• Suburban grocery stores have the lowest food prices. According to a report by the Community Nutrition Institute, urban store food prices average 4% higher due to operating costs, higher costs of land, rental rates, insurance and taxes.

• You can get the lowdown on more than 800 brand name supermarket food products in 19 different categories. "The Healthy Eating Guide" is a 39 page, newsletter style book which offers facts, figures, picks and pans from the editors of "Environmental Nutrition" newsletter, a 20 year old source of reliable nutrition information. You will also find nutrition comparisons and buying tips for cereal, beans, canned foods, frozen foods and a host of others. To order call 800-571-1555, the cost is $15 each and it is worth it.

• People are spending less time eating lunch. According to Research Alert, time spent eating lunch is on the decline. More than half (56%) of American workers take 15 minutes or less for lunch. The average lunch lasts 29 minutes. Many people (63%) skip lunch once or twice a week, and 20 percent forego the noontime meal three to five times a week.

• Low fat cookies often contain as many calories as their full-fat counterparts. Compare the caloric information in the Nutrition Facts box. Most light cookies rely on plenty of sugar and often fruit pastes. Sugar comes in many forms. Concentrated fruit juice, corn syrup, brown sugar, fructose, honey and molasses are all forms of sugar and a concentrated source of calories. Also, check the serving size. Sometimes it is extremely small. One cookie is not an average serving.

• More than 16,000 American kids under age five fell out of shopping carts last year. This is twice as many as 10 years ago. At least half of the children suffered severe head injuries. Make sure you use the safety strap if your cart has one. New York State and Texas now require all new carts to have safety straps.

• Reverse-osmosis water filters and distillers remove fluoride from water. Fluoride is added to most water supplies to reduce cavities in children. If you use such a water filter or drink bottled water, make sure you use fluoride toothpaste and/or a fluoride rinse.
  
  

Spring 1998
University of Illinois Booksale | Zoysiagrass! Can You Believe the Ads? | Crabgrass Control | Choosing Home Lawn Care Services | Selecting a Tree Service or Arborist | All America Selections 1998 | All Tomato Varieties Certainly Not the Same | Some Noteworthy Perennial Combinations | Bug Bites | Lawn Care Calendar | Cybergarden Sites | Hort Shorts | Hort Tips | Healthy Eating: Butter vs. Margarine | Health Update: Vitamin & Mineral Supplements | Food Safety: Eggs | Health & Household Update | Did You Know?

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