Solutions
The Power of Plants: One Doctor’s Mission to Fight Diabetes Through Diet
A Black podiatrist gets creative in a bid to make his community healthier.
Health•8 min read
Nutrition
Explainer
How Milk Became a Core Food for Kids, Even Though It’s Hard for Many to Digest
Why dairy milk became so entrenched in American children's diets.
Health•9 min read
Explainer
Getting People to Eat Plant-Based Foods Is Hard — but Why, Exactly?
The socioeconomic and psychological barriers preventing a more sustainable food system.
Health•8 min read
Explainer
Plant-Based Diets Boast Many Health Claims, but What Does the Science Show?
How to separate facts from fad diets when you scroll.
Health•11 min read
Explainer
Plant-Based School Lunches Are in Demand — but Big Dairy Is Still Prioritized Above Student Health
Students of color are likely to be lactose intolerant — yet dairy-free options in schools are still the exception to the rule.
Nutrition•11 min read
Reported
Why the Fiber Industry Needs People to Eat Too Much Meat
Something unpleasant happens to your body when you stop eating vegetables.
Health•5 min read
Explainer
What a Plant-Based Diet Is — and Isn’t — Explained
A plant-based diet isn’t the same thing as being vegan. Here’s how it differs.
Health•10 min read
Reported
Why Small Plant-Based Shifts Can Be a Boon for Your Heart Health
A new study published in BMC Medicine finds even small plant-based swaps can lower risk of heart disease and death.
Health•3 min read
Explainer
5 Myths About Your Turkey Dinner
The real facts about this American tradition might surprise you.
Health•4 min read
Explainer
This Scary Ingredient Might Be Lurking in Your Halloween Treats
Derived from boiled pig and cow tissue and bones, gelatin is an ingredient in some, but not all, Halloween candy.
Health•3 min read
Explainer
The Pet Food Industry’s Future, from Plant-Based to Cultivated Meat
Contrary to popular belief, the pet food industry is not its own, separate part of the supply chain. It relies on leftover meat produced for human consumption.
Health•8 min read
Reported
Lab-Grown Milk Has Huge Potential to Disrupt Dairy, New Study Shows
Milk made with precision fermentation could take up to 33 percent of the dairy industry’s market share.
Health•6 min read
Explainer
What Is Ultra-Processed Food and Why Is It Unhealthy?
Ultra-processed foods are designed to be addictively delicious. Just how unhealthy are they and what are the processed foods to avoid? We explain.
Health•8 min read
Explainer
Do SNAP Benefits Actually Work to Address Hunger?
Over 34 million people in the U.S. suffer from hunger. One effort to address food insecurity is through SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program.
Health•7 min read
Explainer
The Difference Between Essential and Nonessential Amino Acids, Explained
There are 11 nonessential amino acids that are absolutely critical for your body.
Health•4 min read
Explainer
Is Dairy Bad for You?
Is there a link between dairy and cancer risk? The evidence isn't conclusive but we took a closer look at what we do know in this explainer.
Health•7 min read
Explainer
Here’s How to Get Better at Reading Food Labels
Food labels are confusing. Our guide will help you tell the difference between useful information and meaningless junk.
Health•8 min read
Explainer
Am I Getting Enough Essential Amino Acids?
There are nine essential amino acids that your body can get from a variety of foods, including plant-based sources like nuts.
Health•9 min read
What Are the Benefits of Oat Milk?
Oat milk has become a popular alternative to dairy in recent years, with its healthy nutritional profile and lower impact on animals and the planet.
Health•8 min read
Explainer
How 4 Leading Organizations Define a Sustainable Diet
Want to follow a sustainable diet? These 4 organizations each have their own definition, yet they all point towards eating more plants and less meat.
Diet•5 min read
Explainer
A Guide to Vegan Nutrition: How to Get the Nutrients You Need to Stay Healthy
If you're looking to try a vegan diet, read this guide first.
Health•14 min read
Explainer
Is Alcohol Vegan?
Wondering which alcoholic drinks are vegan? This guide can help.
Health•6 min read
Perspective
The Problem with the New White House Nutrition Strategy
The plan relies heavily on meat and dairy industry donations while mostly ignoring the power of plant-based diets.
Health•6 min read
Explainer
Is Honey Vegan?
Honey is largely produced by bees living in manmade hives that are very different from their natural habitats.
Health•6 min read
Explainer
What Is Jell-O Made of?
Jell-O is made from gelatin, an ingredient that comes from the bones, skin and connective tissues of farmed animals.
Health•7 min read
Reported
Making Plant-Based More Accessible Through Universal School Meals
One way to make plant-based foods more accessible is to increase the "universal meals" served at schools, prisons and hospitals.
Health•7 min read
Explainer
Goat Milk: Does It Contain Lactose and Can Humans Drink It?
Despite the persistent myth that goat milk is healthier and more ethically farmed, dairy goats experience the same factory farm conditions as cattle.
Health•8 min read
Explainer
Processed Meat: What’s in It and Why Is It Bad for You?
Processed meats are a regular part of the American diet but eating them could be be risky for your health.
Health•8 min read
Explainer
Is Soy Good for You?
Soybeans are a protein-rich legume native to East Asia and the main ingredient of many different nutritious foods.
Health•15 min read
Explainer
The 14 Best Vegan Sources of Omega-3
Omega-3s are most commonly associated with seafood, but can also be found in leafy greens and other vegan sources, including foods that come from plants.
Health•8 min read
Explainer
Level Up Your Baking With These Vegan Egg Substitutes
Baking without eggs may sound challenging, but it's easier than you'd think. Check out this list of the best egg substitutes for home bakers and cooks.
Health•8 min read
Explainer
Where on Earth Does Gelatin Come From?
The gelatin available at most grocery stores is primarily made from a protein found in the bones of farmed animals such as cows and pigs.
Health•8 min read
Explainer
What Are Hot Dogs Really Made Of?
There is not a lot of actual meat in hot dogs, even when it’s listed as a top ingredient. They are mostly water and fat, but hot dog companies don't…
Health•7 min read
Perspective
Got Milk? How School Lunches Are Making Kids Sick
Two-thirds of the population is lactose intolerant. So why don’t school lunch programs offer plant-based milk? The answer is more complicated than you’d think.
Health•9 min read
Reported
Wins and Losses From New York City Schools’ First Vegan Friday
Public schools in New York City will now serve plant-based meals on Fridays. The only problem is that “Vegan Fridays” aren’t entirely vegan.
Health•3 min read
Explainer
20 Best Plant-Based Proteins for Vegans and Vegetarians
A lot of people might be surprised by the vast array of plant-based foods that contain protein. Here's a list of some of the most delicious options out there.
Health•8 min read
Explainer
What Are the Best Sources of Vegetarian Protein?
Learn about what protein is, how it works, and how to get enough of it while maintaining a vegetarian diet.
Health•10 min read
Reported
Dairy Industry Takes a Page From Big Tobacco’s Book and Targets Kids With Flavored Milk
Serving flavored milk in schools has a dangerous downside, one that industry groups, parents, and nutrition experts have been fighting over for years.
Health•9 min read
Explainer
7 Reasons Why Seafood Might Be Bad for You
Seafood has long been hailed by dietitians as a quality source of healthy fats and protein. But there is a darker side to seafood that is often not discussed.
Health•7 min read
Explainer
Why the Business Lunch of the Future Should Be Animal-Free
It's not your imagination: More people than ever are changing the way they eat. Shouldn't the meals we share with others change, too?
Health•9 min read
Explainer
Plant-Based Chicken: What Is It Made of and Is It Healthy?
With interest in meat alternatives growing, so is curiosity about what alternatives like plant-based chicken are exactly, and why consumers should consider eating them.
Health•9 min read
Explainer
Why Protein Isn’t a Problem for Vegans
How do vegans get protein, you ask? Surprisingly, a balanced vegan diet contains more than enough protein to meet one’s nutritional needs.
Health•15 min read
Reported
Going Beyond the Cow: Beyond Meat’s New Commercial Asks Us to Rethink the Way We Eat
Could a burger made of plants really be better for us, for the animals, and for the planet? Beyond Meat's answer: Absolutely.
Health•4 min read
Perspective
Book Review: Nourishment by Fred Provenza
The shortest line to draw between humankind and nature is what we eat. Read this book and you'll surely be convinced of that.
Health•5 min read
Donate
You have read 0 articles.
Independent Journalism Relies on You
As a fiercely independent, reader-supported news outlet, we’re unswayed by advertisers and profit margins. Your support funds investigative journalism, fact-checked explainers, resources for journalists and partnerships with publishers to boost reporting on the most pressing issues of our time. Read more
Most Read Today
•- Colorado Reintroduced Wolves. They Might Have the Wrong Personalities to Succeed
- How Overconsumption Affects the Environment and Health, Explained
- Agriculture’s Dependence on Child Labor Persists — As Corporate Accountability Remains Lax
- The Causes and Effects of Deforestation, Explained
- Which Animals Are Monogamous Rather Than Mating For Life?
- How Many Animals Are Killed for Food Every Day?
- How Long Cows Live — If They’re Actually Given the Chance
- Why Eating Meat Is Bad for the Environment and Climate Change, Explained