The New York Times Magazine focused on all things food this past Sunday.  One article discusses what the ideal food label would look like?  Writer Mark Bittman suggests labeling foods using traffic light signals to indicate the ideal level of health.   By “ideal,” he means from the perspective of   consumers, [...]

Veggies are getting a starring role at the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics annual conference, The Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo.  Barbara Rolls of the nutrition department at Pennsylvania State University and RD Ellie Krieger, a host on The Food Network are recommending a fuller plate as a better for you means of nutrition.  [...]

Should better4you brands promote organic foods in light of a new study from Stanford University and the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care?  The study finds that organic produce and meat typically isn’t any better for you than conventional food when it comes to vitamin and nutrient content.  It does, however, reduce exposure [...]

Better for you brand managers:   Who does a better job than the coffee manufacturers of touting health benefits?   A new meta-analysis of five previously completed prospective studies finds that drinking two 8-ounce cups of coffee a day gives people an 11% lower risk of developing heart failure, compared to people who don’t [...]

More and more eating establishments are catering to diners who have  a food allergy.  The Food Allergy Initiative estimates that 15 million Americans have at least one food allergy. Another three million have celiac disease, an autoimmune reaction to gluten, and millions more avoid gluten for other health reasons. Both food allergies and gluten issues [...]

Sales of artificial sweeteners continue to rise and are now an estimated $1.5-billion-a-year market.  A New York Times article by Kenneth Chang talks about whether they are safe or not.   “Based on conventional food safety considerations, the scientific community feels that these have been very adequately tested for any potential toxicities,” said Dr. [...]

Music makes the heart grow fonder and also helps the body get firmer, experts are saying.  Exercising to the proper music can boost your mood, kick your workout up a notch and channel the energy of a younger you, according to Shirley Archer, author and spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise.   [...]

Positioning a food as a better4you snack is something brand marketers should consider as data shows that between 1977 and 2006, snacking in the American diet has evolved into a fourth meal, averaging about 580 each day.  Americans like to snack and data suggests workers are heading to vending machines more [...]

New York Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed ban on soda 16 oz. or more has lots of folks talking. Rather than banning large drinks, some have used taxation as a way to limit consumption.  “A per-ounce tax on sweetened beverages would equally deter all different means of consumption,” writes Slate’s Matt Yglesias, adding that it would have [...]

Technology can play a big role in staying in shape.  Shelly Greenberg of the Rochester, Minn. Post-Bulletin recommends the Bodybugg used on The Biggest Loser.  It measures steps, calories burned, workout intensity, sleep quality and duration, and measurements of activity.  A step up from a regular pedometer is the FitBit Ultra (approximately $100). [...]