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Maria Godoy
Volunteers pass out fresh vegetables for a Thanksgiving meal at the Alameda Food Bank in Alameda, Calif., in 2009. The percentage of Americans who report struggling to afford food has remained stubbornly near recession-era highs.

Volunteers pass out fresh vegetables for a Thanksgiving meal at the Alameda Food Bank in Alameda, Calif., in 2009. The percentage of Americans who report struggling to afford food has remained stubbornly near recession-era highs. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The Salt

A Glimmer Of Hope In The Fight Against Hunger In America

The number of Americans struggling to afford food has remained stuck near recession-era highs. But a recent Gallup poll suggests things may be starting to get back on track for some.

After a hard day of bruising battle, ancient gladiators reached for a post-workout drink, according to an ancient account. New research backs that up.

After a hard day of bruising battle, ancient gladiators reached for a post-workout drink, according to an ancient account. New research backs that up. Stefano Bianchetti/Corbis hide caption

itoggle caption Stefano Bianchetti/Corbis

The Salt

Gladiator Gatorade? Ancient Athletes Had A Recovery Drink, Too

Gladiators guzzled a drink made from plant ash to help their bodies recover after a hard day of sword fighting, according to Roman accounts. New tests of old bones back up that idea.

The Ingenues, an all-girl band and vaudeville act, serenade the cows in the University of Wisconsin, Madison's dairy barn in 1930. The show was apparently part of an experiment to see whether the soothing strains of music boosted the cows' milk production.

The Ingenues, an all-girl band and vaudeville act, serenade the cows in the University of Wisconsin, Madison's dairy barn in 1930. The show was apparently part of an experiment to see whether the soothing strains of music boosted the cows' milk production. Angus B. McVicar/Wisconsin Historical Society hide caption

itoggle caption Angus B. McVicar/Wisconsin Historical Society

The Salt

Moo-d Music: Do Cows Really Prefer Slow Jams?

Some farmers have long sworn by mellow tunes to boost Bessie's milk production. The science is hardly conclusive. But a study hints at what might top the barnyard playlist. (Psst: They liked R.E.M.)

Michelle Obama eats lunch with school children at Parklawn Elementary School in Alexandria, Va., in 2012. The first lady unveiled new guidelines Tuesday aimed at cracking down on the marketing of junk food to kids during the school day.

Michelle Obama eats lunch with school children at Parklawn Elementary School in Alexandria, Va., in 2012. The first lady unveiled new guidelines Tuesday aimed at cracking down on the marketing of junk food to kids during the school day. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

The Salt

New Rules Would Curb How Kids Are Sold Junk Food At School

Schools have made big strides in meeting standards for healthier meals, but students are still bombarded by junk food marketing. The first lady announced guidelines Tuesday that aim to change that.

The Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel: The salty-sweet snack that launched a bitter lawsuit.

The Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel: The salty-sweet snack that launched a bitter lawsuit. Courtesy of Tina Haupert hide caption

itoggle caption Courtesy of Tina Haupert

The Salt

Trader Joe's Caught In Sticky Lawsuit Over Peanut Butter Pretzels

Creating the salty-sweet snack was a bit of a technological marvel. And the company that claims to have invented it says Trader Joe's has unfairly cut it out of the pretzel marketplace.

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I want to hold your lunch! This 1965 lunchbox — considered "one of the Holy Grails" of lunchbox collecting — sold for $936.10 in 2013. It came with a thermos. Another mint condition sample sold for $1,625 last fall.

I want to hold your lunch! This 1965 lunchbox — considered "one of the Holy Grails" of lunchbox collecting — sold for $936.10 in 2013. It came with a thermos. Another mint condition sample sold for $1,625 last fall. Courtesy of Hake's Americana & Collectibles hide caption

itoggle caption Courtesy of Hake's Americana & Collectibles

The Salt

Beatlemania! When The Fab Four Rocked The Lunchroom

Soon after they arrived on U.S. shores, The Beatles infiltrated just about every part of American pop culture — including lunchboxes. Fans have been known to shell out more than $1,000 for an authentic 1960s lunchbox featuring the band.

A probiotic commonly found in yogurt seems to help women lose more weight and fat, a recent study finds. But you still have to eat healthy to see an effect.

A probiotic commonly found in yogurt seems to help women lose more weight and fat, a recent study finds. But you still have to eat healthy to see an effect. iStockphoto hide caption

itoggle caption iStockphoto

The Salt

Ladies: Good Bacteria In Yogurt May Be Good For Waistlines, Too

Women who took a probiotic commonly found in yogurts daily while on a diet regimen lost significantly more weight and fat than their counterparts who received a placebo. The findings offer interesting hints about how probiotics might be interacting with the tiny microbes that live in our guts.

Britain's King George II: Snazzy dresser, adventurous eater.

Britain's King George II: Snazzy dresser, adventurous eater. Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The Salt

Frogs And Puffins! 1730s Menus Reveal Royals Were Extreme Foodies

A rare collection of menus detailing the meals served to King George II and his queen contain plenty to offend our modern, squeamish sensibilities. But the manuscript, which sold at auction Wednesday, also reflects bigger shifts afoot in how food was sourced and prepared. The result? Tastier British cuisine.