Juice – Above and Beyond

Written by Anna Horsch, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, Dietetic Intern Updated June 28, 2024 Homemade or Fresh Squeezed Juicing at home involves extracting liquid from fresh fruits and vegetables, typically removing most of the solid components such as seeds and pulp. This juice retains the majority of the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants naturally […]

“Fermented Foods: A Tangy Twist to Health and Flavor”

Written by Anna Horsch, Dietetic Intern, University of Minnesota School of Public Health Updated June 19, 2024 A review by Tilley Distribution in 2021 reported 15% of American consumers they include fermented foods to improve digestive health. Kombucha is the top-selling fermented food in the United States!(1)   Fermented foods provide an abundance of benefits […]

Crispy, Refreshing, Nourishing Cucumbers

Written by Andrew Akhaphong, MS, RD, LD   Updated May 30, 2024 In a consumer survey published by the International Fresh Produce Association in 2022 -(1) 50% of consumers purchases cucumbers the past year 73% prefer to eat cucumbers with a salad Persons ages 50 to 49-years are the largest purchasing group of cucumbers The […]

Juicy, Sweet, and Peach-ariny

Written by Andrew Akhaphong, MS, RD, LD Updated June 5, 2024 What produce screams spring and summer better than peaches or nectarines?   Peaches and nectarines are produced among 20 states. The top four include California, South Carolina, Georgia, and New Jersey. In 2017 approximately 56% of peaches and nectarines in retail were supplied by […]

Unraveling Delightful Tang

Written by Andrew Akhaphong, MS, RD, LD Updated May 22, 2024 Feta cheese is often associated with the dry, crumbly, mild salty add-on commonly served with Greek salads. Though this is a characteristic that is found in feta cheese, American feta cheese differs quite largely from its Greek counterpart. When we think of authentic feta, […]

Harvesting the Benefits of Asparagus

Written by Andrew Akhaphong, MS, RD, LD, Mackenthun’s registered dietitian Updated May 5, 2024 When it comes to fresh and delicious produce as the warmer season approaches, produce like asparagus and rhubarb often marks its beginnings. Asparagus is a perennial vegetable which means it can regenerate itself each year. Before asparagus can be harvested it […]

The Fresh or Frozen Produce Debate: Which One?

Written by Andrew Akhaphong, MS, RD, LD, Mackenthun’s Registered Dietitian Updated 5/6/2024 The American Frozen Food Institute conducted a survey on 1525 Americans around frozen produce, published in Spring 2023. Frozen produce offers convenience; it reduces the cooking time and prep needed for meals compared to fresh produce. The findings included -(1) 68% of consumers […]

Enriched Grains for Good Health

Written by Andrew Akhaphong, MS, RD, LD Updated May 1, 2024 The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that at least one-half of total grain consumption comes from whole grain sources.    A review by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 2013-2016 found Americans consumption of whole grains accounted for an average of […]

May Food Affect Your Mental Health?

Written by Andrew Akhaphong, MS, RD, LD, Mackenthun’s Registered Dietitian Updated: April 25, 2024 According to the United States Department of Agriculture, more than 1 in 5 US adults live with a mental illness.(1) “This is equivalent to over 50 million Americans”.(2) Additionally 1 in 10 US youths have depression which creates a barrier to […]

SILK® Protein in a Nutshell

Written by Andrew Akhaphong, MS, RD, LD, Mackenthun’s Registered Dietitian Updated April 19, 2024 The plant-based non-dairy industry grew by 15% from 2019 to 2020, an additional 6% from 2020 to 2021, and 11% from 2021 to 2022.(1) In a survey conducted in 2022 of 1217 consumers -(1) 71% consume and purchase only dairy products […]