"guardian" news and stories

Sarah mentioned that some studies show that British shoppers are clueless about seasonal produce. I think it's a fair bet that many people, in many countries are similarly unaware of the prime season for at least one fruit or vegetable.  Without getting into the various issues surrounding why it is or is not best to buy seasonal (local) produce, there are two ways to figure out what's in season quickly.

First, you can visit a local farmer's market. You'll be able to find fruits and veggies at the peak of their season without too much problem. Stock up on things that freeze well, like berries, so you don't have to worry about seasonality when you get a craving.

The second way is a little more fun.

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The Guardian recently featured several excerpts from Fast Food Nation author Eric Schlosser's new book Chew On This, a kid-oriented exploration of the fast food industry. Schlosser uses plain English and, of course, plenty of alarming statistics to show young readers the basics of fast food marketing and food processing. The Guardian samples focus on television marketing (American kids watch an average of 25 hours of TV each week, Schlosser says) and how McDonald's has changed the soft drink industry. According to Schlosser, 20 percent of one- and two-year-olds in America drink soft drinks daily and the average American adult drinks 500 cans of soda each year.

I have made strawberry milkshakes at home before. I like them thick, so I use strawberries and ice cream, sometimes thinning it with a touch of milk. Occasionally, I will add in some chocolate. Other people like to use yogurts or add sweeteners, like honey to their shakes. Chances are good that no one makes a McDonald's-style shake at home, though. Why? According to the Guardian, that shake has 59 ingredients, most of which are verging on unpronounceable and found in the "artificial strawberry flavoring."

That milkshake probably contains the following: "milkfat and nonfat milk, sugar, sweet whey, high-fructose corn syrup, guar gum, monoglycerides and diglycerides, cellulose gum, sodium phosphate, carrageenan, citric acid, E129 and artificial strawberry flavor."

That flavoring, on the other hand, has:

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Growing up, many children are told to clean their plates during meals. This is partially because parents want their children to finish their vegetables and mostly because no one wants to waste food. The most popular reason to clean your plate? "Because there are children starving in Africa." Whether this sort of statement has an effect on children is difficult to say, but it did have an effect on a restaurant in London.

The Obalende Suya Express, a West-African barbecue restaurant, is enforcing a £2.50 fine for patrons whose eyes are bigger than their stomachs and leave food on their plates. They host an large, popular buffet every Sunday night and the restaurant owners noticed that people were taking food just because it was available, even if they had no intention of eating it. The owners said that they felt guilty dumping out all the wasted food at the end of the night. Now, large red signs warn the customers about the fine. The money collected from the fines goes to Oxfam, a poverty-relief charity.

The only downside? When customers learn to take only what they are willing to eat, the charity won't be getting as many contributions - not from this restaurant anyway. Other restaurants, including chains like TGI Fridays, donate food and goods to charity already, but perhaps this will encourage more business to do so when they can.

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According to the Guardian's News Blog, next Saturday's edition of the paper will come with a DVD copy of Morgan Spurlock's fast-food-bashing documentary Super Size Me. The DVD giveaway was also mentioned in a recent Guardian article about Fast Food Nation author Eric Schlosser and the alleged "crisis management" responses from McDonald's concerning Schlosser's upcoming children's book Chew On This and a film adaptation of Fast Food Nation. The Guardian blog post asks readers to send in their recommendations healthy fast food options in Britain.