Susmita Baral

New Mexico has become the first American state to take a legal stand on “lunch shaming” students who don’t have money to buy lunch. The tales of lunch shaming are not scarce — students have reportedly been stamped, forced to wear a wristband, had their lunches tossed out, or even told to perform chores in lieu of a meal. Now, thanks to the Hunger-Free Student’s Bill of Rights, kids can eat lunch without a side of humiliation.

Back in 2011, Athens-based architect Katerina Kamprani started working on her Uncomfortable series, which entailed reimagining everyday items into “uncomfortable” versions of their useful selves. Many of these everyday goods pertain to the kitchen: a double-cupped champagne glass, interlinked coffee mugs, a thick cutlery set, hourglass salt and pepper shakers, and even a slipper spoon. “I started this project for fun, so my purpose is to make people laugh and feel amused!

The Harry Potter franchise turned 20 on June 26, leaving fans nostalgic for when the first book in the series originally released. The 20th anniversary marked the U.K. release of the first novel in the cult-favorite J.K. Rowling series: Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone. To commemorate the occasion, Digg made a video featuring all the delicious (and unappetizing) foods featured in the films, from mundane moments to unforgettable ones.

Food recalls can happen for frightening reasons. Sometimes items are found to contain traces of bacteria like listeria, the Hepatitis A virus, and salmonellapieces of metal in ice creama decomposing bat found in a bag of pre-packaged salad That’s the case with the 440 pounds of chicken salad being recalled for a relatively harmless reason: there’s no chicken in them.

No, it's not just a hangover.

We all know the health perks of eating more vegetables: A wealth of research has found diets rich in fruits and vegetables lower blood pressure, decrease risk of heart disease, can reduce blood cholesterol levels, and may offer protection against certain types of cancers. But all that means just fresh vegetables, right? Frozen veggies must not be as nutritious as plants plucked straight off the farm. Well, not so fast, says science.

If you’re worried about bacteria that causes food poisoning, then chances are you’ve heard a thing or two about a bad guy named Salmonella, which makes people sick with approximately 1.2 million cases of illnesses a year. Now, there’s a new name to learn, as Salmonella has been dethroned as the most common bacteria to cause food poisoning in the United States.

For the last 10 years or so, Nutella has creeped its way into our hearts But not everything is sweet in the land of hazelnut chocolate. The ingredient that makes this spread so creamy — palm oil — is under fire for being a potential carcinogen. Thus far, there are no government regulations banning palm oil or official recommendations for consumers to stop eating it. But some chains and brands have taken matters into their own hands as a precautionary step.

There’s been a lot of sweet talk in the news lately — and we’re not talking about Valentine’s Day! The topic of sugar, in whatever form, is on everyone’s minds. (The consensus seems to be that, as a nation, we’re consuming too much, although, as with most things, it’s complicated). But there’s one specific sweetener that really has people buzzing right now, and that’s Manuka honey.

Butter, in all its delicious glory, generally gets a bad rap. That’s largely due to the fact that butter is high in saturated fat — a single tablespoon has 7 grams of saturated fat, or 35 percent of the USDA’s daily recommended amount — and saturated fat has been linked to high cholesterol and increased risk of cardiovascular problems.

The meat substitute industry is growing rapidly. According to research firm Markets and Markets, the global sales of meat substitutes increased by $4 billion this year alone and have seen a 42 percent increase since 2010. Experts anticipate the global meat substitute market to generate $5.2 billion in revenue by 2020, reports MarketWatch. If these numbers aren’t compelling enough, now one of the world’s largest meat processors has gone on record to predict a meatless future.

The word “healthy” is as subjective as it gets — one man’s trash is another man’s nutritious. It’s not just salad, people! So when consumers see the word slapped on packaging, they should meet it with a level of skepticism, as current regulations for the term are relatively confusing. It’s a word that has no consistent meaning. But the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) wants to change this.

The next time you're side-eyed or shamed for eating food dropped on the floor, know that you're not alone.

Edamame is a favorite snack or appetizer to nosh on, especially before a big sushi dinner. These green soybeans are a rich source of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. They’re also delicious. Now sushi-lovers need to be wary when eating the appetizer, as an edamame product from Advanced Fresh Concepts has been recalled in 33 states. A random quality testing analysis revealed a potential contamination of Listeria monocytogenes.

Sources of stress are everywhere around us. For some, it’s their workload or just life’s responsibilities. For others, it’s not being able to pick the best boozy brunch spot for the weekend. They are all valid. But a new study has found a way to eat your way out of the psychological pressure. Scientists from the University of Sydney in Australia have found eating three to four servings of veggies a day can significantly lower psychological stress levels.

Imagine the typical American diet and you may think of lunches filled with beef burgers and regular steak dinners. Perhaps that was the case once upon a time, but there’s been a shift in the American diet. The change is a gradual one over the course of nearly a decade that has resulted in a decline in beef consumption. According to a new study from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Americans dropped their beef intake by 19 percent from 2005 to 2014.

Chicken-nugget aficionados and chicken-finger enthusiasts be warned — nearly one million pounds of chicken from an Oklahoma-based manufacturer may be contaminated with “extraneous materials.” What kind, you ask? The kind nobody wants in their body: metal. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Ok Food Inc. has issued a recall of their chicken products.

A new study from researchers at North Carolina State University looked at best-selling cookbooks and found that 99.7 percent of recipes don’t address food-related risks. Is this a problem? The study, published in the British Food Journal, looked at 1,749 recipes containing “raw animal ingredients” from 29 cookbooks featured on the New York Times best-sellers list.

Green juice has long been a staple of the wellness community, but not everyone can say they actually enjoy the drink. For those finicky palates, eating a green drink may be the solution and Sugarfina is here to help with their new “Green Juice” Gummy Bears. Yes, green juice gummies now exist.

Roughly one percent of Americans suffer from celiac disease — an autoimmune disorder that triggers inflammation and intestinal issues. The solution for these individuals is to follow a gluten-free diet that avoids consumption of the protein found in whole grains. But over the past few years, those without celiac disease have opted to go gluten-free for an array of reasons, from weight loss to general health benefits. In the United States, 0.

The Trump administration is directly aiming at food policy for the next area to loosen regulations. Last week, the federal government separately pinpointed two areas where they plan to make changes for consumers: school lunches and calorie labels on menus. The former will see looser rules, while implementation of the latter has been delayed. Here’s what you need to know about both.

In the month’s first major recall news, 5,620 pounds of meat are being taken off shelves in six states. Marcho Farms is recalling beef, pork, and veal products over a potential contamination of a non-O157 Shiga toxin. The issue came to light after the Illinois State Meat Inspection Service reported samples of meat tested positive for the toxin. Since the meat had already been distributed to grocery stores, the USDA Safety and Inspection Service was alerted.

Burrito-lovers, be warned: There’s a massive recall for ready-to-eat frozen burritos, so double check your freezer before indulging. A Las Cruces, New Mexico-based company issued a recall for nearly 253,000 pounds of frozen burritos on Saturday morning over a possible listeria contamination in select products from the brand.