An example of one of the study's ultra-processed lunches consists of quesadillas, refried beans and diet lemonade. Participants on this diet ate an average of 508 calories more per day and gained an average of 2 pounds over two weeks. Hall et al./Cell Metabolism hide caption
Poor diet is the leading risk factor for deaths from lifestyle-related diseases in the majority of the world, according to new research. John D. Buffington/Getty Images hide caption
Potato Research Institute geneticist Jaroslava Domkářová says that while potatoes are a staple crop in the Czech Republic, the recent blue "specialty varieties" are harder to market. Morgan Childs for NPR hide caption
Dr. Daniel Nadeau gives Allison Scott tips on getting kids to eat healthy at Ralph's Supermarket in Huntington Beach, Calif. David Gorn hide caption
Last year, the Food and Drug Administration told the maker of Kind bars that some of its nut-filled snacks couldn't be labeled as "healthy." Now the agency is rethinking what healthy means, amid evolving science on fat and sugar. Ryan Kellman/NPR hide caption
Nychele Williams, 15, picks basil from the garden at Eastern Senior High School in Washington, D.C. Lydia Thompson/NPR hide caption
Numbat populations once dropped as low as 500 adults. To help save this endangered marsupial, the Perth Zoo has been rearing them in captivity for release back into the wild. But wild numbats eat only termites, which are too difficult to get in large quantities. So zoo staff have spent over a decade concocting a tasty and nutritious substitute. Helenabella via Wikimedia Commons hide caption
Ella Barnes-Williams visits the thrift shop associated with Martha's Table, a nonprofit social services organization in Washington, D.C. Anders Kelto/NPR hide caption
A "ballet" of Brussels sprouts dazzles at the Food Porn Index, a site that tracks which foods are trending in social media part of an effort to heighten the appeal of healthy eating. via Bolthouse Farms hide caption
Sure, these Buffalo-chicken-and-kale-stuffed mushrooms look tasty, but they aren't the giant bowl of salt and corn syrup your brain really, really wants. Matthew Mead/AP hide caption
(Top left, clockwise) Macmen N' Cheese; chocolate ramen; udon and egg. (Bottom row) Ramen fritatta; cannellini beans and spinach; and southwest taco from the book Rah! Rah! Ramen. Sara Childs/ Courtesy of Interactive Direct hide caption
Volunteers with lower levels of blood sugar stuck more pins in voodoo dolls of their spouses than people with higher levels. Courtesy of Brad Bushman hide caption
Bolthouse Farms helped pave the way for using Mountain Dew-style tactics to sell healthy foods, like this ad for baby carrots. It was a wake-up call for the rest of the food industry. Crispin Porter Bogusky via AP hide caption
JuJu Harris is the author of The Arcadia Mobile Market Seasonal Cookbook. A former recipient of government food assistance, she now teaches healthy eating skills to low-income families in Washington, D.C. Courtesy of Molly M. Peterson hide caption
At NPR's Sound Bites Cafe, all food gets coded with one of three circles: Green is reserved for the most healthful dishes; yellow flags the "good choices;" and red signals the high-calorie foods to grab "on occasion." NPR hide caption
A Safeway customer browses in the fruit and vegetable section at Safeway in Livermore, Calif. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption
Don't eat me all at once. April Fulton/NPR hide caption
Some of the author's favorite foods, like yogurt, just didn't taste good during chemo. iStockphoto.com hide caption
How a wealthy table set with a second course in the month of January would look, according to Mary Smith of Newcastle, in her 1772 book, The complete house-keeper and professed cook. British Library hide caption
Students enjoy the fruits of their labors in Wallingford. Courtesy of Wallingford Public Schools hide caption
After dark, North Americans' food choices become much less healthy. Junk foods are spread across the continent at 10 p.m. Eastern. Massive Health hide caption