Disgusted No More: Britons Eating Brussels Sprouts

Fetus with halo is 'pro-life,' charge critics

(NEWSER) - With 197 days left until Christmas, a planned holiday ad showing Jesus in the womb has triggered a new abortion controversy in Britain. The "Ultrasound Jesus" ad, set to appear on billboards in December, shows a fetus with a halo and announces: "He's on his way: Christmas starts with Christ." Secular critics charge that the ad by a Christian charity and backed by major churches is a politically motivated—and not very subtle—anti-abortion campaign in disguise, the Guardian reports. More»

Try it before worrying that you'll die of a cheese craving

(NEWSER) - Instead of a trendy juice cleanse to start the New Year, Heather Wood Rudúlph went with a different detox diet: going vegan for a month. She shares seven lessons she learned from the experience in Sirens Magazine :

• She can cook: And so can you. Forced to stop making your staple chicken casserole over and over, you discover the joys of “culinary creativity.”
• Skip the colonic and eat veggies instead: “Eating massive portions of leafy vegetables and whole grains” led to “that ‘clean’ feeling" within just a couple of days.
• You never know what you’re going to miss: In Rudúlph’s case, she craved fish and yogurt but never meat, other dairy, or eggs.

Celebrities lead fight against 'torture in a tin'

(NEWSER) - A growing number of British retailers and restaurants have switched from foie gras to faux gras as part of a nationwide move toward politically correct food. Faux gras is made with liver from free-range poultry blended with goose or duck fat, instead of engorged livers from force-fed birds. Consumers seem to like the ethical alternative, with sales at one store surging 60% last year, Grist reports. More»

Many see right through US bars, actually made by Hershey

(NEWSER) - Serious chocolate fans responded warily to the news of Kraft's bid for Cadbury—especially in the US, where aficionados reject the domestic brand anyway. It’s made by Hershey, not the British firm itself, and that just won’t cut it for hardcore devotees of the British brand, the Wall Street Journal reports. "If you were to hold a gun to my head, and say, 'Eat this Hershey bar!' I'd say: 'Shoot me,'" vows one fan. More»

Long thought inferior to reds, greens are finally getting respect from chefs

(NEWSER) - It looks so innocent, but foodies far and wide detest the green bell pepper. One veggie-loving chef has never served a green pepper in her restaurant; Alice Waters of Chez Panisse calls them “a mistake.” The sweeter red version traditionally gets all the love, but some are starting to come around, the New York Times reports. “It brings freshness to the plate,” says one farmer. More»