Ben Fisher
Expertise
Food Industry Trends, Ingredient Analysis, Culinary Science
- Several of Ben's articles focus on the expected results of consuming the same food every day.
- Ben's piece on Pepsi Blue explains why the drink seemingly disappeared from store shelves overnight.
- He knows the exact difference between jam and jelly, a seemingly minor but nevertheless important distinction.
Ben Fisher is a freelance writer from Seattle.
Mashed’s industry-leading coverage is created by qualified and experienced writers, and is reviewed and fact-checked by our editorial team to ensure everything is accurate and timely. Outside experts are also consulted to help deliver factual, up-to-date information.
Our mission is to inform and engage our readers, telling them things they need to know, things they want to know, and things they didn't know they wanted to know about food. We strive to always provide a well-rounded reading experience, whether that’s the news of the day or a new original recipe you can try making at home. In an effort to provide the most comprehensive, current, and accurate content, our editorial team constantly reviews and updates articles as necessary. Additional information on our editorial process available here.
Stories By Ben Fisher
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Cabbage has a bit of a reputation as a boring vegetable. But perhaps that notion should be applied only to plain, green cabbage because nothing livens up a plate like it being bright purple. In fact, it's sometimes difficult to believe that red cabbage is grown naturally.
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Many people guzzle sparkling water because it doesn't contain any calories or sweeteners like juice or sugar. But too much of anything can have an impact on health, even if it's something as innocuous as water. Here is a look at what will happen if you drink sparkling water every day.
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Bacon is a popular way to start the morning in many kitchens across the country. However, most people save it for special occasions. Does the weekend count? Given that bacon is somewhat of a hassle to prepare, requires a good deal of cleanup, and people are concerned about the health impact.
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Beans are an incredibly versatile food that spans a wide range of varieties and potential uses. Unlike some foods that would be potentially difficult to consume on a daily basis, beans could easily be eaten every day, and perhaps even without the eater getting bored with them.
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If any spouse could spice up a marriage for the long haul, you'd probably expect it to be Mrs. Dash. But Mrs. Dash's marriage must have felt like an infernal mismatch over time because in February 2020, that news broke that Mrs. Dash would not only be salt-free but spouse-free.
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According to a recent study, the preferred alcohol among Americans — 63 perfect of whom drink alcohol — is, perhaps unsurprisingly, beer (via USA Today). Of American drinkers, 42 percent of them consider beer to be their favorite alcoholic beverage.
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Even the biggest brands in the food and beverage industry sometimes make missteps. One such flop was Pepsi Blue, a fluorescent soda that looked more like antifreeze than a beverage.
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Mushrooms have a wide range of varieties and an equally wide range of health benefits. They're used in cuisines the world over given their versatility. While the most popular type is the classic and beloved white button mushroom, the name "mushroom" has been applied to 38,000 types of fungus.
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High in protein, but without cholesterol or saturated fat, egg whites are the perfect choice for people on a healthy diet (via Live Science). At the same time, they lack some of the important nutritional aspects of the egg yolk. Here's what happens to your body if you eat egg whites every day.
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As the best-selling item at Walmart, bananas are likely to be the most common fruit in American households. Luckily, they're a nutritious and beneficial fruit.
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Green tea is often lauded as one of the healthiest drinks available. According to Umami Insider, green tea is widely consumed in countries like Japan, which has one of the longest life expectancies in the world (via World Bank). So, there may certainly be some truth to the claim.
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Of all of the peanut butter brands on the market, Jif is one of the most widely known manufacturers of the creamy, sticky lunch staple.
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Looking to improve your personal health with a simple diet change? You should try eating honey every day -- we take a look at the various benefits.
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While jam and jelly tend to be crammed onto the same grocery store shelf and people often use the terms interchangeably, they're not quite the same product.
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Carnitas and al pastor tacos are two of the most popular taco fillings you can find, and though they're both made with pork, the are some distinct differences between the two.
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Pomelos and grapefruits have a lot in common. But the fruits aren't interchangeable. Here are the major differences between the two fruits.
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Though it seems like since there are just two ingredients that go into the making of hard-boiled eggs, and one of them is water, it ought to be easy enough to come up with a perfect specimen. But that's not entirely true. How long should you really cook your hard-boiled eggs?
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Most of the United States' shrimp comes from abroad. Some of this seafood comes from as close as Canada, but it can also come from the other side of the world, where aquaculture standards aren't as rigorous as they are in the United States.
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While sushi has a well deserved reputation as a healthy food — movie star Jonah Hill credits an all-sushi diet with helping him lose a significant amount of weight (via Jamie Geller) — there are some drawbacks to eating sushi so regularly. Here's what happens if you eat sushi on a daily basis.
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Two of the best-known popcorn brands in the country are Orville Redenbacher's and Pop Secret. What's the difference between the two brands?
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Whiskey is one of the most popular hard liquors out there and has seen a recent explosion in popularity. Long thought of as an old man's drink in past years, sales among young drinkers has skyrocketed. Actress Mila Kunis was even chosen to endorse Jim Beam.
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It seems like there should be a simple way around the unhealthy aspects of the preservatives used to cure bacon. Just buy uncured bacon, which won't contain any nitrites! Unfortunately, it's not that simple.
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Creole and Cajun are two food terms that get thrown around interchangeably, but chefs who are from the Louisiana area, from where both foods hail, will have you know that there is (or once was) a difference between the two.
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While doctors recommend that the average male needs 3.7 liters of water daily and the average woman needs 2.7, some people may have problems meeting that goal (via Mayo Clinic). It's quite a lot of water to take in every day, and so much water can get to be a bit boring if we're being honest.
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Nutmeg has a warm, spicy, and earthy aroma and while it's often associated with the holiday season, it can be called for in recipes year-round. What if you need some, but don't have any on hand?
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Although chicken is a popular dish due to its high protein content and low fat content it can be tough to keep the meat itself flavorful and moist.
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Garlic has been lauded for its health benefits for millennia by civilizations such as the Romans, Chinese, Greeks, and Egyptians. Is there anything to these purported health benefits? Thankfully for garlic lovers everywhere, the answer is yes.
