food

Health & Safety

Why Processed Food Is Cheaper Than Healthier Options

6:32am March 01, 2013

Earlier in the week in our "On the Run" series, we heard a mom explain how mac and cheese was more affordable than fresh fruit. Morning Edition reached out to Barry Popkin of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, a nutritionist and economist, to explain why that would be true.

Queue Listen Now

Plaintiffs accuse Anheuser-Busch of misleading consumers about the alcohol content in Bud Light, Budweiser and other products. The brewer denies the claims.

National

Budweiser May Seem Watery, But It Tests At Full Strength, Lab Says

3:14pm February 28, 2013

Class-action lawsuits accuse Anheuser-Busch of watering down Budweiser and other beers and then misleading consumers about their alcohol content. The company denies the claims; in tests commissioned by NPR, samples of Budweiser were found to be in line with their advertised alcohol content.

Queue Listen Now

The Brown-Spencer family gathers for dinner at their home in Mechanicsville, Va. This family of eight manages to eat together nearly every weeknight, but they've had to cut back on many after-school activities to make it work. From left: Doug Brown, Laura

Health & Safety

Family Dinner: Treasured Tradition Or Bygone Ideal?

3:06pm February 28, 2013

by Allison Aubrey

We'd all like to live the Norman Rockwell scenario, but for some families, the hectic pace of modern life means dinners are often more likely to channel The Simpsons. Studies suggest that regular family meals contribute to healthy eating habits. So what to make of this tradition in transition?

Queue Listen Now

A waiter carries beer mugs during the 2012 Oktoberfest in Munich.

Germans Are Drinking Less Beer These Days, But Why?

5:57pm February 27, 2013

by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

Despite Germany's long association with beer, it looks like its citizens are imbibing less of their celebrated beverage now than they did a generation ago. Some cite the economy as a factor; others, the rise of health consciousness.

Queue Listen Now

How The Food Industry Manipulates Taste Buds With 'Salt Sugar Fat'

12:46pm February 27, 2013

by Nell Boeschenstein

From food scientists who study the human palate to maximize consumer bliss, to marketing campaigns that target teens to hook them for life on a brand, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael Moss' new book goes inside the world of processed, packaged goods.

Queue Listen Now

Dennis Roseman (left) and Jamie Manganello pull in a swordfish off the coast of Florida. The Day Boat Seafood company went through a complicated process to become certified as a sustainable fishery by the Marine Stewardship Council.

For A Florida Fishery, 'Sustainable' Success After Complex Process

1:19pm February 25, 2013

Environmentalists, together with the Marine Stewardship Council, say that Day Boat's story reflects the good that the MSC system can do. But critics say the vigorous certification process is inconsistent.

Queue Listen Now

Brice from the Bubble Lounge in New York City demonstrates how to saber a bottle of champagne.

A Dramatic Way To Uncork The Bubbly: Use A Sword

9:07pm February 23, 2013

by Katherine Perry

The art of sabrage, or knocking open a bottle of Champagne with a sword, probably started during the time of Napoleon. A sword is handy but not necessary; a kitchen knife can also work, according to a Champagne expert.

Queue Listen Now

National

Secret Menus Give Restaurants A Not-So-Secret Boost

8:06am February 21, 2013

by Gigi Douban

Secret menus aren't new, but more restaurants are trying them out in order to set themselves apart and increase sales. Panera Bread, for instance, has rolled out a new secret menu with low-carb, health-conscious options to appeal to a new group of customers.

Queue Listen Now

Vernon Hugh Bowman lives outside the small town of Sandborn, Ind.

National

Farmer's Fight With Monsanto Reaches The Supreme Court

8:35pm February 18, 2013

by Dan Charles

On its surface, the case is about whether farmers can use seeds derived from patented crops. But the bigger question is, how much control does a company have over its patented products once they're in the hands of consumers?

Queue Listen Now

Arts

Sometimes, Food Additives Are Pretty Innocuous

1:03pm February 18, 2013

The uproar over what critics call "pink slime" in some ground beef refocused attention on what's in the food we eat. Most packaged foods contain at least one item you wouldn't recognize. But many food experts caution that just because you don't know an ingredient doesn't mean you shouldn't eat it. This segment was originally broadcast on April 11, 2012.

Queue Listen Now