food and nutrition

Mark Guttridge, farmer and co-owner at Ollin Farms, feeds the chickens. The farm benefits from a county program that helps small growers get their produce to more people.

A big idea for small farms: How to link agriculture, nutrition and public health

9:05am February 03, 2024

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

In Boulder, Colo., the county is investing in sustainable farming and helping people buy local produce. It's been called "a triple win" – for customers, farmers and the economy.

Queue Listen Now

Maribel Martinez shops the produce section at King Sooper's in Boulder, Colo., the day after picking up her Fruit & Veg coupons.

Health & Safety

To get fresh vegetables to people who need them, one city puts its soda tax to work

1:31pm January 15, 2024

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

In Boulder, Colorado, officials realized there were many people who needed access to fruits and vegetables but didn't qualify for federal food assistance.

Queue Listen Now

Students help instructional coach Regina Green caramelize onions for a dish featuring fresh greens from the school garden at Watkins Elementary.

Can cooking and gardening at school inspire better nutrition? Ask these kids

5:06am October 09, 2023

by Allison Aubrey

With diet-related disease on the rise in the U.S., some schools are adding nutrition to the curriculum. Teaching kids to grow and cook fresh produce can influence life-long eating habits.

A seventh grader carries her plate of three-bean chili, rice, mandarins and cherry tomatoes and baked chips during her lunch break at a local public school, on Feb. 10 in the Brooklyn borough of New York.

A new study offers hints that healthier school lunches may help reduce obesity

1:55pm February 15, 2023

by The Associated Press

The national study found a small but significant decline in the average BMI of more than 14,000 schoolkids after implementation of a 2010 federal law that boosted nutrition standards for school meals.

A sign noting the acceptance of electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards, which SNAP beneficiaries use to pay for food, is displayed at a grocery store in 2019 in Oakland, Calif. SNAP emergency allotments are ending after this month and have already ended in some parts of the country.

SNAP recipients will lose their pandemic boost and may face other reductions by March

5:04am February 02, 2023

by Kaitlyn Radde

Congress ended the temporary benefit meant to help low-income households with pandemic-era hardships. A huge increase in Social Security benefits may mean some households see further SNAP reductions.

The U.S. food system makes junk food plentiful and cheap. Eating a diet based on whole foods like fresh fruit and vegetables can promote health - but can also strain a tight grocery budget. Food leaders are looking for ways to improve how Americans eat.

Health & Safety

The U.S. diet is deadly. Here are 7 ideas to get Americans eating healthier

1:41pm August 31, 2022

by Allison Aubrey

The way many Americans eat is fueling chronic disease. Here are seven big ideas from the White House's upcoming nutrition conference for how to improve Americans' diets.

Researchers found that 67% of calories consumed by children and adolescents in the U.S. came from ultra-processed foods in 2018, a jump from 61% in 1999. The nationwide study analyzed the diets of 33,795 children and adolescents.

If You Think Your Kids Are Eating Mostly Junk Food, A New Study Finds You're Right

8:19pm August 11, 2021

by Xcaret Nuñez

What do frozen pizza, cookies and ice cream have in common? A new study finds ultra-processed foods make up the majority of U.S. children's and teen's diets.

Food journalist Barry Estabrook talks with diet gurus and sifts through dieting history and the latest nutrition studies. He discovers that unfortunately, these diets don't really work in the long term for most people because they are too strict or requir

When Your Fad Diet Fails, And It Probably Will, 'Just Eat'

5:54pm March 25, 2021

by April Fulton

Diets often fail in the long term because they're too strict or require unnatural eating habits. In a new book, Barry Estabrook turns to science and history to find a weight-loss regimen that works.

Fishermen sell freshly caught seafood at the Saturday Fishermen's Market in Santa Barbara, Calif. When the pandemic began, fishermen watched their markets dry up overnight. Now, as well as public markets like this, some are selling to food assistance prog

Fishermen Team Up With Food Banks To Help Hungry Families

6:25am December 25, 2020

by April Fulton

The COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated food insecurity and stretched an already-strained fishing industry. New partnerships with food banks give fisherman income and provide food for those in need.

Queue Listen Now

Scientists are keen to figure out how diet influences aging, including brain health. A five-year study of healthy seniors found those who ate a serving or two of daily greens had less cognitive decline.

Eating Leafy Greens Each Day Tied to Sharper Memory, Slower Decline

12:07pm February 05, 2018

by Allison Aubrey

Scientists are keen to figure out how diet influences aging, including brain health. A 5-year study of healthy seniors found those who ate a serving or two of daily greens had less cognitive decline.

Queue Listen Now