
What we eat matters, and having just the right amount of essential nutrients is key to our overall health.
Niusha Shodja and Saina Heshmati, Storylab
Diets high in fat, sugar and processed foods are associated with higher calorie intake, poorer memory and lower cognitive function.

When schools make free meals more accessible, families can save money on groceries.
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Experts say making meals available to all students reduces the stigma associated with a free lunch.

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We developed a healthy lunchbox program. Here, we provide parents with ideas for swapping unhealthy foods kids might like to healthier ones comparable in cost, taste, texture and preparation time.

Ultra-processed foods and sugary drinks contribute to rising rates of obesity.
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A disruption of societal norms created by industrial interference is an urgent need to create a shift in the food system.

Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama in a canteen in Hanoi, Vietnam (May 23, 2016).
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Conflicting injunctions, shaped locally, constantly reinvented: food in the cities of the global south escapes the narrative of Western standardization.

Food is fuel for the human body.
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The constraints of COVID-19 can act as a catalyst to eat more thoughtfully and, perhaps, eat better.

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A spike in flour sales and an increase in home cooked meals could signal the start of a new healthier relationship with food.

Do we really need that post-workout shake?
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One hypothesis suggests that there’s a finite amount of protein that the body can actually use.

The Democratic candidates discussed a lot of health care – but not healthy food.
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The Democratic candidates hoping to replace Trump in 2020 debated a host of critical issues but never brought up the equally important challenge of Americans’ food security.

It’s not that people in poorer countries want to eat unhealthily – but the cost is a huge factor.
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The fact that relative food prices differ so markedly and so systematically provides a very strong rationale for nutrition-focused food policies.

You’re not imagining it. Our bodies really do crave macaroni cheese and other comfort foods as the temperature drops. Here’s why.
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Research into our brain, gut and childhood memories tells us why we reach for macaroni cheese rather than salad in winter.

Women in Soweto said going out in exercise clothes made them vulnerable to harassment and assault.
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It’s not enough to simply promote healthy eating and exercise without considering the very real environmental and structural constraints present in South Africa.

Poorer South Africans are bombarded with fast food.
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Fast-food outlets outnumber healthy food stores in South Africa’s Gauteng province.

Bringing your lunch and snacks to work could save you $600 to $1,800 a year.
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Are you a meticulous lunch planner, or do you decide what’s for lunch after those first pangs of hunger strike after midday? If you’re in the second camp, it might be time to change.

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It’s not just a storm in a fruit cup – branding fuels our appetite for unhealthy foods.

Obesity is rising and so are the costs.
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Obesity is not a rational choice. But there is scope for governments to get involved and improve our options.

Over 90 per cent of food and beverage product ads viewed by children and youth online are for unhealthy food products.
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New data on soaring child obesity should not come as a surprise. The food industry spends billions marketing unhealthy foods in a global society where over-eating is seen as a character flaw.

We can encourage people to make healthy adjustments to their diets with simple behavior techniques.
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A lot of money is spent by food producers and retailers to try and influence the type of food we buy and eat. But what can be done to encourage healthier choices?

Eating healthfully adds up quickly.
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Consumers tend to think that healthy foods have to cost more than their less nutritional counterparts. New psychological research looks at how pervasive this is.

Fruits and vegetables can fight free radicals. Via Shutterstock.
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We hear about the benefits of antioxidants, but who knows what they really do? Actually, quite a lot. They repair cellular damage caused by trouble-making free radicals.