Discover the science behind food reactions.
Every place has their own ideas about food. For example, I went to a burger restuarant, placed an order, and the waiter asked, "Pink or no pink?" Um, what in the world did he mean? He clarified, "Would you like your hamburger pattie pink on the inside?" Eww! If I had been in a small eatery… Continue reading Pink or No Pink?
Did you know that you can change the color of red cabbage without using any dyes? Red cabbage gets its great purple color from anthocyanins. Anthocyanins, like most plant pigments, change color based on the pH of their environment. So when red cabbage is put into an acidic or basic solution it looses its characteristic… Continue reading Color-Changing Cabbage Experiment
After covering molecular structures, lipids, and proteins it is time for the sweet stuff. Carbohydrates include sugars, starches, and fiber. Plants generate simple sugars through photosythesis which they use for energy. Plants also use carbohydrates such as cellulose for their structural support, and starch to store energy as sugars in long chains. We humans use… Continue reading Macro Nutrients Part 4: Carbohydrates
We have looked at lipids and now it is time to focus on proteins. I love proteins! Although proteins are most often associated with meat, proteins are part of many other foods as well. They do so many cool things. Bromelain, found in pineapples, is a meat tenderizer. Gluten, in wheats and other grains, makes… Continue reading Macro Nutrients Part 3: Proteins
The previous post introduced the macro nutrients. This post looks at lipids, one of the macro nutrients. I'll explain what saturated, unsaturated, omega-3, and trans mean when they describe fats. Lipids are a broad group of chemical compounds that are insoluble (do not dissolve) in water. Fats, oils, waxes, phospholipids, and sterols are all lipids. This… Continue reading Macro Nutrients Part 2: Lipids (aka Fats)
Nutrients are split up into two main categories: macro nutrients and micro nutrients. Micro nutrients include vitamins and minerals. They are nutrients that your body needs in small amounts. Macro nutrients make up the bulk of your diet and provide energy. This category includes lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. Knowing about each type of macro nutrient… Continue reading Macro Nutrients Part One: Molecular Structures
Salt has been a common food ingredient throughout history. The Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, Assyrians, Chinese, and many other civilizations used salt for both preserving food and improving its taste. Some locations evaporated sea water to harvest the salt within it. Other areas mined salt deposits left from ancient seas. Since salt is so useful and… Continue reading Salt
Egg whites are unique. At first glance they are a bit gross. Raw egg whites are clear and slimy. When cooked, they are white and rubbery. Neither raw or cooked egg whites have appetizing descriptors. Egg whites do not even have a great flavor to compensate for their lack of physical appeal. But egg whites… Continue reading How do egg whites make a foam?
Today I made my first batch of homemade baby food. We've been buying Gerber's Supported Sitter products for a little over a month with no mishaps so I thought I'd introduce my son to homemade food. Gerber baby food seems fairly simple. All of their Supported Sitter products have only two ingredients: the produce and water.… Continue reading Baby food: homemade or store bought?
In a previous post, I talked about what gives water its flavor. But what do you do if you do not like the flavor of your water? Or what if you think metal is sloughing off old pipes into your water? I personally do not think it is worth it to buy bottled water. I… Continue reading Faucet water filters
A Dash of Science 