Getting kids to eat more veggies. A team of researchers from Texas A&M analyzing #foodwaste has discovered some interesting things about when – and why – kids are choosing to eat vegetables. Spoiler alert: pairing vegetables with “less-beloved” foods may increase vegetable consumption. Roberto Ferdman reports for the Washington Post’s Wonkblog.

Plastic-eating worms may offer a solution to mounting waste. Per researchers, common mealworms can safely biodegrade some types of plastic, including commonly used plastic foam cups. Rob Jordan for Stanford News.

The bitter truth.The team at Gastropod produces a segment on bitterness, one of the five basic tastes. As usual, a finely constructed narrative featuring various media. Jennifer McLagan’s work is featured; you may want to check out her book Bitter: A Taste of the World’s Most Dangerous FlavorIf you’re new to Gastropod (@Gastropodcast), be prepared for an exquisite and tasteful experience learning about the world of food through the lens of science and history. Gastropod features excellent visual curation, superb writing in the form of episode notes and a fine podcast (it’s a good length). Cynthia Graber (@cagraber) and Nicola Twilley (@nicollatwilley) co-host.

 

In the West, women farmers carry economic clout. Eric Mortensen crunches some stats about female farmers for the Capital Press. Pair with a visit to the Female Farmer Project website, which is the work of the multi-talented Audra Mulkern.

 

#CAMatters article and video. Mark Bittman launches the ninth in a series of videos about sustainable agriculture and healthy eating in California. The series was produced in collaboration with the Global Food Initiative at the University of California. In this video, which focuses on the Hmong and Mien farmers in California’s Central Valley, Bittman also speaks with Jennifer Sowerwine, a UC Berkeley professor and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources specialist working on food security issues.