Inadequate Public Funding and the Sale of Competitive Foods as a Revenue Source This is a guest blog-post by Professor Timothy D. Lytton First Lady Michelle Obama’s recently launched Let’s Move campaign to reduce childhood obesity has put a spotlight on reforming school food. The primary reason for the abundance of unhealthy foods in schools is inadequate public funding of school meals and schools in general. Unfortunately, the sale of unhealthy foods, popular among students, is an essential source of revenue for many schools. Today, most schools are dominated by foods that are high in sugar, fat, and salt. These items—pizza, burgers, French fries, cakes, snack foods, soda, and candy—are sold in cafeterias, vending machines, and school stores. In addition, students…

Ever had the feeling that there just aren’t enough hours in the day? We’ve all been there. Caught at work. Horrific traffic. Home late. Tired. Hungry. Here are a few tricks that I’ve developed over the years to get food on the table as fast as possible. 1. plan ahead I know it

Over on HuffPo , there’s a piece up about the Red Bicyclette/faux pinot saga . Jacqueline Friedrich , author of the guide The Wines of France , posted this comment as a reply. As it touches on some issues that astute readers will remember from Wine Politics , I reproduce her comment here with permission: 1) As a previous post-er said, rightly, Pinot Noir is a grape. It is not an appellation. Plant Pinot …

The funniest thing I’ve seen so far this week: Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, telling the Wall Street Journal the other day that the mini-trend of food companies switching from high-fructose corn syrup to sugar is “nothing more than a marketing gimmick.” The Corn Refiners Association is little more than one giant marketing gimmick. This is the outfit that put together the ” Sweet Surprise ” campaign to counter the growing backlash against HFCS. It has done so by answering misinformation (HFCS is poison) with disinformation (HFCS is fine “in moderation”). The …

SPIT: good times Hard to tell which phrase would strike more fear in the heart of Napa: finances that are “very weak” or “on life support.” Even foreclosure has been the fate of 10 vineyards in the valley that once was called “Eden.” But probably the scariest phrase is this: “High-rollers are discovering that there are lots of drinkable $20 to $40 bottles of wine.” ["Vineyard Defaults Surge as Bargain Wines Hurt Napa" Bloomberg ] SIPPED: gilding the lily Ah, spring is in the air. And with it come California winery newsletters offering their wines for $74 a case–just the shipping, that is. SPIT: California values The Bay Area NYT is the latest to ponder the question of why are there so few tasty value wines from California . SIPPED: Buffett’…

The Center for Science in the Public Interest has issued a “report card ” for food and entertainment companies on their policies for marketing food to kids. Not surprisingly, CSPI graded on a curve. “Most food and entertainment companies have received Fs,” the group said. One should not expect objective assessments from CSPI, which exists to tweak big businesses—especially Big Food—on health matters and other issues. Still, a few companies did rather well…

A recent survey by Foodminds , a PR firm working with food companies, provides some interesting  stats on the triangular relationship consumer-brand-regulator. Americans clearly welcome increased government involvement in food and nutrition issues, particularly when it comes to labeling. Among the interesting findings: 93% of shoppers ranked the Nutrition Facts panel as a very or somewhat useful tool, followed by front-of-pack information (low fat, high in fiber, etc.) at 88% . 86% of consumers are interested in the government implementing objective  front-of-pack labeling. This includes information about calories and beneficial nutrients. 58% support  government bans of junk food advertising to kids.65% of shoppers reject proposed taxes on junk food…

Just looking at this picture, I’d say it looked I just took a trip to my beloved Provence. But I did not. This was taken at the Getty Villa in California last week, in between two workshops. If I did not know any better I’d think these were shot right outside the window of the house where I grew up. Cherry blossoms. Figs just starting to budd. Olive …

Sautéed with prosciutto, garlic and crushed red pepper, broccoli rabe combines with Cannellini beans and small pasta to become a standout side or a satisfying meal in its own right. Recipe below,… [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Yet another wave of food recalls has food safety, food additives and FDA’s changing role in food enforcement in the news. The argument for real food just keeps getting stronger. On March 4,… [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]