Reporter Anahad O’Connor and graphics journalist Aaron Steckelberg surprise and delight online audiences as they delve into the science of food to help readers make the most important health decision of their day: What should I be eating?
In their report “Melted, pounded, extruded: Why many ultra-processed foods are unhealthy,” O’Connor and Steckelberg follow the journey of two kernels of corn to show readers how some foods are minimally processed while other foods — like a corn chip — are put through high levels of processing that change the way our body responds to food.
O’Connor and Steckelberg explore the new science of ultra-processed food, showing how we should stop worrying about the calories or carbs in foods, and start thinking more about what happened to our meal before it ever reaches our dinner table. A growing body of research suggests that the extent of industrial processing that your food undergoes can alter its effects on your body, determining its impact on your appetite, hormones, weight gain, and likelihood of developing obesity and chronic diseases. This extreme processing creates foods that are so easily absorbed by the body that they’re essentially predigested. Many foods also are engineered to overcome our satiety mechanisms, which drives us to overeat and gain weight, experts say.
In their second visual story, “Dairy vs. plant milk: Which is better?” O’Connor takes a deep dive into the science of dairy and plant milks, to see how the beverages compare in various categories, including nutrition, cost, environmental impact and even how well they make frothy coffee. Reader’s were delighted by Steckelberg’s clever visual representation of this contest, pitting Team Dairy Milk and Team Plant Milk against each other on a virtual basketball court. This is science reporting at its best — O’Connor discovered surprising differences and similarities between the two beverages and debunked myths about both dairy and plant-based milks. The result was an easy-to-read interactive format that was widely shared and discussed.
