Food News Today transcripts for the week of May 21st, 2012

The benefits of breakfast for diabetes prevention, All farmer’s markets to accept SNAP?, and food shaped phone cases! For May 23rd 2012, this is Food News Today.

Good morning, Food News Today is sponsored by ConAgra Foods, who shares with me the desire to provide the most current, interesting, and unbiased food news.

The benefits of breakfast are becoming hard to dispute- study after study show that breakfast really might be the most important meal of the day.  Thanks mom, you were right!  The benefits of breakfast range from kids doing better in school and having less behavioral issues to maintaining a more normal weight, more energy, better mood and even improved memory. The latest study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that men who skipped breakfast more often had a 20% higher risk of type two diabetes than those who consumed breakfast. The increased risk remained even after the researchers accounted for body mass index and the quality of the subjects’ breakfasts.

Nearly 30 thousand men were studied and followed for sixteen years! Their diets, exercise, disease rates and other markers of health were recorded. Researchers found that men who ate only twice a day also had a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Other studies have demonstrated similar results – some researchers believe that having a morning meal helps stabilize blood sugar through the day.  Start your day right with a solid breakfast – that includes protein, fruits or even vegetables and whole grains!

And now, here's Rebecca with a report on Farmer’s Markets accepting SNAP.

REBECCA: "Thanks Phil! Earlier this month, the US Department of Agriculture announced a $4 million dollar grant to bring food stamp capabilities to farmer's markets across the nation. Farmer's markets provide healthy and local produce to visitors, but commonly only except cash, a problem for families using food stamps . Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigann announced that the grant would help implement wireless technology at farmers markets to allow them to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, or food stamps.  Markets need wireless Internet or land-line connections in order to accept payments from customers using government benefits. Currently, only about 20% of farmer's markets accept Electronic Benefits Transfer or EBT cards. Many health experts believe that lack of access to fresh health foods contributes to the high rates of obesity in low-income communities. With this initiative, the USDA will be able to increase the number of low-income households that have access to fresh produce, leading to healthier lifestyles in these regions. Furthermore, the increased traffic to these local food vendors will reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of shipping fresh produce across the country. This program will address both local heath and global environmental concerns, and we look forward to seeing its results over the next few years." 

PHIL: Thanks Rebecca, well from something extremely useful to … well… something not so critical.

It’s obvious that smart phones are here to stay, but this latest food related phone accessory might have a short shelf life… well, maybe - thanks to Japanese cell phone accessory-maker Strapya, your iPhone can be transformed into a bento box, sunny side-up eggs with bacon, salmon sashimi, Yakisoba noodles and more. That’s right Food-shaped phone cases are hot in Japan and are now available in the US.  The covers go for about $49 each, and In Japan, the majority, about 80 percent, have been purchased by women. The company said fruit tarts are the No. 1 seller. There are also seasonal variations, with designs featuring shaved ice doing better in the summer.  Humm I’m not sure how long the shelf life for this trend will be…

Let me know what's on your food mind. And remember to log on to Food News Today DOT com any time to access the archive and replay this episode as well as all previous episodes. Thanks for watching!