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Is Peanut Butter Healthy?

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By: Heidi Wagenbach

I love peanut butter. I eat it pretty much everyday because it’s hearty, tasty, and gives me the energy I need to keep up with my job, writing, and working out. Not being a crazy fan of other nuts, besides cashews and almonds, I’ve been indulging in Kirkland Signature Organic Peanut Butter ever since I was a kid. Per 2 tablespoons, this spread packs in 200 calories, 16g of fat, 7g of carbohydrates, 85mg of sodium, and 8g of protein. Kirkland’s peanut butter has two ingredients: dry roasted organic peanuts and sea salt. But depending on what brand you consume, peanut butter may or not be healthy, especially when trans fat, sugars, and oils are added.

Benefits

According to Healthline, PB is one of the most popular food spreads (for those who aren’t allergic of course). As seen above, PB is a wonderful source of protein but is low on an essential amino acid known as methionine. (For example, vegetarians who are limited in their sources for protein should not solely rely on peanut butter as their main source for this nutrient). Being relatively low in carbs as well, PB is good for people with type 2 diabetes, in the sense that there is a very slim spike in blood sugar. A study showed that women who ate peanut butter five or more times a week were at a 21% lower risk to develop diabetes, which may also be a contribution from oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat found in peanuts. High in healthy fats, when eaten in moderation, PB is good for weight loss. Vitamin E, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, copper, and manganese are also provided in peanut butter, not to mention biotin, vitamin B5, iron, potassium, etc. PB is also a source of antioxidants, lowering the risk of heart disease.

Downsides

In the same article, peanut butter is argued to be a potential source of Aflatoxins. Since peanuts grow underground, they often obtain a mold called Aspergillus, which has the possibility of causing cancer, stunting growth, and slowing mental functionality but those results are still unproven. Nonetheless, the process peanuts undergo to become peanut butter reduces the amount of Aflatoxins we’re exposed to and The U.S. Department of Agriculture monitors the amount to ensure no company goes over the limit.

Is Peanut Butter Good for You? reviews the pros and cons of peanut butter, such as how bodybuilders use this food as a source to put on pounds and repair muscles. Some of the disadvantages are the high content of calories, saturated fats, and sodium, but PB has been linked to reducing the risk of breast disease.

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

Hydrogenated vegetable oil is used in many processed foods because of its cheap price and enduring shelf life. In the article What Is Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil?, the author describes this mixture as an extraction from olives, sunflowers, and soybeans. Companies use the hydrogenation process to create a solid/spreadable texture (sounds familiar?), which therefore influences the texture and flavor of said product, yet increases the intake of trans fat to your diet. Some of the negative side effects of consuming hydrogenated vegetable oil include impairing blood sugar control, insulin resistance, increasing inflammation, and harming heart health (increasing bad cholesterol).

Skippy and Jif

Two of the most recognizable and iconic brands are Skippy and Jif. Going to their websites and seeing how many positive reviews there are for their creamy peanut butters proves how popular and delicious people think they are. However, both of them contain added ingredients that can harm your health in the long run if consumed often. (Another ridiculous fact is that these jars can come in various sizes, all the way up to 4 to 5 lbs).

Skippy

  • Ingredients: roasted peanuts, sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oil (cottonseed, soybean, and rapeseed oil) to prevent separation, salt.
  • Nutrition: (per serving – 2 Tbsp) 
    • Calories: 190
    • Total fat: 16g
    • Total carbohydrates: 6g
    • Sodium: 150mg
    • Includes 3g Added Sugars
    • Protein: 7g 

Jif

  • Ingredients: roasted peanuts, sugar, contains 2% or less of: molasses, fully hydrogenated vegetable oils (rapeseed and soybean), mono and diglycerides, salt
  • Nutrition: (per serving – 2 Tbsp)
    • Calories: 190
    • Total fat: 16g
    • Sodium: 140mg
    • Total carbohydrates: 8g
    • Includes 2g Added Sugars
    • Protein: 7g

While these two peanut butters are quite similar, comparing the ingredients and nutritional information with the natural peanut butter as listed above, you can see the drastic difference. Even though Skippy and Jif are only $2.49 per jar at Target, and Costco has the dual pack which approximates to about $5.74 individually, Kirkland’s PB is the clearly healthier option.

Answering The Question:

Peanut butter, like any food, needs to be taken in moderation and should not be the only source of specific vitamins your body needs. Like any healthy diet, peanut butter can be incorporated to ensure your intake of protein and other nutrients. Brands like Skippy, Jif, and the various knockoff brands that put hydrogenated vegetable oil and sugar into the mix should be avoided. If you’re as much of a PB fan as I am, opting for organic and natural spreads is the best way to enjoy the taste without damaging your body later on. As long as you are a well-balanced person who makes exercising a priority and doesn’t eat other junk food, natural peanut butter provides a high-caloric snack and gives you healthy benefits that will satisfy.

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The History of Sriracha

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By: Heidi Wagenbach

Here’s a joke for you: who’s the spiciest knight at King Arthur’s table? 

Sir Racha. 

Okay, now since that’s over, we can get to the actual article. 

Ever wonder what’s the history behind the recognizable hot sauce that chefs and home-cooks use? Well, me too. So I decided to do a little digging into the complex background of who created Sriracha, why it was invented, and what made it so popular. Have a glass of milk ready because I suspect even reading this blog will make your tongue numb.

To Begin… 

The ingredients of Sriracha are relatively short, including: chili, sugar, salt, garlic, distilled vinegar, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Bisulfite as preservatives, and Xanthan Gum. 

This hot sauce has been growing in popularity since the 2010s, however before it hit the spotlight, it was the work of Thanom Chakkapak. A native to Southeast Thailand, Chakkapak started serving a blinding red, garlic-infused sauce with her dinners in 1949. From there, everyone was a fan of her creation and they urged her to sell it. Then, in 1975, David Tran of Vietnam started creating his own hot sauce. Nearing the end of the Vietnam War, he and his family fled to the U.S., and upon noticing they were not the only immigrants in California, he wanted to bring a little home-inspired flavors to the foreign Southeast Asians.

For a long time, Tran was selling his sauce out of a van in bottled jars before finally in 1983, he opened a larger store to sell more. He began experimenting with a Thailand-originated recipe that called for vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic, and red jalapeños. To pay respect to the sauce’s architect, he called the new sauce “Sriracha” after Chakkapak’s hometown Si Racha, and named his company Huy Fong, in respect to the ship that brought him to the states. The bottle is decorated with a rooster to symbolize the Chinese year he was born in and the original, hand-drawn design (that no one can seem to remember who made it) is still used today. 

Come the mid-1980s, Tran was moving Sriracha to more Southeast-Asian towns of California. Even though he didn’t have a sales or marketing team, he was making good money, and about a decade later, Sriracha was a hit. Culinary insiders were crazy about their new favorite, simply calling it “secret sauce.” In the 2000s, when a food revolution began, the hot sauce market grew by 150%; supermarkets and restaurants began to have it, seeing its preference over other other condiments. Of course, other companies have tried to mimic the flavor and recipe, seeing that Tran never trademarked the brand, to no real avail.

After a split from their pepper provider due to a legal dispute, Huy Fong saw some issues in 2017. Some say that the sauce never recovered from that and the taste has changed. Seems crazy that something as simple as pepper can make fans notice. Nonetheless, that didn’t seem to affect Huy Fong too badly; they earn about $80 million a year (Hitt).

Peppery Points To Ponder

  • Sriracha’s influence has contributed to flavoring mayonnaise and potato chips. It has been deemed the “hipster ketchup.”
  • The Huy Fong building made other sauces (like Pepper Sa-te Sauce, Chili Garlic), and outgrew its space in just 7 years. Tran purchased a 68,000 sq. ft. building, only needing more expansion. In 2010, they relocated to a 650,000 sq. ft. building in California. 
  • In 2013, to combat the lawsuit in regards to the odors coming from the manufacturing, (people living near the factory were complaining about several negative symptoms like eye irritation and headaches), Tran put up a sign that said: “NO TEAR GAS MADE HERE.” The time where production ceased was known as “The Great Sriracha Panic.” Eventually, it came to a close when Huy Fong agreed to upgrade its ventilation system.
  • Huy Fong praises Sriracha as “the American garlic chili pepper sauce” (Yeh).
  • Sriracha has become such an icon that you can purchase various merchandise like shirts and phone covers displaying your love of the hot sauce.
  • Tran said his dream: “Was never to become a millionaire” and instead: “To make enough fresh chili sauce so that everyone who wants Huy Fong can have it. Nothing more.”
  • No matter how much inflation increases, Tran has not raised the price of Sriracha.
  • Bon Appétit magazine declared Sriracha “the ingredient of the year” in 2010; Cook’s Illustrated said it’s the “best-tasting hot sauce” in 2012.
  • Tran admits to not having “a detailed record on where it’s sold,” but knows that Sriracha is available in the US, Canada, and Europe.
  • What separates Sriracha from other sauces, according to Tran, is that it is exclusively made from fresh (not dried) chilies from Underwood Family Farms; Huy Fong processed 100 million pounds of fresh chilies in 2012, which only lasted for about 10 weeks (Ferdman).

A Few More Fun Facts

  • The building that now is filled with chili, used to be filled with Frisbees and Slip n’ Slides; it was originally owned by Wham-O.
  • Randy Clemens, author of “The Sriracha Cookbook” has a license plate that says: “SIRACHA.”
  • Huy Fong makes all its own bottles; one line of production can produce up to 18,000 an hour.
  • When Tran eats pho and Sriracha in restaurants all over, he’s never recognized by either staff or customers.
  • Huy Fong never advertises its sauce, but sales increase by 20% nearly every year.
  • You can buy a gallon-sized bottle of Sriracha from Huy Fong (Harris).

To End…

Whether you’re a fan of spicy food or not so much, you have to marvel at the dedication and brilliance of Tran. As an immigrant, he was able to build a massive business and keep his humility simultaneously while giving the world a delicious condiment that thousands of people consume yearly. Sriracha is an ingredient that I use myself in cooking, whether that be to add a kick to salsa or squirt some into a hearty dinner of beans and turkey sausage. Sriracha is versatile, enduring, but definitely be conscientious about the amount you use. I don’t think Huy Fong wants to have another lawsuit coming their way.

Works Cited

Harris, Jen. What you don’t know about Sriracha: 11 fun facts from a documentary, Los Angeles 

Times, 11 Dec. 2013, www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-sriracha-documentary-20131211-story.html.

Hitt, Caitlyn. The Spicy History of Sriracha, Thrillist, 20 Aug. 2020, 

www.thrillist.com/news/nation/history-of-sriracha-origin.

Ferdman, Roberto A. The Little-Known History Of The World’s Coolest Hot Sauce, Huffpost, 21 

Aug. 2013, www.huffpost.com/entry/sriracha-history_n_4136923.

Yeh, Alan. A Brief History of Sriracha, Spoon University, 

spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/a-brief-history-of-sriracha.

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The Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup

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And The Foods With The Highest Amounts

By: Heidi Wagenbach

For the longest time, we would tease my grandmother for how exaggerated and overly attentive she was about keeping the foods she ate healthy and without high fructose. As a woman who suffered from multiple health issues for as long as I can remember, we couldn’t blame her, but we also couldn’t resist whenever we picked up a ketchup bottle to say: “High fructose corn syrup! Oh, noo!” She would glare at us as we squirted a portion onto our plate.

I’d like to think that I come from a family who eats well and had a good experience growing up being exposed to nutritious options. We avoid fast-food and frozen meals, and don’t eat desserts every night. We exercise daily and don’t drink soda or go to Starbucks for a 300+ calorie frappuccino to get our caffeine fix. Life is short and you gotta enjoy yourself so yeah, we indulge in the occasional treat here and there like a couple handfuls of potato chips. Even then, we know our limits.

But there are unknown, hidden dangers in the foods Americans eat, and one of them being this artificial substance that seems to be making its way into our diets more and more. While simultaneously seeing new trendy diets like keto and veganism emerge, the U.S. is also suffering from a spike in obesity and diabetes. Why? A combination of sedentary lifestyles and bad foods. Being aware of what we eat is important.

History of High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose was originally introduced in the U.S. in 1970 after the price of sugar increased from applied tariffs. It was produced by Richard O. Marshall and Earl R. Kooi in 1957 after they created the enzyme glucose isomerase. High fructose is made from corn, which is milled into corn starch, then into corn syrup. Finally, the enzymes are added to turn the natural glucose into fructose. From there, high fructose was introduced to many processed foods in the U.S. from 1975-1985.

High Fructose Corn Syrup Is One Of The Leading Causes Of This Epidemic 

According to the article 6 Reasons Why High Fructose Corn Syrup Is Bad For You, by Healthline, a main issue of consuming high fructose is because it adds an unnatural amount of glucose to your body. Glucose is a basic carb (found in foods like rice) and is transported by your entire body and is what is used during exercise for energy. However, high fructose needs to be converted into glucose before your body can use it, meaning it filters through your liver (then your risk of fatty liver disease or diabetes spikes). Seeing that society has changed in our consumption of various foods, table sugar and high fructose are more prevalent as opposed to only having a small amount from fruits/veggies years ago. Fruit does have fructose (albeit, an acceptable, natural amount); to reach the excessive amount of sugar found in high fructose-laden foods, a person would have to eat an extreme amount of typical, natural sugar. Below is a chart of the different amount of sugar in various foods. By comparing the amount in strawberries as opposed to Skittles, you can clearly see the healthier choice.

High fructose corn syrup also promotes visceral fat, which surrounds your organs and is the most dangerous type of body fat, leading to obesity, weight gain, heart disease or all three. Research states that the average person consumes over 500 calories per day from sugar.

Other serious illnesses, such as inflammation and cancer, are also driven by eating too much high fructose corn syrup, therefore leading to a shorter life expectancy. Another tidbit about high fructose is that there are no essential nutrients, or what is known as “empty calories.” 

Foods That Have High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose has become so wide-spread because it’s cheap, based on the claims stated in this article: 20 Foods With High-Fructose Corn Syrup. The following shows a limited list of foods, some obvious, some not so much, that have high fructose as an ingredient.

  • Soda: one 12oz can contains almost 50g of added sugar
  • Candy: literal sugar bombs, companies display this on the ingredient list most often as the first to be read on the package
  • Sweetened Yogurt: some flavored, low-fat yogurts contain almost 40g of added sugar
  • Salad Dressing: 1 tablespoon has 3g added sugar
  • Frozen Foods: such as pizza/TV dinners
  • Breads: make sure to read the nutrition labels
  • Canned Fruit: 1 cup contains about 45g of added sugar and strips the fruit of any nutrients through the peeling/preserving process
  • Juice: rivals soda in the amount of sugar per serving
  • Granola Bars: even though there are healthy ingredients like nuts and fruit, companies sweeten them with high fructose, totaling to about that of a candy bar
  • Breakfast Cereal: 10g or more per one serving
  • Barbecue Sauce: 11 grams of sugar per 2 tablespoons
  • Chips, Cookies, Crackers: look for the ones without added sweeteners
  • Coffee Creamer: resort to milk or drink coffee plain
  • Energy/Sports Drinks: water or sugarless green tea is a much healthier and quenching alternative

What You Need To Know

Avoiding sugar and high fructose corn syrup is the best way to ensure a healthy lifestyle, or if you are going to treat yourself, it’s best to only do so once in a while. Save cake and ice cream for specific celebrations. Some of the above products are advertised as “healthy,” however in certain cases, that’s not true. If you’re concerned about you or your family’s intake, be sure to read food labels, pack lunches when heading to work or school, and incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Like anything, high fructose corn syrup is bad for you when it’s given in large portions frequently, so it’s optimal to eat as naturally as often as you can to help your mind and body endure for a longer time.

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Does Turkey Make You Sleepy?

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Or is it all a myth?

By: Heidi Wagenbach

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, we’re all going to have to start preparing (to make and eat) the massive meal: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, cornbread, green bean casserole– mm, just thinking about that food makes me hungry! But I’ve heard for too many years, ever since I was a kid, that turkey makes you sleepy. Well, I’m here to debunk this mystery with you: does turkey really contain some magic substance that makes you drowsy or are there other factors that contribute to that tired, after-meal sensation?

The Real Cause

According to the article Thanksgiving Myth Busted: Eating Turkey Won’t Make You Sleepy from LiveScience, “consuming large amounts of carbohydrates and alcohol may be the real cause of a post-Thanksgiving-meal snooze.” Turkey contains the amino acid tryptophan, which contributes to serotonin which then converts to melatonin (a sleep-inducing chemical), however the amount is very low compared to other foods (surprisingly, cheddar cheese has more). Consuming a hefty amount of the other foods besides turkey, like the mentioned above mashed potatoes, stuffing, cornbread is the true issue, seeing that tryptophan has to challenge these other competitors in order to enter the brain. These rich foods release insulin and that removes amino acids, therefore making tryptophan difficult to enter the brain (even though it eventually does). In the end, any large meal that contains a lot of carbs contributes to being tired, combined with alcohol and an overall relaxation that’s felt on holidays can contribute to the lax mood.

Tips and Tricks

John Hopkins Hospital has another argument: blood flow. Consuming a large meal that our bodies are not accustomed to increases the blood flow from our brain to our stomach in order to help digest the dinner. There are some tips suggested on their website to help avoid drowsiness:

  • Eat small, healthy snacks throughout the day (don’t starve yourself beforehand) and continue to have small portions at the large dinner
  • Drink water while you eat and let the food settle to see how full you are
  • Stop eating when you feel full and don’t go overboard (aka don’t eat the whole pumpkin pie for dessert)
  • Take a walk instead of plopping on the couch  

Overall turkey is not one of the main contributors to you feeling sleepy once you’re done consuming rich food for the day. There are ways to avoid feeling lethargic by taking the right precautions such as eating smaller portions and staying active as opposed to sticking to the usual sedentary activities. So when a family member says (at your socially-distanced 2020 Thanksgiving): “Gosh-darn all that turkey– I feel like I could just take a nap now!”, tell them about tryptophan and your newly acquired knowledge from today’s blog! (I assure you if that doesn’t snap them awake, I don’t know what will [hint of sarcasm]). 

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The Importance of Vitamin C

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By: Heidi Wagenbach

We’ve all heard that saying before when we’re sick with a cold: “drink lots of liquids– and make sure you get some vitamin C!” With the drastic spread of COVID-19, the sudden awareness of germs seems to have spiked with the new protocols of wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands– but what does vitamin C actually do for your body? And what are the best foods to intake your daily, necessary amount? Keep reading to find out!

Studies Show…  

The recommended daily intake of vitamin C is 75mg for women and 90mg for men. Taking a supplement everyday is how a lot of people guarantee they meet that number and some of the benefits include: lowering your risk of chronic/heart disease, managing high blood pressure, helping prevent iron deficiency, boosting immunity, and protecting your memory/thinking as you age. Unfortunately, some claims are unproven, such that vitamin C prevents the common cold, reduces cancer, and protects against eye disease (Raman).

Vitamin C is also a big producer of collagen, which is the main factor of connective and muscle tissue. Tendons, cartilage, bones, and blood vessels are all huge components of the body that collagen assists, so to neglect vitamin C and obtain a deprivation would be detrimental to your health (just as would be consuming too much). With an increased collagen intake, your skin benefits as well (Wilson).

Eat Your Greens

According to the National Institutes of Health, fruits and veggies contain the most sources of vitamin C and consuming five various servings can provide the appropriate amount of what your body requires. 

½ Cup Red Pepper – 95 mg (106% of Daily Value)

¾ Cup Orange Juice – 93 mg (103%)

1 Medium Kiwi – 64 mg (71%)

½ Broccoli (cooked) – 51 mg (57%)

½ Cup Strawberries – 49 mg (54%)

½ Cup Brussel Sprouts – 48 mg (53%)

½ Cup Cantaloupe – 29 mg (32%)

Some of the more rare sources include Kakadu plums, an Australia native, and have a huge amount of vitamin C (481 mg per plum!), equalling 530% of the daily value. ½ cup of Acerola cherries has 822 mg or 913%. Rose hips, the fruits that come from rose plants, are also packed with vitamin C, or 119 mg per 6. Guavas have 126 mg, kale has 53 mg, papayas have 87 mg, and lemons have 83 mg (Hill).

The Takeaway

Vitamin C, just like any other vitamin your body needs, is important and will assist you in your overall health. The best solution to confirming you get enough is to make sure you eat a good diet that contains natural foods like vegetables and fruits. If you’re concerned that you’re lacking in the vitamin C department, then a dietary supplement is always an option, but be sure to read the nutrition facts label or consult with your doctor. Now that foods, such as cereal and milk, are infused with more vitamins and minerals, the majority of the population shouldn’t have to worry about their diet as long as everything is in moderation. 

 

Works Cited

Hill, Caroline. 20 Foods That Are High in Vitamin C, Healthline, 5 June 2018, 

www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-c-foods.

Raman, Ryan. 7 Impressive Ways Vitamin C Benefits Your Body, Healthline, 18 Feb. 2020, 

www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-c-benefits.

Wilson, Debra Rose. Vitamin C: Why is it important?, MedicalNewsToday, 10 Apr. 2017, 

www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/219352#sources_and_requirements. 

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How Vegetarians Get Protein Without Meat

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By: Heidi Wagenbach

Thinking of going vegetarian? You’re not the only one– studies show that currently 3.2% of U.S. adults are vegetarian, meaning 7.3 million people of the total population follow the no-meat trend (Vegetarianism…). There are countless advantages to how vegetarianism helps the environment. A few include reducing global warming, saving large amounts of water, avoiding pollution, reducing destruction of rainforests as well as saving endangered species and ensuring environmental stability (Top Ten…). But what stops a lot of people from taking the jump into vegetarianism is giving up meat… and more importantly, the protein that comes with consuming chicken or beef. On average, women should consume 46 grams of protein daily and men should consume 56 (Protein Intake…). 

So the second question is: how are vegetarians able to meet what their body demands while sacrificing the biggest protein contributors? Scroll down to find out!

I’m Nuts About You! (I Apologize In Advance For These Bad Puns)

A cup of peanuts contain about 50 grams of protein, whereas almonds and pistachios have 42. Cashews, walnuts, and hazelnuts have 30 grams per cup, while pine nuts, pecans, and macadamias are lower with 26, 18, and 14. Pumpkin and hemp seeds also contain a very good amount of protein per cup (60, 62) (Whitbread).

I Dair-you To Try This! 

Similarly, a cup of cheese (Colby Jack, Mozzarella, Swiss) has 36 grams of muscle/energy booster, while cottage cheese contains 28. Finally, a cup of nonfat Greek yogurt has 22 and a cup of skim milk has 8 (Horton). By consuming dairy, you also get amounts of vitamin D and calcium.

How The Vege-tables Have Turned

I’m sure you’ve heard of the Impossible (or the Beyond) Burger (aka a plant-based burger)– seeing that restaurants are happily embracing this trend, and according to Eat This, Not That!, vegetarian burgers have the same amount of protein as regular burgers. On that note, one serving of hummus (⅓ cup) equals 7 grams of protein, while beans like kidney and black can give you 8 grams as well. Beans are also a great source of fiber!

An Eggs-cellent Reason To Be Vegetarian

Eggs are a popular staple of breakfast and for good reason: these little white spheres contain 14 grams of protein per serving (2). Speaking of the essential morning meal, oats have 4 grams of protein per 40 uncooked grams while whole grain bread has 3 grams. While not the highest on this list, every gram counts (How To…).  

Something Fishy Is Going On… 

A baked portion of fish (140 grams) contains 26 grams of protein, and also gives a plentiful amount of Omega-3 acids alongside vitamin A. Pairing that with a side of quinoa (which has 8) (How To…), that meal already serves as more than half your daily requirements.

On The Other Hand… 

Animal protein varies from vegetable protein. For example, the amino acid count in vegetables is lower than that of meat. Another way to think about this is that meat has proteins that are similar to your own body and therefore are classified as “complete,” whereas vegetables are considered as “incomplete,” meaning they lack certain qualities found in poultry, beef, etc. A higher abundance of nutrients is found in animals, that’s why it’s a good idea to eat a balanced diet rather than limiting yourself to consuming only from certain sources. However, eating a good amount from a plant-based diet has countless health benefits such as lower risk of heart disease and diabetes (Brown).  

In Conclusion:

To be vegetarian is an entirely optional way of living nonetheless, based on the above facts, avoiding meat is a good alternative to obtaining the necessary nutrients your body needs and simultaneously helping the world we live in. Especially since meat shortages are becoming all that more common, adjusting your diet will make these uncertain times easier to manage and helping yourself become healthier too. The bottom line is to eat from multiple sources to confirm your overall health and a longer life.

Works Cited

Brown, Mary Jane. Animal vs. Plant Protein – What’s The Difference?, Healthline, 17 June 2017, 

www.healthline.com/nutrition/animal-vs-plant-protein.

Hickman, Kiersten. 13 Great Protein Alternatives If You Can’t Find Meat at the Grocery Store, 

Eat This, Not That!, 29 Apr. 2020, www.eatthis.com/protein-alternatives/. 

Horton, Brierly. 21 Ways to Get More Protein without Eating Meat, CookingLight, 20 Sept. 

2017, www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/clean-eating/easy-ways-to-add-protein-to-diet-without-meat.

How to get protein without the meat, British Heart Foundation , 

www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/protein/how-to-get-protein-without-the-meat. 

Protein Intake-How Much Should You Eat Per Day?, Healthline, 26 Oct. 2020, 

www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-protein-per-day.

Top 10 Reasons Why It’s Green To Go Veggie, Down To Earth, 6 Nov. 2019.

Vegetarianism in America, Vegetarian Times, 10 May 2017, 

www.vegetariantimes.com/uncategorized/vegetarianism-in-america.

Whitbread, Daisy. 16 Nuts And Seeds High In Protein, MyFoodData, 7 Oct. 2020, 

www.myfooddata.com/articles/high-protein-nuts.php.

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Cinnamon is Poison

by In Food Facts

We tried thinking of a better title, but the clickbait nature of this one will work for now – especially since it isn’t entirely false. This exposé on cinnamon is also one of the most vehement stances Chef Pascal Dionot has taken as a chef (and rightfully so).

We’ve all encountered cinnamon in food in one form or another. Be it sweet (ex: cinnamon rolls) or savory (ex: butternut squash soup, spicy curry), it’s been a worldly staple for centuries. However, what you should be cause for concern is if you’re actually eating this specific spice.

The key factor is differentiating cinnamon from cassia. Cinnamon is a spice made from the bark of species of the cinnamon tree. It can be purchased in its grounded form or in the form of curled sticks or quills. Cassia is from the bark of the Cinnamomum cassia tree. Cassia has similar properties to cinnamon and can be identified by notable differences.

Cinnamon

Cassia has a harder bark with a darker color and stronger aroma. Cinnamon is more fragile with a lighter color and more subtle scent.

The reason why Cassia should be avoided is because it contains trace amounts of coumarin – most often up to 1% per serving. Coumarin is a chemical compound whose properties are known to cause damage on the liver, kidneys, and lungs. In large amounts, coumarin can also create cancerous tumors on those organs.

Coumarin is also found in many perfumes, aromatizers, and other scented products. Despite being banned in many first-world countries as a food additive, coumarin is still used in America – namely in vanilla products.

So how do you determine whether it’s one or the other? If you live in America, that’s a difficult process. In the United States, most cinnamon and cassia products are labeled solely as “cinnamon.” OSHA also does not classify coumarin as a carcinogen for humans.

Keep all of this in mind before diving into your next dish that might be chock-full of cassia instead of the go-to spice. If you’re looking for a safe substitute, consider cardamom (at least for savory dishes). You deserve a better meal and – more importantly – you deserve a healthier life.

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Why 70% of All Olive Oil is Impure

by In Food Facts

Olive oil is the blood of Mediterranean culture. Throughout history, it had a place in religious ceremonies, lighting, cleaning, medicine, economics, and cooking. This liquid fat is as prevalent in a Mediterranean diet as butter in an American one. However, the olive oil you consume may be only a fraction of what it advertises on the bottle.

This is not a new problem. Olive oil fraud has been committed since the Roman Empire. One EU official claims the profits in impure olive oil trade to be “comparable to cocaine trafficking, with none of the risks.” Criminals achieve this the same way they do with hard drugs – they dilute the original product with cheaper alternatives (in this case, sunflower or canola oil). Shady organizations pick a pretty penny just by saving production costs.

Though every Mediterranean country has its fair share of olive fields, let’s take a look at Italy because the Boot sells three times as much oil as it produces. The culprits for this massive fraud are clear and obvious: the mafia (or “agromafia” given their specialization).

Olive Oil
Pictured: Criminals who profit off of corrupting the everyman.

Like every criminal organization, the agromafia is simply a collection of thugs trying to act as businessmen. They impose themselves as unwanted middlemen between local olive producers and end distributors, claiming that they will offer “protection”; if producers refuse to abide by their rules, the agromafia retaliates with physical threats, vandalism, and arson. Their extortion typically nets them around $500 a month from local stores who begrudgingly agree to sell the tampered oil.

Most olive oil comes from the southern part of Italy, which also contains the largest concentration of agromafioso. Their influence is so imperious that half of Italian produced extra virgin olive oil does not meet the legal standards of extra virgin oil. When moving across the distribution chain all the way to the United States, that number jumps up to 70%.

So how can a person tell the quality of their oil? For starters, they can check to see if their extra virgin container really tastes the right way: peppery on the throat and vividly flavored, not gentle and smooth. Or if you’d like to go the easy route, you can check this list of both trustworthy and untrustworthy brands (courtesy of LifeHacker).

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The Secret Between Beavers and Vanilla Flavoring

by In Food Facts

Beavers are some of the more overlooked animals across the world: they cut down trees with their teeth, create small lodges on water using sticks and mud, and emit chemical compounds from their private parts that you have probably put in your mouth at some point in your life.

In the food industry, beavers are responsible for secreting a goo called castoreum from their rear-ends. Castoreum comes from a beaver’s castor sacs, which are located between the base of the tail and the pelvis; they are also located right by the anal glands, so castoreum typically turns out to be a mix of castor gland secretions, anal gland secretions, and urine.

castoreum.jpg
A vial of castoreum. It has about the same consistency as molasses.

Despite this, castoreum has a musky, vanilla scent that is typically incorporated into food flavorings. Even though you might not find the word “castoreum” written under the nutritional facts, the FDA instead slyly lists it as “natural flavoring.”

The real question remains a mystery – who was the first trapper that decided to take a whiff of beaver butt and say, “Wow! This could go great with my dessert tonight!”

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Most Wasabi is Just Green Horseradish

by In Food Facts

Wasabi is a Japanese plant most commonly used as a condiment for raw seafood and sushi. Grown along stream beds in the Land of the Rising Sun, it has a very pungent taste and odor with vapors that can stimulate the nasal passages more than the tongue. It also happens to be one of the few foods you have never really tasted in your life.

Since Japan’s land mass is just under California’s, there is a notable limit with the amount of wasabi growing at any point in time. Also, wasabi preparation is typically done the moment a customer orders; chefs will immediately create the paste from the plant stem with the customer’s meal, otherwise it will lose its flavor within 15 minutes if left uncovered.

Wasabi crop on Japan's Izu peninsula

Wasabi crops on Japan’s Izu peninsula

The Japanese have their own name for knock-off wasabi – seiyō wasabi or “western wasabi.” This usually involves a combination of horseradish, mustard, starch, and green food coloring. Even though western wasabi has nearly the same taste as genuine wasabi, only the latter has natural green coloring. If you want to try the good stuff, save some time and money and visit a natural grocer or dine at a high-end restaurant.

So, the next time you dine at a Japanese joint, relay this info to your friends or family and not the staff. If you ask for “a side of green horseradish,” you’ll definitely get a weird look.

Sources:

Greaves, Vanessa. “What’s Really In That Green Paste You Call Wasabi?” Allrecipes, 14 Nov. 2015, dish.allrecipes.com/are-you-really-eating-wasabi/.

Spiegel, Alison. “Think You’ve Been Eating Wasabi All This Time? Think Again.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 12 Oct. 2015, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fake-wasabi-horseradish_us_561bd666e4b0082030a33959.

Wapner, Kenneth. “Real Wasabi: Horseradish Of A Different Color.” Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 1993, articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-02-11/entertainment/9303177715_1_fresh-wasabi-real-wasabi-root.