Are Muffins Healthy?
Muffins and I go way back. When I was just a little kid my mom would take us shopping and for lunch at our local department store, Jordan Marsh. To be honest I don’t remember much more except for the amazing, Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins you could get with your meal. They were so good mom sometimes would buy […]
Healthy Brownies: Fact or Food Company Fiction?
Are brownies healthy? Processed food companies would love for you to think so, but you know better, right? Unfortunately there are plenty of people who are falling victim to Big Food’s “healthy dessert” scam. Let’s make sure you and your friends aren’t one of them. How Does the Healthy Brownies Scam Work? Brownies taste great, and we […]
Minions Marketing Madness
Who wins when movies partner with food companies to create marketing promotions? Not you! Case in point, Minions. Yes, you may adore these oddly-cute, yellow creatures and their movies. But you’ve probably seen Bob, Stuart, and Kevin (the lead Minion characters) in many places other than the movie. Yep, they’ve been plastered on all kinds of food products. And […]
Why I Quit Eating Processed Foods
It’s hard to believe, but about five years ago I officially “broke-up” with processed foods. Yes, I had left General Mills two years earlier, but I consider the break-up official when I purchased my first summer share at a local, organic farm in 2010. The break-up was a long time coming. After leading General Mills’ Honey […]
Your Salad Dressing Ingredients. Safe or Scary?
Oil and vinegar based salad dressings are some of the most common types of dressings. Simple and classic, this flavorful combination has been used since Ancient Greek and Roman times as a way to season and dress vegetables and greens. Despite their relative ease to make, bottled salad dressings have become increasingly popular since their introduction in the 1940s. But what salad […]
Nine Reasons Why the Imminent Demise of Big Food May Be Wishful Thinking
I’ve recently read several articles that suggest we’re witnessing the demise of Big Food. But is Big Food really on life support? Or have the reports of its death been overly optimistic? Don’t get me wrong—I’d love nothing more than to see the mass consumption of highly processed junk food come to an end! While […]
What’s In Your Biscuit?
It’s probably not that surprising that biscuits aren’t the healthiest food around. Even traditional, homemade recipes feature white flour and plenty of fat—sometimes even fake fats like shortening. But what happens when you mix Big Food and a big biscuit? Unfortunately it’s a real dietary disaster! And while food companies continue to try to market their biscuits as “fresh” or “homemade,” […]
Red Velvet: The Latest Fashion Trend in Food
I discovered red velvet cake many years ago when I lived in the South. As a displaced yankee living in North Carolina I looked on with horror when it was served and couldn’t help but ask, “what makes this cake so red?” … only to be further stunned by the nonchalant reply, “a bottle of red food coloring.” Even […]
Kick the Can … Swanson Vegetable Broth
So many delicious foods begin with a flavorful broth. But are all broths created equal? Not really, and this is especially true in the world of vegetable broths. Swanson, a brand owned by the Campbell Soup Company, is the market leader when in comes to all different kinds of soup broths including vegetable. But if you haven’t looked […]
The Evolution of Cheese: Real Progress or Profits At All Cost?
“What is cheese?” Seems like a pretty easy question, right? Unfortunately it may be much more difficult to answer than you might think since over the years a lot of changes have happened to what’s called cheese. Although the exact origins of cheese are unknown, the process is believed to date back more than 4,000 years ago. Like […]
Frozen Sauced Vegetables: Friend or Foe?
When I worked at General Mills I had the chance to do some channel marketing for the Green Giant brand. This involved coming up with retailer-specific plans for how to grow the brand at customers like Wal-Mart or Costco. What always amazed me, though, was how the ingredient label of even vegetables could be so complicated! Although […]
Eating Vegetables: The One Healthy Eating Habit Big Food Never Talks About And Why
What’s the one healthy habit you never hear food companies talk about? It’s the power of vegetables and other plants in our diets. Don’t believe me? To help illustrate this point I took a quick look at advertising spending for the past several years, and do you want to guess what percent of spending supported healthy, […]