Here are some of the best food stories we came across this week:
- Why Men Avoid Vegetarian Food – A study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that consumers associate traditional masculinity with meat consumption, especially steak. The report found across 23 languages that meat was referred to with masculine pronouns, and that many American men are afraid of being perceived as weak or wimpy if they choose a vegetarian protein.
- Coffee Drinkers May Live Longer – In the largest study of the connection between coffee drinking and health, The New England Journal of Medicine found that frequent coffee drinkers, as compared to people who drink little or none of the dark brew, have lowered risks of dying of diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, infections and even injuries and accidents.
- California Homemade Food Act Clears First Committee – The Cottage Food Bill (as it’s more commonly known) just passed the California Assembly Committee on Health; this is the first step towards allowing small, local food producers to legally sell their small scale, regional products without having to rent cost-prohibitive commercial kitchen space.
- 96% of Chain Restaurant Entrees Exceed USDA Guidelines – The Rand Corp. reports that at chain restaurants an astonishing 96% of main courses contain more calories, fat, saturated fat and sodium than the recommended daily limit.
- Junk Food Actually Costs More than Healthy Foods – In a study published by the U.S. Agriculture Department, researchers found that vegetables and fruits cost less than fat, salt and sugar-laden foods. Traditionally research has focused on a price-per-calorie model; however, when compared by cost-per-ounce or portion size, healthful foods are less expensive.
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments below, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for links like these all week long.
Image of a vegetarian lunch courtesy of gamene.
