Did you ever see one of those cartoons where a goat eats tin cans and cardboard boxes and other trash? It was good for a laugh, but had nothing to do with reality.

Goats are capable of eating things made of paper, because of their strong digestive system. Of course they don’t eat tin cans or most of the other weird objects in the cartoons. That is pure nonsense.

What does any of this have to do with you? I’m glad you asked…

Sauerkraut is best known as a traditional German and Czech food. It is a common feature of most traditional Northern, Central and Eastern European cuisines. And it is popular in parts of China and North and South America as well.

Sauerkraut is a healthy food that offers an abundance of vitamin C, healthful lactobacilli, and other nutrients without artificial preservatives. The benefits are so compelling that sailors started carrying sauerkraut hundreds of years ago on long sea voyages. They found that eating sauerkraut prevented the debilitating effects of scurvy.

Try this quick and easy dish for lunch or supper. It’s healthy and well-balanced. It’s filling. And it’s very tasty!

We were in the path of Hurricane Ike. The storm hit hard and did a lot of damage. Many people had to evacuate their homes. Those who remained in their homes endured — and are still enduring — many difficulties.

The storm attacked in the middle of the night, leaving many homes and businesses damaged or destroyed. In the morning, our streets were littered with roof tiles, broken tree branches, broken fences and other debris. Millions of people remain without electricity or other services. The recovery and cleanup will be long and difficult.

My area was among the many hit by the power blackout. We couldn’t open the fridge or the freezer. Keeping them firmly shut was the only way that we could possibly prevent the food from spoiling. I do have a gas cooktop, although I had to use matches in place of the electric starter.

It is a sad fact that many people skip breakfast. Some do it because they don’t have time, or think they don’t have time, to make something. Others avoid early eating because they think this is a good way to lose weight.

Big mistake. Studies have shown that people who skip breakfast — thinking they are cutting calories — actually eat more throughout the day than people who have a good, nourishing breakfast. As the day wears on, the person’s hunger builds to an unbearable degree. The ravenous person inevitably binges on whatever is available — usually some type of greasy, high-fructose-corn-syrup-filled junk food.

Breakfast can be as simple as a scrambled egg or two, a piece of wholegrain bread, and a spoonful of jam (sugar-free, please!).

Everyone’s talking about it. Cookbooks abound, and restaurants feature it. Everyone has heard of it, but they don't necessarily know much about it. What is it?

The Mediterranean diet is, generally speaking, the way of eating in this region of Europe, by some of the healthiest people in the world. This includes Greece, France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. There is a good deal of overlap with Middle-Eastern food.

Features of the Mediterranean diet include an emphasis on fresh ingredients, with lots of vegetables, beans, fruit, grains, and nuts. The main oil used is olive oil, which is known to be one of the best. Unlike very low-fat diets, this one can contain as much as 35% fat. But not just any fat — the healthy fats of olive oil and nuts.

Everyone knows that Europeans love to eat, yet many of them manage, against all odds, to keep a svelte, slim figure. Their food is often rich and full-flavored, and they don't skip dessert. Travelogues always show local folks at their favorite restaurants, mingling and enjoying beautiful food, having a wonderful time. What is their secret?

I was shopping, determined to get the best quality food I could comfortably afford. I decided to get some ham to have with eggs for breakfast. I eliminated all the overly-fatty types, the ones with added honey, cheese, and so on. I narrowed it down to two brands of sliced ham, one of which was labeled as nitrite-free and "all-natural". The nutrient information was similar for both.