Another Quick Marketing Quiz: Guess the Message
This mac ‘n cheese ad looks like a perfectly normal ad, right? Lusciously tempting food pic + catchy tagline. You see it, it registers, but likely as not it “goes in one ear (or eye) and out the other.” At least that’s what we think happens. The creators of these ads are not stupid. There … Read more
Recipe: Tricolor Vegetable Saute
Serving vegetables in colorful combinations is a good way to get a beautiful and appealing dish. You’ll also get more interesting flavor along with more nutrition by combining the nutrients of several different vegetables. Step 1: Saute Onion 1 cup onion diced to 1/2” (from about 1 sm. onion) 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. olive … Read more
Want to Save Money?
With grocery prices front and center in the news, who doesn’t want to save a few dollars? Here’s a simple way to save both dollars and your health: Steer clear of the snack aisles. In almost all cases, snack foods are highly processed (i.e., ultra-processed) and provide little in the way of nutrition or, more … Read more
Recipe: Super Simple Italian Salmon
Much as I try, I still seem to overcook salmon when I pan fry it. That’s why I love cooking it “en papillote,” or “in paper” as in this recipe for Curried Salmon “en Collard-Leaf Papillote.” But now I’ve found another practically foolproof way to cook salmon so it stays moist and tender instead of … Read more
Sunscreen for Dessert? for Dinner? in Your Coffee?
You might remember this post: “Do You Put Antifreeze on Your Skin? In Your Mouth?” That article explained how propylene glycol, an ingredient in anti-freeze, is also used in both cosmetics and food. Since posting that article, I’ve run into a couple readers who mentioned that they were now taking a closer look at ingredient … Read more
It Ain’t Easy! Learnings from a Garlic Party
How Does This Happen to Smart People? (Part 3: Learnings from a Garlic Party) This is part of a continuing series on Food Marketing that explores why we need a different kind of smarts to stay healthy in an unhealthy food environment, i.e., “marketing-smarts.” (Find Part 2 in the series here) A few days ago … Read more
What Is an Ingredient Listing? How Do You Read One?
This is part of a continuing series on Food Marketing Shenanigans that explores: How does it happen that when it comes to food, smart people are often not so very smart? It’s because we need a different kind of smarts to stay healthy in an unhealthy food environment, i.e., “marketing-smarts.” Ingredient Listings: The best defense … Read more
How Does This Happen to Smart People? (Part 2: Test Your Marketing Smarts)
This post is part of a continuing series on Food Marketing Shenanigans that explores: How does it happen that when it comes to food, smart people are often not so very smart? It’s because we need a different kind of smarts to stay healthy in an unhealthy food environment, i.e., “marketing-smarts.” (Find Part 1 in … Read more
How Does This Happen to Smart People? (Part 1)
Are you a smart person? What kind of question is that?!! Of course we’re all smart people. So how is it that when it comes to food, we’re often not so very smart: Uncritically trusting what food companies tell us about their products. Trusting that if something is on the grocery store shelf, it must … Read more