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A Taste of Edmonton visit will inevitably leave just a couple tickets kicking around but there are plenty of good ways to put them to use. The festival bartenders are happy to take tickets as tips, you can donate them at the festival gate as food bank donations or you indulge further with a decent selection of dishes for a mere two tickets, or about $4.00.
Addictive cabbage, Shojo Izakaya
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Booth 4, two tickets
A heap of fresh, finely-shredded cabbage is drizzled with an onion dressing as it’s served, finished with a sprinkle of black and white sesame seed, which adds some diversity to the dish. Not dressing the cabbage ahead of time helped it retain its crunch but if you’re after more than one item, grab this one first and let it marinade in the dressing as long as possible.
Buffalo mushroom caps, The Banquet Drinkery
Booth 27, two tickets
Hot-sauce-tossed food has been a perennial pub-grub favourite. Cauliflower was slowly integrated into menus around town as a vegetarian option to the standard hot wings and I’m surprised it took as long as it did to toss mushrooms around in a bowl of buffalo hot sauce. The sturdy fungi are well-suited to being battered and deep-fried before getting dressed in a thick and spicy coating. And while the mushrooms aren’t huge, seven in a dish is a decent deal for two tickets.
Gnocchi with beer cheese sauce, Gia’s Deli and Catering
Booth 29, two tickets
This little cup of creamy starch would hit the spot when looking for something filling after a few beers. It’s rich and satisfying but unexciting otherwise and could be dressed up six ways from Sunday but for two tickets, this is a reasonable value. It’s served hot and best enjoyed that way.
Watch for daily Three to Eat reviews in the Food section at edmontonjournal.com while Taste of Edmonton is alive in Churchill Square through Sunday.
The punishment of the Talabat rider sparks anger among social media users in the Arab world.
A food delivery driver has been suspended after a video of him eating from an apparently cancelled order went viral on Twitter.
In the video, the driver was seen with his motorbike for the Talabat delivery service parked on the side of a road as he proceeded to open the delivery carriage and eat out of a meal.
When the Gulf-based newspaper Khaleej Times reached out to the delivery company to enquire about the incident, Talabat responded in a statement by saying that the clip was taken in Bahrain and the driver had been punished.
“We recently became aware of a video showing a rider poorly handling an order, which is against our health and safety policies,” the statement said. “Even though this has been confirmed as [a] canceled order, the rider has been immediately suspended, pending further investigation.
“We take such behaviour very seriously and have sent a reminder to all logistics partners and riders to abide by our health and safety guidelines.”
As news of the driver’s suspension spread on social media, users hit back at the delivery company, expressing their support for the delivery driver, who appeared to be a migrant worker, saying he should not be suspended over the incident.
The incident reignited a fierce discussion around labour rights in the Gulf and criticism over the treatment of migrant workers. The region has about 30 million migrant workers, who make up from 80 percent to 90 percent of the labour market in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain and from 60 percent to 70 percent in Saudi Arabia and Oman.
One social media user in Saudi Arabia offered the driver a job at his company.
“Dear Talabat driver, I believe you were eating due to order cancellation, and I heard that you were banned from working, however, please direct messaged me for a job in KSA.”
اكيد ان الطلب مكنسل و عساه بالعافيه
اتمنى اني اصل اليه لاني سمعت انه تم فصله من العمل
و اقدم له فرصه عندي
Dear Talabat driver, I believe you were eating due to order cancellation, and I heard that you were banned from working, however, please direct messaged me for a job in ksa
— محمد الشمري | Mohmd Alshammari (@ii_Mohmmd) July 29, 2023
Another social media user criticised the person who published the clip, saying it caused his suspension from work.
الإنسان اللي صور المقطع ونشره وتسبب في قطع رزق الولد ده بدون اي تثبت ربنا يعمله بعدله بس https://t.co/O5KjcdtEE5
Translation: “The person who filmed the clip and published it, cut this man’s source of income without any proof, may God do him justice.”
A third social media user said that when an order gets cancelled, it should not be denied to someone who is hungry. Another user said that the driver was unjustly treated.
هذا الحاصل. ظلمناه.
استغفرالله
— د.اسماعيل بن احمد الزرعوني. (@IsmailAlzaroon1) July 28, 2023
Translation: When an order gets cancelled it should be the right of the driver.
If there is one thing you can count on when driving through Sturgeon Falls, it's the chip stands, and The Riv has been taking it to a whole new level with its specials this year.
From pulled pork tacos, to dilly poutine and chicken buffalo poutine, there is a rich, flavourful special to suit every palate.
The Riv Chip Stand, east of Sudbury, is celebrating 50 years in the business and has been pumping out some wicked combinations.
Recently they featured The Soprano, an Italian-inspired poutine with Italian sauce, mozzarella cheese, meatballs, fried raviolis from Sault Ste. Marie, parmesan cheese and parsley flakes.
It sold out within a few days.
Kate and Bruno Lepage have owned The Riv since 2017, with Bruno growing up in the area and being a frequent Riv flyer.
Lepage says their hot specials are thanks to a very creative staff who love experimenting in the kitchen for unique combinations.
“It usually results in new specials once per week from burgers to poutines and shakes,” she says.
Kate says keeping their food sources local or all Ontario local has been a key ingredient to their continued success.
“For instance, all the potatoes come from Don Poulin, in Azilda,” she says. “We also source our meats from Simcoe County at VG Meats and the ice cream comes from London.
“Leisure Farms is another Sturgeon Falls destination. Our milkshakes benefit from our partnership there. Our haskap berry and pumpkin shakes are a hit thanks to them.”
She says Sudbury customers can also head to The Valley Market for bagfuls of their frozen pogos.
The chip stand has a long legacy in Sturgeon Falls starting in 1973 with the Ferlatte family opening the stand after their restaurant “The Riviera '' burned to the ground.
The Lennons took over in the early 90s and then a group of family owners took over from 1995 to 2017 until it came into the Lepages capable restauranteering hands.
When it comes to her favourites, Kate says it’s hands down a hand-dipped pogo with classic mustard.
She adds that the sweet mustard dip is made in-house and they have even offered specialty pogos like the Jalapeno Cheddar Sausage pogo in recent months for those who love a little heat.
On the topic of preferences, Kate says the chip stand competition in Sturgeon is a healthy one.
“Everyone has their favourite taste of gravy or twist of combinations which makes it work,” she says.
Some customers will head to Larry’s, Monique’s or The Riv chip stands. Some families will even split up upon arrival and head their separate ways to order.
The Riv Chip Stand can be found at 235 Main St. in Sturgeon Falls, right across from the recently renovated Larry’s Chip Stand that was forced to rebuild after a devastating fire last year.
In 2020 the American nutritional scientist Chris Talley devised a training diet for Lia Ditton, a professional sailor from London who rowed almost 4,000km from the US mainland to Hawaii. “We did blood tests so we could work out what food she should take and thought we had it all figured out. What we didn’t account for was stress,” he says. Ditton was engulfed by 12-metre swells, followed by sharks, and her boat capsized twice. She was told via radio that another rower attempting the same feat had died.
“As soon as she landed we drew blood and it was nothing like we’d predicted. She’d burnt through everything associated with the production of adrenaline.” This included vitamin B6, found in raw pistachios, sunflower seeds, red
Mecca Jamilah Sullivan is a writer and professor born and raised in Harlem, New York. She now resides in Washington DC, where she teaches African American poetry and poetics, Black queer and feminist literatures, and creative writing at Georgetown University. In 2015, she published the short story collection Blue Talk& Love, which won the Judith Markowitz award for emerging new LGBTQ writers. Her first nonfiction book, The Poetics of Difference, was published in 2021 and explores the writing of Black queer women. Her debut novel, Big Girl, follows the tender, fervent and food-loving Malaya, who comes of age in 1990s Harlem at the height of fad diets, hip-hop and gentrification, and has been shortlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel prize, the Gotham Book prize and the Lambda award.
Where did the idea for a story centredon weight and body image begin? The first draft was my master’s thesis. But the truth is that the core and heart of the story began many years before that, when I was this big Black girl growing up in Harlem, having these experiences and understanding that my body seemed to mean a lot of different things to the people around me. Like all kids, I was coming to recognise that my body was my own to a certain degree and yet it clearly had this effect on others.
The protagonist, Malaya, iseight years old at the beginning of the novel. What compelled you to start the narrative from that particular age? [Kids are] observing [at that age], constantly learning and developing critical perspectives. When we first meet Malaya, she’s at this Weight Watchers meeting. It’s a very vibrant scene. All of these women in the neighbourhood are connecting and bonding. Yet she starts to notice that what they’re connecting on is this internalised sense of shame. She doesn’t have the language for it, so she retreats to her imagination. That’s something that happens in those preteen years. The intelligence is there, the powers of observation are there, but what might not be developed yet is the language to articulate it all. The term morbidly obese, for example; she is still trying to figure out what that means in the same way she is with a term like woman. They’re always in the process of discovery.
You write about food, be it burgers or theDominican sweet dulce de leche, in such a mouthwatering way. There’s a pleasure in thinking [of] and in looking at images of good food. Malaya’s got this defiant inner spirit. Even if she can’t enjoy food, she can imagine it. [For] many of us, especially those who are growing up and living in diet culture, when you tell yourself you can’t eat something, what happens? You start to constantly think about it.
Earlier this month,theNew York Timescovered a new TikTok trend called“girldinner” that featureswomen eating plates of olives, meat and cheese instead of a cooked dinner. What do you think about such trends?
This reminds me of the “almond mom” trend. An almond mom instils diet culture in their daughters by saying: “When you’re hungry, don’t eat a meal. Don’t eat a snack. Eat an almond.” These cultural phenomena are good examples that show us that disordered eating and diet culture is still thriving. But one of the things that has changed is the fact that we now have more language to describe not only our bodies, but also all of the different social and systemic challenges to our bodies and wellbeing. Social media can only reflect back what’s happening in the world and intensify it. But it does further and deepen conversations. We have access to a wider array of images of what health and strength and beauty can look like.
Was it important to set the novel in Harlem?
I think of setting as equal to character. This is a story about this young girl and her family, who are constantly in a process of change and are embattled, but also vibrant and joyful. That is the case for Harlem in the 90s. The neighbourhood helps Malaya to affirm her sense of her identity, especially through hip-hop. And also gentrification and this sense of a threat. The identity of the neighbourhood is changing, though the changes may not be for the best. [Yet] Harlem has a refusal to give in to demands. It’s constantly fighting to retain its core identity. Malaya has a lot to learn from that process.
How did writingBig Girldiffer fromThe Poetics of Difference andBlue Talk& Love?
I entered my PhD programme thinking that I would finish my PhD and write Big Girl at the same time, but it turned out that just wasn’t logistically [possible]. But I would come back to [the novel] between semesters or after major exams. But during that time, I was able to write the short stories that ended up becoming Blue Talk& Love. It was really important to me to start publishing more actively. The Poetics of Difference – the seed of that book was my dissertation. It was a very internal, solitary research process. I was working on Big Girl in between all of these other things. It really did feel like coming home every time I was able to revisit that world.
Were there any book characters you really connected with when growing up?
I’m fortunate enough that my mother had a small Black feminist library on the lower floor of our home. For me, it was Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Jamaica Kincaid’s Lucy and Annie John, and Ntozake Shange’s Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo. [These books] were not written for young readers, but they featured young Black girls. Connecting with these protagonists changed my mind about what was possible through literature and also in my own life.
What books are on your bedside table? Feelin by Bettina Judd. It’s about the place of pleasure in Black women’s creative practice. I recently just finished James Hannaham’s Didn’t Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta. A really amazing dope novel.
What writers working today do you admire the most? Kiese Laymon. He writes so beautifully and brilliantly in so many genres, which is not easy to do. You leave his books changed. I like to shout out folks who might not get all the shine they should. A dear friend of mine, Ivelisse Rodriguez. She’s a fiction writer who writes about Latinx girlhood, sexuality, desire and identity. A recently deceased poet whose work is so important is Kamilah Aisha Moon. Her first collection is about a family with an autistic child, and the intersections of Blackness, neurodiversity, class and the American south. Really beautiful, rich writing.
What are you working on next?
I don’t have a lot to share yet but I’m really excited about it. It’s queer. It’s also a stretch for me. In my short fiction, I do a little bit of speculative [fiction], veering into a kind of hip-hop magic realism but it’s something that I haven’t done in a long form. It’s also kind of sexy.
In a tweet earlier this year, Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk responded to a physician's claim that sugar is poison by tweeting, "I eat a donut every morning. Still alive."
The tweet quickly went viral, igniting debates about sugar and Musk's eating habits.
Over the years Musk has admitted he doesn't have the healthiest diet. "I'd rather eat tasty food and live a shorter life," Musk said in 2020 on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast.
Aside from the daily donut, Musk is known to enjoy sushi, steak, chocolate, coffee and caffeine-free Diet Coke. He is not a big fan of vegetables, opting instead for a diet centered around meat and potatoes.
A poor diet has strong links to obesity, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, leading to severe health consequences such as premature death, disability and financial strain. An unhealthy diet can also result in increased food expenses and higher healthcare costs. While Musk has no financial concerns, nearly half of all Americans struggle to afford healthcare costs, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
To address these issues, there's always new innovations. From Amazon.com, Inc.'s recent launch of their pharmacy business. Startups like iRemedy are raising thousands from retail investors to help offer affordable medical supplies and personal protective equipment, ensuring accessible healthcare solutions for those in need.
Musk's food choices are surprising since he's the richest man in the world with a net worth of $239 billion and has access to any meal from around the globe or the option of having a personal chef.
Equally surprising is the fact that his mother, Maye Musk, is a registered dietitian. She became a registered dietitian in 1970, after graduating from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Science degree in dietetics. She is a fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
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Despite his love for donuts and other "tasty foods," Musk remains mindful of weight gain and its potential impact on factors like the immune system. He acknowledged, "Being overweight is a big deal."
As the years have passed, Musk has found it more challenging to maintain a lean physique, admitting, "The older I get, the harder [it is] to stay lean, that's for sure." In the Rogan interview he explained, "To be totally frank, I wouldn't exercise at all if I could. I prefer not to exercise."
In April, Musk said that he lost over 20 pounds last year by adopting a combination of periodic fasting and using Wegovy, a semaglutide product by Novo Nordisk. Initially hesitant about taking medication, he decided to give intermittent fasting a shot for a month to assess its impact on his weight-loss goals.
Musk isn't the only billionaire who indulges in less-than-healthy food choices. Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg are among others who have openly spoken about their appetites for junk food.
Buffett is known for his love of McDonald's breakfast, Coca-Cola and Dairy Queen Blizzards, asserting that he consumes them because he genuinely enjoys them and doesn't consider them to be unhealthy. He has even joked that he has the diet of a 6-year-old.
Gates labels himself a "junk food junkie," openly admitting his love for french fries, ice cream and pizza along with sugary drinks like Mountain Dew and Diet Coke.
Zuckerberg is often seen enjoying Chipotle burritos, which he claims to have almost daily for lunch, alongside other indulgent treats like pizza and ice cream.
Elon Musk Eats A Donut Every Morning Despite Being Raised By A Dietician — 'I'd Rather Eat Tasty Food and Live a Shorter Life' - Yahoo Finance Read More
It’s not the same as going vegan, but it can also have a strong impact on reducing your carbon footprint.
One thing much of the country seems to agree on is eating more plants. More than half of Americans (63 percent, regardless of political affiliation, according to a 2021 study by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication) are actively trying to eat less red meat. In the United States, plant-based products grew into an $8 billion industry in 2022, with a growth rate of 7 percent since the year before.
This phrase comes up more and more as we see the effects of climate change — extreme heat, more powerful storms and the like. You may have questions, so here’s a look at what this means.
What is a plant-based diet?
The exact definition of a plant-based diet can vary, and the term is often used interchangeably with vegan. Yet they are not the same thing.
Any food labeled vegan will be plant-based — but the reverse is not always true.
Generally speaking, a plant-based diet consists largely of vegetables, fruit, beans, legumes, grains and nuts, with little or no meat, dairy or fish. People who follow plant-based diets do so for reasons of health, animal welfare concerns, or environmental consciousness.
Veganism is a moral philosophy based on animal rights that abstains from all animal products, including meat, dairy, eggs, honey and products containing leather, silk or wool, or that have been tested on animals.
This distinction matters, because while many people are not interested in giving up animal products entirely, any reduction in our consumption of those foods will help the planet.
Are plant-based and vegan diets better for you?
Not necessarily. Vegan, plant-based and omnivorous diets (and pescatarian and vegetarian diets for that matter) can all be made up of whole, fresh ingredients (called whole-food diets, which are good for you) or highly processed ones (which are not). The more processed foods you include in your diet, the worse it is for your health, whether your chicken nuggets are made up of real or vegan chicken.
Because the term “plant-based” is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, it’s become a widely used marketing tool. You’ll find it on products of dubious healthfulness, like ultraprocessed instant noodles, chips and energy bars.
Do I have to give up animal products entirely to follow a plant-based diet?
Most experts (Harvard Medical School, for example) define plant-based as a diet primarily made up of plants, with small amounts of meat, fish and dairy consumed very occasionally — anywhere from a few times a week to a few times per month.
Limiting your consumption of meat and dairy has been shown to have significant positive effects for planetary health and can also be beneficial for your health — as long as you replace meat and dairy with whole and minimally processed foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and grains — and not diet sodas and vegan doughnuts.
So no, you don’t necessarily need to go cold turkey on the turkey.
Are plant-based and vegan diets better for the environment?
Melissa Clark’s hearty mushroom bourguignon.David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Yes, and the body of evidence supporting this is growing. Yet another major study has recently been published, showing that eating a plant-based diet is significantly better for the environment than eating a meat-based diet.
The research, conducted by Oxford University, found that people who follow a meat-free diet are responsible for 75 percent less in greenhouse gas emissions than those who eat meat every day, and that following a low-meat, vegetarian or pescatarian diet is proportionally less detrimental to land, water and biodiversity than a meat-heavy diet.
Other studies have shown that the production of meat and dairy products — particularly from cows — emits as much carbon each year as all cars, trucks, airplanes and ships combined. (This is true whether that meat was factory farmed or raised organically.)
The more plant-based you can make your diet, the more planet-healing it will be.
Of course the kinds of drastic, swift changes necessary for real progress will require ambitious action in government and corporate policy. But the cultural shift already underway is a necessary step in this direction.
What about cheese?
In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, many cheeses, such as Cheddar and mozzarella, may be even worse offenders than pork, chicken and fish. So a pescatarian or a flexitarian who eats small amounts of chicken or bacon every once in a while, but skips those cheeses, can have more of a more positive impact on the planet than a vegetarian who consumes loads of cheese and dairy every day.
Are plant-based meats healthier than conventional meat?
It depends on what’s in them, and brands vary wildly. While, in general, plant-based meats tend to be lower in saturated fats and can be higher in fiber, they can also be higher in sodium and calories. Read the labels carefully before you buy.
How do I start cooking more plant-based meals?
Hetty Lui McKinnon’s crispy sheet-pan noodles with glazed tofu.Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Limiting meat and dairy makes room on your plate for all kinds of other delicious things, like vegetarian skillet chili over a mound of hot rice; homemade sourdough bread smeared with tahini and marmalade; a bowl of chile-crisp tomato salad with vegetable dumplings. Many people ease into a plant-based diet by forgoing meat and dairy once a week, and increasing from there. Or you can try limiting meat and dairy to 3 to 4 meals per week, and reduce this number over time.
In March this year, Florence Pugh, Oscar-nominated actor, 2019 winner of the Trophée Chopard at Cannes, was on a chat show to promote her new movie in which she co-starred with Morgan Freeman.
She appeared flustered, before things quickly went downhill. “This is like eating battery acid,” she told host Sean Evans. Tears rolled down her face and she started dribbling, then she was sweating from her eyebrows.
Pugh, like a growing number of British celebrities, was a guest on Hot Ones, a YouTube chat show that has got 385m views on TikTok so far this year. It attracts a bafflingly high calibre of A-list guests to eat increasingly spicy chicken wings, perform tasks and answer interview questions. Like many others from the UK and Ireland, these stars, who have included Lewis Capaldi, Harry Kane, Idris Elba, Niall Horan and Colin Farrell, have succumbed to the delights of hot sauce.
The traditional British aversion to spicy food seems to have finally been allayed as sales for hot sauces increased significantly in the last year. According to Waitrose, sales of hot sauces are up 55% year on year. Sales of sriracha are particularly strong with a rise of 22%. The Thai chilli sauce has become a bona fide social media star – #sriracha has over 550m views on TikTok. Ongoing shortages of Huy Fong sriracha have made headlines in the US.
Waitrose now stocks more than 20 different hot sauces ranging from mild chipotle to a habanero sauce with a rating of 30,000-50,000 heat units on the Scoville scale, which measures chilli heat. The number of small-batch hot sauce producers has been growing in the UK for a while.
Meanwhile, Nando’s has replaced HP – famous for its brown sauce – as the third biggest name in table sauces in the UK. Nando’s BBQ sauces, sold in supermarkets, have grown 9.5% this year with sales of £22.4m, while traditional British condiments have declined in unit sales. Brown sauce is down 8.1%, but mayonnaise is also down 2.2% and ketchup has dipped by 4.5%.
The UK is not just embracing the taste of chilli but an accompanying cultural scene is growing too. Bauce Brothers is a subscription hot sauce club founded in 2018 by Jess Karia and Ben Uraszewski. The club started annual awards for the best sauces in 2021. Karia was introduced to hot food by his father, who carried a box of green chillies around with him so he could add them to sandwiches and burgers. Uraszewski’s entry point was Caribbean food flavoured with the scotch bonnet pepper.
“We’ve shared a love of hot sauce for many years, but found it difficult to easily discover great UK ones,” says Uraszewski. “Buying sauces online was challenging as there’s a huge amount of choice, and many focused on extreme heat rather than flavour. We started the club to help hot-sauce heads like ourselves find great sauces made in the UK, that put flavour first.”
“Small-batch sauces, to us, are those that you can’t find in your supermarket, contain all natural ingredients and are often recipes passed down through family. Each batch might be slightly different and this, we feel, adds to the charm.”
These artisanal spicy sauces are a key feature of the chilli festivals that are now a part of British summer time. Over the last 10 years these events have sprung up around the country. While eating competitions are often a staple, they have become important for sauce makers too. Event producer Allie Behr runs the Hot Sauce Society, London’s largest hot sauce festival, which in May had its biggest audience to date and they’re running a pop-up shop in Shepherds Bush at the end of August.
“The hot-sauce community are such lovely people,” says Behr. “It’s not hairy blokes like you get with craft beer. It’s very diverse and the sauce makers are often selling family recipes and they share their stories with each other. It’s so nice.” UK based sauce maker Pat Hinds’ sells a Guyanese pepper sauce, Pat & Pinky’s, flavoured with the wiri wiri chilli and inspired by his mother, Pinky, and her cooking. The wiri wiri is not well known outside Guyana but Hinds believes it’s a great introduction to the country’s culture. “We’re bringing our national chilli to the world,” he says. “Guyanese cuisine is amazing – it’s the glue that brings people together.”
Hinds worked in marketing for 25 years before launching Pat & Pinky’s. He first saw the rise of hot sauces in the US, particularly New York. Then the trend arrived in the UK. “Street food has become massive and it’s a great way to experience food from other countries. People’s taste buds have definitely gotten more adventurous with foods from around the world.”
He says that social media and YouTube have also changed the game as it means you can experience and see different food long before you actually eat it. He does advise people who are still scared of hot sauce to give it a try.
”We’ve found events really work as people can sample sauces and we can take people on a journey. They just have to jump in and have a go.”
As Uraszewski from Bauce Brothers points out: “Hot sauce is a sure fire way to transform any bland meal into something more magical.”
If swallowing pills makes you grimace or you may be unable to chew tablets safely, gummy vitamins may make an easy alternative that tastes yummy going down. While multivitamins have been available in the US since the 1940s, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one company claims to have created the first gummy vitamin in 1997. Since then, many supplement brands have been producing these nutritious confections. According to Grand View Research, in 2022, the global dietary supplements market was valued at 163.9 million dollars.
According to a 2020 study in Clinical Toxicology, 65% of gummy vitamins on the market are made for children (hence brightly colored character-themed packaging), yet, plenty of adults take gummy multivitamins too. "Multivitamins are supplements containing different minerals and vitamins that people need in order for their bodies to function properly. Many individuals don't get the required levels of essential nutrients from food intake, and this causes adverse health outcomes. Dietary supplements like multivitamins help bridge this gap," says Kevin Huffman, D.O., CEO & Founder of Ambari Nutrition.
Whether it's berry punch or tropical citrus, their candy-like taste and texture are a good reminder to take them daily, especially for those who may forget about their multivitamins. On the flip side, their candy-like flavors may cause some to overeat gummy vitamins. So, what happens if you eat too many gummy vitamins? This article will be a tell-all for taking gummy vitamins in excess.
What Are Vitamin Gummies?
Gummy vitamins are gelatin-based alternatives to vitamins in powder, pill or other forms. While every gummy vitamin brand is unique, it's common for gummy vitamins to contain ingredients such as glucose syrup, sugar, water, fruit and vegetable juice concentrate, natural flavors and oils. Besides their various colors and shapes, gummy vitamins appeal to all consumers due to their fruity flavors. Gummy vitamins can be multivitamins, single nutrients like the all-popular vitamin C gummies or offer a nutrient combo such as omega-3 gummies with vitamin D.
What Happens If You Eat Too Many Vitamin Gummies
Sweet, chewy and sometimes even coated in sugar—gummy vitamins resemble chewy candies in many ways, but the difference lies in their contents. Gummy vitamins contain essential nutrients and minerals, depending on the brand. Their flavors outshine chalky chewable vitamins and multivitamin pill aftertastes, which could be a risk factor for eating too many. Here are some things you may experience if you take too many gummy vitamins.
You May Experience Digestive Upset
"Signs that you may be taking too many vitamins at once include digestive issues such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea," says Whitney Prude, PharmD, BCPS, NBC-HWC, owner of Whole & Happy Living. More specifically, excess amounts of vitamin D can raise calcium levels in your body and lead to nausea and vomiting. Magnesium is known for its laxative effects, and in large amounts, unabsorbed magnesium salts in the bowels could trigger gastric movement, leading to diarrhea, per the NIH. According to the NIH, zinc can also be a digestive delinquent when there's too much, causing nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting and gastric distress.
Your Sense of Taste and Smell Could Be Off
Your favorite foods may smell or taste differently if you take too many nutrients. Aside from causing digestive problems, several nutrients taken in excess can influence your tastebuds, altering your taste and smell. According to a 2021 review in the Australian Prescriber, zinc can change your taste and smell even at non-toxic levels. Selenium can leave behind "garlic breath" or a metallic taste, while a bitter taste in your mouth can signal too much folic acid.
You May Get Too Little or Too Much Iron
Low iron levels are common in early childhood and pregnancy, increasing the chances of developing iron deficiency anemia. Iron can be difficult to add to gummy vitamins because of their taste and form; therefore, many brands leave them out. Young children and pregnant people at risk of iron deficiency should seek the help of a medical provider for iron supplementation. "While many gummy vitamin brands do not contain iron, be aware that some do. When eaten in excess, iron can have detrimental side effects ranging from gastrointestinal distress to iron poisoning," says Dahlia Rimmon, M.S., RDN.
You May Increase Your Intake of Added Sugars
Daily gummy vitamins could offer you more added sugars than you hoped. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage limiting added sugar intake to make room for nutrient-dense foods. Added sugars typically come from sweetened beverages, desserts, sweet snacks and candy. The American Heart Association encourages no more than 25 grams of added sugar daily intake for women and 36 grams for men. Some gummy vitamin varieties offer 3-8 grams of added sugar per serving, contributing anywhere from 8 to 32 % of added sugar intake daily. "Although convenient and tasty, gummy vitamins may contain added sugars and calories, which can contribute to weight gain and dental issues if consumed excessively," says Prude. People who may need to watch their added sugar intake closely to help better manage their blood sugars may need a gummy vitamin with low amounts of added sugar or switch to vitamin form free of added sugars.
How Much Is Too Much?
"If you are taking more than the recommended number of vitamins on the bottle, you are taking too many. Some people think that "if some are good, then more is better." This is simply not the case. Vitamins and supplements are not benign, and they do have side effects and can be dangerous when taken above the recommended amount," says Prude. Many gummy multivitamins carry fat-soluble vitamins, water-soluble vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients such as omega-3 fats and choline. Here are a few common types of nutrients:
Fat-Soluble Vitamins
"Fat-soluble vitamins —vitamins A, D, E and K— have the potential to accumulate in the body and reach toxic levels if taken in excessive amounts over time," says Prude.
Water-Soluble Vitamins
"Water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C and the B vitamins are typically excreted through urine if taken in excess, but extremely high doses can still lead to adverse effects," says Prude.
Minerals
Calcium, potassium and magnesium are minerals that many gummy vitamins contain. But like vitamins, excess amounts of minerals can cause harm. "Taking too much of certain vitamins or minerals can interfere with the absorption of other nutrients. For example, taking high doses of calcium can interfere with your body's ability to absorb iron which may lead to iron deficiency. Plus, high doses of zinc over an extended period of time can result in a copper deficiency," says Alyssa Pacheco, RD.
Below is a breakdown of nutrients common to gummy vitamins, the upper limit (UL), the level at which they become toxic, and how many gummy vitamins you must take to reach toxicity. Please note the table serves as just an example since it's only based on one vitamin brand—Smarty Pants Kids Formula and Smarty Pants Adult Formula. That said, the actual number of gummies it takes to meet the UL depends on the brand, and many gummy vitamin brands are on the market. You can see that for most of the given nutrients, it would take a massive amount of gummies to reach the UL for this particular brand. However, other gummy brands may contain far more nutrients than this.
Nutrient
Age Group
Upper Limit (UL)
Micrograms (mcg)
Milligrams (mg)
Number of gummies to reach the UL
Vitamin A
Children 4-8
Children 9-13
Adults 19+
900 mcg
1,700 mcg
3,000 mcg
20
38
67
Vitamin B-6
Children 4-8
Children 9-13
Adults 19+
40 mg
60 mg
100mg
160
240
400
Vitamin C
Children 4-8
Children 9-13
Adults 19+
650 mg
1,200 mg
2,000 mg
58
107
178
Vitamin D
Children 4-8
Children 9-13
Adults 19+
75 mcg
100 mcg
100 mcg
15
20
20
Folate
Children 4-8
Children 9-13
Adults 19+
400 mcg
600 mcg
1,000 mcg
6.4
9.6
16
What to Look for in a Vitamin Gummies
Opt for Verified Supplements
Dietary supplements are not under FDA regulation, and that means there's potential for them to contain harmful ingredients or lack the nutrients they promise to possess. Prude helps offer guidance in selecting safe gummy vitamins. "When choosing a dietary supplement, you want to look for a product that has a UPS Verified stamp on the label, which stands for the United States Pharmacopeia.
Prude explains why the USP-verified stamp is important to identify when shopping for trustworthy supplements. "When you see the USP Verified stamp on a dietary supplement label, it indicates that the product contains the ingredients listed on the label, in the declared potency and amounts, and does not contain harmful levels of specified contaminants. Further, the supplement will break down and release into the body within a specified amount of time, and it has been made according to FDA current Good Manufacturing Practices using sanitary and well-controlled procedures," says Prude. Prude encourages consumers to check USP-verified brands on their websites to make things more straightforward.
Choose Free of Artificial Dyes and Colorings
Depending on the brand, gummy vitamins could be made with artificial dyes and fillers, so it's better to choose a brand free of these unnecessary ingredients.
Stick to Supplements That Help Meet Your Needs
"Gummy multivitamins may not meet all of your needs, especially if you are deficient in iron or another nutrient. Most gummy multivitamins do not contain iron and may not contain enough other nutrients to help you correct a nutritional deficiency. Speaking with a registered dietitian can help you develop a plan to meet all of your needs," says McKenzie Caldwell, MPH, RDN, fertility and prenatal dietitian.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many gummy vitamins are too much?
Eating above the recommended serving size of gummies in one day would be too many.
Is it bad to eat many vitamin C gummies?
Eating too many vitamin C gummies could lead to excess vitamin C in your body. Going above the upper limit of vitamin C intake, which is 2,000 mg for adults and 650 milligrams for children ages 4 to 8, can lead to symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, and cramps, according to the NIH.
What are the side effects of multivitamin gummies?
"The side effects of taking multivitamins can vary depending on the specific formulation and individual factors. Generally, common side effects may include upset stomach, constipation, or an unpleasant taste in the mouth," says Prude.
How do you know that you're taking too many vitamins?
If the number of gummies you're chewing exceeds the recommended serving size, you're taking too many vitamins at once. Knowing if you're exceeding the recommended nutrients your body needs may take more investigating because nutrients are found in supplements and foods. Take inventory of all of the supplements you're taking and bring them to your medical provider. If you're experiencing digestive upset, a funny taste in your mouth, or any other unusual symptoms, let them know.
The Bottom Line
Gummy vitamins are the sweetest and arguably the most taste-bud-friendly supplements that commonly include essential nutrients such as vitamins A, C, D and calcium. Generally, it's difficult to overdose on gummy vitamins if you're taking the recommended serving size. If you take too many, your body may communicate through symptoms, including digestive troubles, changes in smell or taste or dental issues.
It can help to stick to USP-verified supplements free of harmful artificial ingredients and offer the nutrients you might need. Most healthy people don't need supplements, so taking multivitamins daily may not be necessary. To know for sure, speak with your medical provider about supplementation, and talk with a registered dietitian to find ways to revamp your eating routine with high-nutrient foods.
If swallowing pills makes you grimace or you may be unable to chew tablets safely, gummy vitamins may make an easy alternative that tastes yummy going down. While multivitamins have been available in the US since the 1940s, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one company claims to have created the first gummy vitamin in 1997. Since then, many supplement brands have been producing these nutritious confections. According to Grand View Research, in 2022, the global dietary supplements market was valued at 163.9 million dollars.
According to a 2020 study in Clinical Toxicology, 65% of gummy vitamins on the market are made for children (hence brightly colored character-themed packaging), yet, plenty of adults take gummy multivitamins too. "Multivitamins are supplements containing different minerals and vitamins that people need in order for their bodies to function properly. Many individuals don't get the required levels of essential nutrients from food intake, and this causes adverse health outcomes. Dietary supplements like multivitamins help bridge this gap," says Kevin Huffman, D.O., CEO & Founder of Ambari Nutrition.
Whether it's berry punch or tropical citrus, their candy-like taste and texture are a good reminder to take them daily, especially for those who may forget about their multivitamins. On the flip side, their candy-like flavors may cause some to overeat gummy vitamins. So, what happens if you eat too many gummy vitamins? This article will be a tell-all for taking gummy vitamins in excess.
What Are Vitamin Gummies?
Gummy vitamins are gelatin-based alternatives to vitamins in powder, pill or other forms. While every gummy vitamin brand is unique, it's common for gummy vitamins to contain ingredients such as glucose syrup, sugar, water, fruit and vegetable juice concentrate, natural flavors and oils. Besides their various colors and shapes, gummy vitamins appeal to all consumers due to their fruity flavors. Gummy vitamins can be multivitamins, single nutrients like the all-popular vitamin C gummies or offer a nutrient combo such as omega-3 gummies with vitamin D.
What Happens If You Eat Too Many Vitamin Gummies
Sweet, chewy and sometimes even coated in sugar—gummy vitamins resemble chewy candies in many ways, but the difference lies in their contents. Gummy vitamins contain essential nutrients and minerals, depending on the brand. Their flavors outshine chalky chewable vitamins and multivitamin pill aftertastes, which could be a risk factor for eating too many. Here are some things you may experience if you take too many gummy vitamins.
You May Experience Digestive Upset
"Signs that you may be taking too many vitamins at once include digestive issues such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea," says Whitney Prude, PharmD, BCPS, NBC-HWC, owner of Whole & Happy Living. More specifically, excess amounts of vitamin D can raise calcium levels in your body and lead to nausea and vomiting. Magnesium is known for its laxative effects, and in large amounts, unabsorbed magnesium salts in the bowels could trigger gastric movement, leading to diarrhea, per the NIH. According to the NIH, zinc can also be a digestive delinquent when there's too much, causing nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting and gastric distress.
Your Sense of Taste and Smell Could Be Off
Your favorite foods may smell or taste differently if you take too many nutrients. Aside from causing digestive problems, several nutrients taken in excess can influence your tastebuds, altering your taste and smell. According to a 2021 review in the Australian Prescriber, zinc can change your taste and smell even at non-toxic levels. Selenium can leave behind "garlic breath" or a metallic taste, while a bitter taste in your mouth can signal too much folic acid.
You May Get Too Little or Too Much Iron
Low iron levels are common in early childhood and pregnancy, increasing the chances of developing iron deficiency anemia. Iron can be difficult to add to gummy vitamins because of their taste and form; therefore, many brands leave them out. Young children and pregnant people at risk of iron deficiency should seek the help of a medical provider for iron supplementation. "While many gummy vitamin brands do not contain iron, be aware that some do. When eaten in excess, iron can have detrimental side effects ranging from gastrointestinal distress to iron poisoning," says Dahlia Rimmon, M.S., RDN.
You May Increase Your Intake of Added Sugars
Daily gummy vitamins could offer you more added sugars than you hoped. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage limiting added sugar intake to make room for nutrient-dense foods. Added sugars typically come from sweetened beverages, desserts, sweet snacks and candy. The American Heart Association encourages no more than 25 grams of added sugar daily intake for women and 36 grams for men. Some gummy vitamin varieties offer 3-8 grams of added sugar per serving, contributing anywhere from 8 to 32 % of added sugar intake daily. "Although convenient and tasty, gummy vitamins may contain added sugars and calories, which can contribute to weight gain and dental issues if consumed excessively," says Prude. People who may need to watch their added sugar intake closely to help better manage their blood sugars may need a gummy vitamin with low amounts of added sugar or switch to vitamin form free of added sugars.
How Much Is Too Much?
"If you are taking more than the recommended number of vitamins on the bottle, you are taking too many. Some people think that "if some are good, then more is better." This is simply not the case. Vitamins and supplements are not benign, and they do have side effects and can be dangerous when taken above the recommended amount," says Prude. Many gummy multivitamins carry fat-soluble vitamins, water-soluble vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients such as omega-3 fats and choline. Here are a few common types of nutrients:
Fat-Soluble Vitamins
"Fat-soluble vitamins —vitamins A, D, E and K— have the potential to accumulate in the body and reach toxic levels if taken in excessive amounts over time," says Prude.
Water-Soluble Vitamins
"Water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C and the B vitamins are typically excreted through urine if taken in excess, but extremely high doses can still lead to adverse effects," says Prude.
Minerals
Calcium, potassium and magnesium are minerals that many gummy vitamins contain. But like vitamins, excess amounts of minerals can cause harm. "Taking too much of certain vitamins or minerals can interfere with the absorption of other nutrients. For example, taking high doses of calcium can interfere with your body's ability to absorb iron which may lead to iron deficiency. Plus, high doses of zinc over an extended period of time can result in a copper deficiency," says Alyssa Pacheco, RD.
Below is a breakdown of nutrients common to gummy vitamins, the upper limit (UL), the level at which they become toxic, and how many gummy vitamins you must take to reach toxicity. Please note the table serves as just an example since it's only based on one vitamin brand—Smarty Pants Kids Formula and Smarty Pants Adult Formula. That said, the actual number of gummies it takes to meet the UL depends on the brand, and many gummy vitamin brands are on the market. You can see that for most of the given nutrients, it would take a massive amount of gummies to reach the UL for this particular brand. However, other gummy brands may contain far more nutrients than this.
Nutrient
Age Group
Upper Limit (UL)
Micrograms (mcg)
Milligrams (mg)
Number of gummies to reach the UL
Vitamin A
Children 4-8
Children 9-13
Adults 19+
900 mcg
1,700 mcg
3,000 mcg
20
38
67
Vitamin B-6
Children 4-8
Children 9-13
Adults 19+
40 mg
60 mg
100mg
160
240
400
Vitamin C
Children 4-8
Children 9-13
Adults 19+
650 mg
1,200 mg
2,000 mg
58
107
178
Vitamin D
Children 4-8
Children 9-13
Adults 19+
75 mcg
100 mcg
100 mcg
15
20
20
Folate
Children 4-8
Children 9-13
Adults 19+
400 mcg
600 mcg
1,000 mcg
6.4
9.6
16
What to Look for in a Vitamin Gummies
Opt for Verified Supplements
Dietary supplements are not under FDA regulation, and that means there's potential for them to contain harmful ingredients or lack the nutrients they promise to possess. Prude helps offer guidance in selecting safe gummy vitamins. "When choosing a dietary supplement, you want to look for a product that has a UPS Verified stamp on the label, which stands for the United States Pharmacopeia.
Prude explains why the USP-verified stamp is important to identify when shopping for trustworthy supplements. "When you see the USP Verified stamp on a dietary supplement label, it indicates that the product contains the ingredients listed on the label, in the declared potency and amounts, and does not contain harmful levels of specified contaminants. Further, the supplement will break down and release into the body within a specified amount of time, and it has been made according to FDA current Good Manufacturing Practices using sanitary and well-controlled procedures," says Prude. Prude encourages consumers to check USP-verified brands on their websites to make things more straightforward.
Choose Free of Artificial Dyes and Colorings
Depending on the brand, gummy vitamins could be made with artificial dyes and fillers, so it's better to choose a brand free of these unnecessary ingredients.
Stick to Supplements That Help Meet Your Needs
"Gummy multivitamins may not meet all of your needs, especially if you are deficient in iron or another nutrient. Most gummy multivitamins do not contain iron and may not contain enough other nutrients to help you correct a nutritional deficiency. Speaking with a registered dietitian can help you develop a plan to meet all of your needs," says McKenzie Caldwell, MPH, RDN, fertility and prenatal dietitian.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many gummy vitamins are too much?
Eating above the recommended serving size of gummies in one day would be too many.
Is it bad to eat many vitamin C gummies?
Eating too many vitamin C gummies could lead to excess vitamin C in your body. Going above the upper limit of vitamin C intake, which is 2,000 mg for adults and 650 milligrams for children ages 4 to 8, can lead to symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, and cramps, according to the NIH.
What are the side effects of multivitamin gummies?
"The side effects of taking multivitamins can vary depending on the specific formulation and individual factors. Generally, common side effects may include upset stomach, constipation, or an unpleasant taste in the mouth," says Prude.
How do you know that you're taking too many vitamins?
If the number of gummies you're chewing exceeds the recommended serving size, you're taking too many vitamins at once. Knowing if you're exceeding the recommended nutrients your body needs may take more investigating because nutrients are found in supplements and foods. Take inventory of all of the supplements you're taking and bring them to your medical provider. If you're experiencing digestive upset, a funny taste in your mouth, or any other unusual symptoms, let them know.
The Bottom Line
Gummy vitamins are the sweetest and arguably the most taste-bud-friendly supplements that commonly include essential nutrients such as vitamins A, C, D and calcium. Generally, it's difficult to overdose on gummy vitamins if you're taking the recommended serving size. If you take too many, your body may communicate through symptoms, including digestive troubles, changes in smell or taste or dental issues.
It can help to stick to USP-verified supplements free of harmful artificial ingredients and offer the nutrients you might need. Most healthy people don't need supplements, so taking multivitamins daily may not be necessary. To know for sure, speak with your medical provider about supplementation, and talk with a registered dietitian to find ways to revamp your eating routine with high-nutrient foods.
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