Marion Nestle, professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, and professor of Sociology at New York University, discusses the new Urban Food Initiative in Boston--and whether it's okay to serve meals cooked with food passed its sell-by date to low-income consumers.

When it comes to weight loss, does it matter more what you eat, when you eat or how much you eat? Marion Nestle, professor in the department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health and of sociology at New York University tries to answer that question in her new book, Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics.

Marion Nestle, professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, and professor of Sociology at New York University, co-author with Malden Nesheim of Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics, discusses the recently revived debate over the benefits of consuming organic vs conventional foods.

New York City plans to ban the sale of large sugary drinks, announced Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Wednesday. The ban, which aims to fight obesity, would impose a 16-ounce limit on the size of sweetened drinks sold at restaurants, bodegas, and movie theaters. Joining us is Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition at New York University and author of "Safe Food: The Politics of Food Safety." Also with us is Jay Cowit, Takeaway Technical Director and Chief Soda Correspondent.

Michael Saul of the Wall Street Journal, New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley, and Marion Nestle, professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health and professor of Sociology at New York University and author of Why Calories Count, talk about Mayor Bloomberg's proposal to prohibit the sale of "super-sized" sugary soft drinks in NYC's restaurants.

Food writer Peter Kaminsky and nutrition and public policy expert Marion Nestle talk about how to have healthy eating habits without sacrificing the fun and pleasure in food. In Culinary Intelligence: The Art of Eating Healthy (and Really Well) Kaminsky tells how he lost 35 pounds and kept them off and he shows how to think before eating, choose good ingredients, understand how flavor works, and make the effort to cook. Marion Nestle’s latest book is Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics (California Studies in Food and Culture).

When it comes to weight loss, does it matter more what you eat, when you eat or how much you eat? Marion Nestle, professor in the department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health and of sociology at New York University tries to answer that question in her new book, Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics.

When it comes to weight loss, does it matter more what you eat, when you eat or how much you eat?Marion Nestle, professor in the department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health and of sociology at New York University, tries to answer that question in her new book, Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics.

Marion Nestle, Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, and Professor of Sociology, at New York University, reacts to the news that Food Network star (and butter enthusiast) Paula Deen has type 2 diabetes, and that she will be a spokeswoman for a maker of diabetes medications. Deen has announced that she was diagnosed three years ago.

Food safety expert Marion Nestle talks about what to throw out and what to keep when cleaning out your kitchen for the New Year.

A 2011 University of Michigan study of more than a thousand middle school students found that those who regularly ate school lunches were 29 percent more likely to be obese than those who brought lunch from home. Of course, what a child eats for lunch is just one of many factors that determines whether he or she becomes overweight or obese. But many schools' dependence upon revenue from vending machines and brand-name fast-food over the past decade may be a tipping point.

Food labels often list ingredients like carrageenan, modified food starch, and butylated hydroxytoluene. On this week’s Please Explain we’ll find out what they are, what they do, and why they’re in packaged foods. Michael Jacobson, microbiologist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest a nonprofit health advocacy group that focuses on nutrition and food safety policies, and Marion Nestle, professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health and Professor of Sociology at New York University, explain. Michael Jacobson is the author of Six Arguments for a Greener Diet. Marion Nestle is the author, most recently, of Safe Food: The Politics of Food Safety, Updated and Expanded and Pet Food Politics: The Chihuahua in the Coal Mine.

Marion Nestle, professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health and professor of Sociology at New York University, discusses the increase in gluten-free living and the nutritional effects of a gluten-free diet.

Is sugar toxic? A 90 minute YouTube video of pediatrics professor Robert Lustig trying to answer the question has counted 800,000 hits. The New York Times has an interesting piece in the magazine section that explains why sugar is on the minds of so many Americans. Marion Nestle is a professor of nutrition at New York University and the author of "What to Eat" and Barry Popkin is the distinguished professor of global nutrition at the University of North Carolina school of public health. Together they explain why sugar is a major public health risk, and what we should do to control it.

The FDA is holding a panel of experts to examine the alleged links between artificial food dyes and hyperactivity in children. Joining us to discuss this issue is Marion Nestle, author, blogger, and Paulette Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University.

Anna Lappé, blogger and author of Diet for a Hot Planet, talks about the possible renaming of high fructose corn syrup and takes your calls on suggestions for the new name. Author, blogger and NYU professor Marion Nestle weighs in.

The Wright County Egg company, based in Iowa, recalled 152 million eggs yesterday due fears of salmonella contamination. This brings the grand total to 380 million, after another recall back on August 13. Marion Nestle is an acclaimed nutritionist from New York University and the author of "Safe Food: The Politics of Food Safety." She says that this isn't the first time the Wright County Egg company has found trouble with the FDA, and that salmonella should not be difficult to prevent.

Marion Nestle, the Paulette Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University and the author of What to Eat, estimates calorie counts based on crowd-sourced photos of meals, and discusses how our perception how healthy our food is matches reality.

Below, check out the variety of meal photos submitted by our listeners! (Note that we received LOTS of submissions, and will upload them asap. Thanks for your patience!)

Co-authors Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, and Malden Nesheim, Cornell University nutritional sciences professor, talk about the science and marketing of pet food and more from their book Feed Your Pet Right: The Authoritative Guide to Feeding Your Dog and Cat.

• NUTRITION TAKEOUT: The average American consumes about 1,200 milligrams more sodium a day than they should. Too much sodium in our diets could lead to hypertension and heart disease. To combat this, the FDA is proposing a ten year plan to cut down the amount of salt in our foods. Marion Nestle, an NYU nutritionist and author of "Safe Food: The Politics of Food Safety," has the details of the FDA's plan and tells us whether it might work.
• LEGAL TAKEOUT: The Supreme Court invalidated a federal law that banned videos depicting violence against animals, in an 8-1 decision yesterday. Columbia University law professor Nate Persily looks into why the Court ruled they way it did.