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Snack smart: Junk foods that are surprisingly healthy

I tried the biggest burgers at 5 fast-food chains and my favorite tasted fresh off the grill

<ul class="summary-list"><li>NASA needs a better way to nourish its astronauts on long-duration space missions, like to Mars.</li><li>Interstellar Lab designed a sustainable farming system that could address the issue.</li></ul><p><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/do-astronauts-age-slower-than-people-on-earth-2015-8">Going to space</a> has its perks but fresh, nutritious food isn't one of them.</p><p>NASA's Deep Space Food Challenge, launched in 2021, asked teams worldwide to develop a sustainable way to feed and nourish astronauts on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-invest-mars-pulsed-plasma-rocket-shorten-space-time-travel-2024-7">long-duration space missions, including to Mars</a>.</p><p>The biotech company Interstellar Lab beat over 300 competing teams to receive NASA's $750,000 grand prize in August for its project NuCLEUS (NUtritional Closed-Loop Eco-Unit System).</p><p>NuCLEUS consists of a series of cubes that resemble a large tic-tac-toe board. The cubes mostly contain <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-astronauts-share-successful-harvest-of-fresh-vegetables-2021-4">vegetable plants</a>, microgreens, mushrooms, or insects.</p><div type="image" title="nine white cubes in the shape of a human-sized tic-tac-toe board that make up the NuCLEUS farm" height="3072" width="4608" msid="113502564" hostid="261" sizebytes="190390"></div><p>So far, Interstellar Lab has tested 10 different vegetable and microgreen plants (including Daikon radish, broccoli, amaranth, shishito peppers, fenugreek, and onions), one <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/after-asteroid-volcano-nuke-mushrooms-help-humans-survive-2019-9">mushroom variety (oyster)</a>, and one insect species (black soldier flies), with plans to add more to the list.</p><p>They're all fresh and edible — including the flies. The variety isn't designed for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astronaut-leland-melvin-space-food-taste-good-2023-10">astronauts' appetites</a>, though. It's for their health.</p><p>Due to solar radiation, the nutritional value of prepackaged food starts to degrade after being in space for seven to eight months, which can leave astronauts on long-duration space missions <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/5-signs-eat-more-for-better-energy-performance-dietitian-2024-3">deficient in key vitamins</a> and minerals like magnesium, potassium, and B12, according to Barbara Belvisi, Interstellar Lab's founder and CEO.</p><p>Researchers have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8747021/">found</a> that these nutritional gaps can make it difficult for astronauts to combat bone loss, muscle atrophy, cardiovascular dysfunction, and the other <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/space-effects-human-body-brain-bones-dna-2018-5">physiological challenges</a> that come with living in space.</p><p>"There was a list of specific nutrients that NASA was interested in growing fresh food to cover those gaps. And so this is where we started," Belvisi said, adding that NuCLEUS is designed to supplement prepackaged food, not replace it.</p><p>For the final phase of NASA's competition, NuCLEUS produced about 22 pounds of plants and insects over 1.5 months. A single crew member on a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-havent-we-been-to-mars-yet-2024-5">long-duration mission, like to Mars</a>, would require about 661 pounds per year (or about four times that amount), Belvisi said.</p><p>She added that the version tested for NASA's competition is a prototype and the company is working on the next generation, which will be capable of producing more food.</p><h2 id="124beb8d-a781-4b75-bcd8-d97cdd6e2230">Farming in space with AI</h2><div type="image" title="a person in a white jumpsuit points on a pad attached to the 9-cube NuCLEUS farm system" height="4608" width="3072" msid="113502565" hostid="261" sizebytes="279710"></div><p><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/first-time-scientists-have-grown-plants-in-moon-soil-2022-5">Farming in space</a> will look very different from farming on Earth. In the case of NuCLEUS, AI does a lot of the work.</p><p>Each NuCLEUS cube is a contained environment. The software that controls the lighting, humidity, and temperature in each cube manipulates the environment to provide the optimal growing conditions for each plant's nutritional content.</p><p>Interstellar Lab's AI collects and processes the data, which then informs the software on how it can improve.</p><p>"I think this is why NASA liked it," Belvisi said of NuCLEUS. "It's because there is this smart system that is adapting itself, and the human has to do very little intervention compared to existing systems right now," she added.</p><p>Another benefit is that NuCLEUS is a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-the-plant-chicago-closed-loop-urban-food-production-experiment-2023-8">closed-loop system</a> that can function on its own, more or less.</p><p>For example, the insects eat the inedible portions of the vegetable and mushroom plants. The flies' by-products (like feces) get reincorporated as fertilizer. Even the water is recycled. Most of the waste is repurposed in some way, generating minimal trash that would otherwise take up room on a spaceship.</p><p>The only outside resources NuCLEUS requires are power, additional water, and time from the crew, Belvisi said.</p><h2 id="7b0ea8e0-bd11-4fba-9b2d-19f1011e5ac7">Interstellar Lab is launching one of its systems into space next year</h2><div type="image" title="15 members of interstellar lab pose for the camera while standing around the 9 white cubes that make up their NuCLEUS farm project" height="3330" width="4995" msid="113502567" hostid="261" sizebytes="621794"></div><p>While NuCLEUS was designed with NASA astronauts in mind, Belvisi said that Interstellar Lab is also working with private companies.</p><p>Interstellar Lab is scheduled to launch one of its NuCLEUS systems into space early next year — but it's not yet revealing for which company, she said.</p><p>The $750,000 winnings will go partly toward upgrading NuCLEUS's hardware, readying it for space, and paying the team, Belvisi said. "It's been three years of hard work."</p>

NASA awarded $750,000 to a business that wants to feed astronauts fresh microgreens and insects 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Beef prices in the US are rising due to a historic drought and herd liquidation.</li><li>Fast food chains like McDonald's and Burger King have already raised prices due to inflation.</li></ul><p>Inflation has not been kind to food prices — especially for eating out.</p><p>According to the consumer price index, food away from home rose 4% in the 12 months to August — higher than gains in both grocery store prices and the overall CPI.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-raised-prices-california-fast-food-minimum-wage-hike-2024-4">Starbucks</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-expensive-prices-too-high-fast-food-restaurant-falling-sales-2024-7">McDonald's</a>, KFC, In-N-Out, and Olive Garden are among the chains that have raised prices due to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-food-price-rises-tipping-point-value-deals-combos-mcdonalds-2024-8#:~:text=Too%20expensive&amp;text=The%20cost%20of%20labor%20and,restaurants%20went%20up%20by%208.2%25.">soaring cost of labor and commodities</a>.</p><p>McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said in July that a fall in sales in the most recent quarter could partially be attributed to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-expensive-prices-too-high-fast-food-restaurant-falling-sales-2024-7">its food being too expensive</a>.</p><p>In response to consumers exploring different options — like eating at home instead — restaurants have realigned efforts into value menus. Over the summer, McDonald's and Burger King introduced <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/burger-king-launches-5-dollar-value-meal-before-mcdonalds-months-2024-5">$5 combo deals</a>.</p><p>These cheaper options <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-mcdonalds-5-dollar-meal-deal-pulling-in-customers-inflation-2024-7">appeared to be popular</a>, bolstering visits to McDonald's stores.</p><p>But the restaurant business is facing another issue. Lance Zimmerman, a senior animal protein analyst for Rabo AgriFinance, told Business Insider that beef prices are increasing sharply.</p><div type="image" title="mcdonalds cheeseburger" height="3024" width="4032" msid="114213786" hostid="261" sizebytes="324610"></div><h2 id="f9ab6d52-d50d-40da-ab5f-be75b38eb654">The US cattle herd is at its smallest in seven decades</h2><p>"The beef industry, just as it was going through the pandemic, was also going through one of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-fueled-droughts-unearthing-unexpected-discoveries-2022-7">worst droughts</a> in the US that we have ever had in the last 100 years," he said.</p><p>As a result, suppliers began to liquidate or reduce the cow herd.</p><p>Now, beef supplies are getting tighter, meaning prices are increasing, Zimmerman said.</p><p>According to their websites, several fast food chains use American beef, including McDonald's, Wendy's, and Yum! Brands, which owns Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC.</p><p>Data from the Department of Agriculture revealed that the US cattle herd fell to 87.2 million at the beginning of 2024, its smallest since 1951.</p><p>The USDA reported that this led to record retail beef prices, with an all-fresh value of $8.15 per pound for July.</p><p>It's bad news for hamburger fans.</p><p>"The reality is over the next couple of years, beef prices are going to continue to go higher," Zimmerman said.</p><p>He said the problem is amplified by beef production struggling to keep up with population growth. Meanwhile, a rise in US exports of the meat has cut domestic supply.</p><p>The other issue is that when you liquidate cows, it takes about two years to replace them, he said. A 500-pound calf has to first more than double in size before breeding and producing its own calf, which takes another nine months, he said.</p><p>For Zimmerman, consumers will not start to see the benefits of stronger beef supplies until 2027 or 2028.</p><p>In other words, don't count on the burger at your local restaurant getting any cheaper anytime soon.</p><h2 id="5e3bdb68-a608-4714-9be4-bc2591bf9ff5"><strong>Steak prices are also sizzling</strong></h2><div type="image" title="A steak with a brown crust and pink center cooking in a cast-iron skillet with herbed butter on top" height="1414" width="2121" msid="114213791" hostid="261" sizebytes="239462"></div><p>Jay Bandy, the president of Goliath Consulting Group, a Georgia-based restaurant consulting firm, told BI that beef inflation is a problem across the restaurant industry, including fine dining.</p><p>One of the group's clients has had to raise prices on some of its key steak items, and another is considering removing steak and fries from its menu.</p><p>"The problem with beef prices is its hard to be profitable in a steak-centric restaurant," Bandy said. "Higher-end dining is feeling more of a pinch because the market for fine dining is negative right now. It peaked earlier in the year, so they're in the tough spot."</p><p>He said that anyone wanting a steak should <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beef-expensive-diners-buy-more-steak-at-restaurants-dining-darden-2024-3">expect to pay more</a> right now.</p><h2 id="e9592e8b-db8f-4d6b-a079-19f1d2f620f5">Restaurants should seize this opportunity to find beef alternatives</h2><p id="e9592e8b-db8f-4d6b-a079-19f1d2f620f5">Till Dudler, managing director of global consumer goods and services strategy for Accenture, told BI that the strained beef market provides real opportunities for restaurants to update their menus.</p><p id="e9592e8b-db8f-4d6b-a079-19f1d2f620f5">"I haven't seen this yet in the protein space, but in the ice cream space, some of our clients will basically change their portfolios depending on what prices are out there," he said. That means if blueberries are cheap, expect to see more blueberry ice cream.</p><p id="e9592e8b-db8f-4d6b-a079-19f1d2f620f5">Dudler explained that white meat, like chicken, is generally a good substitute. He also said there are plenty of non-meat alternatives, such as lentils and chickpeas.</p><p id="e9592e8b-db8f-4d6b-a079-19f1d2f620f5">Chickens bred for meat grow much faster than cows and can be bred quickly.</p><p id="e9592e8b-db8f-4d6b-a079-19f1d2f620f5">Bandy said chicken is one of the main alternatives he has been advising his clients to use in their restaurants instead. "Chickens are easy to work with. Chicken breast and chicken thighs are fairly reasonably priced as a protein right now."</p><p id="e9592e8b-db8f-4d6b-a079-19f1d2f620f5">For Dudler, it's time for businesses that rely on beef to rethink and reinvent.</p>

Sorry fast food fans — your burger is only going to get more expensive

Food and grocery delivery behemoth <keyword id="6358977" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Swiggy" source="Orion">Swiggy</keyword> is on a roll, pushing out multiple new services simultaneously, ahead of the festive season, and its much-touted Rs 11,664 crore IPO. Experts anticipate the IPO to hit the bourses in the upcoming months.<br /><br />Earlier last week, the company's shareholders had approved of raising the fresh issue component of the IPO, from Rs 3,750 crore previously to Rs 5,000 crore. This will allow Swiggy to add an extra Rs 1,250 crores to its coffers for future growth. The remaining Rs 6,664 crore will be an OFS (offer for sale), largely paving a way for Swiggy's old investors to exit.<br /><br />In the buildup to its IPO, the delivery giant is dialing up the competitive fever big time with rival <keyword id="19901323" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zomato" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Zomato" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Zomato">Zomato</keyword>, which went public in 2021. Swiggy recently launched <keyword id="23440051" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="XL-Fleet" source="keywords">XL Fleet</keyword> for large-scale <keyword id="20299302" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="food-delivery" source="keywords">food delivery</keyword> and Bolt, which is an <keyword id="23461052" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-powered-logistics" source="keywords">AI-powered logistics</keyword> system. Per some media reports, the company is also launching an invite-only concierge membership program called the "Rare Club", which will have an annual fee of up to Rs 50,000. <br /><br /><h2>Who doesn't love a little pettiness? </h2>But that's not it. In the time being, Swiggy is also aggressively looking for ways to gain maximum public attention, one of which is by sponsoring the fourth season of the popular entrepreneurial reality show <keyword id="11924074" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shark-tank-india" source="Orion">Shark Tank India</keyword>. But here's the catch-a key condition of this deal is to not bring back Zomato CEO <keyword id="19901325" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="deepinder-goyal" source="keywords">Deepinder Goyal</keyword> as a shark. <br /><br />Media reports suggest that Swiggy is set to close on a massive Rs 40-60 crore sponsorship deal with the show. But in a seemingly low-ball move, Swiggy has blocked the return of Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal as one of the investors on the show. Goyal had made his debut on the third season of the show, and was looking to make a comeback alongside long-time regulars such as Anupam Mittal, Aman Gupta, Namita Thapar and Peyush Bansal. <br /><br /><h2>Bolting ahead with XL</h2>In a move that clearly underlines its ambitious expansion plans, Swiggy also recently announced the launch of its new XL Fleet service, which will look to cater exclusively to bulk orders and large-scale food deliveries. Per Swiggy's co-founder Nandan Reddy, XL is a natural evolution of Swiggy's services. As it is, a recent report by Bain and Company highlighted that India's food services market is set to double to a massive Rs 9 trillion by 2030, surging up significantly from its current standing of Rs 5.5 trillion. <br /><br />Not just that, the customer base is also set to expand from 320-340 million as of 2023 to 430-450 million by the end of the decade. Earlier this year, Zomato had also stepped in this segment by launching its large-order electric fleet, which could serve orders for a gathering of up to 50 people. <br /><br />Alongside this, Swiggy has unveiled Bolt, which is an AI-powered logistics system specifically designed to optimize delivery routes, predict demand patterns, and improve overall operational efficiency. The aim is to bring down on delivery time and costs, giving Swiggy a massive competitive edge in the growing food and quick delivery market. With this feature, Swiggy claims that users can get certain meals such as burgers, <br /><br /><h2>Challenges Await </h2>As of FY24, Swiggy's operating revenue stood at ₹112.5 billion, a 36% jump from the previous year. The company also managed to reduce its net losses by as much as 44% to ₹23.5 billion. While these may come across as positive signs, which are also pushing the company's unlisted shares to new heights, Swiggy significantly lags behind Zomato in both food delivery and quick commerce segment. <br /><br />Consider this. Per Morgan Stanely, as of FY24, Swiggy's GOV (gross order value) at Rs 24,700 crore, was far lower than Zomato's Rs 32,200 crore. Swiggy's GOV and AOV grew at a CAGR of 15.5% and 2.5% respectively, between FY22-24. In contrast, Zomato's GOV and AOV registered a CAGR of 23% and 3.7%, respectively. <br /><br />At 12.7 million, Swiggy's MTU (monthly transacting users) for FY24 were also a far cry behind Zomato's 18.4 million. Even when it comes to average order value (AOV), Swiggy's Instamart lags behind Zomato's Blinkit. This is also why analysts believe that despite Swiggy narrowing the gap on most key metrics like AOV, GOV and more, the company's share will command a lower valuation than that of its rival Zomato. <br />

Ahead of much awaited IPO, what is Swiggy upto? Launching XL Fleet, premium membership and kicking out Zomato CEO

10 Natural mouth fresheners for fresh breath all day

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Fast-food chains are pulling onions from their restaurants due to E. coli risks.</li><li>Taco Bell, KFC, and Johnny Rockets joined McDonald's in withdrawing the ingredient from some locations.</li></ul><p>A string of American fast-food chains and restaurants are pulling fresh onions from some of their locations because of<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-quarter-pounder-e-coli-outbreak-symptoms-states-2024-10"> E. Coli food poisoning risks.</a></p><p>Yum Brands, the parent of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC, said it was pulling the ingredient from some restaurants out of caution, the company <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-24/taco-bell-pizza-hut-and-kfc-pull-onions-after-e-coli-outbreak">told Bloomberg</a> on Thursday. Yum did not specify the number or location of restaurants or specific suppliers.</p><p>On Thursday, Burger King said that it gets some of its onions from Taylor Farms, a supplier to the McDonald's restaurants that have been linked to the E. Coli outbreak.</p><p>Burger King said that it has not had any cases of illnesses or contact from authorities about whether it was impacted. But it directed outlets who received the onions — 5% of its about 7,000 outlets — to dispose of the vegetable immediately.</p><p>Fat Brands, which owns Johnny Rockets and other restaurants, also said it stopped using Taylor Farm onions on Thursday.</p><p>Burger King, Yum Brands, and Fat Brands did not respond to a request for comment sent outside business hours.</p><p>The series of withdrawals comes after <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-quarter-pounder-ecoli-outbreak-why-important-sales-2024-10">49 cases of E. coli infections</a> and one death in a food poisoning outbreak spanning 10 US states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday that anyone who has developed severe E. coli symptoms after eating a McDonald's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-quarter-pounder-e-coli-outbreak-symptoms-states-2024-10"><u>Quarter Pounder should call</u></a> their healthcare provider.</p><p>Public health officials are investigating which ingredient could be causing the outbreak. Early information from the FDA suggests the slivered onions or beef patties used for Quarter Pounders are the likely source of contamination.</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-expensive-prices-too-high-fast-food-restaurant-falling-sales-2024-7"><u>McDonald's</u></a> has temporarily pulled the Quarter Pounder from its menus in Colorado, Kansas, Utah, and Wyoming, as well as portions of surrounding states.</p><p>Other restaurants have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-mcdonalds-can-recover-from-food-safety-crisis-e-coli-2024-10">weathered similar food-safety issues</a> in recent years.</p><p>Outbreaks at fast-casual Mexican chain Chipotle cost the company $25 million to settle criminal charges related to outbreaks that affected 1,100 people from 2015 to 2018. The company announced a slate of new food-safety protocols in 2016 and its stock eventually recovered. </p><p>In 2022, Wendy's restaurants were linked to an E. coli outbreak in six states. </p><p>Both outbreaks involved hundreds of cases, far more than the number of people currently known to be impacted in the current McDonald's-related outbreak.</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/mcd-stock?_gl=1*1f1j3x0*_ga*MTA0NDI4Mzk2My4xNzA4NDI2MTU3*_ga_E21CV80ZCZ*MTcyOTY3NDY4Ny4yMTYuMC4xNzI5Njc0Njg3LjAuMC4w"><u>McDonald's stock price</u></a> has dropped over 4% this week as news of the outbreak spreads and investors worry the cases will affect sales of the Quarter Pounder.</p>

The list of fast-food places pulling onions over E. coli concerns just keeps growing

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Alaias Bertrand tried to lose weight with restrictive diets, which left her feeling like a failure.</li><li>Attitudes around weight loss are shifting away from fad diets toward an overall healthy lifestyle.</li></ul><p>Before Alaias Bertrand lost 75 pounds and kept it off for six years, she had cycled through a series of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/women-losing-periods-due-to-restrictive-dieting-over-exercising-2021-3">restrictive diets</a> that didn't work long-term and left her feeling like a failure.</p><p>"I was trying to do quick fixes, bad diets, just like anything that I thought would work," Bertrand, 25, a marketer and content creator based in Florida, told Business Insider. "It felt so difficult. It didn't feel like I was getting anywhere."</p><p>It was only when she started prioritizing her health over her appearance and implemented some healthy lifestyle changes that she was able <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-lose-weight-2018-3">to lose weight sustainably</a>.</p><p>Her story chimes with changing attitudes toward weight loss, as people increasingly <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fat-weight-loss-lessons-wish-knew-younger-age-advice-2024-1">reject fad diets</a> and work toward making lifestyle choices that will support their long-term health and happiness. Weight loss drugs including Ozempic have also helped<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/weight-loss-drug-semaglutide-helping-dispel-harmful-stereotypes-patients-say-2022-12"> dispel the myth that willpower</a> alone is enough to achieve a healthy weight.</p><p>Bertrand's journey started in 2014 when she was a freshman in high school and a doctor told her she qualified as obese, which led her to rethink her <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/healthy-habits-productivity-hack-gamification-apps-streaks-personal-goals-2023-4">daily habits</a>. "I started taking analysis of where I was, where my family was, where my friends were at, and started to calculate, is this how I want to live?" she said.</p><p>She decided that it wasn't, and she would try to lose weight.</p><p>The restrictive diets like keto and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intermittent-fasting-benefits-and-risks-for-longevity-weight-loss-cancer-2024-4">intermittent fasting</a> she tried made her fixate on what she was eating, and counting calories led her to undereat. "Tracking what I ate almost caused me to go down such a negative spiral of just overthinking and analyzing my entire life and food that it took the fun away from life," she said.</p><p>Bertrand shared the two simple changes she made that led her to lose 75 pounds and keep it off without giving up her favorite foods.</p><div type="image" title="A composite image. On the left, Alaias Bertrand holds a Track and Field team poster with a photo of herself on it. On the right, she stands with her arms in the air, smiling, holding lots of medals." height="1080" width="1440" msid="114741546" hostid="261" sizebytes="153996"></div><h2 id="fa7298c8-6c79-45a2-87a0-296408c1cecc">1) Joining a sprint team</h2><p>Growing up, Bertrand always played sports — she was on the track and field team at the time of that doctor's appointment.</p><p>She was a thrower but decided to join the sprint team because she wanted to lose weight and had always been interested in trying it. She started to split her time between the two teams, doing half thrower practices and half sprint ones.</p><p>Both involved a pretty rigorous schedule with daily workouts, but the sprint workouts involved running, while throwing practice did not. The first year was tough, both physically and socially. Changing teams was out of the norm, and people on both teams whispered to each other and gave her the side eye, she said. But it gave Bertrand a real sense of purpose and self-respect, which made it rewarding.</p><p>By the spring of 2017, she had lost 75 pounds without actively trying. She said that running two to three times a week caused her to burn way more calories than before and become a faster runner.</p><p>"I felt so proud of myself for finding something that I actually liked doing that was starting to work," she said.</p><p>When Bertrand returned to her healthcare provider in 2017, the doctor was surprised she had lost so much weight. "I recall the doctor asking me what I did. It was such a drastically different reaction," she said.</p><p>She went on to join the Michigan State University track and field team as a hammer thrower, and now that she's out of college, she still works out every day. In a typical week, she does a combination of lifting, running, kickboxing, gymnastics, and hot yoga.</p><p>While exercise is hugely beneficial for overall health and longevity, research suggests it <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-exercise-doesnt-help-you-lose-weight-chart-fat-loss-2023-1">plays a smaller role in weight loss</a> than we might think, as working out makes up about 5% of the energy we burn in a day. A person must be in a calorie deficit — when they burn more calories than they consume— to lose weight, which means diet is the most important component.</p><div type="image" title="grga" height="1599" width="1290" msid="114741548" hostid="261" sizebytes="372826"></div><h2 id="61c0e0ef-3a74-4c09-9ec5-c701a95cfd8c">2) Eating from a smaller plate and adding some healthier items to her grocery order</h2><p>Before starting her weight loss journey, Bertrand ate a lot of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-processed-food-2019-5">processed foods</a>. She would eat two packets of ramen noodles a day and lots of hot Cheetos. Her family would often order pizza for dinner and eat it late in the evening.</p><p>When she decided to lose weight, she began to notice how other people ate. One of her best friends was Lebanese, and both of her parents were doctors. She noticed that their family had really different eating habits from hers, such as eating together at 6 p.m. and eating smaller portions off of smaller plates than Bertrand's family did.</p><p>They also mainly ate a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mediterrean-diet-healthiest-best-overall-2024-1">Mediterranean-style diet,</a> which consisted of beans, fresh vegetables, fish, and grains. "Some days they would have Greek food, or they would have Mediterranean food, or they would do burgers, but again, their portion size would be really reasonable," she said.</p><p>Bertrand asked her mom, who was buying the groceries at the time, to stock up on some more fresh produce. And she started thinking more about portion control. "That was something that was very doable for me. It was very actionable because all I have to do is grab a smaller plate," she said. That meant she wouldn't overload her plate and would naturally eat less without tracking her food.</p><p>"Over time, my adjustments became less about needing to look a certain way and more so about wanting to feel a certain way. I want to feel good in my body. I want to feel confident," she said.</p><p>"I think what made the journey so successful is I stopped caring about what I looked like, what I looked like became a byproduct of me falling in love with the journey."</p>

A woman lost 75 pounds and kept them off. She made 2 simple changes, while enjoying her favorite foods.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>David Scott, 95, spends 45 minutes at the gym every other day of the week.</li><li>Since becoming a wrestling champion in college, he has been devoted to exercise.</li></ul><p><em>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with David Scott, a grandfather of four and former aerospace worker from New Hampshire. It has been edited for length and clarity.</em></p><p>If I had a motto about exercise, it would be "Keep it up."</p><p>They are words to live by. At 95, I keep myself moving as much as I can. Health and fitness have always been my passion, and my attitude will never change.</p><p>I'm 5ft 10in tall and have stayed pretty much the same weight of 150 pounds since adolescence.</p><p>I believe it's because I've maintained activity throughout the decades. When I was younger, I enjoyed football, but <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/parenting-letting-kids-wrestle-get-dirty-rules-2024-7">mostly wrestling</a>.</p><p>It's an intelligent sport. To win on points — as opposed to pinning — you have to be able to demonstrate more endurance than your opponent. You must learn how to use your balance so that he moves his and your weight when he moves. And that saves your energy.</p><p>I wasn't the strongest, but I think my speed and balance made the difference. At one point, I became the New England champion in the welterweight category. My other big interests were <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/downhill-skiing-insane-photos-winter-olympics-2018-2">downhill skiing</a> in Colorado and Italy and climbing peaks like Mount Kenya.</p><p>The commitment it required stood me in good stead for the future. I didn't get out of the habit of exercising. Although I've slowed down over recent years, I ran nearly every morning and did 75 push-ups and 50 sit-ups daily long past middle age.</p><h2 id="0f2f1c25-dd38-4979-a556-80cf88b970af">I'm the oldest person at my gym</h2><p>Around a decade ago, I <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.planetfitness.com/">joined Planet Fitness</a>, my local gym. I go for around 45 minutes four times a week, more or less every other day. I walk on the treadmill for 15 minutes before using the weight-training equipment for half an hour.</p><p>They have a wonderful series of resistance machines for your arms, legs, and abdomen. I'll use around 10 machines to maintain muscle and do between 10 and 20 repetitions on each. My favorite is the arm press, where I raise the bar over my head.</p><p>I'm the oldest person in the gym, but I enjoy the company of younger people who encourage and inspire me.</p><div type="image" title="A young man strikes a wrestling pose in a black-and-white photograph." height="900" width="1200" msid="114325559" hostid="261" sizebytes="20640"></div><p>Getting enough sleep is another important factor as you age. If I don't get at least eight hours every night, I don't feel so good and it makes me lazy.</p><p>I go to bed around 8 p.m. and get up at 5 a.m. Old habits die hard. As a boy, I ran a newspaper route, pushing my bike through 3 feet of snow to get to people's houses.</p><h2 id="51d47b2b-aa47-41ca-ae3d-1f28583a09d9">We tend an orchard and a vegetable garden</h2><p>As for diet, my wife Lydia, 83, is an excellent cook. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/easy-mediterranean-diet-meals-from-someone-whos-done-it-for-years-2022">We eat Mediterranean style</a> using lots of olive oil. A typical meal will be a dish such as chicken or fish — with the occasional serving of lean beef — served with vegetables and pasta or risotto. Dessert is simple fruit.</p><p>We were fortunate to find a house with a lot of land. So I planted an orchard, and Lydia planted a vegetable garden. We grow more than half the food we eat. It's fresh, all-natural and very tasty.</p><p>The crop includes salad, zucchini, green beans, cherries, raspberries, and red currants. We pick them ourselves, which brings joy and a sense of accomplishment.</p><p>I used to appreciate <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/worst-wines-to-order-sommelier-what-to-get-instead-2024-4">fine Italian wines</a> but stopped drinking about 10 years ago. I thought that maybe alcohol at an advanced age is not very good.</p><p>But I live life to the full and intend on doing so for many more years.</p><p><strong><em>Do you have an interesting story to share with Business Insider about longevity, fitness, and diet? Please send details to </em></strong><a target="_blank" href="mailto:jridley@insider.com"><strong><em>jridley@businessinsider.com</em></strong></a></p>

At 95, I'm a gym rat. I stopped drinking wine a decade ago and eat homegrown food.

I tried 43 of Trader Joe's fall foods, and would buy at least 31 of them again

<ul class="summary-list"><li>As a trained chef, I know a few cooking techniques that will make common dishes better.</li><li>Create croutons by hand and peel your celery before adding it to cold salads.</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-things-at-costco-according-to-a-chef-shopping-list-2021-8">As a trained chef</a>, I know that even the smallest tweak can make the largest difference on your final plate. </p><p>Here are 13 tips for preparing the foods <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vinaigrette-recipe-everyone-should-know-how-to-make-chef-review-2021-8">everyone should know how to make</a>:</p><h2>Cook roast chicken along with hearty veggies </h2><p>Turn your <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-chef-recipe-for-roast-chicken-reviewed-photos-2021-5">beautiful roast bird</a> into a one-pan meal by scattering chopped carrots, onions, potatoes, and any other hearty vegetables around the chicken in the pan.</p><p>As the meat cooks, it will release delicious juices and flavor, and those ingredients will then soak it up. </p><p>By the time your chicken is cooked through, you'll have some of the most flavorful veggies to serve with it. </p><h2>Make the crispiest croutons by using your hands</h2><div type="image" title="Croutons cooking in oil on a black baking sheet" height="2651" width="3546" msid="114361112" hostid="261" sizebytes="761490"></div><p>Achieve really crunchy croutons — so loud that you can't hear your dinner companion over your bite of Caesar salad — by hand-tearing slightly stale bread instead of slicing it with a knife.</p><p>Tearing creates wonderful nooks and crannies that soak up <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/helpful-advice-for-following-a-mediterranean-diet-from-pro">flavorful olive oil</a> and seasonings. Plus more surface area means more room for browning in the oven, and ultimately, crunch. </p><h2>Make French onion soup in large batches</h2><p>Skip the fuss and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-one-bowl-dessert-recipe-for-butter-cake-review-">extra dishes</a> by making a large batch of one-pot French onion soup using an ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven.</p><p>Once it's about done, top the soup with a layer of toasted croutons and shredded Gruyère, pop the entire pot under the oven broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbling, and serve it family-style.</p><h2>Give your eggs the low-and-slow treatment</h2><p>Turn down the heat on your scrambled eggs and stir them as little as possible for the creamiest, most tender texture.</p><p>Instead of jostling the mix in the pan, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/i-tried-the-easy-folded-egg-recipe-reviewed-photos">gently pull the outer edges toward the center</a> a few times as they cook.</p><p>And don't forget to remove your scramble from the skillet before it looks fully cooked — done in the pan is dry on the plate.</p><h2>Peel your celery before adding it to tuna or pasta salad</h2><div type="image" title="tuna salad in a black and white bowl on a white table" height="2119" width="2826" msid="114361111" hostid="261" sizebytes="257870"></div><p>Next time you make tuna or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-chef-recipe-for-pasta-salad-reviewed-photos-2021-5">pasta salad</a>, make sure to run a vegetable peeler along the length of each celery stalk.</p><p>You'll remove a thin but highly fibrous outer layer that can make eating celery unpleasant and chewy. </p><h2>Keep puff pastry on standby</h2><p>With a box of puff pastry in your freezer, you'll be able to whip up an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/costco-best-frozen-appetizers-2019-5">impressive appetizer</a>, dinner, or dessert with minimal effort.</p><p>You can make a one-crust chicken pot pie (no one will miss the soggy bottom, I promise), elegant twisted cheese sticks, or a stunning tarte Tatin (a dessert baked with caramelized fruit) with just a few extra ingredients.  </p><h2>Add some sweetness to your sandwiches</h2><p>Slide a thin slice of apple or pear between the bread and cheese for an easy and gourmet way to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trying-trick-to-make-grilled-cheese-better-from-martha-stewart">upgrade your next grilled cheese</a>.</p><p>The fruit releases natural pectins, or sugars, that infuse the sandwich with a subtle sweetness — the perfect complement to umami-rich cheese. </p><h2>Chill your cookie dough before baking</h2><div type="image" title="cookie dough" height="1121" width="1495" msid="114361115" hostid="261" sizebytes="117724"></div><p>To make the thickest, chewiest cookies, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cookie-baking-mistakes-people-make-2019-3">chill the raw mounds</a> in the fridge or freezer to solidify the butter so they don't spread as much or cook too quickly in the oven.</p><p>Then remove the cookies from the oven a minute before they're ready and leave them on the baking sheet for five before cooling on a wire rack. </p><h2>The only thing that beats homemade ice cream is frozen custard</h2><p>To upgrade your creamy dessert game, make a simple custard with egg yolks, sugar, cream, and your favorite flavorings.</p><p>After churning and freezing, the result will be infinitely creamier, with a richer flavor that blows the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-store-bought-ice-cream-2019-3">store-bought stuff</a> out of the water. </p><h2>Your food processor is your friend, especially for homemade mayo</h2><p>Discover the wonderful world of homemade mayo with the help of your food processor.</p><p>Turn an egg yolk and high-quality oil into fluffy and delicious mayonnaise for your next sandwich, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-chef-recipe-for-potato-salad-reviewed-photos-2021-7">potato salad</a>, or dressing.  </p><h2>Soak your potatoes</h2><div type="image" title="Peeled potatoes soaking in water" height="2000" width="2666" msid="114361113" hostid="261" sizebytes="280092"></div><p>Whether you're <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trying-the-best-air-fryer-potato-recipes-reviewed-photos-2021-8">making crispy fries</a> or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trying-best-mashed-potato-recipes-from-chefs">fluffy mashed potatoes</a>, soak your spuds after peeling or slicing them.</p><p>Potatoes oxidize quickly, so their white flesh will start to turn brown soon after it's exposed to the air, but plunging them into a water bath prevents this from happening.</p><h2>Cook chicken in water to make a delicious homemade broth </h2><p>Make the most soul-warming chicken-noodle soup by cooking the whole bird in a pot of simmering water to turn the mix into broth and cook the meat at the same time.</p><p>Then remove the chicken, add your veggies, and shred the meat. Stir everything together at the end with noodles for a homemade soup that'll <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ways-to-avoid-getting-sick-when-you-leave-the-house-2019-6">stop any cold</a> in its tracks. </p><h2>Salt the sweet stuff</h2><p>Add a sprinkle of flaky salt to cookies, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trying-5-minute-30-minute-and-100-hour-brownies-2021-5">brownies</a>, cakes, and pies when they're still warm and fresh out of the oven.</p><p>Salt naturally enhances flavors, including sweet ones. Plus it adds a nice textural component to your soft baked goods. </p><p><em>This story was originally published in September 2021 and most recently updated on October 18, 2024.</em></p>

I'm a trained chef. Here are 13 of my best tips for making foods everyone should know how to cook.

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="23011881" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nutrition-scientist" source="keywords">Nutrition scientist</keyword> <keyword id="23011882" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tim-Spector" source="keywords">Tim Spector</keyword> is an expert in <keyword id="20288943" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="gut-health" source="keywords">gut health</keyword>.</li><li>He has a go-to <keyword id="20082381" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="breakfast" source="keywords">breakfast</keyword> that he eats every day, which he shared with Business Insider.</li></ul>A top gut-health expert shared his go-to breakfast with Business Insider and common breakfast items that he no longer eats.<br /><br />Breakfast foods such as cereal are often <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ultra-processed-foods-linked-early-death-study-2024-5">ultra-processed</a>, even if they're marketed as healthy. So <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supplements-top-nutrition-scientist-gut-expert-takes-ditched-tim-spector-2024-8">Dr. Tim Spector</a>, a British epidemiologist, gut health expert, and cofounder of the science and nutrition company ZOE, has a go-to breakfast combination that he eats every morning that is balanced and gut-healthy.<br /><br />"I used to have granola with some skim milk, orange juice, and tea, and I thought that was a super healthy breakfast," he said.<br /><br />But since swapping to a more <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/smoothie-recipe-gut-health-gastroenterologist-breakfast-daily-drink-2024-1">gut-friendly breakfast</a>, Spector has found that he stays full "right through to lunch," and his energy levels are consistent all morning.<br /><br />Here's what he now has for breakfast.<br /><br /><h2>Yogurt with toppings</h2>Spector avoids bread, granola, muesli, and cereal in the mornings because they <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/breakfast-easy-swaps-ultra-processed-foods-dietitian-2024-4">tend to be ultra-processed</a> and contain added sugar. UPFs have been linked to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ultra-processed-foods-health-problems-study-2024-2">range of health issues</a> including increased risks of cancer and type 2 diabetes. Dr. Heidi Tissenbaum, an expert in healthy aging, previously told BI that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-you-can-do-to-live-longer-healthier-2023-9">added sugar is damaging</a> to health and longevity.<br /><br />Instead, Spector has three to four generous tablespoons of full-fat Greek yogurt mixed with about 150ml of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/diet-nutrition/what-is-kefir">kefir, which is fermented milk</a>, and tops that with nuts, seeds, and fresh or frozen berries.<br /><br />He uses toppings from his <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/improve-gut-health-30-plants-week-tim-spector-diversity-jar-2024-5">diversity jar</a>, which is a handy container of assorted nuts, seeds, and dried fruits that he keeps ready to be sprinkled on meals and snacks.<br /><br />He likes to have kefir in the morning because it's fermented, meaning he can check off one of the three <keyword id="20222666" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fermented-foods" source="keywords">fermented foods</keyword> he tries to eat a day before he's even left the house. Fermented foods were associated with increased gut microbe diversity and decreased inflammation in a 2021 study by researchers at Stanford University, with evidence suggesting they should be a "key component of a healthy diet."<br /><br /><h2>Spector drinks <keyword id="21382553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="black-coffee" source="keywords">black coffee</keyword> — but never orange juice</h2>Orange juice is "one of the worst things you can have in the morning," Spector said, again because of the amount of sugar it contains.<br /><br />Instead, he has a cup of black coffee every morning because, he said, it's a "health drink."<br /><br /><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/one-cup-of-coffee-per-week-good-for-your-heart-2021-2">Coffee</a> is "really good for your gut microbes, really good for your heart," he said. "And if you don't tolerate it well, have decaf as it's still good for your microbes."<br /><br />This is because coffee contains some soluble <keyword id="19923747" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fiber" source="keywords">fiber</keyword> and "defense chemicals called polyphenols which are like rocket fuel for your gut microbes," he said. A 2020 review of studies published in the journal Food Frontiers suggested that polyphenols are indeed good for gut health, and also that they help prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cardiologist-snacks-avoid-better-heart-health-what-to-eat-instead-2024-7">cardiovascular diseases</a>.<br /><br />He said that even coffee with milk and sugar is beneficial, as it allows you to "drink all those good things" — he just recommended minimizing both as much as possible.<br /><br /><b><i>Correction: August 29, 2024</i></b><i> — An earlier version of this story misstated the amount of fiber in coffee. Coffee contains some fiber. </i><br />

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