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Would you think twice about that 20-ounce soda if you were informed that it would take 5 miles of walking — or 50 minutes of running — to burn it off?

Would you think twice about that 20-ounce soda if you were informed that it would take 5 miles of walking — or 50 minutes of running — to burn it off? Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The Salt

Reality Check: To Burn Off A Soda, You'll Have To Run 50 Minutes

What might make us pay attention to calorie information on menus? Researchers think that including how many miles of walking or minutes of running it takes to burn off the calories ordered would help.

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Researchers say there's plenty the beef industry can do to use less land and water and emit fewer greenhouse gas emissions. But producers may need to charge a premium to make those changes.

Researchers say there's plenty the beef industry can do to use less land and water and emit fewer greenhouse gas emissions. But producers may need to charge a premium to make those changes. iStockphoto.com hide caption

itoggle caption iStockphoto.com

The Salt

Do We Need A New 'Environmental Impact' Label For Beef?

Labels like "organic" and "grass-fed" don't capture the beef industry's true environmental impact, researchers say. Why not have a label that assesses water use, land use and greenhouse gas emissions?

Corn farmer Jerry McCulley sprays the weedkiller glyphosate across his cornfield in Auburn, Ill., in 2010. An increasing number of weeds have now evolved resistance to the chemical.

Corn farmer Jerry McCulley sprays the weedkiller glyphosate across his cornfield in Auburn, Ill., in 2010. An increasing number of weeds have now evolved resistance to the chemical. Seth Perlman/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Seth Perlman/AP

The Salt

New GMOs Get A Regulatory Green Light, With A Hint Of Yellow

Farmers will be able to plant types of corn and soybeans that can tolerate doses of two weedkillers. It may be one of the most significant developments the world of weedkilling in more than a decade.

Watch your back, small Texas cafes. Beef brisket (from left), convenience store taquitos and chicken fajitas are taking over Texas.

Watch your back, small Texas cafes. Beef brisket (from left), convenience store taquitos and chicken fajitas are taking over Texas. jeffreyw/Flickr; John Burnett/NPR; jefferyw/Flickr hide caption

itoggle caption jeffreyw/Flickr; John Burnett/NPR; jefferyw/Flickr

The Salt

The Texas Road Food Takeover: Smoked, Fried And Tex-Mex

Like the march of fire ants and juniper trees across Texas, a trio of hardy cuisines is edging out the state's gastro-diversity. Classic Lone Star dishes like Frito pie are becoming harder to find.

Farmer Issiaka Ouedraogo lays cocoa beans out to dry on reed mats, on a farm outside the village of Fangolo, Ivory Coast.

Farmer Issiaka Ouedraogo lays cocoa beans out to dry on reed mats, on a farm outside the village of Fangolo, Ivory Coast. Rebecca Blackwell/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Rebecca Blackwell/AP

Goats and Soda

Should You Stock Up On Chocolate Bars Because Of Ebola?

The virus has already caused one spike in chocolate prices, because cocoa is grown in countries that border Ebola-stricken Liberia and Guinea. Prices went back down — for the moment.

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Cucumbers tend to slide out the back of a sandwich when confronted with bite force, writes Pashman in Eat More Better.

Cucumbers tend to slide out the back of a sandwich when confronted with bite force, writes Pashman in Eat More Better. Courtesy of Alex Eben Meyer, Simon & Schuster hide caption

itoggle caption Courtesy of Alex Eben Meyer, Simon & Schuster

The Salt

Friction Can Save Your Sandwich, And Other Tips For Better Bites

Many sandwiches lack structural integrity due to "the sliced cucumber conundrum," says Dan Pashman, author of Eat More Better. He has fixes for it and other kitchen woes — like sad-looking leftovers.

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Chef Sang Yoon prepares a dish at the Top Chef Masters Season 5 Premiere Tasting Event. The rise of competition cooking shows has quickly overtaken the traditional, how-to style of cooking television.

Chef Sang Yoon prepares a dish at the Top Chef Masters Season 5 Premiere Tasting Event. The rise of competition cooking shows has quickly overtaken the traditional, how-to style of cooking television. Evan Agostini/Chase Sapphire Preferred/AP Images hide caption

itoggle caption Evan Agostini/Chase Sapphire Preferred/AP Images

Pop Culture

The New Food TV: The Era Of Julia Child Packed Its Knives And Went

Since the original Japanese Iron Chef first appeared on the Food Network 15 years ago, how-to cooking shows have gradually been displaced by reality shows that pit chefs against each other.

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Definitely not traditional: two colorful takes on porridge, from Friday's London Porridge Championships.

Definitely not traditional: two colorful takes on porridge, from Friday's London Porridge Championships. Dai Williams/Courtesy of the National Porridge Championship hide caption

itoggle caption Dai Williams/Courtesy of the National Porridge Championship

The Salt

Porridge Aficionados Vie To Make Theirs The Breakfast Of Champions

Once derided as Scottish food better suited to horses than people, porridge these days is more cool than gruel. In the U.K., competitions have porridge lovers battling with their best recipes.