed often report fewer issues with indigestion, reflux, or discomfort when lying down. Heavy or high‑fat meals close to bedtime can keep the digestive system active, which may interfere with sleep quality and nighttime recovery.

    Allowing a buffer between the final meal and sleep can make it easier for the body to transition from digestion to rest, which is a key part of nighttime blood pressure timing and heart function.

    Eating right before bed is not inherently “wrong,” but the pattern and content of late‑night eating matter. Large dinners, sugary desserts, and salty or ultra‑processed snacks are more likely to raise blood sugar and contribute to fluid retention.

    Over time, these factors can affect weight, metabolic markers, and how the heart and blood vessels behave during the night. Shifting those foods earlier in the day reduces the load on the body’s night‑time systems.

    How Stopping Food 3 Hours Before Bed Affects Blood Pressure

    Time‑restricted eating is an eating pattern that limits food intake to a set window of hours during the day, such as 8–12 hours, while fasting for the remaining hours. When the eating window finishes at least three hours before bed, the overnight fast often becomes longer and more consistent.

    Some studies suggest that this style of eating may help reduce blood pressure in certain individuals, especially when combined with other healthy lifestyle habits.

    Blood pressure naturally follows a daily pattern, typically rising during the day and dipping at night. This nighttime “dip” is considered beneficial, as it gives the cardiovascular system a chance to rest.

    Late‑night eating may blunt this dipping effect by keeping the body in a more active metabolic state when it should be winding down. By adopting a stop eating before bed routine, many people aim to support a healthier nighttime blood pressure timing pattern.

    The best dinner‑to‑bedtime interval for heart health is still being researched, but a three‑to‑four‑hour gap appears reasonable for many adults.

    This timing allows the peak of post‑meal blood sugar and blood pressure responses to pass before sleep begins. In combination with balanced daytime meals and regular physical activity, this pattern may contribute to better blood pressure readings over time.

    Evening Eating, Blood Sugar, and Overnight Metabolism

    Blood sugar control is closely tied to the body’s internal clock. Sensitivity to insulin and the ability to handle glucose are typically higher earlier in the day and lower at night, according to the World Health Organization.

    When large meals or sugary snacks are eaten late in the evening, blood sugar may stay elevated for longer and may not be processed as efficiently as it would be earlier. This is one reason evening eating blood sugar levels tend to be a focus in discussions about meal timing and metabolic health.

    Stopping food three hours before bed may help the body complete most of the post‑meal blood sugar response before sleep. This can reduce the chance of elevated glucose levels overnight and may lessen the demand on insulin production.

    For individuals at risk of type 2 diabetes or those working to improve metabolic markers, this alignment between meal timing and natural circadian rhythms can be an important factor.

    Research on night‑time eating suggests that frequent late meals or snacks are associated with higher risks of weight gain and metabolic disturbances in some populations.

    When time‑restricted eating is structured so that most calories are eaten earlier in the day and the last meal is not too close to bedtime, the body may be better positioned to maintain steadier blood sugar across the 24‑hour cycle.

    However, people with diabetes or those on blood‑sugar‑lowering medications should always work with their healthcare team before making significant changes to their eating schedule.

    Heart Health Meal Timing and Overall Cardiometabolic Benefits

    Heart health is influenced not only by what a person eats but also by when those foods are consumed. The cardiovascular system, hormones, and metabolic pathways all follow daily rhythms that are sensitive to timing cues such as light exposure, sleep, and food intake, as per Harvard Health.

    When meals are clustered during daylight hours and there is a consistent nightly fasting period, the body’s systems often appear more synchronized.

    Emerging evidence suggests that shifting calories earlier in the day and adopting time‑restricted eating may lead to modest improvements in blood pressure, heart rate patterns, and markers like fasting glucose in some individuals.

    These benefits sometimes occur even when total calorie intake does not drastically change, which highlights the importance of heart health meal timing alongside conventional dietary advice.

    Over time, such patterns may also make it easier to maintain a healthy weight, improve cholesterol levels, and support overall cardiovascular resilience.

    Night‑time eating can also influence sleep quality. Large or spicy meals close to bedtime can trigger reflux, cause discomfort, and fragment sleep.

    By finishing food intake several hours before lying down, many individuals find it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. Better sleep itself is linked to healthier blood pressure, improved insulin sensitivity, and reduced inflammation, all of which play roles in long‑term heart health.

    Nighttime Meal Timing for Better Heart and Metabolic Health

    For many adults, leaving a three‑hour gap between the last meal and bedtime is a straightforward change that may support better nighttime blood pressure timing, more stable blood sugar, and improved sleep.

    When combined with a generally balanced diet and regular physical activity, this form of time‑restricted eating can align daily habits with the body’s natural rhythms.

    The exact impact varies from person to person, but treating meal timing as a key piece of heart health, rather than an afterthought, gives individuals another practical tool to support long‑term cardiovascular and metabolic well‑being.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    1. Can drinking water break the “no eating before bed” rule?

    Plain water does not break the fast and is generally encouraged, but sugary drinks, milk, or juice do count as intake and can affect blood sugar and digestion.

    2. Does exercising at night change how soon I should stop eating before bed?

    Intense late‑evening workouts may justify a small, planned recovery snack earlier in the evening, but most people can still aim to finish calories about 3 hours before sleep.

    3. Is it okay to take vitamins or supplements during the no‑eating window?

    Most non‑caloric supplements are fine, but those that must be taken with food or contain calories are better scheduled within the eating window to avoid stomach upset.

    4. Will stopping eating 3 hours before bed slow my metabolism?

    Current evidence suggests that a consistent overnight fasting period does not “shut down” metabolism and may, for some people, improve metabolic flexibility rather than harm it.



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  • Could Your Pills and Food Be Causing a Leaky Gut?

    Could Your Pills and Food Be Causing a Leaky Gut?

    Common drugs, foods, and beverages can disrupt the integrity of our intestinal barrier, causing a leaky gut.

    Intestinal permeability, the leakiness of our gut, may be a new target for both disease prevention and therapy. With all its tiny folds, our intestinal barrier covers a surface of more than 4,000 square feet—that’s bigger than a tennis court—and requires about 40% of our body’s total energy expenditure to maintain.

    There is growing evidence implicating “the disruption of intestinal barrier integrity” in the development of a number of conditions, including celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease. Researchers measured intestinal permeability using blue food coloring. It remained in the gut of healthy participants but was detected in the blood of extremely sick patients with sepsis with a damaged gut barrier. You don’t have to end up in the ICU to develop a leaky gut, though. Simply taking some aspirin or ibuprofen can do the trick.

    Indeed, taking two regular aspirin (325 mg tablets) or two extra-strength aspirin (500 mg tablets) just once can increase the leakiness of our gut. These results suggest that even healthy people should be cautious when using aspirin, as it may cause gastrointestinal barrier dysfunction.

    What about buffered aspirin, an aspirin-antacid combination which theoretically “buffers” gastrointestinal irritation? It apparently doesn’t make any difference: Regular aspirin and Bufferin both produced multiple erosions in the inner lining of the stomach and intestine. Researchers put a scope down people’s throats and saw extensive erosions and redness inside 90% of those who took aspirin or Bufferin at their recommended doses. How many hours does it take for the damage to occur? None. It can happen within just five minutes. Acetaminophen, sold as Tylenol in the United States, may not lead to gastrointestinal damage and could be a better choice, unless you have problems with your liver. And rather than making things better, vitamin C supplements appeared to make the aspirin-induced increase in gut leakiness even worse.

    Interestingly, this may be why NSAID drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen “are involved in up to 25% of food-induced anaphylaxis.” In other words, they are associated with over 10-fold higher odds of life-threatening food allergy attacks, presumably because these drugs increase the leakiness of the intestinal barrier, causing tiny food particles to slip into the bloodstream. But can exercise increase risk, too?

    Strenuous exercise—for instance, an hour at 70% maximum capacity—may divert so much blood to the muscles and away from our internal organs that it may cause transient injury to our intestines, causing mild gut leakiness. But this can be aggravated if athletes take ibuprofen or any other NSAID drugs, which is unfortunately all too common.

    Alcohol can also be a risk factor for food allergy attacks for the same reason—increasing gut leakiness. But cut out the alcohol, and our gut might heal up.

    What other dietary components can make a difference? Elevated consumption of saturated fat, which is found in meat, dairy, and junk food, can cause the growth of bad bacteria that make the rotten-egg gas hydrogen sulfide, which can degrade the protective mucus layer. You can see the process below and at 3:21 in my video Avoid These Foods to Prevent a Leaky Gut.

    It is said to be clear that high-fat diets in general have a negative impact on intestinal health by “disrupting the intestinal barrier system through a variety of mechanisms,” but most of the vast array of studies that cited the negative effects were done on lab animals or in a petri dish. Are people affected the same way? You don’t know for sure until you put it to the test.

    Rates of obesity and other cardiometabolic disorders have increased rapidly alongside a transition from traditional lower-fat diets to higher-fat diets. We know a disturbance in our good gut flora has been shown to be associated with a high risk of many of these same diseases, and studies using rodents suggest that a high-fat diet “unbalances” the microbiome while impairing the gut barrier, resulting in disease. To connect all the dots, though, we need a human interventional trial—and we got one: a six-month randomized controlled-feeding trial on the effects of dietary fat on gut microbiota. It found that, indeed, higher fat consumption was associated with unfavorable changes in the gut microbiome and proinflammatory factors in the blood. Note that this wasn’t even primarily saturated fat, such as from meat and dairy. The researchers just replaced refined carbohydrates with refined fats—swapping out white rice and wheat flour for soybean oil. These findings suggest that countries westernizing their diets should advise against increasing dietary fat intake, while countries that have already adopted such diets should consider cutting down.

    Doctor’s Note

    For more on leaky gut, check out The Leaky Gut Theory of Why Animal Products Cause Inflammation and How to Heal a Leaky Gut with Diet.

    I also talked about gut leakiness in my SIBO video: Friday Favorites: Tests, Fiber, and Low FODMAP for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO).



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  • Rewire Your Food Cravings and Triggers

    Rewire Your Food Cravings and Triggers

    This is part of a four-part mini-workshop called Train Your Brain to Break Bad Habits. You can find links to all four sessions in this series here.

    Last session we learned how to map the mechanics of our habit loops. This session, we’re using those skills to look specifically at any habits we’ve formed around food and eating.

    As a recap: our brains learn through a process that has three components: trigger, behavior, reward. There’s a trigger (perhaps stress) that moves you to behave in a certain way (maybe leaving your desk at work and going out for a cigarette); and there’s a result or reward (having that cigarette gets the initial feelings of stress to drop a bit for a short period of time). According to the brain, that’s a successful pattern that deserves to be repeated.

    Since last session, did you discover any habit loops in your life? If you didn’t get an opportunity to practice, you could pause right now to see if you can identify one or two habit loops in your own experience.

    This session we’re examining habit loops with regards to food in particular. And eating is an extremely interesting example. That’s because the habit-loop structure of getting hungry, finding food, and testing and eating that food, is designed to do something else: to aid us in locating that food again.

    Imagine being out in a wilderness: when hungry and looking for food in that sort of environment, our brains aim to record our successes because we need to eat to stay alive. We spot some bright berries (trigger); we bring that food to our mouths to test it—we eat a berry or two (behavior); and if we find that the berries don’t harm us, but instead provide us fuel in the form of calories and even taste good, we’ve set the groundwork for the habit loop that will propel us to eat those berries again whenever we find them (a reward that encourages us to not only look for that food again, but gather and store it or eat it whenever we do). Essentially, the stomach has sent a dopamine signal to the brain that says, “Remember what you ate and where you found it.”

    But most of us do not live in a wilderness anymore—unless you count coffee shops on every corner, copious numbers of fast-food joints, restaurants, and grocery stores as a new kind of wilderness. Point being, our brains don’t necessarily need this reward-based learning system to help us remember where food is anymore. In fact, though, that system is still at play—only now it operates with other types of triggers and foods. For example, if we get into the habit of reaching for ice cream every time we get stressed out, our brain starts to learn to eat when we’re stressed. Because when we do, like the person who smokes, we feel some stress relief (albeit brief) while we’re digging into that container of vanilla bean gelato.

    And triggers don’t always need to be bad to set up the potential for a habit loop to form. Maybe, like so many of us, you associate food with celebrations, whether it’s a birthday, Thanksgiving or another holiday: it’s easy to begin to associate fun social times with the array of food we get to enjoy.

    Regardless, whether it’s celebratory, stress-based or even boredom or sadness that triggers us to eat, once our brains make a habit loop that includes eating food as a go-to behavior in response to a particular trigger, and when eating makes us feel a little bit better in the moment, our brains set the tracks: “That was good; I feel a bit better; let’s do it again.” And so we do.

    So this is the focus of our practice: any types of habits we may have formed around eating. Let’s begin.

    Rewire Your Food Cravings and Triggers

    Watch the video:

    1. Get settled into a comfortable position, whether sitting, standing or lying down.Just like we did last week, anchor your awareness in your body—in the breath and the body, in your direct experience in the moment What do these physical sensations feel like? Introduce some curiosity. And go ahead and think of this as anchoring: that aware connection will serve as the point that will keep your boat from floating off. If your attention drifts away, that anchor catches so that you can come back. This helps to orient us around our mind—because if our mind is drifting off this way or that, it’s very difficult to identify, observe and map out our habit loops. We need that steady awareness, too, to map the different types of rewards that we get from those habits. Let’s focus on what’s actually happening for us in the first part of the equation: trigger and behavior.
    2. Bring to mind your favorite food. Resting in awareness in the breath and body, now simply bring to mind your favorite comfort food. You may imagine what it smells and tastes like. Take it further: what are the qualities of the sensations of that food on your tongue, in your mouth? Is it cool? Soft and delicate? Crunchy? Spend some time with these sensations.
    3. Notice the type of reaction that your body has simply by bringing up the memory of this food. What are you experiencing in your body? Maybe you notice you now have a craving for that food, even if you’ve just eaten, even if you’re not hungry at all. If you do find yourself in the midst of a craving, what does that feel like in your body and mind? Are there physical sensations associated with it? Invite curiosity into this.
    4. Try to notice any changes to the sensations associated with your craving. Is there a predominant sensation in your body right now? Are you finding tightness? Does that tightness change? Is there a sensation of heat? Does that heat move? Are you noticing any other sensations? And what happens as you bring your awareness fully to those sensations?
    5. Come back to the breath. Gently bring your attention away from your craving, and simply bring your awareness back to your body or your breath.

    Perhaps you noticed that simply bringing a memory of a food item to mind can arouse cravings. I’m hoping you noticed something else, too: that bringing awareness to the craving itself can change our relationship to it—we can be with that craving rather than be caught up in it. We can feel the trigger and pause before the behavior. If we are caught up in a craving it’s just like being on autopilot. But if we’re aware of that craving, we’re in the driver’s seat, in first gear.

    Try to notice any types of food cravings you have. And when they strike, try to drop into your body, even if it’s just for a few moments. The goal here is to really explore what that craving feels like in your body and mind. Then bring your awareness to whether or not that craving changes from moment to moment to moment.

    You might go ahead and eat the food you have in mind, and you might not. But simply start by exploring, getting comfortable and really familiar with what that craving feels like. Take a good, long, curious look at the beginning of that habit loop: from trigger to the urge to act to just before you act, and then whether you act or not. Notice that behavior and then the results of whatever that behavior is.

    Unhook From Your Phone Addiction 

    Our phones are masterfully designed weapons of mass distraction, and it’s so easy to get sucked into that distraction—Here’s how we can regain control of our attention. Read More 

    • Judson Brewer
    • April 2, 2019



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  • From Seed to Plate: Growing Your Own Food at Home

    From Seed to Plate: Growing Your Own Food at Home

    Introduction

    Growing your own food at home can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience, providing you with fresh, nutritious produce right in your own backyard. Not only does it save you money on grocery bills, but it also allows you to control the quality and variety of the food you eat. In this article, we will explore the process of growing your own food at home, from seed to plate, and provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to get started.

    Benefits of Growing Your Own Food

    Growing your own food at home has numerous benefits, including access to fresh, healthy produce, cost savings, and increased food security. When you grow your own food, you can choose the varieties you want to grow, ensuring that you have a steady supply of your favorite fruits and vegetables. Additionally, homegrown produce is often higher in nutrients and flavor than store-bought options, as it is picked at the peak of freshness and handled with care.

    Choosing the Right Crops

    When it comes to growing your own food, choosing the right crops is essential. Consider the climate and soil type in your area, as well as the amount of space you have available. Some popular crops for home gardens include tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and herbs like basil and mint. If you have limited space, consider growing compact or dwarf varieties, which are bred specifically for small gardens and containers.

    Preparing the Soil

    Before you can start growing your own food, you need to prepare the soil. This involves testing the pH level and nutrient content of your soil, and making any necessary adjustments. Most vegetables and fruits prefer a slightly acidic to neutral soil pH, ranging from 6.0 to 7.0. You can purchase a soil testing kit at most gardening stores, or send a sample to a lab for analysis.

    Sowing Seeds

    Once your soil is prepared, it’s time to sow your seeds. Make sure to follow the instructions on the seed package, as different crops have different sowing depths and spacings. Water the soil gently but thoroughly after sowing, and keep the soil consistently moist during the germination period.

    Caring for Your Crops

    After your seeds have germinated, it’s essential to provide them with the right amount of water, nutrients, and support. Most crops need about 1-2 inches of water per week, either from rainfall or irrigation. You can also add organic fertilizers like compost or manure to promote healthy growth and fruiting.

    Common Challenges

    As you grow your own food, you may encounter common challenges like pests, diseases, and weeds. To manage these challenges, use natural and organic methods whenever possible, such as introducing beneficial insects, practicing good sanitation, and using physical barriers to exclude pests.

    Harvesting Your Crops

    When your crops are ready to harvest, make sure to do so at the right time to ensure maximum flavor and nutrition. Check the seed package or a gardening guide for specific harvesting instructions, as different crops have different maturity dates and harvesting methods.

    Storing and Preserving Your Harvest

    After harvesting your crops, you’ll need to store and preserve them to enjoy them throughout the year. Consider canning, freezing, or dehydrating your produce to maintain its freshness and flavor. You can also store root vegetables like carrots and beets in a cool, dark place, or keep leafy greens like lettuce and spinach in the refrigerator.

    Conclusion

    Growing your own food at home is a rewarding and enjoyable experience that provides numerous benefits, from access to fresh, healthy produce to cost savings and increased food security. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can start growing your own food at home and enjoy the many rewards of homegrown produce. Remember to choose the right crops, prepare the soil, sow seeds, care for your crops, and harvest and store your produce to get the most out of your home garden.

    FAQs

    Q: What are the easiest crops to grow for beginners?

    A: Some of the easiest crops to grow for beginners include tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and herbs like basil and mint. These crops are relatively easy to care for and can thrive in a variety of conditions.

    Q: How much space do I need to grow my own food?

    A: The amount of space you need to grow your own food will depend on the crops you choose and the growing method you use. Even small spaces like balconies and patios can be used to grow a few crops, while larger gardens can produce a more abundant harvest.

    Q: What is the best way to store my harvest?

    A: The best way to store your harvest will depend on the type of crop and your personal preferences. Consider canning, freezing, or dehydrating your produce to maintain its freshness and flavor, or store root vegetables in a cool, dark place.

    Q: How do I protect my crops from pests and diseases?

    A: To protect your crops from pests and diseases, use natural and organic methods whenever possible, such as introducing beneficial insects, practicing good sanitation, and using physical barriers to exclude pests.

    Q: Can I grow my own food in containers?

    A: Yes, you can grow your own food in containers. Choose compact or dwarf varieties of your favorite crops, and make sure the container has good drainage and is large enough to support the mature size of the plant.

    Q: How long does it take to grow my own food?

    A: The time it takes to grow your own food will depend on the crop and growing conditions. Some crops like lettuce and radishes can be ready to harvest in as little as 20-30 days, while others like tomatoes and squash may take 60-90 days or more.

    Q: What are the benefits of growing my own food?

    A: Growing your own food provides numerous benefits, including access to fresh, healthy produce, cost savings, and increased food security. It also allows you to control the quality and variety of the food you eat, and can be a fun and rewarding hobby.

    Q: Can I grow my own food indoors?

    A: Yes, you can grow your own food indoors using containers or indoor gardening systems. Choose crops that thrive in indoor conditions, such as leafy greens and herbs, and make sure to provide adequate light and nutrients.

    Q: How do I get started with growing my own food?

    A: To get started with growing your own food, choose the right crops, prepare the soil, sow seeds, care for your crops, and harvest and store your produce. Consider consulting with a gardening expert or taking a gardening class to learn more about the specific needs of your crops and climate.

  • Celebrating Food and National Hispanic Heritage Month with Ale Graf

    Celebrating Food and National Hispanic Heritage Month with Ale Graf

    We had the pleasure of talking with Ale Graf about her work, food, and National Hispanic Heritage Month. We hope you enjoy this interview and her recipe for Hibiscus Chamoy.  

     

    As someone who creates Mexican dishes with a plant-based twist, how is food an important part of your culture and how you share your culture with others?

    Food is so much more than nourishment—it’s how we love, connect, and remember who we are. For Mexicans, food is truly part of our DNA. From ancient times, when our ancestors offered food to the gods, to modern-day sobremesas with family and friends, sharing food is how we express love. I grew up surrounded by women who talked about recipes the way others talk about dreams. My mother, grandmother, and aunts were always planning the next meal or discovering a new dish. Now I do the same with my siblings. Even though my food today is mostly plant-based, its essence is the same: to bring people together. Through my recipes, I want to recreate that sense of belonging, of always having enough to share and always leaving room for one more at the table. That’s what comemos means to me. It’s not about nostalgia; it’s about showing what being Mexican really looks and tastes like today.

    When did you start cooking and developing your own recipes? How do you educate people about making beautiful Mexican dishes using plant-based ingredients? Are people ever surprised to learn your recipes are plant-based?

    I started 23 years ago, right after my son was diagnosed with a dairy allergy. That moment changed everything. I had to relearn how to cook. I leaned into spices, explored new vegetables, and discovered different cooking methods. What began as a necessity quickly turned into a passion. I even enrolled in an online course to get certified as a plant-based cook. As my kids grew, so did my curiosity and creativity in the kitchen. Educating others has always been fun for me. I don’t lead with “plant-based” or “vegan”; I lead with flavor. I’ll serve someone a bowl of bean soup, and, after they’ve devoured it, I’ll smile and say, “Congrats, you just had your first vegan meal.” It’s always a surprise for them, and that’s the magic— showing how beautiful, satisfying, and deeply Mexican plant-based food can be.

    What are some plant-based ingredients and/or vegan dishes that you’d like to highlight as part of Mexican food traditions? Anything you’d especially like people to know about these foods?

    Masa, hands down. It’s the heart of so many beloved Mexican dishes—sopes, huaraches, tlacoyos—and it’s naturally plant-based. What I love most is how versatile it is. You can shape masa into antojitos, but you can also use it to make dumplings and cakes, or get creative and reinterpret global dishes with a Mexican twist. Take a good sope and layer it with mashed potatoes or creamy refried beans, top with salsa, guacamole, shredded lettuce, pickled onions—whatever you love. That’s the beauty of Mexican food; it’s endlessly customizable. You can set up a spread with all kinds of toppings and let everyone build their own plate. It’s not just delicious. It’s inclusive, joyful, and rooted in sharing.

    What do you envision as the way forward to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables and return to traditional Hispanic eating patterns?

    I think the real barrier is the labels and the absolutes. When we frame eating habits as all-or-nothing, people tune out. But if we shift the focus to just one healthy, vibrant meal at a time—one that’s full of colorful fruits and vegetables that add texture, flavor, and joy—then it feels more approachable and exciting. Traditional Hispanic food already celebrates plant-forward ingredients like chiles, tomatoes, squash, beans, and corn. If we bring those foods back to the center of the plate in a way that feels natural, not forced, people will reconnect with them. It’s about showing how beautiful and delicious these meals can be, not preaching about what they “should” eat.

    What does National Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?

    To me, National Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to learn, grow, and open our hearts to other cultures. It’s a reminder that the Hispanic community is not monolithic. We come from so many different countries, regions, and traditions, each with its own stories, flavors, and rhythms. This month is about recognizing that richness and also embracing how much we can learn from one another. It’s a time to celebrate our shared values and our differences, and, ultimately, a time to shine a light on how much more we have in common than we often realize.

    Please tell us a little bit about your work and career.

    I’m a published cookbook author and food blogger passionate about creating healthy, plant-forward meals, some Mexican, that bring people together. My journey started 23 years ago when my son was diagnosed with a dairy allergy. That experience led me to explore plant-based cooking, earn a certification, and eventually launch my blog Piloncillo & Vainilla in 2013, followed by Ale Cooks in English.

    I live in Houston with my family, where I continue to cook, create, and celebrate food as the heart of connection.

     

    Hibiscus Chamoy

    Originally published here.

    Ingredients

    2 cups hydrated hibiscus flowers
    1 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries
    3 tablespoons ground chile ancho subs or any other chili powder (or to taste)
    1 tablespoon date syrup or date sugar
    1 cup water or hibiscus water
    ¼ cup lime juice (or to taste)
    Pinch of Tajin (optional)

    Instructions

    1. Simmer the Ingredients: Start by adding the hibiscus flowers, dried fruit, chiles, and date syrup or date sugar to a blender, then add 1 cup of boiling water. (You can use a glass or stainless-steel bowl.)
    2. Blend to Perfection: Blend until smooth. If needed, add ¼ cup water to adjust the consistency.
    3. Season and Adjust: Finish with the lime juice, and add a pinch of Tajin if you’d like.
    4. Store and Serve: Pour into a clean jar, seal tightly, and refrigerate. It keeps well for up to a month in the fridge, so you’ll have plenty of time to experiment with it on different dishes!

    You can find Ale on her blog alecooks.com and piloncilloyvainilla.com, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.



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  • Is Moringa the Most Nutritious Food? 

    Is Moringa the Most Nutritious Food? 

    Does the so-called miracle tree live up to the hype?

    Moringa (Moringa oleifera) is a plant commonly known as the “miracle” tree due to its purported healing powers across a spectrum of diseases. If “miracle” isn’t hyperbolic enough for you, “on the Internet,” it’s also known as “God’s Gift to Man.” Is moringa a miracle or just a mirage? “The enthusiasm for the health benefits of M. oleifera is in dire contrast with the scarcity of strong experimental and clinical evidence supporting them. Fortunately, the chasm is slowly being filled.” There has been a surge in scientific publications on moringa. In just the last ten years, the number of articles is closer to a thousand, as shown here and at 1:02 in my video The Benefits of Moringa: Is It the Most Nutritious Food?.

    What got my attention was the presence of glucosinolates, compounds that boost our liver’s detoxifying enzymes. I thought they were only found in cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, kale, collards, and cauliflower. Still, it turns out they’re also present in the moringa family, with a potency comparable to broccoli. But rather than mail-ordering exotic moringa powder, why not just eat broccoli?Is there something special about moringa?

    “Moringa oleifera has been described as the most nutritious tree yet discovered,” but who eats trees? Moringa supposedly “contains higher amounts of elemental nutrients than most conventional vegetable sources,” such as featuring 10 times more vitamin A than carrots, 12 times more vitamin C than oranges, 17 times more calcium than milk, 15 times more potassium than bananas, 25 times more iron than spinach, and 9 times more protein than yogurt, as shown here and at 2:08 in my video. 
    Sounds impressive, but first of all, even if this were true, it is relevant for 100 grams of dry moringa leaf, which is about 14 tablespoons, almost a whole cup of leaf powder. Researchers have had trouble getting people to eat even 20 grams, so anything more would likely “result in excessively unpleasant taste, due to the bitterness of the leaves.”

    Secondly, the nutritional claims in these papers are “adapted from Fuglie,” which is evidently a lay publication. If you go to the nutrient database of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and enter a more reasonable dose, such as the amount that might be in a smoothie, about a tablespoon, for instance, a serving of moringa powder has as much vitamin A as a quarter of one baby carrot and as much vitamin C as one one-hundredth of an orange. So, an orange has as much vitamin C as a hundred tablespoons of moringa. A serving of moringa powder has the calcium of half a cup of milk, the potassium of not fifteen bananas but a quarter of one banana, the iron of a quarter cup of spinach, and the protein of a third of a container of yogurt, as seen below and at 3:15 in my video. So, it may be nutritious, but not off the charts and certainly not what’s commonly touted. So, again, why not just eat broccoli?

    Moringa does seem to have anticancer activity—in a petri dish—against cell lines of breast cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, and fibrosarcoma, while tending to leave normal cells relatively alone, but there haven’t been any clinical studies. What’s the point in finding out that “Moringa oleifera extract enhances sexual performance in stressed rats,” as one study was titled?

    Studies like “Effect of supplementation of drumstick (Moringa oleifera) and amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor) leaves powder on antioxidant profile and oxidative status among postmenopausal women” started to make things a little interesting. When researchers were testing the effects of a tablespoon of moringa leaf powder once a day for three months on antioxidant status, they saw a drop in oxidative stress, as one might expect from eating any healthy plant food. However, they also saw a drop in fasting blood sugars from prediabetic levels exceeding 100 to more normal levels. Now, that’s interesting. Should we start recommending a daily tablespoon of moringa powder to people with diabetes, or was it just a fluke? I’ll discuss the study “Moringa oleifera and glycemic [blood sugar] control: A review of the current evidence” next.



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  • Jell-O, Kool-Aid Will No Longer Contain ‘Artificial’ Food Dyes After RFK Jr Pressured Kraft Heinz Executives

    Jell-O, Kool-Aid Will No Longer Contain ‘Artificial’ Food Dyes After RFK Jr Pressured Kraft Heinz Executives

    Kraft Heinz products, including Jell-O and Kool-Aid, will no longer contain “artificial” food dyes after Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. urged its executives to eliminate harmful ingredients or face regulatory action.

    The multinational food and beverage conglomerate announced Tuesday that it will remove all artificial coloring from its products by 2027. Until then, it will not release any new foods that contain synthetic dyes either.

    “The vast majority of our products use natural or no colors, and we’ve been on a journey to reduce our use of (artificial) colors across the remainder of our portfolio,” CEO Pedro Navio said in a statement.

    Navio added that the company removed artificial colors, preservatives and flavors from Kraft Mac & Cheese in 2016. The corporation is “also working with licensees of its brands to encourage them to remove [Food, Drug & Cosmetic] colors.”

    The move follows a March meeting in which RFK Jr met with executives from several major food companies, including Kraft Heinz and General Mills, to push for the removal of what he called the “worst ingredients” from processed foods, according to reporting by Bloomberg.

    Following the meeting, Melissa Hockstad, CEO of the Consumer Brands Association, noted in a letter that the Health Secretary “made clear his intention to take action unless the industry is willing to be proactive with solutions.”

    Originally published on Latin Times

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  • Celebrating Food, Culture, and AAPI Month with Remy Morimoto Park

    Celebrating Food, Culture, and AAPI Month with Remy Morimoto Park

    We had the pleasure of talking with Remy Morimoto Park about food, culture, and AAPI Month. We hope you enjoy this interview and her recipes for Crunchy Pad Thai Inspired Salad and Miso Soup.

     

    Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your work. 

    I am a vegan cookbook author and health and wellness content creator. I started Veggiekins blog while I was in college as a means for sharing recipes and spreading the vegan lifestyle, and it has since turned into my full-time job, which has been absolutely incredible. I’m also the founder of a matcha brand, Frauth. Outside of work, I split my time between New York and Los Angeles, and you can usually find me at a farmers market!

    In your experience, how have you found food to tell a story and shape culture? 

    I think that when you come from any type of culture, food is so important because it’s one way culture is passed down from generation to generation. I think that’s why sharing recipes and passing them down is so crucial for preserving culture. In my Asian cultures––Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese––I think food is really important because it’s also how we communicate with each other and share love. In our cultures, it’s not quite as common to express verbally that you love someone. We really don’t talk too much about feelings, but we always gather around the table to share a meal as a family and many of our holidays and family gatherings revolve around food. There’s a joke that your Asian parents might not apologize or say they love you, but they will always put food on the table for you or cut up a fruit plate for you to communicate that. So, with that in mind, I think that food is a pivotal part of Asian culture. For me personally, a lot of my memories from childhood revolve around a specific meal or have a specific dish tied to it. Food evokes a lot of really powerful memories, and I think it’s a really great vehicle for storytelling in that way. 

    How do you educate people about the intersection of food, health, community, and culture?

    When it comes to most Asian cuisines, there really isn’t very much dairy, which I think is incredible. It also makes them such great foundations for lots of vegan-friendly options. As well, in my three cultures, there are different types of existing plant-based diets followed by religious groups, for example. I think there is a lot to explore, and the same can be said about most cultures. For example, in Korea, there are monks who eat temple food, which is primarily-plant based; in Japan, the Shojin cuisine is also primarily plant-based; and in China, a lot of Buddhists don’t eat any meat or animal products at all. Additionally, my grandparents always told me that, when they were younger, they primarily ate plant-based––mostly grains and vegetables––because meat and animal products were so expensive and reserved more for the higher classes in society. Nowadays, I think people associate meat with Asian cuisine (e.g., Korean BBQ), though, in reality, a lot of Asian cuisine historically revolved around grains and plants.

    What are some plant-based ingredients and vegan dishes you would like to highlight as traditional to your cultures and/or other Asian cultures? What are your favorites to cook with?

    A plant-based ingredient that I think is essential to Asian culture is tofu, of course! No Asian person is unfamiliar with tofu, and I think that’s incredible because it’s such a great source of plant protein. Rice and other grains are also commonly used throughout Asian cuisines, and some of my personal favourites include tempeh and some of the more unique Asian veggies you wouldn’t typically find at a conventional grocery store (e.g., bean sprouts, bok choy, morning glory, and pea shoots). There’s a great diversity of veggies to choose from in Asian cuisine.

    As a plant-based chef, what do you envision as the way forward to encourage people to include more fruits and vegetables into their diets? 

    One of the things I like to stress the most is that vegetables can be treated with as much care, if not more care, than meat and other animal products. I think a lot of people put in the minimum effort when preparing veggies or may even just eat them raw. When we marinate, smoke, sous vide, roast, or slow cook them, the result is so different. 

    Nowadays, people have developed this hunger for more global cuisines and are more interested in trying dishes from other cultures, which is a great way to encourage individuals to incorporate more fruits and veggies into their diets. When you start to explore beyond just the United States, for instance, and see what the world has to offer, you find that there are so many different types of fruits and vegetables that you can enjoy. Additionally, there are so many more flavor profiles and spice blends to work with to season your vegetables. Keeping it interesting for the palate is so important! 

    What significance does AAPI Month have for you, and how do you celebrate your heritage? 

    AAPI month means a lot to me because I’m not just Asian, but Asian American. I was born in the United States to parents who had already immigrated here and speak primarily English in the house. I don’t feel 100% Asian and, of course, don’t feel 100% American either, so I think that the distinction is really nuanced and makes me feel seen. It’s an incredible sign that people are really embracing others and diversity, which is so important. It’s helped to introduce other cultures to other people and encourage curiosity and hunger for knowledge about others.

    I really celebrate my heritage through food and sharing recipes that feel are authentic to my culture and my Asian-American family. It’s such a treat to be able to share that with others and especially to do that plant-based!

    Please tell us a little bit about your cookbook, Sesame, Soy, Spice, and what inspired you to write it.

    My cookbook was really inspired by my family and my upbringing. “Asian American” is truly the best way to describe my family and the food we eat because we are Asian (and three types of Asian at that), but we are also very much American. Growing up, the food on our table looked like a combination of both western and American foods, as well as the Asian dishes I grew up eating. For example, one thing I love is popcorn, but with Japanese furikake seasoning on top. Sometimes we might sub out chili paste or hot sauce with gochujang, a Korean fermented red pepper paste.

    Throughout my cookbook, I really wanted to emphasize that eating vegan does not mean you have to give up your culture and that it can actually be so much fun reconnecting with your culture through trying to recreate those favorite recipes as vegan. It not only makes living a vegan lifestyle more exciting and inclusive, but also more sustainable because there’s more variety in the foods you eat. When I first became vegan, I thought I could only eat foods like salad bowls, grain bowls, and smoothie bowls. Then I realized that it’s not really a diet but a way of life and that almost any cuisine can be vegan-friendly if you get creative in the kitchen.

    Through the short stories in my cookbook, I also document my journey to becoming vegan and making peace with my relationship with food. I share the story of how becoming vegan taught me compassion and aided in that journey. The process of writing the cookbook was very meaningful to my family because we really got to connect more than ever through food. I would chat with them about recipes from childhood that I wanted to try to recreate, and we would speak on the phone while we were both in the kitchen, trying to work out a recipe. It was a very nostalgic time for me because, often, we’d end up reminiscing about memories from my childhood while cooking.

     

    Crunchy Pad Thai Inspired Salad 

    1 to 2 servings, 10 minutes prep

    For the Pad Thai Inspired Dressing

    • ½ fresh lime, juiced
    • 2 tbsps Umami Sauce 
    • 2 tsps tamarind purée
    • 1 clove garlic, finely minced
    • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
    • 2 tbsp cashew butter (optional, for creaminess)

    For the Salad

    • 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
    • 3-4 mini cucumbers, julienned
    • 1 large carrot, juliennned
    • ½ cup chiffonaded radicchio 
    • Handful thinly sliced breakfast radishes 
    • 1 cup shredded green papaya (optional)

    Optional

    • Fresh Thai chili peppers
    • Crushed peanuts to garnish
    • Dried chili flakes to garnish
    • Green onions to garnish 

     

    Instructions

    1. In a large bowl, add all the dressing ingredients, then whisk them together. Adjust to taste. If using cashew butter, you may choose to thin it with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.
    2. Add all of the salad ingredients to the bowl, then toss, using your hands or tongs to coat the veggies.
    3. Garnish with peanuts, chili flakes, and green onion, if desired.

     

    Miso Soup

    8 servings, 30 minutes prep, 15 minutes cook time, 30 minutes soaking time 

    For the Dashi Broth

    • 10 cups filtered water
    • 5-6 dried shiitake mushrooms
    • 3 kombu pieces (roughly 3 x 3-inches)
    • 1 leek stem, sliced diagonally
    • 1 carrot, sliced diagonally
    • 3 scallions (white parts), halved
    • ½ yellow onion, halved
    • 12 oz firm silken tofu
    • ¼ cup dried wakame

    Other Ingredients

    • 5 tbsps red miso paste
    • 5 tbsps white miso paste

    For Garnish 

    • Scallions (green tops), thinly sliced
    • Ichimi togarashi, to taste
    • Cooked mushrooms (optional) 

     

    Instructions

    Prepare Dashi Broth 

    1. To your cooking pot, add the water, dried mushrooms, and kombu. Let soak for about 15 to 30 minutes. (The longer you soak, the more flavor will be released).
    2. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
    3. Add the leek, carrots, scallions, and onion, and cook for another 10 minutes.
    4. Add the tofu, then remove the pot from the heat.

    Re-Hydrate Wakame

    1. In a small bowl, add the dried wakame with enough hot water to cover. Let soak until the wakame is soft to the touch, then drain and set aside.

    Add Miso Paste

    1. In a small jar or bowl, add the red and white miso with a little water. You want to add just enough water so the misos turn into a thin paste. Use a whisk or chopsticks to break down the paste so it’s pourable. 
    2. Add the wakame and the whisked miso to the pot, and gently stir to combine. Adjust to taste.
    3. Garnish with green scallion tops, ichimi togarashi, and cooked mushrooms, if desired.

    For more about Remy, check out her blog, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. 



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  • Food Safety and Cultivated Meat 

    Food Safety and Cultivated Meat 

    What are the direct health implications of making clean meat—that is, meat without animals?

    In a 1932 article in Popular Mechanics entitled “Fifty Years Hence,” Winston Churchill predicted that we would one day “escape the absurdity of growing a whole chicken in order to eat the breast or wing, by growing these parts separately under a suitable medium.” Indeed, growing meat straight from muscle cells could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 96 percent, lower water usage by as much as 96 percent, and lower land usage by 99 percent.

    If we are to avoid dangerous climate change by the middle of the century, global meat consumption simply cannot continue to rise at the current rate. And there have certainly been initiatives like Meatless Mondays to try to get people to cut down, but so far, “they do not appear to be contributing in any significant way to the translation of the idea of eating less meat into the mainstream.” So, “in the light of people’s continued desire to eat meat, it seems the problems associated with consumption are unlikely to be fully resolved by attitude change. Instead, they must be addressed from an alternate perspective: changing the product.”

    From an environmental standpoint, it seems like a slam dunk. From an animal welfare standpoint, it could get rid of factory farms and slaughter plants for good, and I wouldn’t have to stumble across articles like this in the scientific literature: “Discerning Pig Screams in Production Environments.” I mean, what more do we need to know about modern animal agriculture than the fact that, “in recent years, a number of so-called…‘ag-gag’ laws have been proposed and passed…across the USA,” banning undercover photographing or videotaping inside such operations to keep us all in the dark.

    What about the human health implications of cultivated meat? I get the animal welfare, environment, and food security benefits, but what about “the potential for cultured meat to have health/safety benefits to individual consumers”? Nutritionally, the most important advantage is being able to swap out the type the fat. Right now, producers are growing straight muscle tissue, so it could be marbled with something less harmful than animal fat, though, of course, there’s still animal protein.

    When it comes to health, the biggest, clearest advantage is food safety, reducing the risk of foodborne pathogens. There has been a sixfold increase in food poisoning over the last few decades, with tens of millions “sickened annually by infected food in the United States alone,” including hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of annual deaths. Contaminated meats and other animal products are the most common cause.

    When the cultivated meat industry calls its products clean meat, that’s not just a nod to clean energy. Food-poisoning pathogens like E. coli, Campylobacter, and Salmonella are fecal bacteria. They are a result of fecal contamination. They’re intestinal bugs, so we don’t have to worry about them if we’re making meat without the intestines.

    Yes, there are all sorts of “methods to remove visible fecal contamination” in slaughter plants these days and even experimental imaging technologies designed to detect more “diluted fecal contaminations,” but we are still left at the retail level with about 10 percent of chicken contaminated with Salmonella and 40 percent of retail chicken contaminated with Campylobacter. What’s more, most poultry and about half of retail ground beef and pork chops are contaminated with E. coli, an indicator of fecal residue, as shown here and at 3:47 in my video The Human Health Effects of Cultivated Meat: Food Safety. We don’t have to cook the crap out of cultivated meat, though, because there isn’t any crap to begin with.

    Doctor’s Note:

    This is the first in a three-video series on cultivated meat. Stay tuned for The Human Health Effects of Cultivated Meat: Antibiotic Resistance and The Human Health Effects of Cultivated Meat: Chemical Safety.

    I previously did a video series on plant-based meats. Check them in the related posts below.

    The videos are also all available in a digital download from a webinar I did: The Human Health Implications of Plant-Based and Cultivated Meat for Pandemic Prevention and Climate Mitigation.



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