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What makes fries taste so good? Sure, there are added flavours, but did you know that preservatives are also added to the oil? When oil is used at high temperatures, like in deep frying, it tends to break down via chemical reactions. This produces off-flavours and other compounds that can ruin the taste and the shelf life of food (5). However, one preservative known as tert-butyl-hydroquinone (TBHQ) requires a bit more attention. What is TBHQ?TBHQ is a preservative added to vegetable oils used in deep frying. It extends the shelf life of the oil and deep fried products. However, when oil...

Photo by Sambazon on Unsplash What’s the deal with goji berries? Well, this tiny berry is packed with some powerful health benefits! So powerful in fact, goji berries are being studied as a potential natural antioxidant medicine (2).  The Goji Berry Background Goji berries have already been used for thousands of years as a traditional Chinese medicinal herb and food supplement to take advantage of their properties (3). Their bright red colour indicates that they are rich in antioxidant phytochemicals that are important for several mechanisms in the body (2).  These chemicals are important to protect our body from oxidative...

Food is a core part of my life.  Some of my favourite memories with my father stem from our meals together. He introduced me to a variety of fine foods in Vancouver, many of which I’ve grown so fond of. When I moved to New York City to pursue a clinical nutrition degree, it was the restaurants that helped shape me (and make all six years of cold, cold winters worth it)! Kitchen Globe-TrotterWorking in restaurants taught me everything - from understanding why I became a dietitian to observing people’s ordering and eating habits. Name any position in the restaurant...

Avocados. Undeniably delicious and creamy, they elevate simple foods like toast or salads to another level. Think that’s it? Nope! Avocados are a superfood, it’s no wonder they’re all the rage! Let’s explore avocados a bit further. Nutritional Benefits of Avocado Even though avocados may be treated more like a vegetable, they are fruits due to their seed - way to confuse everyone. However they are low in sugar making them a desirable addition to anyone’s (especially a diabetic’s) diet (6)! Avocados are considered a superfood because they’re nutrient dense and have a high phytochemical content (1,2). Which is why...

If you’ve ever felt headache-y or sleepy after ingesting Chinese food, you might have eaten too much MSG. This probably sounds familiar but let’s dive deeper into what exactly MSG does to your body.  What Exactly is Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)?   It is a popular food additive that brings a unique taste called umami, which translates to “savory” and is the fifth basic taste along with sweet, sour, salty and bitter (Zanfirescu et al.). Due to its popularity in many countries, the debate of whether this food additive is detrimental to our health or not has been going on for many...