Among many studies, the largest one, conducted by Harvard University, proved that the more red meat you eat, the greater your risk of dying and of developing heart disease, cancer and diabetes.* And the more animals raised to meet the insatiable appetite for red meat, the more environmental pollution.

Red meat is:

Place a smaller piece of red meat on a larger bed of grains or vegetables. Photo courtesy MalaysianKitchenNYC.com.

 
Want to know more? Read this article.

But there is a compromise, reflected in today’s tip:

Just cut down on your portion size. Limit the portion to three ounces—three slices—and fill out the dish with grains or vegetables.

Any beef dish can be turned into a smaller portion—and by using herbs, spices and other seasonings, the meat can be even more flavorful.

Place a couple of slices of broiled red meat or a large chunk of stewed meat atop barley, beans, brown rice, mashed cauliflower or potatoes, quinoa, a rice or pasta salad, vegetable purée (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower or other favorite) or other base. Another easy way to use less meat is in a veggie-laden stir-fry.

Look for recipes that don’t require large hunks of meat; for example, lettuce wraps or the beef rolls in the photo, which are filled with cucumber matchsticks and mushrooms. There are options in many cuisines, such as the popular Japanese dish, beef negimaki: broiled strips of beef marinated in teriyaki sauce and rolled with sautéed scallions (you can substitute spinach).

Whichever recipes you prefer, smaller portions of red meat are better for you and Planet Earth.

They specifically note that “We estimated that substitutions of one serving per day of other foods (including fish, poultry, nuts, legumes, low-fat dairy, and whole grains) for one serving per day of red meat were associated with a 7 percent to 19 percent lower mortality risk.”

You can have your red meat and eat it too—just eat less of it. That’s no beef.

*A number of studies have evaluated the impact of eating red meat on health and lifespan, but one of the largest and longest was conducted by a research team at Harvard School of Public Health and published in March 2012 in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Data was collected on 83,644 women from the Nurses Health Study and 37,698 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, and the investigators were interested in how much meat each of these adults consumed over a 22-year to 28-year period.
  

With the introduction of Dole Banana Dippers, the company wants Americans to enjoy their meal and their sweet snack (not to mention the potassium and other nutrients in bananas).

For only 120 calories or less per serving, you can savor a packet of plain Dole Banana Dippers or Banana Dippers Dark Chocolate with Almonds, both covered in antioxidant-rich dark chocolate.

(Go for the almonds—see the nutritional information below.)

Frozen bananas substitute for ice cream. Photo courtesy Dole.

They have become a most popular snack at THE NIBBLE.

Bananas are a terrific, heart-healthy food when included in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Naturally fat-, cholesterol- and sodium-free, bananas are a good source of potassium, dietary fiber, manganese and vitamins B6 and C.

BANANA NUTRITION

With 110 nutrient-dense calories per serving (126 grams, or one medium-sized banana) bananas are delicious and nutritious. Here are the nutrients in a banana†:

ALMOND NUTRITION

Nuts are a good protein food. Yes, they have fats, but those are largely unsaturated, heart-healthy fats which have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. Here’s the scoop on the health benefits of nuts. A one-ounce serving of almonds (23 almonds) delivers:

 
The small garnish of almonds on the Dole Banana Dippers has just a fraction of your daily almond allotment. So for your second snack, enjoy 22 of those 23 almonds!

*Methodological Notes: The DOLE Banana Dippers survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. women ages 18+, between February 4 and February 7, 2013, using an email invitation and online survey.

†Nutrient data provided by USDA’s National Nutrient Database. Almond information from Almond Board Of California.

It’s probably not a surprise, but a food with a sexy name is more appealing to consumers. The right name could command a much sweeter price for farmers, as research for a new apple name has shown.

Apple names generally fall into three categories:

 
Using experimental auctions, researchers at Cornell University tested participants’ willingness to pay for five different varieties of apples, including a new, patented variety developed at Cornell. Auction participants didn’t know about the apples’ history or the Cornell connection, but they learned about each variety’s attributes, such as sweetness and crispness, and they tasted slices of each.

With the first two names, the average bid for the new apple was 12% higher than the average for four established apple varieties: Empire, Fuji, Honeycrisp and Piñata. With the “exciting” Flavor Haven name, the average bid for the apple jumped to 27% more than the other varieties.

As new, patented varieties of apples hit shelves, they will often sell for a premium—and not just because of the sexy name. They’re also more expensive to grow, as farmers have to buy licenses from the developers to grow them. There is a fairly substantial upfront fee—it could be $1,500 an acre to license—and then a royalty is paid on each box of fruit sold.

Historically, the agriculture schools of public universities developed new apple breeds and released them to the public. But in 1980, the Bayh-Dole Act gave universities the right to retain the intellectual property rights for their research.

So the next time you look at the variation in apple prices: There’s more than meets the eye.

What can you say about an “unknown” vodka that ranks as high for quality as top brands, at one-third of the price?

You say: Forget the prestige labels and buy that vodka!

Wódka, the Polish word for vodka, is a well-priced vodka that tastes anything but generic (and we drink our vodka straight). Crisp and clean, with flavors of rye and hints of minerality, Wodka won a gold medal and 90 points from the industry authorities at the Beverage Tasting Institute.

Triple-distilled and on a par with most super-premium vodka brands, Wodka vodka is just $8.99 for a 750ml bottle. There’s no need to pay more for prestige brands: In these economic times, make price-value Wodka the new prestige.

BEVERAGE TASTING INSTITUTE RANKINGS

Learn more about Wodka vodka at WeLoveWodka.com.
  

Irresistible truffle fries. Photo courtesy Arch
Rock Fish Restaurant | Santa Barbara.

But the feast doesn’t end there: The must-haves along with this bowl of heaven include a fine craft IPA beer and a cone of truffle fries.

Ah, the truffle fries: so simple, so divine. So today’s tip is: Turn your French fries into truffle fries. All you need is some truffle oil.

The regular hand-cut fries at that restaurant are $6; with a sprinkle of truffle oil and Parmesan cheese the price almost doubles, to $11. At home: less than $1 per serving.

The following recipe is courtesy of a restaurant on the opposite coast: Arch Rock Fish in Santa Barbara, California, and its chef, Scott Leibfried.

TRUFFLE FRIES RECIPE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. CUT potatoes lengthwise into thin strips, about ¼ inch wide. Fry the potatoes in peanut oil until golden brown (see tips below).

2. SEASON with salt and truffle oil.

3. TOSS with parsley.

We actually used our Actifry for this recipe—it requires only one tablespoon of frying oil! But for making French fries the old-fashioned way:

1. SOAK the potatoes in ice water for an hour, drain, and pat completely dry between paper towels. You can skip this step, but it makes the fries crisper.

2. PREPARE surface for draining by lining two baking sheets or large plates with paper towels.

3. SELECT a large, deep pot and attach a candy thermometer with clip (the tip of the thermometer must not touch the bottom of the pot). Fill with 3 inches of peanut oil and heat over medium heat until temperature reaches 325°F.

4. FRY potatoes (in batches) for 2-3 minutes until golden, stirring occasionally. Remove to paper towels to drain. and heat the oil to 375°F.

6. RE-FRY potatoes For extra crispiness. Raise the temperature of the oil to 365°F and refry potatoes for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes per batch. Drain on fresh paper towels.

Now that you own a bottle, don’t let it languish on the shelf. Use it up while the truffle flavor and aroma are strong. But don’t heat it: Heat dissipates both flavor and aroma. Drizzle truffle oil on foods or otherwise add to:

 
ALL ABOUT TRUFFLES

Here’s everything you need to know about truffles: the types of truffles, how to buy, store and cook truffles, and much more.
 
HOW MANY TYPES OF POTATOES HAVE YOU HAD?

Check out our Potato Glossary: the history of the potato and the different types of potatoes.