May 20, 2024

Sacred Cow: Making a Case for (Better) Meat 

We’re told that if we care about our health—or our planet—eliminating red meat from our diets is crucial. That beef is bad for us and cattle farming is horrible for the environment. But science says otherwise. Beef is framed as the most environmentally destructive and least healthy of meats. We’re often told that the only solution is to reduce or quit red meat entirely. But despite what anti-meat groups, vegan celebrities, and some health experts say, plant-based agriculture is far from a perfect solution. In Sacred Cow: The Case For (Better) Meat, registered dietitian Diana Rodgers and former research biochemist […]
January 30, 2023

Try Buffalo Sliders with Sweetened Cranberries

  I chose buffalo meat because it’s almost always raised on grass. Grass-fed meat (whether it’s buffalo, steer, or lamb) is higher in omega-3 fatty acids, lower in omega-6 fatty acids, and leaner overall. Dark red fruits like cranberries really complement red meat, so I decided to work them into the burger patties. Note:  If you can’t find bison meat, you can use any grass-fed meat or even ground turkey for this recipe. For an optional topping, you can make a goat-cheese spread to top the burgers by mixing 1/4 cup goat cheese with 1/2 tsp. of roasted garlic, 1/2 […]
March 6, 2022

The Lowdown on Plant-Based Meat Substitutes

One of the hottest topics to come out of the world of food and nutrition was the broad introduction of plant-based meats, specifically patties that mimic beef burgers. Two companies, Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, are at the forefront of providing meat substitutes that really taste like ground beef. The question from a FoodTrients standpoint is: are these products more healthful than beef patties? Do they have what it takes to benefit your well-being? Who’s the Target Audience? First thing to know about these plant-based meat substitutes is that veggie burgers have been around for decades. Remember Boca® Burger and […]
May 29, 2017

Are You Game to Try Exotic Meats?

Our Stone Age (Paleolithic) ancestors subsisted on whatever they could catch, gather, pluck or hunt. Animals that they caught for food were naturally grass fed, lean and high in omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins and cancer-fighting selenium, yet low in inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids. Much of today’s “factory farmed” animals for food are fed grain and pumped with antibiotics, steroids and growth hormones, all of which can be toxic in certain amounts. Eating wild game is a delicious experience. Meats like venison, elk, bison, wild boar, rabbit and ostrich are highly flavorful, lean and full of FoodTrients. Here are just […]
February 13, 2017

Some Condiments Can Make You Sick

High-protein foods like meat or seafood don’t contain much histamine when they are fresh, but the longer they are cured or stored, the more histamine they contain. When you think of histamine, you think of allergies and sneezing right? But histamine is actually a neurotransmitter and release is activated by any outside ‘invader’ such as pollen. We make histamine in our cells, then dump it out after exposure to a trigger. But we might also be eating histamine on a daily basis. By eating certain foods you unintentionally raise an ‘allergy’ chemical. Maybe you don’t mean to, but that’s what […]