The Goodnewspaper The 2025 Food Edition

I've always been something of a picky eater, consistently opting for the safety of some variation of cheese, bread, and sauce, even into my late 20s. I have chalked it up to a number of things: The sensory realities of being neurodivergent; simply existing on this planet as a stubborn Capricorn; or cherry-picking from childhood anecdotes, blaming my parents for not insisting I try [insert literally any vegetable here] sooner. But I have also grown over the years, expanding my horizons thanks to an academically trained culinary professional of a partner, and simply evolving to have a taste for well-seasoned greens or — gasp — a non-meat protein. What has transformed my perspective the most, however, is not some transcendent new taste bud, or the gentle insistence of living with…

The Good Life is an Oakland, California-based nonprofit that offers healthy aging activities for older adults, especially those in marginalized communities. However, it originated as a clinical research study on dementia and diabetes prevention by the UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. Recent studies at the center conclude that healthy lifestyle changes — like cooking and eating nutritious foods, or mitigating social isolation — could slow or stop the onset of both dementia and diabetes. Today, the organization gathers 40 to 55 cooks every week around a Zoom session in their respective kitchens. Several members of the class are Black women who live with diabetes. The class instructor and executive director of The Good Life, Shanette Merrick said she set out to transform the way Black elders perceive food. “They're…

Historically, agriculture harvests in Honduras have been unpredictable, impacting the economic stability of the country's women farmers and worsening food insecurity in countless communities. But poultry farming is changing things. There are a handful of programs — from iDE, the World Food Programme, and Heifer International — that provide “Hatching Hope” projects, giving area women the tools, training, and support they need for raising chickens. In Azacualpa, 23 women were put in charge of 120 laying hens and quickly became small business success stories. Harvesting about 690 eggs each week, the women then sell them in schools in their communities and neighboring towns. Prior to the expansion of these programs, the women's income had been completely dependent on corn and bean harvests, both of which vary based on unreliable rainfall.…

Facing burnout from his time as a fine dining chef, David Martin's parents suggested he pivot to working in the kitchen of a nursing home. To which he replied, “Why would I want to go to aged care? That's where people retire. My skills will go to waste,” per an interview with Business Insider. But now, as the executive chef manager at St. Vincent's Care, a nursing home facility in Melbourne, Australia, he is eating his words. Teaming up with another chef with a similar background, Harry Shen, the pair have a vision to elevate the standard of food in these facilities. “We want to break the stereotype that aged care food is just a lump of food on a plate,” Shen said. The chefs provide a continental breakfast, a…

GOOD Read “The First 1,000 Days: A Crucial Time for Mothers and Children — And The World” by Roger Thurow for a deeper look into the crises of hunger, poverty, and stunting — and how they can be overcome. BETTER Donate to the World Food Programme, a United Nations initiative that has fought on the frontlines of the world's worst hunger crises since 1962, providing life-saving meals to millions. wfpusa.org BEST Download the ShareTheMeal app from the World Food Programme, which prompts you to donate 80 cents — enough to feed one hungry child for a day — when you sit down to eat. wfpusa.org/sharethemeal WHAT'S THIS? THIS IS THE GOOD BAR. We believe in celebrating good and then joining in to make a difference. The Good Bar is full…

Cafeteria workers and school food professionals are often among a school's unsung heroes, putting in long hours to prepare nutritious lunches, and even working over the summer to make sure their students are well-fed. But one professional in Beaverton, Oregon went the extra mile to help 6-year-old Julian Worsham. Julian has achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. “I'm a little person,” Julian told WHAS11 News. “My bones grow slower.” Among Julian's accommodations in school was a lunch cart to help him navigate the lunch room. However, it had been quickly assembled with duct tape and milk crates. Endelia Mottram, who has served lunch in the Beaverton School District for 18 years, knew he deserved something better. So she talked to her husband, James, a custom metal builder. “I thought…