“We believe that this information shows there are factors outside of a person’s control that influence the individual’s health, and these factors likely differ depending on where they live.” – Russell de Souza.

Research tips rural health challenges

Availability of healthy and unhealthy products a factor

Those who live in rural Canada may have a harder time keeping their New Year’s resolutions to eat better and live healthier lifestyles. There are factors beyond individual choices influencing your personal health, and these differ depending on where you live, according to a new study released by McMaster University in Hamilton. The researchers looked

Air fryers have been the hot ticket this past holiday season.

Have you tried an air fryer?

If you are interested, do your homework and read the appliance reviews from reputable sources

The past few weeks have been a flurry of gift giving and receiving. Think back to an earlier time when you were hoping for a particular gift. What was it? How did you know about it? Did you receive it? I really, really wanted an Easy Bake Oven. I saw it in the thick catalogue


Jicama with avocado and
cilantro dip.

Beautiful vegetable platters for the holidays

Add a delicious, attractive and healthy option to your holiday season fare

Happy holidays! If your holiday season is like ours, food will be a common theme in your festivities. And rightly so. Sharing good food with loved ones is a way of celebrating our good fortune and passing on our traditions, culture, religion and family rituals. In our family, big, beautiful vegetable platters have become part

With in five Canadians restricting meat in their diet, odds are that at least one person in your social group or family is a vegan or vegetarian.

Comment: Flexitarianism on the menu

A large and growing group of Canadians are becoming ‘part-time vegetarians’

Restaurants are struggling to get a good handle on how consumers are rapidly shifting away from animal protein. According to a recent study by Dalhousie University, nearly one in five Canadians have decided to either reduce the amount of meat they consume or have outright eliminated it from their diets. Add the fact that 63


Is it safe to eat canned food past its best-before date?

Yes, but trust your eyes and nose if something seems off, say U of A experts

Are those forgotten cans of food in the cupboard that are years past their best-before dates, still safe to use? Very likely, say University of Alberta food scientists. Cans are sealed tightly against air and light, the culprits behind food spoilage, so they have a shelf life that lasts for years, said U of A

How well your frozen food keeps depends a lot on the quality of the wrapping or container.

How long does frozen food last?

The quality of frozen food depends on how well it is wrapped

I have a question I’ve been meaning to ask you,” a woman informed me one Sunday morning in church. I took a sip of coffee and leaned closer to see if I had an answer. I figured her question might be about food because I know she reads my column. “I have had some pumpkin


Beef demand per capita is slowing.

2019 Canada Food Price Report: Meat prices to decline

This is the first time since its inception that the report is forecasting lower prices for meat tied to rising consumer interest in switching over to more plant-based protein in their diets

Canadian households are going to pay more for food next year, but for the agriculture industry the telling point is what they’ll be spending their money on. Canadian households can expect to see a 3.5 per cent increase to their overall food bill next year — spending about $411 more — according to Canada’s Food

There are many causes of — and solutions to — food waste.

Consumers acknowledge they are the biggest food wasters

More information and education are needed to fix the problem, say waste reduction advocates

While grocery stores are the usual target for campaigns against food waste, the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI) says consumers primarily point the finger of blame at themselves. A survey conducted for the centre found 69 per cent of consumers consider themselves most responsible for reducing food loss and waste, followed by restaurants at


Canned fruits and vegetables can help boost their consumption and
the numbers prove that.

Can it

Canned goods can help you meet your daily fruit and vegetable requirements

We don’t need any more canned green beans,” my husband announced from the kitchen. I was sitting on the couch in the living room writing a grocery list for a holiday meal. I was wondering what had inspired his comment, so I walked into the kitchen. He had lined up 10 cans of green beans

Non-scientists can have a powerful role in advancing scientific research 
at the farm level.

Citizens and scientists

Laypeople can help drive and expand agriculture research

An international team of researchers has published a paper highlighting the potential of citizen science to address pressing research challenges in agriculture and food systems. One key to capitalizing on such efforts, the researchers find, may be to build stronger ties between citizen science and agricultural extension efforts. “We define citizen science as research in