TresSugar

McDonald's Sneaks Around the Happy Meal Ban

Emily Co — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:33:31 PST

It seems that fast-food giants are finding a way to scoot around San Francisco's new ordinance that bans restaurants from serving free toys with meals over 600 calories. McDonald's has decided to charge a dime to customers who would like the toy with their Happy Meals, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

The proceeds earned from the Happy Meals will go towards building a Ronald McDonald House, which will house families with sick children temporarily at the UCSF hospital. This is a clever move as well, because knowing that the money is going to charity might make people more inclined to pay for the toy.

I admit, the lawmakers had good intentions when they passed the ordinance - they wanted to combat child obesity, a crippling problem that has tripled in just 30 years. Supervisor Eric Mar, the chief sponsor of the law, has said that he wanted this to incentivize restaurant chains to provide healthier options to kids.

Many of you had something to say about the Happy Meal ban. A couple of readers agreed with the comment that the "reason why kids are obese is due to bad parenting . . . not the availability of Happy Meals." Others cheered this law, saying, "It's commendable that they're actually taking on such a huge company in the name of good health."

It seems like corporations will always find the loopholes in laws and find a way to sneak around ones that cut into their profits. What do you think of this new development?

Dog Gets A Happy Meal

GiggleSugar — Fri, 25 May 2007 08:00:00 PDT

Would you like fries with that?

Source

Having Already Conquered the World, "Idol" Takes on McDonald's

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 14:28:35 PDT

Mamas, if you don't want your babies to grow up to be "American Idol" worshipers, you might want to steer clear of McDonald's for a while. Starting tomorrow, "Idol"-themed toys will be showing up in the kiddos' Happy Meals.

Among the options: a teensy microphone, a non-functional fake iPod, a rockin' star-shaped guitar, and sunglasses - because obviously, the "Idol" hopefuls are too bright to look at without shades. Oh, and that weird thing at the far right? That's the applause-o-matic, which, frankly, explains a lot. Not pictured: a Madonna-style pop star headset.

My favorite is the microphone, which is officially called the "judgmental mic" and issues one of three verdicts on your singing: "Off da hook," "You're going to Hollywood," or "You're the next American Idol!" Apparently, "pitchy" didn't make the cut.

For a better food-related "Idol" fix, check out Yum's "Idol" baking contest. I can't wait to see your Sanjaya cakes!

Source

Funny or Scary? Competitive Eating Contests

GiggleSugar — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 11:06:16 PST

You are witnessing a clinically sane man on his way to eating 99 hamburgers in 8 minutes. Have people learned nothing from Fast Food Nation?!

Giggle Girls, what do you think? Is competitive eating...

How to Select the Perfect Oyster Assortment

Sara Yoo — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:26:19 PST

It's well-known lore that oysters can really titillate the palate (among other things), so I consulted Parke Ulrich, executive chef at Waterbar Restaurant in San Francisco, for tips on crafting the perfect oyster plate at home. Constructing a carefully curated selection of oysters is a bit of an art, much like creating a cheese plate. According to Chef Ulrich, oysters "have a great sense of place. They may be the same species but taste different depending on where they are actually grown." Since selecting an assortment of oysters can be intimidating (after all, various oysters get their flavors from tidal changes, minerality, water temperature, and other factors!), I asked Ulrich for a few pointers.

Map out your choices. Oyster characteristics - liquidy, chewy, briny, earthy - often depend upon the oyster's origin. For example, "Tomales Bays [oysters native to the San Francisco Bay Area] are briny and sweet because they are influenced by the cold water and fresh water in this area," Ulrich points out. To represent this pearl of the sea's vast variety of flavors, choose a geographically diverse assortment. Not only will you create a satisfying plate, but you'll have fun guessing each oyster's home!
Span the flavor spectrum. Briny oysters tend to be "cleaner tasting and have less of an aftertaste," Ulrich explains. The more earthy and complex the oyster, the more it lingers on your palate, an attribute that's better for the more advanced oyster eater. At your local market, keep an eye out for Ulrich's faves - Preston Points (from Tomales Bay in Northern California), Nootka Sounds (from British Columbia), and Wellfleet (from Cape Cod) - and opt for more obscure varieties that you're not apt to find at other restaurants.

For the rest of his tips, read on.

Link Time: Is Top Chef Headed to Seattle?

Susannah Chen — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:53:17 PST

Is Top Chef 10 headed to Seattle? - Eater
Happy Groundhog Day! Also, a recipe for groundhog cacciatore - Fork in the Road
Game day must make: baked cauliflower dip - The Daily Meal
The most expensive cups of joe in America - Zagat Buzz
The 100 most romantic restaurants in America - OpenTable
Mario Batali's been scoping out Tavern on the Green - Grub Street NY

The Secrets of the World's Healthiest Women

Health — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:45:10 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

From pouring on the olive oil like the Greeks to slashing stress like the Scandinavians, what we
can learn from the happiest, slimmest, longest-living cultures around the globe.

The secret to a long, healthy life in America? According to longevity researchers, it may be to act like you live somewhere else.

It seems like every year another country's lifestyle is touted as the new magic bullet to cure us of obesity, heart disease, and premature death: for an unclogged heart, herd goats and down olive oil like a Mediterranean. Avoid breast cancer and live to 100 by dining on tofu, Japanese-style. Stay as happy as Norwegians by hunting elk and foraging for cowberries.

Health.com: Weight-Loss Secrets From Around the World

The places we're usually told to emulate are known as Blue Zones or Cold Spots. Blue Zones were pinpointed by explorer Dan Buettner and a team of longevity researchers and are described in his book The Blue Zones: Lessons For Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest. They're areas in Italy, Japan, Greece, California, and Costa Rica where the people have traditionally stayed healthy and active to age 100 or older.

Keep on reading for more great tips from around the globe.

Be Your Best at Every Workout With the Right Prep

Leta Shy — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:49:17 PST

When it comes to exercising, the more you do it, the better you get at it - as in, you become stronger, faster, or more flexible, and not only that, you are able to exercise longer (and losing inches isn't anything to sneeze at either). But no matter how long you've been committed to fitness, make sure you know how to prep to be your best at every workout.

A plan: You've suited up, stuffed your bag in your gym locker, and made your way to the floor only to think, "I wonder what I should do today?" Don't waste your time with an ineffectual workout or halfhearted commitment. Figure out an exercise plan before you start with our tips on how to build a workout routine.

A happy belly: Cramping or a grumbling stomach can make a workout a complete misery. Keep your stomach happy by fueling up with a small snack before you exercise or by giving yourself a few hours to digest a big meal before working out. Find out which foods you should be eating (and when) before you work out.

Read on for more ways to be your best at every workout.

4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Eating

Jenny Sugar — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 12:44:03 PST

Between meetings, appointments, work deadlines, errands, family obligations, and trips to the gym, our lives can be so busy that we fill our bellies with the quickest, easiest bites we can get our hands on. Whether your goal is to drop unwanted pounds or eat healthier, it's in your best interest to pause before you take your first bite and ask yourself these four important questions.

Am I hungry? Seems like a silly question, because you're eating, so you must be hungry, right? Many times we reach for food out of boredom, convenience (the bag of chips was open), depression (chocolate to drown your breakup sorrows), happiness (to celebrate a promotion), or desire (who could pass up the amazing brownies your co-worker brought in?). But if we recently ate, then we're not even hungry. Make sure you're due for a snack or meal before sitting down to eat one.

Is this food filling holes in my diet? We eat to live and that means the food we gobble down should offer our bodies the vitamins and nutrients it needs to function properly. Aside from being healthy, our daily diet should also be balanced. If you ate a high-protein breakfast of eggs and Greek yogurt topped with nuts, then for a morning snack, you probably want to eat something that offers your body something besides protein, such as fiber, potassium, or vitamin A. Think of each snack and meal as a piece of your daily diet puzzle; an opportunity to take in what your body is lacking.

Keep reading to find out the other two questions you should ask yourself before eating.

Link Time: Diet Coke Gets a Glam Makeover

Susannah Chen — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:12:53 PST

Diet Coke gets a glam makeover - HuffPost Food
How to roast the perfect chicken – The Daily Meal
McDonald's UK is giving away books in Happy Meals - Eater
It's fellas vs. ladies in Top Chef 9 Restaurant Wars - Grub Street NY
Fergus Henderson talks all about pig parts - Food Republic
Making Momofuku Ssam Bar's famous bo ssam - New York Times
On the sustainability of oysters - The Perennial Plate
Beat those food cravings in the New Year - Yahoo! Shine