October 4th, 2007 by ThunderDragon
Leapfrogging mayor bruises tomato
With a title like that, who can resist clicking on it? I know I couldn’t.
It’s all fun and games until someone bruises a tomato…
Archive for the 'Food' Category
September 9th, 2007 by ThunderDragon
Veg Aid…
The government is planning to give all pregnant women a £120 payment in the hope they spend it on fruit and vegetables as a means of protecting their infants from childhood diseases.
Alan Johnson, the health secretary, will announce the hand-out in a speech this week…-
However… there is nothing to prevent pregnant women spending it on drink, cigarettes, chocolate or even clothes.
The “health in pregnancy” benefit will be made as a one-off payment when a woman is seven months pregnant, just two months before the birth. They will be expected to take expert professional advice on the advantages of having a proper balanced diet and also giving up drinking and smoking. (The Times)
Alan Johnson, the health secretary, will announce the hand-out in a speech this week…-
However… there is nothing to prevent pregnant women spending it on drink, cigarettes, chocolate or even clothes.
The “health in pregnancy” benefit will be made as a one-off payment when a woman is seven months pregnant, just two months before the birth. They will be expected to take expert professional advice on the advantages of having a proper balanced diet and also giving up drinking and smoking. (The Times)
Since there will be nothing to stop the money be used for other things and there is “little authoritative research which proves that financial incentives, even if combined with nutritional advice” lead to better nutrition, the government is basically throwing away £120 on every pregnant woman. What is the point of Veg Aid if there is nothing to ensure that the money is spent on fruit and veg and no evidence that it leads to a beneficial change in behaviour? It’s just a gimmick.
September 7th, 2007 by ThunderDragon
Let’s all have a barbecue!
Archbishop Desmond Tutu has become the patron of South Africa’s Barbecue (Braai) Day, saying the pastime is a unifying force in a divided country.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate celebrated his appointment by donning an apron and tucking into a sausage outside his office. (BBC)
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate celebrated his appointment by donning an apron and tucking into a sausage outside his office. (BBC)
Well, why not? Barbecues are great social occasions!
August 29th, 2007 by ThunderDragon
Britain’s favourite biscuit:
The humble custard cream has topped a poll to discover the nation’s favourite biscuit.
Sweet-toothed Britons placed it above the bourbon and shortbread when asked to name their tea-time treat of choice.
More than nine out of 10 people plumped for the elaborately designed, sandwich style snack - taking 93 per cent of the overall vote. (The Telegraph)
Sweet-toothed Britons placed it above the bourbon and shortbread when asked to name their tea-time treat of choice.
More than nine out of 10 people plumped for the elaborately designed, sandwich style snack - taking 93 per cent of the overall vote. (The Telegraph)
I prefer bourbons myself. Or digestives for dunking.
August 18th, 2007 by ThunderDragon
The new power of the internet:
Cadbury is to bring back the Wispa chocolate bar after a campaign on websites like Facebook and MySpace to demand its return.
The chocolate company says that it is frequently contacted by consumers asking for old favourites to be reintroduced, but said the numbers that had joined the internet campaign to re-launch Wispa were unprecedented…
Cadbury will make an initial run of 23 million of the bars from October 7 and gauge interest from there. The new bar will cost 42 pence - the original cost 16 pence. (The Telegraph)
The chocolate company says that it is frequently contacted by consumers asking for old favourites to be reintroduced, but said the numbers that had joined the internet campaign to re-launch Wispa were unprecedented…
Cadbury will make an initial run of 23 million of the bars from October 7 and gauge interest from there. The new bar will cost 42 pence - the original cost 16 pence. (The Telegraph)
A major company persuaded to change it’s policy by people on the internet. This has to be seen as a big step, and as showing the power that the internet does now have. Maybe political parties will soon start to take blogs seriously enough to change policies too! Well, stranger things have happened…
"Diet" Food Could Make Kids Fat
August 8th, 2007 by ThunderDragon
I have never subscribed to the idea of eating “diet” varieties of food. I have never seen the point. Just either eat less or exercise more. There is now evidence that for children, “diet” foods could cause them to become obese:
“Diet foods for children may inadvertently lead to overeating and obesity, say researchers.
In tests on young rats, animals given low-calorie versions of foods were induced to overeat, whether they were lean or obese.
The researchers believe low-calorie versions of usually high-calorie foods disrupt the body’s ability to use taste to regulate calorific intake…
Lead researcher Professor David Pierce said: “Based on what we’ve learned, it is better for children to eat healthy, well-balanced diets with sufficient calories for their daily activities rather than low-calorie snacks or meals.”" (BBC)
It is pretty obvious in many ways that eating healthy balanced meals and exercising is better for children - and for adults. Whilst so-called “diet” alternatives have less calories than the standard foods, they often appear to have higher levels of salt or sugar instead - just as bad for you. It really is obvious that just replacing what you already eat with the “diet” variety is not going to help all that much. It is your lifestyle that needs to change more than anything else.
Children anyway shouldn’t have any need to be fed “diet” foods. They should be actively playing enough to work off at least most of any surplus calories they ingest anyway. They shouldn’t need to be fed “low calorie” snacks, and those that do need to should get up from in front of the TV and go out and run around outside.
Source: BBC
July 31st, 2007 by ThunderDragon
Potential ice cream shortage this summer!“Just as summer has finally returned, Britain is facing the prospect of a severe ice cream shortage after the country’s biggest ice cream factory was forced to close because of the devastating floods in Gloucestershire.
Unilever, the food giant that owns Wall’s, has been forced to close its Barnwood facility in Gloucester, which makes a staggering three million ice lollies, cones and ice cream tubs every day…
The factory was not flooded itself, but its water supply was cut off last week and it is still not receiving water after a technical failure at a water plant which supplies it.” (The Telegraph)
At the moment, the weather isn’t really warm enough for a huge amount of ice cream to be wanted, since we had our summer in April and early May, it seems! Unless the hot weather comes fast and furious, we should be ok, as they are importing extra ice creams from Europe to replace it.
Gordo can has cheezburger?
July 30th, 2007 by ThunderDragon
The White House has revealed what George W Bush and Gordon Brown have been eating during the latter’s visit to Camp David:
“Gordon Brown has been given his “pudding” moment with the president…
After a main course of roast tenderloin of beef, mashed potatoes, sautéed green beans and peas with smoked bacon and mint, they enjoyed a dessert of, you guessed it, brownies with caramel and vanilla sauce…
The White House also revealed that today’s lunch will be classic American fare - cheeseburgers, French fries and onion rings, followed by banana pudding.” (BBC)
If you don’t get the cheezburger joke, go here.
Beef Is Murder - For The Planet
July 19th, 2007 by ThunderDragon
Eating beef [and presumably drinking milk] is killing the planet by causing global warming:
“Producing 2.2lb of beef generates as much greenhouse gas as driving a car non-stop for three hours, it was claimed yesterday…
Taking into account all the processes involved… four average sized steaks generated greenhouse gases with a warming potential equivalent to 80.25lb of carbon dioxide.
This also consumed 169 megajoules of energy…
The amount of energy consumed would light a 100-watt bulb for 20 days.
Most of the greenhouse gas emissions are in the form of methane released from the animals’ digestive systems…
But more than two thirds of the energy used goes towards producing and transporting cattle feed” (The Telegraph)
So it is eating meat and drinking milk which is killing the planet, not driving cars and running electrical appliances. But these are pretty much fixable problems. The methane that cows produce can be “halved” through feeding them garlic. And much of the other energy outputs could be cut by cattle feed being made close to the cows, and by buying local. The Vegetarian Society are of course jumping on this, saying:
“Everybody is trying to come up with different ways to reduce carbon footprints, but one of the easiest things you can do is to stop eating meat.”
But I really don’t think I’ll be doing that. I like meat, and I will continue to eat meat - especially steak. Cooked medium-rare, it is absolutely gorgeous! Even if it is ‘killing the planet’.
Source: The Telegraph
June 3rd, 2007 by ThunderDragon
Want an aphrodesiac, but are fresh out of oysters? Follow the Italian example, then, and try salami and smelly cheese. Yes, salami and smelly cheese:“Spicy sausages and smelly cheese hold the secrets to good sex, not oysters or champagne, an Italian poll has revealed.
A quarter of Italian women said salami was their favourite aphrodisiac, while 21 per cent chose cheese…
Oysters, which are traditionally considered to be aphrodisiacs but are relatively rare in Italy, did not feature at all in the survey.” (The Telegraph)
Maybe the ‘Italian Stallions’ are in fact just cheap-skates? Either that or the Italians have uncovered a secret as yet undiscovered by the rest of humanity. Whichever it is, then it is, well, different and unique. Just imagine serving a candleilight dinner of salami and smelly cheese! I’m not sure if it would make quite the right impression…
