LATEST (updated 6/9): Parry tells poynter.org in the letters sent to Jim Romenesko "Clearly this week's column hit a nerve with plenty of readers because the response has been strong, with about 75 percent of the readers contacting us saying they're glad someone pointed out that the Taste recipes tend toward unhealthy levels of fat, sodium and sugar. They like the idea of adding a little more healthy content and they see obesity as a serious concern for their families and for the country as a public health issue."
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The headline might seem obvious. Kate Parry, the reader's representative for the Minneapolis Star Tribune dealt with this issue in the June 5 paper. A reader complained that "every recipe is terribly high in calories and fat."
Not a big surprise. Food sections in newspapers tend to glorify food in all its rich splendor. They aren't usually made for healthy people looking for new ways to cook asparagus. They want dessert recipes with lots of butter.
The advertisers like what the food section gives them, and consumers are generally second-fiddle to the advertisers. Again, not a surprise. Special sections exist for advertisers, who hope enough people read them. And even if you do eat healthy, it's fun to read about decadence in the pages of the newspaper.
According to Parry, 15 of the 50 recipes during May made her easygoing standard for healthy recipes. A conservative estimate, but about what I thought it would be.
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