Freegans in Toronto dumpsters, NYC takes on fat, monkey brains top the squeamish list

Freegans in Toronto dumpsters, NYC takes on fat, monkey brains top the squeamish list

Gross-out factor is high on the New York subway

• New York City is going visceral in its battle to keep citizens lean. A new ad campaign is being launched this month that hopes to dissuade sugary-drink consumption by upping the gross-out factor. Posters on the city’s subways feature a bottle of soda pouring globules of cellulite into an overflowing glass. [New York City Department of Health]

• The Globe and Mail has compiled a list of reader-generated spending tips for students, just in time for the start of the school year. Some were more unorthodox than others, such as “dumpster diving for food.” Turns out the idea has already been taken up by many people—vegans and vegetarians have nothing on freegans, who know that supermarkets regularly throw away lots of edible food. For freegans, “dumpster diving is more than just free food—it’s fun.” We’ll take their word for it. [Globe and Mail]

• Eating organic may offer bragging rights, but it has no extra health benefits. According to a recent study by British researchers, organic produce is just as healthy as traditionally farmed produce. The amount of such nutrients as vitamin C, calcium and magnesium in food remains the same regardless of how it’s grown. Rest assured, though, that the lack of pesticides in organic food ensures that one’s Al-Gore-o-meter is still going up when you eat organic. [Toronto Sun]

• A Toronto-based food consultant posted her eating tolerance chart on her blog earlier this week so that users may gauge how squeamish they are when it comes to certain items. Those willing to eat insects are not so high; at the top tier of the scale are those willing to eat bear heart or monkey brains. [National Post]

• Forget yellow corn and soybeans. An Illinois farming family has eschewed growing staple crops and opted instead for such obscure fare as squash blossoms, kickapoo beans and white Iroquois corn. In the process, they have not only revived their local farming community but also saved several plant species from near-extinction. Chefs are enjoying these new ingredient options, like butter from grated green pine cones and cornmeal from the sweet, smoky Iroquois corn. [New York Times]