The thought of eating insects could even make non-vegetarians squirm, let alone vegetarians. But there a plenty of everyday food items that secretly contain insects. Discussion on the issue began after a report recently revealed that cockroaches were being added to chocolate bars. However, the claim was very quickly debunked.

However, a similar report published in Scientific American claimed that a person consumes an average of one to two pounds of flies, maggots, and other bugs each year without even knowing it. Every day, food items like peanut butter, frozen vegetables and spices like cinnamon can contain a certain amount of bugs.

What Should You Know About Insects In Your Food

The peanut butter jar in your pantry can legally contain up to 136 insect parts, according to the FDA’s Food Defect Action Levels guide. From the field to your grocery store, insect fragments often make their way into food production.

Chocolate

The FDA permits up to 74 insect fragments in a 4.4-ounce chocolate bar. Cockroach parts are among the most common contaminants, adding nearly 6,000 bug pieces annually to a chocolate lover’s diet.

Pasta

One gram of pasta can contain a bug fragment, with up to 225 insect parts allowed in a 225-gram portion. These fragments usually come from wheat, which itself may hold up to 75 parts per 50 grams.

Coffee Beans

Your coffee may contain around 120 insect parts per cup. The FDA approves coffee with less than 10 per cent insect infestation, translating to nearly 140,000 bug fragments consumed annually.

Raisins

A single cup of raisins might have up to 35 fruit fly eggs and ten insects. The FDA ensures such small amounts are safe to consume, as eliminating all defects would make food production costly.

Mushrooms

Canned mushrooms with up to 19 maggots and 74 mites are considered FDA-approved. While unappealing, these fragments are often too small to notice and provide protein comparable to chicken or salmon.

Frozen Broccoli

Frozen broccoli can include up to 60 aphids per 100 grams. Regular consumption might lead to unintentionally eating over 1,600 aphids a year, as these tiny bugs commonly infest crop fields.

Canned Tomatoes

A 14.5-ounce can of tomatoes can legally contain eight fly eggs or one maggot. Interestingly, insect eggs are a delicacy in some cultures, like Mexican caviar, made from aquatic insect eggs.

Fruit Juice

The FDA allows canned fruit juices to have one maggot per 250 millilitres. Despite this, insects are a natural part of food processing, so your morning OJ likely contains a harmless amount.

Ground Pepper

Ground pepper can legally hold up to 475 bug fragments per 50 grams. Those insect heads and legs may be adding more spice to your meals than you realise.

Cinnamon

Up to 400 insect fragments are allowed per 50 grams of cinnamon. While this may not deter you from using the spice, it’s worth noting that your favourite desserts might not be entirely vegetarian.

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut can contain up to 50 thrips, small stick-like insects. Knowing this might make you reconsider your next serving of this condiment.

Berries

Raspberries and blueberries can legally include up to four larvae or ten insects per 500 grams. These critters often end up unnoticed in canned or frozen berries.

Jenna Ortega, known for playing the beloved Addams Family character Wednesday, recently posed a video exclaiming how she ‘recently’ found out you can eat kiwis with its skin on, which has sparked a great deal of conversation about whether it is healthy or not.

We are all used to either cutting out the fuzzy skin of kiwis or cutting it in half and scooping out the soft fruit flesh from the inside. However sometimes, just because we are used to something, doesn’t mean it is right. For a long time, peeling fruits was a norm and people thought it was necessary to do, to be safe. However, recently we have seen more scientific proof of why these fruit peels is not only edible but have hidden benefits.

Weighing in on this conversation gastroenterologist Dr. Joseph Salhab and registered dietitian Gillian Culbertson posted a video explaining how this is actually a good practice.

Can You Eat Kiwi With Skin On?

Eating the kiwi skin can significantly boost the fruit's nutritional power. Dr Salhab and Culbertson explain that the skin is loaded with

More Fiber

Eating the skin increases the kiwi's fiber content by up to 50%. This is great for your digestive system, helping to prevent constipation and support a healthy gut.

More Vitamins

You'll get more vitamin C and vitamin E, which support liver health and your immune system. The skin also adds extra folate, magnesium, and vitamin B6.

Rich in Antioxidants

The skin contains three times more antioxidants than the fruit itself. These include polyphenols and vitamin C that fight inflammation and help protect your cells from damage.

What Are The Benefits of Kiwi Skin?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, eating kiwi, especially with the skin on, offers other notable health perks:

• Eating a kiwi two hours before bed can help your body produce melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, leading to a better night's rest.
• The fiber and antioxidants help protect the colon from DNA damage, which can lower your risk of colon cancer.

What Are the Risks of Having Kiwi Skin?

While kiwi skin is packed with nutrients, it's not for everyone. If you have a history of kidney stones, you should avoid eating the skin. The skin contains high levels of oxalates, which are natural substances that can bind with calcium in your body. This can lead to the formation of crystals in your kidneys, increasing your risk of developing painful kidney stones. It's much safer for you to simply enjoy the fruit on its own and throw away the skin. If you're ever in doubt, it's always best to check with your doctor first.

Tips for Eating Kiwi Skin

If the idea of eating a kiwi with its fuzzy skin doesn't appeal to you, don't worry—you have options.

Try a Golden Kiwi

The golden kiwi has a smooth, fuzz-free skin that's much easier to eat than its green counterpart.

Scrub the Fuzz Off

For green kiwis, you can gently scrub the skin with a kitchen towel or vegetable brush while rinsing it under water. This will help remove the fuzzy texture and make it more pleasant to eat.

Blend It

The easiest way to get all the benefits of the skin without even noticing it is to throw a whole kiwi into a smoothie. The blender will break the skin down into tiny, unnoticeable pieces.

When it comes to health, there are no magic shortcuts. “Health is cultivated daily, in small, consistent ways,” said celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar on the episode of All About Her, a podcast hosted by Soha Ali Khan that focuses on women’s nutrition and wellness. Diwekar explained why supplements alone can never replace the essentials of good health, home-cooked food, quality sleep, daily movement, and mindful living.

Supplements Should Complement, Not Replace

According to Diwekar, supplements can only serve their purpose when they are built on top of a strong foundation of healthy habits. Relying solely on pills, powders, or protein shakes while neglecting real food, exercise, and rest does more harm than good. “If your entire focus is on products at the cost of eating home-cooked food, working out, and sleeping well, then it’s not worth it,” she said. Supplements should be seen as supportive tools, not substitutes.

Fitness Doesn’t Need To Be Expensive

A common misconception is that fitness requires costly gym memberships, imported superfoods, or a stack of supplements. Diwekar challenged this belief, stressing that true health is rooted in affordable, sustainable choices. Eating local, seasonal produce and sticking to consistent routines are far more effective than chasing expensive quick fixes. In her words, wellness becomes accessible when we look at what’s around us rather than what is marketed to us.

The Influence of Social Media Trends

The growing culture of influencers promoting supplements was another concern Diwekar highlighted. Many online personalities push powders, pills, and products without disclosing paid partnerships, leaving followers misinformed. This often leads people to buy into the illusion of quick results instead of cultivating habits that bring long-term benefits. Diwekar urged listeners to be cautious about influencer-driven trends and to prioritize their own health signals over marketing hype.

Holistic Health Goes Beyond Food

Nutrition is only one piece of the puzzle. Diwekar reminded her audience that sleep, stress management, and emotional well-being are just as crucial as what we put on our plate. A balanced lifestyle, where rest, relaxation, and movement align with nutrition, creates resilience and lasting wellness. Short-term fads may show quick results, but consistency is the true marker of good health.

Listening To Your Body

Another key takeaway was the importance of tuning into one’s own body. Recognizing signals of hunger, satiety, and energy levels helps individuals build routines that suit their unique needs. Diwekar emphasized that no one-size-fits-all diet or supplement plan can replace personal awareness. Paying attention to your body’s cues is far more effective than blindly copying celebrity-endorsed diets or social media challenges.

Ultimately, Diwekar’s advice blends practicality with tradition. Wellness doesn’t require radical changes, it’s about making small, sustainable choices every day. Cooking at home, walking regularly, choosing local ingredients, and prioritizing sleep are habits that make health achievable for everyone. Supplements can support this lifestyle, but they should never be the foundation.

Those who have belly fat know it is a war when it comes to shedding that fat. It has been fought with everything, from crash diets to endless crunches, but the stubborn midsection just does not go away. Intermittent fasting is not a diet but a way of timing your meals that could help trim that fat. And according to Harvard-trained gastroenterologist Dr. Saurabh Sethi, there are three best tips to lose belly fat with intermittent fasting. One of these is particularly crucial.

Here is how intermittent fasting, done the right way, might finally come to your rescue.

Also Read: No Longer Need 10,000 Steps? 2,500-4,000 Are Enough To Protect Your Heart, Says Doctor

The 12-12 Kickstart

The idea of fasting can sound intimidating. Skipping breakfast or dinner or going without snacks sounds like punishment. But Dr. Sethi suggests starting simple: “First, start with a 12-12 fasting schedule, which is the mildest option. This approach helps you sleep soundly at night and reduces the likelihood of unhealthy food choices the next day."

What does that mean?

You fast for 12 hours (say, 8 pm to 8 am) and eat during the other 12. It is not extreme; you are basically just cutting out late-night snacking and mindless munching. That alone can save you hundreds of calories without you even noticing. Plus, your body finally gets a break from digesting round-the-clock, which helps regulate insulin and metabolism.

Sip Smart During the Fast

If you think fasting means surviving on air, you are wrong. Dr. Sethi is clear: “Second, during your fasting window, only drink black coffee, green tea, black tea, water, apple cider vinegar, lemon water, fennel or basil water, chamomile or ginger tea."

In other words, hydration is key. These drinks not only keep you from feeling bloated but also help curb hunger pangs. Black coffee can give your metabolism a gentle push, while herbal teas like chamomile or ginger soothe your system and reduce bloating. Flavoured waters (lemon, fennel, basil) keep things interesting and refreshing. The trick is: no sugar, no milk, no additions. Pure, clean liquids only.

Why does this matter?

Because breaking your fast with a sugary coffee or fruit juice is like trying to lose weight while eating cake for breakfast. Staying disciplined with what you sip makes intermittent fasting effective.

Build a Plate That Works Harder Than You

Fasting is not a free pass to eat pizza and pastries during your eating window. Dr. Sethi emphasises: “Third, focus on a high-fibre, high-protein diet during your eating window. High-protein foods like paneer, tofu, chickpeas, chicken, turkey, and fish, and high-fibre foods like fruits and veggies. This combination will keep you full and satiated while promoting fat loss."

Protein helps repair and build muscle while keeping you fuller for longer. Fibre slows digestion, keeps blood sugar stable, and gives you that lovely “I’m full, I don’t need dessert” feeling. Together, they form a dynamic duo that not only supports fat loss but also makes fasting easier because you won’t be ravenous when the clock says “no food”.

Intermittent fasting will not melt belly fat overnight, and you still need to eat mindfully. But when done consistently, it can create a calorie deficit, improve metabolic health, and reduce cravings that hamper your goals. And you do not have to cut out entire food groups or live with greens. You just have to learn when to eat, what to sip, and how to build your plate.