The Food and Drug Administration has finally decided to make some changes to the nutrition facts label in hopes of improving the diets of American consumers.  Scanning the label from top to bottom the first difference that will be noticed is the serving size.  This will be changed to a more accurate depiction of what is typically consumed, rather than the prior reference amount.

A recent study released by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that 6% of children with an allergy to cow's milk had a lower bone mineral density in their lumbar spine than those that consumed milk (1).  Milk allergies are the most common allergies among children, estimating 2.5% of youth.  Calcium intake was significantly lower in those with a milk allergy and few subjects supplemented their diet with calcium and vitamin D, two important nutrients for children obtained from milk (2). 

One of America’s most popular vegetables has an entire month dedicated to itself, the potato.  It is obvious why this tuber is so popular, it can be mashed and added with butter to create a creamy side dish, sliced and fried for a crisp, crunchy snack, or baked, boiled and stuffed with toppings for the main course. 

In a shallow wadi near Lake Chad, women in colorful clothes skim bowls across the surface of the water, collecting the green soup of algae which grows there. They pour the algae paste into depressions in the sand, where it dries quickly in the sun to produce a crumbly green cake called dihe. These cakes will be cut into pieces and sold at the market, then later added to traditional sauces and foods for nutrition and flavor.

Cold Brew coffee has officially gone mainstream when Dunkin' Donuts released this new menu item.  Priced at over $3.50 for a cup, cold brew has customers talking.  Here is how cold brew coffee differs from a traditional iced coffee.

2.6 million years ago humans survived by traditional methods of hunting and gathering.  The men would search for fresh meat to hunt, kill and bring back to their families while women stayed close by and collected berries to nourish each other.  Now, in the 21st century, humans are turning to these traditional methods of eating to give their genes a reset in hopes to combat the high prevalence of diseases that we have developed. 

Turmeric, scientifically known as Curcuma Longa, and commonly known as a staple spice in various curry dishes, has caught the attention of researchers.  Traditionally used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for it’s healing properties, western medicine has begun to conduct clinical trials to evaluate the efficiency of this herbaceous plant.  This plant native to Southern Asia may be good for more than it’s warm, bitter addition to Indian cuisine⁽¹⁾.

You are in the grocery store and pick up a packaged treat, check out the food label, and immediately place it back down due to the grams of sugar perceived to be higher than uual.  Would you be able to fit the product into your daily allowance if the quality of that sugar was higher?  Not all sugars are created equal.  Here is why many are perceiving coconut nectar to be an alternative sweetener that stands out from the others.

The new nutrition facts label changes have proposed alterations to increase the health of Americans in hopes of reducing nutrient inadequacies and providing more information to consumers. However, there is one beverage that is not represented under these changes, beer.  The Beer Institute has decided to take initiative, gathering 81% of beer brands consumed by Americans together to add nutrition facts labels to these alcoholic beverages.