French Fries are the staple side dish. They’re everything that one could ask for. The vast variety, from light and crunchy to dense and chewy, they can compliment any dish! A few common pairings have been burgers, hot dogs, chicken wings, and even some exotic dishes that have their own version of a frenched and fried potato. In today’s blog, the history of the frenched fry will be uncovered so that you can have a true understanding of the icon in fast food, french fries.

The term “french” is a verb used to describe the method of cutting something into long rectangular prisms. This applies to French fries because they are, well, long rectangular prisms. The latter part of the name “fry” simply means that it is the result of being fried. There is no need to include any form of “potato” in this name because a summary of how the food was made is already the name. Who cares about the origin when the final product is sitting right in front of you? Well, maybe you should, because we need to talk about potatoes.

Potatoes are one of the least healthy vegetable. It lacks carotenoids, resulting in a plain brown color. It lacks vitamins, but it makes up for it with large amounts of starch and carbohydrates. This is why potatoes are known to have a high glycemic load, which is the scientific term for a food that spikes insulin surges in your body. Though they are one of the most versatile vegetables, they shouldn’t be treated as one. So next time someone tells you to eat some vegetables, please do not pull out potato chips.

French fries cannot be reduced down to the identity of just a food item. There is quite the political and historical conflict that goes behind it. The method of frenching originated in a region that covers the northern area of France, and the southern area of Belgium. Though most people consider that region to be Belgian, France has laid a historical claim to it, as the French Empire had control over it for a majority of modern history. An argument has been made that the word French would most likely be influenced by the name of the country, France, but the French people refer to the method as julienne. There is a complicated history, and anyone’s opinion will be based on what articles they read.

Something to remember, french fries were never intended to be healthy. As the new craze of health foods set in, alternatives came up. Home cooks have discovered that sweet potatoes are a healthier, less starchy alternative to the plain potato. Baking can replace the method of frying, for an almost equivalent level of crunchiness. The only issue with this is that sodium is still an issue. The natural sweet flavor in the sweet potatoes will rarely be overpowered by table salt, but many people try. This results in even more sodium that there is in a normal potato french fry. This same issue arises in the battle of meats versus imitation meats, but that is a later topic. Sacrifices have to be made, and the experience of a french fry depends on what you are looking for. The flavor will never be the same, but for some, the texture is enough.

The most common misconception about health foods is that it needs to be about change. It is always good to innovate in food choices, but sometimes, imitation is the opposite of flattery. Some things do not need to be changed. If you work too hard to change something, then there is no point of choosing that unique thing in the first place.

Coffee is among the most consumed beverages in the world, falling just short of tea and water. Most adults drink it, most teenagers do as well. It is produced by more than 70 countries worldwide, and coffee beans industry is valued over $100,000,000,000. In this post, I will guide you through the process of how coffee beans start in countries like Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia, and end up in landfills and composters.

Coffee beans have been a part of culture in African and Asian countries for hundreds of years. There is a legend dating back 1300 years about a goat herder in Ethiopia. The legend claims that the herder kept his male goats in one pen, and his female goats in the other. After his separation of the goats, he noticed that the male goats had more energy than the female goats. After inspection, he discovered the existence of the first coffee plant. This legend does not make perfect sense, as the plant which would have been found in Ethiopia is called coffea arabica, and this plant does not give an extreme change in energy until its fruit is roasted or cooked. In the 1500s, villages in the Middle East began boiling a bitter drink with this coffea arabica, and that was the first coffee. In the 1600s, the methodologies of boiling this bitter plant spread as far east as India and the mountainous Himalayas, and was then cultivated in Europe. In the 1700s, the non-native plant was cultivated in South America, where it now prospers. 5 out of 10 of the countries which produce the most coffee beans are located in the Americas. After that, coffee became a more popular drink, and it evolved into a sweeter drink. Now, coffee has as many variations as there are seasons of The Simpsons.

Coffee can be prepared in many different ways, and each culture and species of coffee plant has its own specifications. The most common coffee, Arabica, is prepared with these instructions. The process begins by obtaining roasted coffee beans. These beans are harvested from the center of the plant. After the beans are roasted, they should normally be grinded right before use. If they are grinded by the packaging company, then the coffee will definitely lose its flavor. After you grind the beans, simmer them in a small amount of water. This is also when you can add different spices, such as cardamom and saffron. After the grinded beans are simmered, you need to boil it in a full pot. You pour the beans into the pot, along with all the water from the simmer. Then, you add the rest of your water, until it is a bit more than your desired amount. Boil the coffee for five minutes while stirring, as the excess water evaporates. Finally, you strain the coffee. For the flavor to be strong, let the coffee sit for 20 minutes before adding any foam or milk to it.

Now, it is time to talk about all the waste that comes from coffee. I’m not talking about landfill waste, I’m talking about health waste. People add lots of toppings to their coffee, making it unhealthy. They add many grams of sugar, fatty milks and creams, and some specialties are just plain junk food. The purpose of this blog was to show the harsh reality about how our modern world takes any food and makes it unhealthy. Coffee could have been a staple of the world even without cream and sugar. But our society could not let that be.

Christmas is a holiday that has been celebrated for almost two millenniums. It is a holiday to celebrate the spirit of giving, along with the birth of Jesus Christ. There are many dietary traditions that go along with the holiday. If you celebrate Christmas, then read this blog so that you are able to make informed decisions on what to eat when you are hanging out with your family.

Important foods that are in most traditional Christmas meals are roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and puddings. Normally, these foods are okay to have in proportion. But as mentioned in my previous blog, the problem is proportion. With this new set of food items, there are other problems that arise. The three foods that I chose have different problems, which should all be handled differently.

Roast potatoes are the first on the list. Potatoes are some of the least nutritious vegetables in the world. You can usually judge the nutritional value of a vegetable or fruit based on the color of it’s flesh. Potatoes have white flesh. A lack of color indicates a lack of nutrients. The only result that a potato consumer can see is an increase in carbohydrates and starch in their bodies. This can cause retention of water, making you feel bloated and sick. Roasting is a good method of cooking, because it doesn’t drain out nutrients. But when someone is roasting potatoes, there are barely nutrients to start with.

Brussels sprouts are next on the list. After explaining how a “bad” vegetable doesn’t help your body, it is probably surprising to see a “good” vegetable like Brussels sprouts on this list. This is surprising, as long as you are only counting the vegetable by itself. Unfortunately, the problem is not with the vegetable, but with the flavorings and methods of cooking, their nutrition is dwindled. They are normally shallow fried, or sautéed in large amounts of oil. Then, they are lathered with sugary and savory sauces, which add fat and sodium to the mix. American culture is known for taking foods and making it more unhealthy. Brussels sprouts on Christmas is an example of that.

Puddings are the most despicable item on the list. Yorkshire puddings are common on Christmas, so the nutrition information will be derived from Yorkshire pudding. There is simply no purpose for eating Yorkshire pudding. There is no benefit at all. A 100 gram serving of this pudding has 200 calories, all of them being empty. Over 10 grams of fat, 100 milligrams of cholesterol, and 190 milligrams of sodium. There are also almost 20 grams of carbohydrates. Yorkshire pudding is made from salt, flour, eggs, oil, and whole milk. Though it isn’t a sweet food, it still manages to have high amounts of carbohydrates. Yorkshire puddings have one of the worst combinations of food. Out of all savory baked goods, Yorkshire pudding is the one dish which you should avoid on Christmas nights. There is a joke that all the people in the United Kingdom who have issues with their weight are enjoyers of Yorkshire pudding. This joke has a strong basis, and might as well be responsible for the 31% obese population of the UK.

Jokes aside, you should always be aware of the negative buildups of different foods. Some might be high in sodium, endangering the blood flow to your heart and brain. Some might cause fat buildups. Some might unnecessarily bloat you. Remember to stay informed, and stay healthy!

For centuries, Thanksgiving has been a holiday most commonly celebrated with food. Large amounts of it. As time has gone on, people have brought their own unique innovations into the holiday, and the food is what makes it special. But now, as obesity rates skyrocket, can we afford to continue making these unhealthy choices? Read on to see how we can improve our diets every time we eat a Thanksgiving meal.

Some of the staple items at a Thanksgiving table are the following: a roasted turkey, a pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and a sweet potato casserole. Other items that could be served include different meats, such as ham and chicken. There are also many vegetable based dishes.

A 3 ounce serving of turkey contains 173 calories, over 5 grams of fat, and over 20 grams of protein. Turkey is also high in vitamins and minerals. This doesn’t seem unhealthy, but the portion size of turkey is often over the recommended 3 ounces, and the grams of fat keep on piling up. The pumpkin pie is the next item that needs to be broken down. Check yesterday’s fast fact about pumpkin pie for further information on this iconic dessert. A 5 ounce serving of pumpkin pie contains 323 calories, 13 grams of fat, 46 grams of carbohydrates, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, and 318 milligrams of sodium. If you thought the unseasoned turkey was unhealthy, then this is unacceptable. And most people eat multiple slices of pie, thinking “It’s only once a year…”. If you want to take it even further, with the third of the Holy Trinity in Thanksgiving food, let’s take a look at mashed potatoes with gravy. A 10 ounce serving of mashed potatoes contains 265 calories, 20 grams of fat, 1143 milligrams of sodium, and 42 grams of carbohydrates. Mashed potatoes are among some of the worst food items to overeat. The sodium and carbohydrates build up and are the biggest factors to blame for heartburn.

A Thanksgiving meal is not to blame for what this holiday has turned into. The lack of portion control for each item individually has caused the holiday to be known for gaining weight and making unhealthy choices. As the holiday continues to be innovated, there are healthier recipes everywhere. Be encouraged to try them out. Stay healthy!

Irrigation has been around since 6000 BC. It was developed by farmers who had reached the maximum capacity around lakes and rivers. Irrigation is the transportation of the supply of water that contributes to crop growth. In the early days, irrigation was quite similar to a plumbing system, as the water was designed to go around the city and reach all the places it had to, just for the excess to feed back into the ocean.

Since then, irrigation has greatly developed. In the early days of development, people learned how to use dams to control the water flow into one exact place. Then, canals were built all around the cities to have a larger water flow all over the city. These were the basic developments, and they are both still used to an extent in modern day. As time progressed, and goods were able to be transported more efficiently, people could start using the best materials for the job. In more modern history, metal pipes were starting to be used. All these developments were extremely meaningful, and farmers were able to be much more productive.

The reason why irrigation came to existence in the first place was to make farming more efficient and accessible, which would cause more plants and crops being grown each season. Now, there are huge facilities who focus on mass producing plants and vegetables however they can. Now that you have the basic summary of irrigation, keep an eye out for a new blog about how big companies are using it to their advantage.