Around the world, people drink coffee – whether it’s sweetened with condensed milk in Vietnam or spiced with cinnamon in Mexico. It powers us through our workdays, deadlines and boring office meetings. Maybe that’s why it’s the most socially acceptable drug we consume – but is there a limit to how much we should have or what it can really do?

Our taste for seafood goes back a long time. We’ve been snacking on shellfish for more than 100,000 years. And the foods we gather from the ocean (whether it’s mussels or seaweed) are typically loaded with nutrients. But today, people might reconsider these staples because of environmental, ethical or health concerns – so should you limit your consumption of ingredients that are hauled from the sea? In this episode Lee Tran Lam speaks with chefs Ben Shewry and Chris Jordan, as well as Dr Evangeline Mantzioris.

Seafood: Cooking inspiration, mercury magnet, cultural storyteller

Our love of cheese is so vast, it can be plotted across the planet. From Gorgonzola in Italy to Oaxaca in Mexico, many places are famous for their wedges and wheels. But can you go overboard with a cheese board? And what if you don’t eat dairy at all? Lee Tran Lam wheys it all up with cheesemaker Giuseppe Minoia, chef Shannon Martinez and dietitian Dr Evangeline Mantzioris.

Cheese: Calcium source, place marker, vegan inspiration

Coffee: Caffeine hit, productivity booster, wedding custom

Tea is the most-consumed drink on the planet, second only to water. Originally consumed for medicinal reasons, a well-brewed pot also helps with break-ups and bad news. But are there certain instances where we should put our teacups away?

Tea: Scandal water, life saver, yum cha essential

The oldest bread that still exists today was baked 14,500 years ago in Jordan. We’ve eaten this staple for a long time, but rejecting bread because it’s ‘bad’ for you has become a modern trend. Should we be saying no to loaves and toast?

Bread: Historic staple, riot-starter, loneliness cure

When dietitian Susie Burrell named white rice as something she’d never put in her shopping trolley, food writer Lee Tran Lam was intrigued... and a little confused. Rice is the star of so many national dishes and it feeds half the planet! "Have you eaten rice yet?” is even a greeting in many parts of Asia. So should we really be avoiding these grains? In this episode Lee Tran chats with nutritionist Dr Evangeline Mantzioris, and restaurateurs Palisa Anderson from Chat Thai and Little Lagos’ Adetokunboh Adeniyi.

Rice: Dietary staple, daily greeting, and nutritional villain?

It can be extraordinarily confusing keeping up with what foods are ‘good’ for you. Should you actually put olive oil or salt in your coffee as recent food trends suggest? Is white rice a no go? And which seafoods are actually sustainable? In Should You Really Eat That? host Lee Tran Lam explores the cultural, social, and nutritional confusion over the staples in our diet.

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Coffee: Caffeine hit, productivity booster, wedding custom

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