Tabla de contenidos para The 2025 Food Edition en The Goodnewspaper

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…

According to the USDA, between 2020 and 2022, approximately 68% of American farm workers were immigrants (7% had obtained U.S. citizenship, 19% were other authorized immigrants like green card holders, and 42% held no work authorization). That huge majority of the agricultural workforce faces a number of challenges when it comes to their health, safety, and human rights. Fortunately, organizations like the Migrant Clinicians Network help folks navigate those challenges with creativity and compassion. MCN has been in operation for 40 years, offering case management to migrant farm workers, training healthcare workers to support this community, and improving worker health outcomes through education and outreach. One initiative includes creating educational materials that help workers know about occupational, climate, and health hazards, like heat, pesticides, wildfires, and infectious diseases like avian…

Animal-based food systems come with a huge carbon footprint. And we can't just blame it on cow farts and sheep burps. Livestock production expends heaps of energy at every level: crops are grown and converted into feed for animals, which are then consumed themselves — instead of feeding consumers the plant-based food directly. And a new study adds credence to the environmental benefits of going vegan. The study, published in Nature Food, reveals that vegan diets use 54% less water and contribute to 66% less biodiversity loss. “It's an important piece of work,” Diego Rose, a nutrition researcher at Tulane University, told WPLN News. Rose published a study with similar findings in April 2023, after analyzing the carbon footprints of six types of diets: omnivore, vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan, keto-style, and…

Unless you have a passion for cooking or an unlimited budget for dining out, putting food in your body can feel like a Herculean task. With busy schedules, dietary restrictions, burnout, cost barriers, food insecurity, and all the varied, messy, personal relationships we each have with food, meal planning and prepping often takes a backseat. But our bodies need fuel! And food is too good to miss out on. To make it a bit easier, we've compiled some of our favorite resources dedicated to removing some of the big hurdles surrounding mealtime.…

The Food Is Good (or FIG) app was created by people who have food intolerances and allergies and wanted to make finding safe foods easier. Whether you're gluten-free, have food intolerances, or simply want to cut out certain ingredients, the app allows you to scan any grocery product and compare it to your profile to ensure you're good to go. foodisgood.com While Cozi is a complete life organization app, its recipe box feature is essential for meal planning. In the app, you can save recipes you and your family like, and ingredients are automatically added to your grocery list. From there, you can schedule the meal in your shared calendar. Essentially, the only thing it won't do is cook your dinner for you! cozi.com Want to get more bang for…

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…

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…

GOOD Read “Transforming School Food Politics Around the World” by Jennifer E. Gaddis and Sarah A. Robert to learn more about how school meals vary from country to country and student to student. BETTER Donate to All For Lunch, a nonprofit that works with schools to pay off school lunch debt so kids can have access to school lunch regardless of their financial situation at home. allforlunch.org BEST Advocate for free and healthy school lunches for all. Visit frac.org/healthy-school-meals-for-all to see a map of states where these policies have passed — and email your representatives with just a few clicks.…

Massachusetts is home to 13,000 acres of cranberry bogs, making it the second-largest cranberry-producing region in the U.S. and the third-largest in the world. The bright, red berries are the state's moneymaker, contributing over $1.7 billion to the state's economy annually. But a good chunk of that acreage is taken up by defunct cranberry bogs that have been rotated out of cultivation. Fortunately, a new program by the state's Division of Ecological Restoration is on a mission to convert them back into natural wetlands. In November 2024, the DER funneled $6 million in grants to the restoration plan. According to The Washington Post, more than 400 acres of retired cranberry bogs have already been converted into wetlands — with hopes of restoring 1,000 acres in the next decade. “These projects…

East of Amsterdam in the city of Almere, a living experiment is taking place in the Dutch suburb of Oosterwold. The hidden gem is the Netherlands' newest city, and its 5,000 inhabitants enjoy the fruits of living in a green, self-sufficient community. They can build their homes however they like, with one stipulation: half of their land must be devoted to growing food. “This rule … is very unique thinking in the world, and makes it also an outstanding area in many ways,” Jan Eelco Jansma, a Dutch researcher who campaigned for urban agriculture in Oosterwold's design, told The Guardian. Oosterwold resident Marco de Kat has an 800 square meter plot teeming with apples, pears, peppers, basil, beets, and cauliflower, but he says no two houses in the community are…

@epicuriousexpeditions is an Instagram and YouTube account dedicated to celebrating food and culture, but one special offering by creator Carolyn is her disability-friendly meal tutorials. These videos feature simplified prep steps and consider people who need to cook from a seated position, folks with limited time and energy, and a myriad of other accessibility solutions. @dollartreedinners (on TikTok and YouTube, @dtdinners on Instagram) by Rebecca Chobat is a platform that provides mouthwatering inspiration, tutorials, and shopping guidance for extremely affordable meals. She gets a majority of her ingredients from Dollar Tree and even challenges herself to stretch a $100 budget across 20 days, showing millions of followers how to dine right without breaking the bank. Amy Palanjian, the brain behind @yummytoddlerfood, offers over 1 million followers tips, tricks, recipes, and…

From deforestation in the name of agriculture, to water pollution caused by pesticides and waste, food systems have a direct impact on our environment — and worsening climate conditions in turn lead to mass crop death and drought, decimating those very food systems we depend on. Fortunately, regenerative agriculture, sustainable farming practices, and eco-friendly approaches are changing the way we farm, fish, and feast. From grain that's been cultivated since 5000 B.C. to newly engineered “climate blend” bread, these five foods may have different histories, but they all have a part to play in future food menus. Pawpaw America's largest native fruit is the pawpaw: a sweet, tangy treat with creamy, yellowish-green “meat” that can be scooped out with a spoon. In addition to being a low-impact crop that requires…

Meat and dairy farming accounts for around 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the U.N.'s Food and Agricultural Organization. But when U.S. farmers have been operating these businesses for generations, or make all of their income through animal agriculture, it can be intimidating to even consider the time, money, and energy it could take to transition to crop farming. So, The Transfarmation Project is there to help. The organization helps farmers transition from industrial animal agriculture operations to raising crops through robust conversion plans and crop guides, connections to business owners looking to buy products from “transfarmed” farms, as well as grants and cohorts to help ease the financial burden of transitioning. “By creating models of alternative economic opportunities, building solidarity with other movements, and shifting societal narratives…

In 2025, 58% of Americans plan to drink a non-alcoholic drink, and 22% plan to go to a sober bar, according to NCS Solutions. As people look to drink less alcohol or cut it out of their routine completely, interest in non-alcoholic drinks and specifically, beers — has grown significantly over the last decade. In fact, a new survey from the British Beer and Pub Association shows that 86% of pubs across England now serve no- and low-alcohol beer. “Whether someone is choosing moderation… or just doesn't drink alcohol, these sales show brewers and pubs are catering to all,” British Beer and Pub Association chief executive Emma McClarkin said in a statement. And as the demand grows, so does the market. Mainstream companies like Heineken and Guinness have offered up…

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.…

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…

The Global Foodbanking Network is a nonprofit that supports food banks in more than 50 countries through food recovery and redistribution. In the fall of 2024, they released an annual impact report that broke down the year's successes. Their metrics showed that — in addition to providing over 1.7 billion meals to 40 million people in need globally — food banks also diverted an estimated 1.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. By intercepting unspoiled food destined for the landfill and redistributing food from local farms and wholesale produce markets, the 2023 report offered evidence that community-led solutions to addressing global hunger can also help protect the globe itself. “Nearly a third of the world's food is lost or wasted at the post-harvest, retail, and consumer levels, never reaching the…

GOOD Follow vegan chefs on YouTube and let their tasty recipes inspire you. We recommend “Hot For Food” chef Lauren Toyota, “Edgy Veg ” cook Candice Hutchings, and “Rainbow Plant Life” founder Nisha Vora. BETTER Opt for a vegan or plant-based diet one day a week. Going meatless just once weekly can increase your vegetable intake and reduce your environmental impact all while gradually adopting a new routine. BEST Download WhatsVegan to make your grocery trips easier. With the click of a button, this app analyzes a product's ingredients and identifies if it's vegan-friendly. Visit whatsvegan.app to try it out.…

01 Umma: A Korean Mom's Kitchen Wisdom Sarah Ahn shares over 100 family recipes with her mother Nam Soon Ahn at her side as they invite readers to cook traditional and contemporary Korean meals. 02 Our South: Black Food Through My Lens “Top Chef ” contestant Ashleigh Shanti pens a memoir-slash-cookbook as she celebrates the culinary customs of five micro-regions in the South. 03 Latinísimo Latina food historian Sandra A. Guitierrez covers over 300 dishes that explore the day-to-day cooking in the 21 countries of Latin America — from arroz con pollo to tostones.…

“Plant Based on a Budget” by Toni Okamoto offers delicious vegan recipes you can make for under $30 — and in under 30 minutes. For anyone exploring a plant-based diet, or, frankly, anyone trying to lower their grocery bills, this cookbook offers sound, snackable wisdom. “Crip Up the Kitchen: Tools, Tips, and Recipes for the Disabled Cook” by Jules Sherred reclaims the kitchen for anyone with a disability. This cookbook features 50 recipes that use three main cooking tools, as well as support for pantry prep, meal planning, shopping, organizing, and kitchen safety for all. “The Ultimate Meal-Planning for One Cookbook” by Kelly Jaggers helps solve the daunting issue of solo cooking. It offers 100+ affordable and low-waste recipes that are equally delicious and efficient. With inspiration for one-to-two serving…

Since the 1970s, much of Cape Cod's waterfront has been steered by privatization and development. But for 12,000 years before then, the Wampanoag — or “People of the First Light” — were stewards of the area. And they still are. Mashpee's Little River is a stretch of the Cape that is filled with opportunities for Indigenous fishermen to harvest wild clams called quahog and tend to the bays. But while the tribe has been designated 321 total acres of reservation land, much of the area is land-locked, meaning tribal fishermen must walk through private property to fish as they always have. Despite disputes with property owners, the Wampanoag are committed to asserting their rights, and ultimately, protecting the waterways of their ancestors. Shellfish and finfish populations have dwindled due to…

Based on the names of cuisine alone, we are all intimately familiar with the ways culture and food are intertwined. Whether through the nature of travel and migration, the violence of conquest, or the nuance of globalization, we have become more and more acquainted with the rich complexities of food and cultural traditions across the globe. From a colorful bowl of bibimbap to the sour sips of a pot of borscht, traditional dishes, and the stories and customs that accompany them, lead us to connect with our shared — and diverse — humanity. “For many, food is often the first point of contact in experiencing and learning about the different food cultures that exist between and within communities,” said Shirley Ting, a researcher of Chinese Canadian Studies at The University…

Singapore, one of the most water-stressed countries globally, has long grappled with water scarcity. In the 1990s, the Public Utilities Board implemented a three-pronged strategy: harvesting rainwater, desalinating seawater, and reclaiming wastewater. This led to the creation of NEWater, a high-grade treated wastewater that has become a cornerstone of Singapore's water sustainability efforts — and in 2018, the Singaporean brewery Brewerkz launched NEWBrew, a craft beer brewed with that very wastewater. At the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, Brewerkz gave away cans of NEWBrew, and attendees were shocked by the contents of their cans. “I didn't know. I was really surprised,” Ignace Urchil Lokouako Mbouamboua, a student from Congo, told the Associated Press. “I can even suggest that they make more and more of this kind…