Why Do You Rarely See Windows in Grocery Stores?

It’s no accident that grocery stores often lack windows—and there are a few reasons behind this trend. One of them is, sure enough, an attempt to keep people inside longer. “[Stores] want to create a separate environment within their store, where the outside world doesn’t exist,” explains Andrei Vasilescu, a shopping expert who’s studied shopping behaviors and psychology. “You don’t get distracted by the rain, or sunshine, or the fact that your kids are waiting in the parking lot. All your focus is on the shopping experience.” This technique also prevents shoppers from, say, noticing that it’s getting dark out. It really contributes to an “immersive” shopping experience, for better or worse. Do you know the grocery store with the best reputation in America?

Keeping daylight out of grocery stores can also help preserve the products, as some products can spoil faster in direct sunlight. Too much sun exposure can even cause packaging labels to fade. Furthermore, having windows in their stores would decrease the space available to showcase products. “Exterior walls have strong structural supports and can hold the heavier items on the shelves of those walls,” says Margine Biswas, an architect with ARCHIPHY with expertise in retail design. Not to mention, “windows and storefronts are expensive and retailers want to minimize the cost of construction.” And finally, she adds that windows could present security concerns as “retailers want to minimize as many possible entry points to their space as possible.”

Are Some Grocery Stores Bucking This Trend?

In Germany, some Aldi stores have tested out stores with more natural light, whether that’s from windows or a dome in the ceiling. The success was mixed; one store had some gingerbread products melt rapidly due to the sunlight. They needed to replace the glass with specially designed panes that help reduce the potency of heat and UV radiation. This technique hasn’t exactly caught on widely yet—but maybe it should. A National Renewable Energy Laboratory study in 2002 assessed the effects of natural light on shoppers—and it found that shoppers felt vastly more comfortable when there was more natural light around. They were also better able to identify both products and other people in the store. It’s worth noting, though, that this study assessed natural light in all retail spaces, not just grocery stores. The challenges of adding more natural light to grocery stores remain. Next, find out these other grocery store secrets you didn’t know about.

Sources:

The post This Is Why Most Grocery Stores Don’t Have Windows appeared first on Taste Recipes.

What does a “C” mean on a Sam’s Club price tag?

At Sam’s Club, the letter “C” on a product’s tag stands for canceled, according to Joshua Francia, a Research Analyst at TireHungry who consulted a friend and former Sam’s Club employee to confirm this intel. This means that the item will not be re-stocked and the store will clear the space after they run out of the existing stocks.

You might see this letter in the upper right corner of the tag or in the bottom left. It follows the item number on the tag. So, if you like something that bears a “C” on its tag, that’s your “cue” to stock up. Find out the secret code you’ll find on discontinued Costco items, too.

What are other Sam’s Club tag codes?

“C” isn’t the only letter you’ll see on a Sam’s Club price tag. If there’s a tag for items that are being discontinued, you can bet there are tags for items that aren’t going anywhere. If a tag has an “A” on it, it means the item is “active.” According to Francia, this means “there is a lot of stock and the price can drop in the future.”

And if there’s a letter “N,” it means “never out,” which is exactly what it sounds like. “The product will not go on sale, as they are always in stock.” You can think of these as the Sam’s Club mainstays.

So, if you see either of those codes, you don’t need to rush to buy that item—and if it’s got the “A,” be on the lookout for the price to drop! Next, learn the Target price codes you’ll want to start using.

Source:

The post If You See This on a Sam’s Club Price Tag, Stock Up Now appeared first on Taste Recipes.

While you’re strolling around Disney World on a hot day, debating which ride to check out next, chances are you’re not swatting away mosquitoes. You might take it for granted—of course, there are no pesky blood-sucking bugs in the Most Magical Place on Earth. But then when you start to think more about it, it gets perplexing. Disney World is in Florida, after all, a hot state filled with swampland. In fact, the area where the park is used to be nothing but swampland! So how is Disney World virtually mosquito-free?

Well, there are no miraculous Disney secrets that completely eliminate all bugs. Some bugs do still make it into the park because no technique can be 100 percent effective. But by combining a few different methods of pest control, including design and architecture, Disney can create a mostly pest-free park in the middle of swamp country. Here are some Disney food secrets we bet you didn’t know.

Joe Potter and the beginning of Disney World’s crusade against mosquitoes

Most of Disney World’s pest control methods trace back to one man. If you’ve taken the ferry from the Ticket and Transportation Center to the Magic Kingdom, you may have noticed the name “General Joe Potter” on one of the boats. MIT graduate and engineering expert Major General William “Joe” Potter met Walt Disney during the 1964 World’s Fair. Potter had previously served as governor of the Panama Canal Zone, an area ravaged by malaria-carrying mosquitoes. According to Christoper Lucas, author of Top Disney: 100 Top Ten Lists of the Best of Disney, this was where Potter developed his extensive knowledge of pest control as one of the engineers fighting to control the swarms. As Joe and Walt talked at the World’s Fair, the former mentioned his background in controlling mosquitoes. Walt “hired him on the spot” and put him in charge of keeping mosquitoes out of the expansive theme park Walt was planning on building in central Florida, Lucas says.

Disney World keeps mosquitoes out by using flowing water

Disney’s methods aren’t to kill bugs but rather to prevent bugs from being in the park at all. Besides, mosquitoes don’t really live that long anyway. So their methods target the larvae instead—they make the park a non-ideal environment for mosquitoes to live or lay their eggs. One of the ways they accomplish this is by making sure the park has no standing water—mosquitoes are attracted to still water and it’s an ideal environment for them to lay eggs. “You [need to] get rid of their breeding ground, which is standing water,” Lucas explains.

But, as you can imagine, swamps are filled with standing water. So, when Potter got to work on construction for Disney World, he immediately set about building drainage ditches to remove all of the water, converting the swampy land to buildable land. And those ditches—nicknamed “Joe’s ditches”—are still used today, to keep all of the water in Disney parks constantly moving.

“The guests usually don’t notice it…but the water is constantly flowing,” Lucas says. “Whenever you walk by a body of water, there’s usually a fountain in the middle of it, or they’re doing something to keep it flowing.” Whenever Disney prepares to build a new property, they buy a lot more land than the property itself requires so that they can build drainage ditches to allow them to keep the water moving. By the way, this is what Disney parks have looked like through the years.

Disney World’s architecture helps keep mosquitoes out

Disney’s buildings, too, are designed to prevent standing water from collecting. “All of the buildings are built so that water flows right off of [them],” Lucas explains. “With all the rainstorms, if water got caught on the buildings…it would form a pool, and then mosquitoes would hatch their eggs and you’d have thousands of mosquitoes.” So Disney World buildings have a certain shape that doesn’t allow water to collect. It’s something that guests would never notice but is very effective. “They made every building there curved, or designed in a way so there’d be no place for the water to catch and sit there,” Lucas says. “The architecture is really appealing to the eye, but it also serves a purpose: It makes it less conducive to mosquitoes.”

How landscaping keeps mosquitoes out of Disney World

Even the plants in and around the Disney World property are chosen with the intention of eliminating standing water. Plants are chosen because they won’t allow water to puddle in them. Bodies of water are kept free of plants like water lilies that mosquito larvae can hide underneath. “They also stock-fill those places with minnows, goldfish, and a type of fish called mosquito fish that eat the larvae,” Lucas explains. This is how Disney World is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Disney World uses sprays for mosquitoes—but no, not that kind

Right from the get-go, Walt Disney made it clear that he didn’t want nasty chemicals floating around his park. “[He] did not want to ruin the environment at all, so they couldn’t use pesticides,” Lucas explains. “It’d be easy to just spray the whole thing, but he wanted it to be something natural.” So, instead of pesticides, the park uses an unusual insect repellent: liquid garlic. Mosquitoes can’t stand the smell of garlic, so Disney sprays an extract around the park. “The amount that they use is so small that humans can’t smell it, but mosquitoes are very susceptible to it,” Lucas says. Check out these ways to keep mosquitos away from your backyard.

It’s certainly quite the operation, but Lucas acknowledges that none of it would have been possible without Potter. “Without him, they might’ve built the place, but they’d have a problem today with mosquitoes,” he says. We’re sure glad he’s immortalized with a boat! Next, try one of these copycat Disney recipes at home.

Source:

• Christoper Lucas, author of Top Disney: 100 Top Ten Lists of the Best of Disney

The post This Is Why You Never See Mosquitoes at Disney World appeared first on Taste Recipes.

As Costco’s massive success in the United States continues—it’s the country’s fourth-largest retailer as of July 2019, according to The Washington Post—it’s been slowly creeping into prevalence as a clothing retailer. If you haven’t spent a lot of time in Costco’s clothing section, here’s what you should know. Costco has its own Kirkland Signature clothing line, but it also offers items from such big brands as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and Birkenstock. And it offers them for cheap!

The Post explains that Costco “caps its profit margins at about 15 percent,” allowing it to offer serious deals on even brand-name clothing. Well-known brands bring unsold merchandise to Costco, which can then sell them for a much more reasonable price. It’s just one of the secret shopping perks from Costco only members know.

Cost isn’t the only reason people are turning to Costco as a clothing destination. With its “pared-down” area consisting mostly of folded clothes on tables, Costco’s clothing section smacks a little of other bargain shops like T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s. So it provides a similar “treasure-hunt” feel to those stores, but as it’s just a small section of clothing rather than an entire store, it makes for a slightly less overwhelming shopping experience.

Despite this scaled-down experience, though, there is a sense of urgency that comes with clothes shopping at Costco, and that comes from the fact that you never know what you’ll find. Rather than racks of several of the same shirt, you’ll instead find tables displaying…whatever is there that day. So if you see an item you love, there comes with it the need to buy it while you’re there. The potentially self-control-supporting possibility of “I’ll get it next time I’m here” that traditional stores allow disappears, so people have a buy-it-or-lose-it mentality.

Add to that the fact that people who are already in Costco, stocking up on its many other wonderful must-buys, figure that they might as well poke around in the clothes section while they’re there, and Costco’s beginning to see some serious profits from clothing. To be exact, Costco is now seeing clothing and footwear account for $7 billion in sales a year. That secures its place as the eighth most profitable retailer of clothing in the United States! Costco is seeing more annual profit from clothing than big names like Neiman Marcus and Old Navy, per the Post. 

With numbers like that, you’ve gotta figure that these Costco clothes shoppers are onto something. So next time you’re getting your shopping fix, consider checking out Costco’s clothing section.

The post If You’re Not Buying Clothes from Costco, You Might Want to Start appeared first on Taste Recipes.

Food for thought

If any single has generated some wild rumors, it’s the fast-food industry. People are concerned about what’s in their food, especially coming from franchises that churn out massive amounts of it for low prices. So when rumors about what’s in that food, or what the companies that make it might cover up, begin to circulate, people tend to eat them up (so to speak). Some of these rumors might seem absolutely ridiculous on paper. But considering its history, filled with infamous lawsuits, critical documentaries and supplier scandals, there are plenty of people that wouldn’t put anything past McDonald’s. Learn which of these hugely popular rumors are fact and which are fiction. Beyond McDonald’s, these are some of the craziest myths about fast food that you shouldn’t believe.

The McNuggets are made with pink slime

False. Ah, the pink slime. This was a quintessential example of the Internet running absolutely wild with a disturbing food-origin story. Pink slime actually is real—it’s what happens when meat is “mechanically processed,” removing all of the edible parts from the bones so that less goes to waste, and then (sometimes) treated with anti-microbial ammonia. But McDonald’s doesn’t use it. “The [pink slime] photo is not a representation of how we create our Chicken McNuggets®, or for that matter, any item on our menu,” McDonald’s FAQ page reads. However, McDonald’s disavowal of “pink slime” is fairly recent, and they only stopped using mechanically processed beef in 2011. McNuggets, in turn, have been made with all white meat since 2003. Here are other facts you wish you knew about McNuggets.

They once made a sandwich with seaweed in it

True! Anyone who frequented McDonald’s in the early 1990s might remember the “McLean Deluxe,” an attempt at a health-food option. Advertised as containing ten to 16 fewer grams of fat than the Big Mac, this burger definitely cut some corners to justify its name. The patty was only 90 percent meat, and the rest of it was…water. Yes, water was their alluringly tasty meat alternative back then. To “bind” the patty together, the food scientists that created it used a seaweed extract called carrageenan. While this is edible—and actually not an uncommon food additive—McDonald’s consumers were very much turned off by the idea of a seaweed burger. The McLean Deluxe is one of the McDonald’s menu items you won’t find today.

The McRib is made with kangaroo meat

False. This love-it-or-hate-it seasonal item has incited all sorts of wild stories and speculations. And that’s not surprising, considering that this sandwich is something of a perplexing concept. It’s a barbecue pork sandwich that’s supposed to evoke ribs, and is shaped like a rack of ribs—but contains no bones and is not actually rib meat. That fact has led people to throw out all sorts of crazy suggestions about what it actually was made of. One of the suggestions that gained the most traction was that the meat was from kangaroos. Nope—it is in fact pork. And honestly, as wacky fast-food tall tales go, “kangaroo meat” is pretty tame since people do eat kangaroo meat around the world.

The McRib has more than 70 ingredients

False—but was true at one point. The McRib’s ingredient list sent shockwaves through the Internet in the early 2010s, with everyone from The Week to Time claiming that it contained more than 70 ingredients. And, at that time, it did. Perhaps surprisingly, nearly half of those were actually in the bun. And it wasn’t just the jarring number—it was some of the ingredients themselves. The most cringe-worthy was “azodicarbonamide,” which is a flour-bleaching agent that you’ll also find in foam products like yoga mats. Perhaps because of this coverage, McDonald’s did trim down its McRib recipe. Today, though, you can see on McDonald’s website that it does still have more than 40 ingredients—still, with a whole lot in the bun. (It no longer contains azodicarbonamide, though.)

There’s a secret menu

True! There are a few, lesser-known “off-the-menu” items that you’ll see circulating. One is the “Poor Man’s Big Mac,” basically a McDouble with Big Mac sauce and extra condiments. Another is the “Chicken McGriddle,” which is a crispy chicken patty between syrup-soaked McGriddle cakes. However, the secret menu is “secret” and therefore unofficial, so “not everything will be available at every McDonald’s location, and your server may or may not know the lingo.” If you’re going to order off the secret menu, come equipped with an explanation of what the item consists of.

A child died after being pricked by a heroin syringe in a McDonald’s ball pit

False. Those unexplored depths of the ball pits in McDonald’s indoor PlayPlaces made people imagine the worst. And we mean the worst. But the claim that a three-year-old child had died of an accidental heroin overdose after encountering a discarded needle in a ball pit was nothing but a hoax. That doesn’t mean there aren’t health and safety concerns. Those ball pits and tube tunnels have been subject to plenty of scrutiny from concerned parents and health organizations. One Arizona mom even tested 50 different fast-food playgrounds for bacteria—and of those 50, a full 49 tested positive for some kind of potentially dangerous bacteria. Learn about more potential reasons for not seeing as many McDonald’s PlayPlaces anymore.

The Coca-Cola tastes different

True! Have you ever questioned whether Coca-Cola at McDonald’s just tastes better, only to decide that you were surely just psyching yourself out? Well, good news—you were right! The recipe for Coca-Cola isn’t different at McDonald’s, but the difference has to do with how McDonald’s prepares it. McDonald’s has a careful process of chilling the soda, which it details on its website. “The water and Coca-Cola® syrup are pre-chilled before entering our fountain dispensers with the ratio of syrup set to allow for ice to melt,” the FAQ page says. This “ratio” ensures that the melting ice is just the right amount, so that your soda is as flavorful as possible. And the fact that the liquid is chilled before it even enters the soda fountains keeps it as cold as possible, preserving both maximum refreshment and maximum carbonation.

McDonald’s shakes contain no dairy

False. For believers of this rumor, the name said it all. Why would McDonald’s call them “shakes,” not “milkshakes”—unless it legally couldn’t, because they contained no actual milk? With that a foregone conclusion, people started making wild guesses about what was actually in them, from chicken feathers to Styrofoam. But despite the name, the primary ingredient in McDonald’s shakes is ice cream, which in turn has milk as the primary ingredient. So why the ambiguous name? According to McDonald’s FAQ page, it’s because different states have different requirements for what can be called “milkshakes.” So McDonald’s just calls them “shakes” to avoid state-to-state confusion. Which in turn ended up causing a whole lot more confusion. These are the bestselling McDonald’s menu items.

McDonald’s lies about its fries being vegetarian-friendly

False—on a technicality. McDonald’s never lied about the animal products used to make its fries, but it never outwardly said they weren’t vegetarian-friendly, either. First things first: No, the fries are not vegetarian or vegan. In 1990, McDonald’s stopped cooking its fries in beef fat and switched to vegetable oil instead. And that’s where the confusion arose. This publicized swap, understandably, made people think the fries were indeed vegetarian. But this “vegetable oil” still contained “essence of beef” to flavor the fries.

After several separate lawsuits from vegetarians—two of whom were Hindu and abstained from eating beef products for religious reasons—McDonald’s issued an apology. At first, it claimed that it had never outwardly said its fries were vegetarian; it eventually owned up to making misleading claims, though. “We regret we did not provide these customers with complete information, and we sincerely apologize for any hardship that these miscommunications have caused,” said a 2002 statement on the company’s site. McDonald’s agreed to pay $10 million to various Hindu and other groups.

Many of the breakfast dishes don’t contain real eggs

True—if by “real eggs,” you mean “freshly cracked eggs.” Only one of McDonald’s breakfast dishes uses freshly cracked eggs, and that’s the Egg McMuffin. So, what do the other dishes use? Well, they’re still eggs; they’re just not fresh. Most of the breakfast sandwiches contain what’s known as a “folded egg.” These are “liquid eggs that are pre-cooked and folded,” McDonald’s website writes. Those eggs also do contain…stuff that’s not egg. Specifically, nonfat milk, modified food starch, salt and citric acid. And after cooking and folding the eggs, McDonald’s suppliers “flash-freeze” them, and they’re sent, frozen, to McDonald’s kitchens. If you’d prefer 100 percent fresh eggs, ask specifically for a “round egg” on your sandwich, according to a McDonald’s employee on Quora. The employee prepping your meal should acquiesce. Here are some more McDonald’s tips employees won’t tell you.

The burgers won’t go bad

False. This rumor took off in 2008, when a woman shared a photo of a 12-year-old McDonald’s burger that was eerily indistinguishable from a just-purchased one. “People always ask me, ‘What did you do to preserve it?’ Nothing – it preserved itself,” she wrote in her blog, calling the burger “a chemical food.” That was the first instance, but similar posts continued to crop up, all arguing that McDonald’s food was so full of fake stuff that it wouldn’t go bad like actual food. But these posts didn’t tackle the science of this phenomenon. In 2010, SeriousEats did, and proceeded to share their findings in 2016. And what they found was that the reason the burgers weren’t “going bad” was because they were drying out before they could rot. And, spoiler alert: All burgers will do that, as will many other foods. J. Kenji López-Alt of Serious Eats rattles off several, including beef jerky, saltines and croutons.

And López-Alt further debunked the claim by testing it on homemade, obviously chemical-free burgers—and they dried out in the same way McDonald’s burgers did. Furthermore, part of the reason for the longevity of this burger was because it was a regular ol’ McDonald’s hamburger. “A McDonald’s hamburger is small and thin…cooked well-done on a very hot griddle,” López-Alt explained. “These factors contribute to rapid moisture loss, resulting in a burger that dries out long before it can start to rot.” On the other hand, he said that larger McD’s burgers like the Quarter Pounder, though they will still dry out, do show signs of rot at first. Many of these rumors are false, but check out some fascinating true facts about McDonald’s.

The post The Truth Behind 11 Popular McDonald’s Rumors appeared first on Taste Recipes.

All you need is a toilet paper roll—it doesn’t even have to be full—and some essential oil. Try citrus scents, like this one, which can overpower other odors, plus they have a “clean” smell. Place five or so drops of the oil on the inside of the cardboard toilet paper roll and voilà! Your bathroom will be filled with a pleasant but not over-the-top aura of citrus or whichever scent you’ve chosen.

What makes this technique so cool is that, while you don’t actually have to do anything each time you use the toilet, the scent still kicks in whenever you do. Rolling the fragrant toilet paper roll tosses the scent around and “re-activates” it. The nice smell will last you till the end of the roll.

Be careful, though, that the oil doesn’t get on the paper itself. Many essential oils can irritate the skin, especially the sensitive areas that, you know, TP habitually comes into contact with. If the oil does manage to seep through the cardboard, you’re probably best off not using the last couple squares of paper. However, aside from that, you really can’t go wrong with this trick! Here are some ways you are cleaning your bathroom wrong.

The post This Clever Toilet Paper Trick Can Refresh Your Entire Bathroom appeared first on Taste Recipes.

Washing symbol: Hand wash

If you see this symbol on an article of clothing, you won’t want to put it in the washing machine; this symbol means “Hand Wash Only.” Avoid making these laundry mistakes, too.

Washing symbol: Do not wring

Sadly, this symbol is not a reminder to make sure there are no wrapped candies in your pockets when you throw your clothes in the washing machine. (Though that is great advice.) Instead, it means that you shouldn’t wring out that particular article of clothing.

Washing symbol: Iron or steam

This symbol, which depicts an old-fashioned iron, means that you can (you guessed it) iron that article of clothing. Take a closer look at this laundry symbol on your clothes too; often, the iron has one, two, or three dots inside it, representing what level of heat is best to iron it at.

Washing symbol: Hang to dry

This one’s a little less self-explanatory than these other laundry symbols! But all it means is that you should hang up that article of clothing to dry, rather than throwing it in the dryer. Here are some more things you shouldn’t be putting in the dryer.

Washing symbol: Do not dry clean

What just a plain, generic circle means could be anyone’s guess. But we’ll help clear it up. When it comes to laundry symbols, the circle indicates dry cleaning. So if you see a circle with an X through it? It means you shouldn’t dry clean that item.

Washing symbol: No steam finishing

The dry clean circle returns! The positioning of the little line around the circle can be confusing, because the specific position indicates different things. If it’s in the upper right like this, it means that you should dry clean the item, but with no steam. Here’s how to tell if you’re using too much laundry detergent.

Washing symbol: Machine wash

Though this one looks like it could also mean “Hand Wash,” since it does look like water in a regular old bucket, it actually means “Machine Wash.” Nothing complicated here—just toss it in the machine! (After checking for other laundry symbols with more specific instructions.)

Washing symbol: Wash at 105 degrees

Sometimes you’ll see specific temperatures inside the “Machine Wash” symbol, advising the washer about what temperature the clothing should be washed at. What can be frustrating for the American crowd, though, is that these number are in degrees Celsius, not Fahrenheit. So this laundry symbol means you should wash at 40 degrees Celsius, or 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Find out some surprising things you never knew you could clean in the washing machine.

Washing symbol: Machine wash, permanent press

Nope, this doesn’t depict a drink sitting on a coaster. The little line under the regular “Machine Wash” symbol means that you should wash that article with the Permanent Press setting. A double-line underneath the Machine Wash symbol means to use the delicate or gentle cycle.

Washing symbol: Do not wash

You won’t want to put anything with this symbol on it in the washing machine—or in that bucket of water to wash by hand, either. If something has the “Do Not Wash” symbol on it, you’ll want to have it dry cleaned. Next, check out these genius ways to boost your laundry detergent.

The post Here’s What Those Washing Symbols on Your Clothes Really Mean appeared first on Taste Recipes.

#10: McGriddles breakfast sandwich

This McDonald’s breakfast staple—bacon and egg surrounded by miniature, M-stamped pancakes—takes the number ten spot on our list. This is a big hit among people who crave the delicious taste of pancakes, but don’t have the time to sit down and have a stack. The egg in McGriddles is actually what employees call a “folded egg”—a frozen, slightly modified egg. This is the only McDonald’s breakfast dish that uses ‘real’ eggs.

#9: Double cheeseburger

In 2002, McDonald’s learned that it’s OK to mess with the classics—if it means people get more of them. With double the beef and double the cheese, this burger is the ninth most popular Mickey D’s item. In early 2003, the Dollar Menu—which the Double Cheeseburger was introduced as a part of—saved McDonald’s from its first quarterly loss since 1965. Sales skyrocketed, with the dollar Double Cheeseburger leading the way. Of course, the Double Cheeseburger is now a little pricier (about $1.69), thanks in part to the rising price of American cheese, but it’s still a big hit. Don’t forget to check out these 8 mind-blowing McDonald’s facts.

#8: Premium salads

While McDonald’s may not immediately pop into your mind when you think of health food, consumers took notice when the franchise upped its salad game in 2003. Instead of using iceberg lettuce, the then-new Premium Salads used a new lettuce blend, and McDonald’s eventually got rid of iceberg lettuce altogether. Salads like the Southwest Buttermilk Crispy Chicken and the Bacon Ranch have cemented the Premium Salad at eighth place on this list.vvvbvv

#7: Chicken nuggets/strips

Burgers and fries might be McDonald’s primary claim to fame, but chicken holds strong, claiming the seventh spot on this McDonald’s menu item list. McDonald’s introduced its Chicken McNuggets in 1980 and they’ve been a bestseller ever since. Select Strips, on the other hand, vanished from the menu in 2015, but chicken connoisseurs are still able to get their fix with the Buttermilk Chicken Tenders, new as of 2017. Either way, the combined chicken items have garnered enough sales to rank seventh. Did you know McNuggets only come in one of four shapes?

#6: Apple slices/baked apple pie

From snacks to dessert, apples are a big deal for McDonald’s. The baked apple pie, introduced in 1992, has become somewhat iconic thanks to its very inexpensive price (99 cents!) and its tasty recipe. In fact, its ingredients are actually more natural than you might think! If you want to get an even healthier apple fix, opt for the apple slices. Originally created as Apple Dippers, a nutritious side for Happy Meals, the apple slices alone have helped propel apple-related fare to spot six on this list. Find out the secret behind McDonald’s apple pie recipe.

#5: Egg McMuffin

The Egg McMuffin revolutionized fast food as the first-ever breakfast item truly offered by a fast food franchise. In the 1970s, fast food executive Herb Peterson sought to create an eggs Benedict sandwich for McDonald’s. He put a poached egg, Canadian bacon and cheese between two English muffins, and consumers loved it. Loved it enough, in fact, to make it the fifth most popular menu item.

#4: Happy Meal

Thanks to everything from the PlayPlaces in many McDonald’s locations to the fact that McDonald’s is the world’s largest toy distributor (yes, really!), it might come as a surprise that McDonald’s didn’t always market to children. But it’s true—it wasn’t until 1979 that the franchise began selling the boxed “kids’ meals” we know and love today. Even back then, the cardboard Happy Meal boxes contained toys, and the colorful, child-friendly packaging was inspired by cereal boxes. Learn the secrets McDonald’s employees won’t tell you.

#3: Snack Wraps

Food on the go is what McDonald’s does best, and Snack Wraps are made for that very purpose. Don’t have the time or the appetite for a full meal? A snack wrap is the perfect choice off the McDonald’s menu. Take your pick of grilled, crispy or buttermilk crispy chicken and enjoy. These portable portions are McDonald’s third best-selling item. Here check out McDonald’s secret menu!

#2: Big Mac

You knew this one had to be near the top. The special-sauce-loaded, sesame-seed-bun-surrounded burger concoction, named after the franchise itself, falls just shy of the number one spot. Successful marketing has played a big part in the Big Mac’s enduring popularity. Recently, the Big Mac got both a downsize and an up-size, being marketed alongside respective larger and smaller sandwiches the Grand Big Mac and the Mac Jr. As the McDonald’s website puts it, “there’s a Mac for any moment,” including Christmas with the BOGO Big Mac deal.  (That goes for appetite too!) Get a look at these 14 things you never knew about the Big Mac.

#1: French fries

It probably doesn’t come as a surprise to learn that these delicious slices of golden goodness are the all-time bestseller. They’ve been a staple of McDonald’s since its very first menu, and people have been asking for fries with that—or just fries—ever since. And yes, there is a secret ingredient that makes McDonald’s fries so addictive.

Also, don’t forget to get your receipt at McDonald’s, here’s why.

The post The 10 Bestselling McDonald’s Menu Items—Ever appeared first on Taste Recipes.

However, there’s one McDonald’s that forgoes that famous yellow color in its logo in favor of a light bluish-green. In Sedona, Arizona, the only arches you’ll see are turquoise!

Don’t worry, there’s a reason for the color change—and it’s pretty funny. The city of Sedona, located in the center of Arizona, is famous for its stunning natural beauty—namely, its mountainous landscape of red rock. Because of said landscape, there are rules in place for buildings in Sedona to make sure that no structure intrudes too much on the surrounding natural scenery. When the McDonald’s was built there in 1993, city officials believed that a bright yellow M would do just that. They claimed that gold would clash with the surrounding red rocks, and opted for a more pleasing blue. You read that right—the arches are blue because gold didn’t match the city’s (natural) decor. Employees may not know the reason, but here are these things McDonald’s employees won’t tell you.

Whatever the reason, though, the color-change certainly makes this McDonald’s stand out. In fact, these unique not-so-golden arches have become an essential tourist destination for Sedona travelers.

In every way besides the giant M, though, this McDonald’s is just like any other—full of guilty-pleasure burgers, Happy Meals and addictive fries. Want to why McDonald’s fries are so good? Here’s the secret.

The post The Surprising Reason One McDonald’s Uses Turquoise Arches appeared first on Taste Recipes.

Take it straight

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) comes with a bit of a trade-off. On the one hand, it can do wonders for your body, like these 9 magical benefits. On the other, it doesn’t taste great. “Due to the [acidic] nature of ACV, you risk the ACV severely irritating and causing damage to the esophagus and stomach,” advises Matt Weik, BS, CSCS, owner of Weik Fitness, LLC. “Do yourself a huge favor and always dilute your ACV in a liquid.” Water is probably the way to dilute the apple cider vinegar. Not only will this protect your throat and stomach from the acid, but it will also make it far more palatable. Experts recommend using one part vinegar to ten parts water.

Drink it right after eating

If you’re in the habit of drinking apple cider vinegar after a meal, you might want to amend your routine. Taking apple cider vinegar on an empty stomach is actually the best way to maximize its health benefits. Drinking it before you eat also boosts its ability to help you process food. Experts recommend waiting about 20 minutes to eat something after you take ACV, to give the vinegar time to digest, or you could have it as part of your meal. Try these 48 delicious apple cider vinegar recipes to get you started.

Breathe it in

Inhaling isn’t a good strategy for how to take apple cider vinegar. As good as apple cider vinegar can be for your digestive tract and heart, it can seriously harm your lungs. That’s why you should always be careful to keep from inhaling it when you drink it. This can cause a burning sensation in your lungs—stick to drinking it. This beverage is our recommended way to drink it.

Take swigs of it

Even when it’s diluted, apple cider vinegar is still an extremely acidic substance. “Because of its highly acidic nature, ACV… can damage your tooth enamel,” says Caitlin Hoff, a health and safety investigator for Consumer Safety. To keep the vinegar from wearing on your tooth enamel, don’t just sip it or swig it from a glass (even diluted). Instead, try drinking it through a straw so that it comes into as little contact as possible with your choppers. Elizabeth Abel, MS, a licensed dietician, nutritionist and creator of freeandabel.com, also recommends avoiding brushing your teeth for at least 30 minutes after taking apple cider vinegar. Learn more about how apple cider vinegar affects your teeth.

Start by drinking lots of it

Too much of a good thing is usually a problem—and apple cider vinegar is no exception. “It’s a good idea to ease into it,” says Abel.”If it gives you an upset stomach or a burning feeling, reduce the amount until there’s no sensation,” Abel suggests. Even if all goes smoothly and you experience no issues, you should never go beyond two tablespoons at a time. “Even when you dilute it in water, limit your intake to two tablespoons to protect yourself against harmful or uncomfortable side effects,” Hoff advises.

Drink it right before bed

While taking apple cider vinegar before you eat is a good idea, taking it before you sleep is not. “Taking ACV immediately before bed is not advised because of the potential for it to creep back up the esophagus,” says Laura C. Stix, ND, a naturopathic doctor and clinical hypnotherapist. Even if the ACV is diluted, it can still harm your esophagus if the acid comes into contact with it while you’re lying down. “Regardless of the time of day, people should remain upright for 30 minutes after taking it to ensure there is no reflux and irritation to the esophagus,” Stix adds.

Take it if you have H. pylori

While apple cider vinegar can, for the most part, seriously boost your digestive health, there are some stomach conditions that this acidic substance will only make worse. For instance, if you have Helicobacter pylori—the bacteria linked to ulcers—apple cider vinegar (and the acid it contains) can cause even more irritation, warns Abel. If you have any doubts about drinking ACV—regardless of the reason—consult your doctor beforehand.

Put it directly on your skin

You can use this super-substance to banish acne and dandruff, ease sunburn and for all sorts of other beauty benefits. But there’s a right and a wrong way to use ACV on your skin, too. “Whether you’re using ACV as a toner, to remove blemishes or to treat infections, it’s crucial that you dilute it and minimize the contact with your skin,” says Caleb Backe, a health and wellness expert for Maple Holistics. “Prolonged exposure to the highly acidic vinegar can actually kill skin cells, erode your skin and even leave you with semi-permanent chemical burns.” Here’s how we like to use apple cider vinegar on our skin.

The post 8 Things You Shouldn’t Do While Taking Apple Cider Vinegar appeared first on Taste Recipes.

Why Is Undercooked Chicken Dangerous?

Raw chicken may contain pathogens—and, according to Healthline, a significant percentage of the chicken sold in the United States actually does. Salmonella bacteria, which often lives in the gut of farm animals like chickens, is the most common of these pathogens. The consumption of Salmonella and other bacteria can cause diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and other nasty food poisoning symptoms. Luckily, ensuring that the internal temperature of cooked chicken reaches a certain amount will kill those microorganisms, making the chicken safe to eat.

What Is the Right Chicken Temperature for Cooked Chicken?

No matter your preferred method of cooking chicken, you’ll want to make certain that the chicken temperature hits at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius). This is the chicken temperature that foodsafety.gov recommends; when the chicken reaches this temperature, it’s fully cooked and safe to eat. Overcooked chicken isn’t harmful, but it can be drier and less appetizing. You can follow this how-to to get juicy (and perfectly done) chicken.

How Can You Find the Temperature of Cooked Chicken?

The same way to find the temperature of anything else: A thermometer! If you cook meat at all and don’t own a meat thermometer, you should absolutely get your hands on one—this is our Test Kitchen’s favorite. With one touch, the thermometer can quickly tell you the chicken internal temp so that you can be absolutely certain it’s ready. Mashed recommends sticking the thermometer in a thick part of the meat like a thigh or breast. Make sure to avoid touching the bone with the thermometer, as that can alter the reading of the chicken temperature. Now that you know the correct chicken internal temp to watch for, find out the other mistakes you’ve probably been making while cooking chicken.

Note: Every product is independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The post This Is the Safest Internal Temperature for Cooked Chicken appeared first on Taste Recipes.

Appliances You Rarely Use

Your kitchen counter may seem like the obvious place to keep toasters, blenders, mixers and other appliances—they’re kitchen tools, after all. But if you only use them every once in a while, there is no sense in having them take up space on your countertops.

A good rule of thumb is: If you don’t use it every day (or every time you cook), it shouldn’t be taking up space on your counter. And if you’re not sure where to put these things instead, these kitchen storage solutions will help.

Papers

It’s a lot easier to toss day-to-day papers onto your counter than to read through and sort all of them. Whether it’s magazines, newspapers, junk mail or not-so-junky mail like bills, papers can accumulate fast.

A messy look isn’t the only reason to keep papers out of your cooking space. If papers, especially magazines, get wet while sitting on your countertop, “the ink can easily get transferred onto your countertop’s surface,” cautions Stephanie Cooper of Energy Cleaning. “After that, it is a nightmare to clean.”

Serveware

As with appliances, there’s no need for fancy china and dinnerware that you only use on holidays to sit on your counter. “From a cleaner’s point of view, it is a nightmare to properly wipe each thing every week,” Cooper says. “From a health perspective, it is not advisable to keep dusty objects near the place you prepare your food or eat.”

Instead, consider storing them in a glass-front cabinet or, if you’re feeling particularly decorative, hanging them on a wall. The same goes for trinkets and other non-functional items; especially if they’re small, there are probably plenty of places you can store them that won’t take away from your cooking space.

Canisters

We won’t fault you for wanting to keep the often quite decorative canisters containing your sugar, flour and other such ingredients in plain view on your counter. But you can’t deny that they are sometimes bulky and take up a good deal of room.

This one’s really a matter of personal preference, but it’s still pretty convenient to keep them in an upper cabinet or in your pantry.

Spices

It may come as a surprise, but your counter isn’t the best place to keep your spice collection. In particular, make sure you’re not storing spices near your oven or stovetop, where accumulated heat can weaken flavors over time. Stephanie Bostic, PhD, a registered dietician and food safety expert, explains that “light and heat from sunlight or cooking surfaces, can degrade the flavors faster than if you store them in a cool, dark place.”

Knives

Fancy knife blocks do look nice, and as such, you may want to keep them in a prominent spot. Just be aware that it’s not the safest place to store your knives, especially if you have young children in the house. Bostic recommends keeping your sharp knives in a drawer with a lock to keep them out of sight (and reach) of little ones.

Safety aside, you may just rather not have a large knife block taking up lots of room on your counter, especially if you don’t regularly use most of those knives. By the way, here are ways you’re abusing your knives without even knowing it.

Olive Oil

Here’s another food that you’ve probably been storing on your counter and inadvertently lessening its quality. Just like spices, olive oil can go bad more quickly if it’s stored in direct light and heat. The same is true for other types of oil as well; they will keep better in a cool, dark place. “Inside a cabinet or pantry works well for most oils,” Bostic suggests.

Junk Food

The more visible and accessible your guilty-pleasure snacks are, the more likely you are to grab them. Keeping desserts and snacks in less convenient, less accessible places will allow you to be less tempted by them. The same goes for anyone else in your household, too (looking at you, kiddos).

On top of that, baked goods and candy can leave stickiness and crumbs on your counter, which, well, isn’t the best, most sanitary kitchen aesthetic. Check out these cleaning tips from the professionals.

Cleaning Products

Put simply, food and chemical-packed cleaning products don’t mix. You don’t want to risk spilling any of these inedible substances onto your food or the areas where you prep it. Even more kitchen-friendly products, like dish soap and disinfectant, should be stored in a closet or a cabinet, especially once they’re open. This way, they’ll have a much lower chance of spilling into your kitchen prep space.

Electronics

With the popularity of home devices that can be helpful while cooking, like Alexa, it’s tempting to keep them handy on your kitchen counter. But considering the amount of water-pouring, dishwashing and accidental spillage that happens during meal preparation, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Keep your phones, laptops and smart speakers off your counter and out of range of any potential water damage. Now that you know what not to keep on your counter, find out how to fix more of the common kitchen mistakes almost everyone makes.

The post 10 Things You Shouldn’t Store on Your Kitchen Counter appeared first on Taste Recipes.

It’s Over 50 years old

In August 1968, a new super-sandwich called the Big Mac became available to McDonald’s customers nationwide. It had debuted the year before in a Uniontown, Pennsylvania, McDonald’s location, and the franchise founder, Ray Kroc, was a fan. With his approval, the Big Mac went nationwide, and the rest is history. McDonald’s has been experimenting with its classic burger and the new Chicken Big Mac was a smash hit in the UK.

It was created for steel workers

The mastermind behind the Big Mac was Jim Delligatti, the owner of the Uniontown restaurant that debuted it. In the 1960s, many of his regular customers were workers returning from a long day at the steel mills. They would arrive at McDonald’s ravenously hungry, and Delligatti quickly realized that the simple single-patty cheeseburger wasn’t filling them up. So he started experimenting, putting two patties on one burger and adding pickles and onions as well.

“Special Sauce” didn’t get that nickname until 1974

In original Big Mac ads from 1968, the flavorful concoction was advertised as “secret sauce.” It wouldn’t be called by the alliterative name we know today until 1974, when the historically catchy “Two all-beef patties, special sauce…” jingle debuted. Despite the name change, however, the recipe remained a secret.

The Special Sauce has had a few different iterations

In the first few years of the Big Mac’s burger life, McDonald’s experimented with two different versions of the sauce. Eventually, they realized that both recipes were performing well and ended up combining elements of both of them to make an entirely new recipe. McDonald’s called this sauce “Big Mac Sauce ’72.’” It wasn’t until 1991 that that classic recipe underwent any changes. A new version of the recipe debuted in that year and remained until the early 21st century. But in 2004, Fred Turner, a former McDonald’s CEO and onetime friend of Ray Kroc himself, decided that he wanted the original recipe reinstated.

Those buns have lots of seeds

According to Bryant Miesle, a McDonald’s correspondent for Golin PR Agency, “there are anywhere between 385-400 sesame seeds on each Big Mac bun.” This is what the McDonald’s menu looked like the year you were born.

It owes its name to a company secretary

Would the Big Mac have sold as well as “the Aristocrat?” The answer, as McDonald’s executives learned, is no. Before the burger made its national debut, the franchise tested out a couple other names for it, including “The Aristocrat.” This name, however, failed to convey the idea that anyone and everyone could enjoy the burger. Not to mention, it wasn’t the easiest name to pronounce! It was Esther Glickstein, a then-21-year-old secretary for McDonald’s advertising department, who first suggested calling it the Big Mac. She admitted that the higher-ups initially laughed the name off when she first suggested it, but she got the last laugh when the name stuck.

The Whopper has been around longer

More than ten years longer, to be exact. The Whopper debuted in Miami, Florida, in 1957, only two years after Ray Kroc signed on with the then-fledgling McDonald’s company. Though the Big Mac enjoyed greater overall popularity than the Whopper, McDonald’s would eventually debut a quarter-pound burger—you know it as the Big N’ Tasty—specifically to compete with the Whopper. Interestingly, that was the same year that Burger King introduced its first two-patty burger, the Big King. Here are items you should totally order off of McDonald’s secret menu.

One man has eaten 30,000 of them since the 1970s

No matter how much of a McDonald’s enthusiast you think you are, this guy’s got you beat! Wisconsin native Donald A. Gorske, 64, currently holds the world record for the most Big Macs ever eaten—he’s eaten at least one nearly every single day since 1972, simply because “it’s the best food in the world.” He earned the world record back in 2016 with his 28,788th Big Mac. In May 2018, he ate his 30,000th, and he doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon. Is it just us, or does the fact that his name is Donald make the whole thing even more poetic?

It’s McDonald’s second-bestselling item of all time

According to Miesle, McDonald’s sold over a billion Big Macs in 2017 alone. The only Mickey D’s item that’s more popular? French fries! Check out the full list of McDonald’s most popular items ever.

Switzerland has the world’s most expensive Big Mac

If you find yourself craving McDonald’s while in Switzerland, you should probably know that a Big Mac will set you back $6.89 there. Norway, Sweden, and Finland also have pricier Big Macs than the United States, where you can get one for around $5. Europe is actually also home to the world’s cheapest Big Mac; the sandwich costs only about $1.60 in Ukraine. Malaysia, Russia, and South Africa also offer Big Macs for around $2.50 or less. Here are the coolest McDonald’s locations around the world.

There’s an entire museum dedicated to it

In North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Big Mac enthusiasts can visit the world’s only Big Mac Museum. Jim Delligatti, the Big Mac’s original creator, and his son Mike developed the museum in 2007. It features attractions like a 14-foot Big Mac statue, historical memorabilia (including a Big Mac bun-toaster from the 1970s), and, of course, a McDonald’s restaurant.

Pittsburgh renamed itself after the Big Mac

Temporarily, yes, but they still did it! In September 1992, in honor of the sandwich’s 25th anniversary, Pittsburgh became “Big Mac, U.S.A.” for a single day. It was a tribute to the city’s proximity to Uniontown, the Big Mac’s birthplace. Here are some more surprising facts about McDonald’s.

Kazakhstan was the most recent country to start selling it

“More than 100 countries serve the Big Mac, including Kazakhstan, which most recently added it to menus in 2016,” Miesle told Reader’s Digest. The Central Asian nation’s first Mickey D’s opened on March 8, 2016, in the capital city of Astana to a large, eager crowd. As of August 2018, Kazakhstan is the 120th country to open a McDonald’s, but only the first in the region of Central Asia. Find out which countries have banned McDonald’s.

You can get plenty of variations around the world

McDonald’s locations in India, where the cow is a sacred animal, offer the Chicken Maharaja Mac, which swaps the hamburgers for chicken patties. In Israel, a kosher version of the Big Mac is available in some cities; it’s free of cheese and also uses kosher meat. Even some U.S. states have their own special Mac variants. For instance, the Denali Mac is something of a “secret menu item” that’s only available in Alaska. Seeking to prove that “everything’s bigger” there, this burger uses two quarter-pound patties instead of the traditional 1.6-ounce ones, and throws in some extra special sauce for good measure. Don’t miss these secrets McDonald’s employees won’t tell you.

The post 14 Things You Never Knew About the McDonald’s Big Mac appeared first on Taste Recipes.

McDonald’s

What’s better than the delicious salty goodness of McDonald’s fries? Free McDonald’s fries, of course. And getting them couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is download the McDonald’s app and order a minimum of one dollar’s worth of Mickey D’s through your phone. When you come in to pick up your meal, you’ll get a free medium order of fries with it. This offer began as a National French Fry Day promotion, but they decided to extend it—now, you can snag your free fries every Friday until the end of 2018! McDonald’s philosophy seems to be, “Why celebrate National French Fry Day when you can celebrate National French Fry Months?!” And we gotta admit, we’re totally on board. Here’s how to make a Big Mac at home.

IHOP

If you’re someone with their finger on the pulse of free food deals, you might already know that you can stop by the International House of Pancakes on their designated “National Pancake Day.” The exact day is different every year—it was February 27 in 2018—but the sweet, sweet deal is the same. Starting at 7 a.m., customers can get a free short stack of pancakes purely for showing up. But that’s not the only day you can enjoy the deliciousness IHOP has to offer for free. By becoming part of the “Pancake Revolution,” IHOP’s rewards program, you’re automatically eligible for a free stack of flapjacks on your birthday and on every anniversary of the day you signed up.

On the Border

What better way to spend a chilly weekend in January than feasting on free queso? On the Border celebrates National Cheese Lover’s Day, which falls on January 20, all weekend long. Cheeseheads get a free bowl of queso with the purchase of any adult entree. You can also get some complimentary cheese by signing up for the Mexican grill’s Club Cantina rewards program; signing up immediately gets you a coupon for a free bowl of queso or sopapillas. Club members also get free queso on their birthdays and on the anniversary of the day they signed up.

Chipotle

There’s no one day where you’re guaranteed to always walk away with free Chipotle, but freebies from the Mexican grill still pop up every now and then.   In June 2018, Chipotle celebrated National Nurses Day by offering buy-one-get-one entrees for anyone who displayed a nursing license. A few months earlier, in March, they offered a free burrito, taco, bowl, or salad (with an entree purchase) to any customer who came in wearing a hockey jersey. This one was in honor of “Hockey Weekend Across America.” And even if you don’t have a hockey jersey or a nurse’s license, maybe you scored some free guac in April 2017. This was when Chipotle rolled out its “Spot the Imposter” promo, to celebrate becoming the first national restaurant brand to completely eliminate added colors, flavors, or preservatives. Moral of the scrumptious story: Keep your eyes open for deals, because you never know what type of occasion will put the powers-that-be at Chipotle in a giving mood! Learn the secrets Chipotle employees won’t tell you.

Au Bon Pain

C’est bon indeed! If you sign up to be part of Au Bon Pain’s eClub, the soup-and-sandwich spot will send you a coupon on the week of your birthday. Come in to this French café-style chain on your big day to get a salad or sandwich of your choice for free—there’s no purchase required for this one!

Arby’s

Lots of restaurants offer free or discounted food on fun days, like National Food Holidays or reward program members’ birthdays. Arby’s, though, knows that there are some less-fun days on which free food would make an excellent pick-me-up. That’s why, for the past few years, the fast food franchise has been offering free curly fries to anyone who comes in on April 15—Tax Day. The mouthwatering taste of yummy, curly goodness is sure to soften the blow of doing your taxes. During the rest of the year, you can also snag a free Roast Beef Sandwich with the purchase of a soft drink by signing up for Arby’s email list. Get a look at the first-ever locations of your favorite fast food hot spots.

Chick-fil-A

America’s favorite restaurant for three years running also happens to have a free-food promo that is downright delightful. Sometime in early July, Chick-fil-A celebrates “Cow Appreciation Day” by giving a free chicken entree to any customer who shows up dressed like a cow. This udder-ly great tradition always leads to plenty of creative costumes and fun photos. So as next July approaches, keep your eyes open for the date announcement for the next Cow Appreciation Day, so you can get a tasty chicken sandwich without spending your mooooo-la.

Subway

November 3 is National Sandwich Day, and it’s a great time to head to your local Subway. The fast-food giant offers a free sub with every purchase of a sandwich and a soft drink. And that’s not all they do. Last year, the world’s biggest fast-food chain actually matched customers’ purchases with donations to Feeding America, so why not go buy a sandwich and support a good cause?! Here are some more delicious National Food Holidays you’ll want to start celebrating every year.

Chili’s

Chili’s reward program is something of a gift that keeps on giving; if you frequent this bar and grill, the program is totally worth it. Here’s the deal (in both senses of the word): You sign up for Chili’s Rewards, and you can get free chips and salsa, or a free soft drink, every single time you go to Chili’s! Now that’s not bad for a sign-up that takes all of five minutes.

Qdoba

If having salsa-smelling breath on Valentine’s Day isn’t something that you’re bothered by, consider checking out this fun promo the next time February 14 rolls around. Anyone who smooches their significant other at a participating Qdoba counter will get “QDOBA for a Kiss,” or a free entree with the purchase of another entree. Don’t have a Valentine? Never fear—kissing a photo of your favorite celebrity, or even just blowing a kiss, are equally valid forms of PDA. And there’s even more to love about Qdoba’s Valentine’s Day festivities: Last year, the franchise donated a dollar to No Kid Hungry for every use of the hashtag “Qdoba for a Kiss” between February 6 and 28.

Ruby Tuesday

Whether you frequent this classic Americana joint for its savory burgers or its fresh Garden Bar offerings (or both!), the So Connected club has something for you. Immediately after you join this free email club, you get a coupon for a free appetizer with a purchase of an adult entree. So Connected members should also come in on their birthdays to get a free burger or garden bar entree. For more penny-pinching food tips, get a look at the eateries that offer the best deals for your money.

Long John Silver’s

Ahoy, matey! To celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day, exchange some fun pirate jargon for free food. On September 19, would-be buccaneers can get a free fried Twinkie at Long John Silver’s if they *arrrr* willing to talk like a pirate. Not to be outdone, Krispy Kreme has offered free donuts to celebrants of this holiday in past years. (And rumor has it that customers in pirate costumes would get a full free dozen!) Sadly, Krispy Kreme chose to “avast” this tradition in 2017, with a spokesperson saying that they would “not be giving away donuts” for the festivities. Whether the doughnut giveaway will be back up and running for TLAPDay 2018 remains to be seen. Now that you know the best spots for free food, learn the secret menu items you should be ordering at your favorite restaurants.

[Sources: Spoon University, The Krazy Coupon Lady, Money Talks News]

The post 12 Ways to Get Free Food from Your Favorite Restaurants appeared first on Taste Recipes.