At least twice a month I get two bowls of a wonderful mix of fresh foods at a local establishment. My wife, dog, and I go out and picnic in a gazebo by the river. When ordering I start with a base of rice, quinoa, or riced cauliflower. Then I am asked for a choice of protein—cubed chicken or steak. A host of vegetable options … Continue reading Alternate proteins from plants

My father used to talk about things coming in two sizes—too big and too small. When it comes to protein much of the world’s population fits into two categories—too much or too little. The Western Diet emphasizes meat at the center of the plate. That concept leads to overconsumption of protein. As incomes around the world have increased, more people have gained access to meat. … Continue reading Growing insects for food. Another alternative protein?  

Fighting global climate change and ending world hunger are noble efforts. Let us not forget how important it is to have safe drinking water and enough vegetables to eat. This week I step back to take a look at water and veggies. Potable water. Imagine a world with no safe drinking water. In my 72 years of life, I have always had ready access to … Continue reading Safe water, organic vegetables, and better meat

Lake Mead and the Great Salt Lake are drying up. Yellowstone closed its gates due to flooding. Wildfires flare up out west. Caused by climate change? Made worse by climate change? Is global climate change the central issue of our time? Or is it overhyped? Is it an existential threat or a mirage? No one knows, but we all have our beliefs. If it is … Continue reading Global climate change—a personal journey  

World hunger is something we hear about. Remember the pictures of children on television suffering from marasmus or kwashiorkor? Now, not so much. Is it still a problem or have we solved it for the most part? Status of world health. The good news is that we are living longer. Much of that longer life traces to less hunger and related diseases around the globe. … Continue reading A fresh perspective on world hunger  

We face two major threats to world stability: world hunger and climate change. Taking on one of these issues as a cause is monumental. Who would choose both of them at the same time? Anthony Warner, for one. He describes his mission in Ending Hunger: The Quest to Feed the World Without Destroying It. If his name sounds familiar, Warner is also known as The … Continue reading Ending Hunger in the Age of Climate Change  

Avoid ultra-processed foods! They are worse than run-of-the mill processed products, we read. The food media embraced the concept that ultra-processed foods cause chronic disease. Many studies suggested this conclusion. Food journalists jumped on the bandwagon. Is this the magic bullet that will lead to a healthy, more fit America? Will it lead to a healthier, more fit world? It must be so. I read … Continue reading Ultra-processing strikes back

In 2019, an estimated 11% of Americans ate the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables each day. The numbers have not changed much over the last 25 years. Where have we failed? Telling people that they need to eat more fruits and vegetables does not seem to be working. Can we do better? I hope so. Let’s set a goal of 22% of Americans eating … Continue reading How can we get Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables?  

Fill in the blank: The ______ system is broken, and it needs to be fixed. I hear this mantra about something each week. As a society, the United States of America has so many broken systems it cannot function. Yet, somehow it does stumble along. One of the broken systems in the country is the food system. Only yesterday a conference in California concluded. Its focus was to … Continue reading Why I believe that food systems do not exist?  

Chain, chain, everywhere a chain Holdin’ up my goodies, drivin’ me insane Buy this, don’t buy that, can’t you break the chain? With apologies to the Five Man Electric Band Something goes wrong these days. Blame it on the supply chain! That delivery supposed to be arriving today is out of stock. Backlogged! Blame it on the supply chain! Empty spaces on the shelves of … Continue reading Designing Value Chains for fresh fruits and vegetables