Latest front in food delivery: Kitchens in empty malls

So-called "ghost" kitchens are breathing life into former retail spaces while providing restaurants with a more cost-effective way to meet the rising demand for food delivery. Retail developer Simon Property Group, along with several other partners, expects to open 85 of these establishments in major cities nationwide by the end of 2020.  Read more at The Wall Street Journal…

What we lose by hiring someone to pick up our avocados for us

Sociologists have expressed the importance of informal social contact, meaning the kinds of interactions that happen in between one's work and home lives. This is because mobile ordering and grocery delivery make it so that consumers don't have to set foot in these third places which "can foster a dangerous strain of isolation." Read more at The New York Times…

Walnuts may slow cognitive decline in at-risk elderly

Walnut consumption positively affects elderly adults who have lower bodily health and neuropsychological scores. In a previous study walnuts were shown to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which contribute to cognitive decline. Read more at MedicalXpress…

Daring wants to reimagine chicken, and it just got 10M to do it

NYC-based faux chicken-maker Daring Foods has received $10 million in investment capital from Rastelli Foods Group, with plans set to enter the U.S. retail market in March. The alternative chicken product is made of just five ingredients that are all non-GMO. Read more at Forbes…

Why men are afraid soy will turn them into women

Is plant-based protein gendered? Many men still believe that soy-based meat alternatives, such as the Impossible Burger, will cause them to produce an unhealthy amount of estrogen. This is based on unfounded science, and does not account for the fact that men in countries where soy is widely eaten by both genders have healthy levels of testosterone. Read more at The Atlantic…