Are Quinoa, Chia Seeds, and Other "Superfoods" a Scam?

[Food for Thought] August 12, 2018 [Food for Thought]( [Are Quinoa, Chia Seeds, and Other "Superfoods" a Scam?]( These pricey, often exotic ingredients cycle quickly in and out of the foodie spotlight. And by now it's obvious: Açaí and goji berries are not really miracle cures for everything from obesity to sexual dysfunction. Here's where the real "superfoods" are hiding. ([Mother Jones]() The EPA finally banned this neurotoxic pesticide. This could have happened years ago. ([Mother Jones]() Climate change comes for wild rice. New weather patterns yield low harvests. ([NPR]() And for California fruit trees. Dry, hot weather confuses plants and throws crop projections to the wind. ([Mother Jones]() Sugar: sweet and sinister. Bright and delightful desserts mask the ingredient's violent, gendered, racist history. ([Eater]() Up to your ears in summer tomatoes? No worries, we got your back. ([Mother Jones]() —Advertisement— [MJ Climate Event]( New From Bite Podcast A few years ago, the Rev. Dr. Heber Brown III, the pastor of Baltimore’s historically African-American Pleasant Hope Baptist Church, noticed a problem in his congregation: Many of the members were suffering from diet-related diseases. Brown knew his community needed healthier food, but fresh produce was too expensive. “I had what some would call a divine discontent,” he recalls. “I was so frustrated with that dynamic of seeing the food that we needed and not being able to afford it.” Hear it on Bite, episode 64: "[Finding Salvation in Salad](" What's Cooking A healthier take on nachos developed by 10-year-old Naima, who attends a school at Pleasant Hope Baptist Church and regularly visits [the church’s farmers market](. This recipe doesn’t require any cooking, so it’s perfect for kids. Naima’s Veggie Black Bean Nachos Ingredients 8 oz bag of tortilla chips 1 can of black beans 1/2 – 3/4 cup of chunky salsa 1 teaspoon of cumin 3/4 teaspoon of turmeric 3/4 teaspoon of garlic Chopped raw veggies of your choice: spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, etc. Directions Place tortilla chips on plate and set aside. Place beans in a strainer and rinse with water until all the bubbles have disappeared and water runs clear. Add beans to bowl. In the same bowl add salsa, cumin, turmeric, and garlic. Mix well. Scoop bean mixture over chips and top with chopped veggies. Hungry for more food news? Follow Mother Jones Food on [Twitter]( and [Facebook](, and find all of our food stories at [www.motherjones.com]( Did someone forward this to you? [Click here]( to sign up to get more Food for Thought in your inbox! Image credits: Wikimedia; Black Church Food Security Network —Advertisement— [MJ Climate Event]( Food for Thought comes to you from Mother Jones, an award-winning, investigative journalism outlet that was founded as a nonprofit magazine in 1976. [Donate]( [Subscribe to Mother Jones]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} by newsletters@motherjones.com Mother Jones | 222 Sutter Street, #600 San Francisco, CA USA 94108 [Advertise]( | [Edit Profile]( | [Email Preferences](