Buy now, pay later has expanded well beyond electronics and apparel, moving into food delivery and grocery checkout as regulators take a closer look at how fees are disclosed and who ultimately pays them. In the U.S., the shift is increasingly visible on major grocery-ordering platforms including DoorDash and Instacart. What remains harder to measure publicly is whether the convenience of installment payments for some shoppers is contributing to higher grocery costs across the system.

DoorDash, Instacart and Klarna have pushed BNPL deeper into grocery checkout

The clearest recent milestone came on March 20, 2025, when DoorDash announced a partnership with Klarna that lets U.S. customers pay in full, split purchases into four interest-free installments, or defer payment later on eligible orders. DoorDash said the options would be available for groceries, retail purchases and even DashPass annual plans. That move added one of the country’s largest delivery platforms to a grocery BNPL market that Instacart had already entered through Klarna and PayPal Pay Later.

The scale of the broader BNPL market is no longer small. In its December 2025 market report, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said six major lenders reported a combined 53.6 million consumers who took out at least one BNPL loan in 2023. The same report said the number of loans made by those lenders rose 23% from 2022 to 2023, while inflation-adjusted loan volume increased 26%.

What is not publicly broken out in detail is how many of those transactions were grocery orders, or how much merchants pay per transaction when shoppers use installment products on food purchases. The companies have confirmed the checkout options are live, but they have not released a public accounting showing whether related payment-processing or merchant costs are absorbed internally, charged to retailers, or reflected in item pricing and service fees seen by all users.

The impact is national, but the clearest pressure points are in online grocery delivery

This is not a story tied to one city or one state. The pressure is national because grocery delivery platforms operate across the country, and DoorDash said in February 2026 that more than 50,000 stores nationwide accepted SNAP or EBT payments on its platform. Instacart, in announcing its Klarna partnership, said it works with more than 2,200 retail banners and nearly 100,000 stores across more than 15,000 cities in North America.

For shoppers, the most visible cost issue may not appear as a line labeled “BNPL fee.” Instead, regulators are focusing on the full checkout stack: item markups, service charges, delivery charges and variable fees that can make online groceries materially more expensive than in-store baskets. In an April 24, 2026 announcement, the Federal Trade Commission said it was opening a rulemaking inquiry into unfair or deceptive fee practices in online food and grocery delivery services nationwide.

The FTC said some grocery delivery orders can end up 30% to 50% more expensive than shopping in-store for the same items, and it specifically asked whether platforms clearly disclose when item prices differ from in-store prices. The agency has not said BNPL itself is causing those increases. It has, however, said hidden, inconsistent or last-minute grocery fees can distort competition, and it has cited prior enforcement actions against Instacart and GrubHub over delivery pricing disclosures.

Regulators and researchers say the concern is less about one fee than the cumulative cost structure

The direct evidence available so far points to a layered cost problem. The FTC’s food-delivery rulemaking notice said consumers often face higher item prices on platforms in addition to fees and charges, and that those price differences are not always apparent before checkout. That matters because BNPL is being introduced inside systems that already carry delivery markups, platform commissions and service fees.

Consumer finance researchers are also raising a separate warning about who uses BNPL for food. In its August 2026 Consumer & Community Context report, the Federal Reserve said BNPL users who relied on the product for groceries or food delivery were more likely than other BNPL users to face late-payment charges or incur overdraft or non-sufficient-funds fees. The CFPB separately says many BNPL loans do not charge interest but most do charge late fees if payments are missed.

For customers, that means the practical effect may show up in two places at once: at checkout through higher delivery-related costs, and after checkout through repayment penalties for borrowers. What is still not publicly known is the exact share of grocery platform costs tied specifically to BNPL adoption. But as installment payments become a standard option for essential food purchases, federal regulators are signaling that the total price of groceries ordered online, not just the headline basket price, is likely to stay under scrutiny.

Americans are routinely exposed to a mix of food-contact substances, cooking byproducts, and household cleaning chemicals through ordinary kitchen use, according to federal health agencies. In the kitchen, that means some of the most closely watched chemical risks are not industrial materials but compounds linked to packaging, cookware, cleaners, and high-heat cooking. What is confirmed is that these substances can be present in common products; what varies is how much risk depends on the chemical, the product, and the way it is used.

Federal agencies say packaging, cookware and cleaners remain major kitchen exposure sources

The Food and Drug Administration and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences identify several chemical groups that can show up in food packaging, cookware, or household products used in kitchens. Among the best known are PFAS, a large class of chemicals historically used for grease- and water-resistance in some food-contact materials, and phthalates, plasticizers that FDA has continued to review in food-contact uses. FDA said in January 2025 that 35 food-contact notifications related to PFAS grease-proofing uses on paper and paperboard are no longer effective after those uses were abandoned, but the agency still describes PFAS as a broad class with potential exposure routes through consumer products and food.

FDA also says BPA can be present in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy can linings, while lead and cadmium remain concerns in some pottery, ceramicware, and certain imported cookware that can leach metals into food. The agency has separately warned retailers and distributors about some imported metal cookware products with lead-leaching potential, and EPA advises consumers not to store or serve food in lead-glazed pottery or porcelain.

A separate set of risks comes from products stored under the sink. CDC says bleach can release toxic chlorine gas when mixed with ammonia or some acids, and ammonia itself can irritate the eyes, throat, and lungs at high enough exposure levels. NIH and federal indoor-air researchers also identify volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, from cleaning products as an everyday indoor exposure source.

A practical list of 10 chemicals or chemical groups commonly associated with kitchens

Based on federal food-safety and public-health guidance, 10 of the most commonly cited kitchen-related chemical concerns are PFAS, phthalates, BPA, lead, cadmium, acrylamide, VOCs, ammonia, chlorine gas from improper cleaner mixing, and carbon monoxide. Several are not ingredients consumers intentionally buy as food, but contaminants, byproducts, or gases associated with routine cooking, storage, or cleaning.

PFAS have been used for nonstick and grease-resistant properties, while phthalates and BPA are associated with some plastics and food-contact applications. Lead and cadmium are tied to some ceramicware, pottery, and imported cookware. Acrylamide is different: FDA says it forms in some foods during frying, roasting, and baking rather than migrating from packaging.

The remaining hazards are often linked to air quality and accidental exposure. VOCs can evaporate from cleaners at room temperature. Chlorine gas can be generated when bleach is mixed with ammonia or other incompatible cleaners. Carbon monoxide, which CDC describes as an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness or death, is a combustion hazard connected to improperly vented appliances or fuel-burning equipment.

What this means for households now

Federal agencies do not treat all 10 chemicals the same way. FDA says current approved BPA uses remain supported by available information, while the agency continues to review phthalates and monitor contaminants such as acrylamide, lead, cadmium, and PFAS in food-related settings. That means the presence of a chemical in or around a kitchen does not automatically signal the same level of risk across every product.

What is clearly established is that exposure can be reduced through product choice and handling. EPA and FDA recommend avoiding lead-glazed pottery for food use, while CDC says household cleaners should not be mixed and specifically warns against combining bleach with ammonia. FDA also notes that acrylamide forms during high-temperature cooking, especially frying, roasting, and baking of certain foods.

For consumers, the most immediate expectation is continued scrutiny of kitchen chemicals from regulators and health agencies rather than a single nationwide warning about one product category. FDA’s recent actions on PFAS food-contact authorizations and its ongoing reviews of food-contact substances show that the federal focus remains on reducing avoidable exposure where evidence supports action.

As Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias affect a growing number of U.S. families, researchers have spent years trying to identify what changes show up before a formal diagnosis. That work has increasingly pointed to a preclinical window in which subtle shifts in thinking, behavior and daily function may emerge years in advance. Major health organizations and long-running cohort studies say those early signs are often broader than simple forgetfulness.

Research points to five early changes that can appear before diagnosis

Multiple longitudinal studies have found that cognitive decline linked to future Alzheimer’s disease can begin years before diagnosis, with some analyses detecting change points roughly four to eight years earlier and others finding measurable decline even earlier in specific domains, according to the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2026 Facts and Figures report and published cohort research. The broad pattern, rather than a single test result, is what researchers have tracked over time. Those findings are based on repeated assessments in older adults who were later diagnosed with dementia.

Across that research, five subtle signs recur most often: memory problems involving recent information, difficulty planning or solving problems, word-finding trouble, confusion in unfamiliar settings or weaker visuospatial skills, and changes in mood or social withdrawal. The NHS lists regular forgetting of recent events, increasing difficulty with organization and planning, trouble finding the right words, confusion in unfamiliar environments, and becoming more withdrawn or anxious among common early symptoms seen before diagnosis. The Alzheimer’s Association likewise identifies memory loss, planning difficulty and trouble with routine mental tasks as common warning signs.

Researchers have also found that the earliest measurable decline is not always identical from person to person. A review in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease reported that episodic memory is often among the first affected functions, while executive functioning, semantic fluency and perceptual speed can also show early deterioration years before diagnosis. That variation helps explain why clinicians do not rely on one symptom alone.

What is confirmed, and what doctors still cannot say from subtle symptoms alone

What is confirmed is that dementia-related brain changes and cognitive decline can begin well before a diagnosis is made. The Alzheimer’s Association report says amyloid-related and other biological changes may begin decades before expected symptoms, while cognitive change points in population studies have often been observed several years before clinical diagnosis. Separate NIH-backed research summarized in the 2025 Alzheimer’s disease progress report also noted that subtle speech changes may appear before more obvious cognitive decline.

What is not confirmed from these five signs alone is whether a person has dementia, which type they may have, or whether symptoms are caused by another condition. The NHS states that some early symptoms may remain stable, and some people with mild cognitive impairment will go on to develop dementia while others will not. The same symptoms can overlap with depression, vitamin deficiency, medication effects, sleep disorders or other neurologic conditions.

That is why experts frame these signs as signals for assessment, not proof of disease. The Alzheimer’s Association states that dementia is diagnosed when symptoms are severe enough to interfere with daily activities and represent a change from previous abilities that cannot be explained by another medical condition. In practice, clinicians use history, cognitive testing, lab work, imaging and, increasingly, biomarker tools to sort out what those early changes mean.

Why early recognition matters for patients, families and care planning

The push to recognize subtle signs earlier reflects both disease biology and changes in diagnosis tools. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, biological changes tied to Alzheimer’s may begin many years before symptoms become obvious, which has intensified interest in earlier detection. In 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared blood-based Alzheimer’s tests for use in certain symptomatic adults in specialty and primary care settings, the report states, marking a shift in how clinicians may evaluate cognitive complaints.

For patients and families, earlier recognition can affect what happens next even when no diagnosis is immediately made. The Alzheimer’s Association has said that noticing changes sooner can help identify reversible causes of cognitive symptoms and give patients more time for treatment planning, financial decisions and support services if a neurodegenerative disease is eventually confirmed. That is especially relevant because mixed dementia is common, and symptoms alone do not always reveal the underlying cause.

For now, the practical takeaway is narrow and evidence-based: recurring changes in memory, planning, language, navigation or mood deserve medical attention when they represent a real shift from a person’s usual baseline. Research does not show that every lapse is a sign of dementia, but it does show that subtle patterns can precede diagnosis by years. As screening and biomarker tools continue to expand, clinicians are likely to keep focusing on those early patterns rather than waiting for more advanced impairment.

As national fall cocktail menus turn toward apple cider, hot toddies, and pumpkin-spiced variations, celebrity food personalities still influence what home hosts actually pour. For Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa’s go-to answer has been less seasonal than expected: a whiskey sour, a drink she has identified repeatedly over the years instead of a more obvious autumn pick.

Ina Garten has repeatedly identified the whiskey sour as her favorite cocktail

Ina Garten has publicly pointed to the whiskey sour as her preferred cocktail in multiple interviews and appearances, including a February 7, 2019, “Day Drinking” segment on Late Night with Seth Meyers, where entertainment coverage from E! News reported that she said fresh whiskey sours are her favorite cocktails. Earlier reporting from TIME also quoted Garten saying she drinks whiskey sours in summer, while The Kitchn reported years earlier that she described an old-fashioned whiskey sour as her favorite cocktail to serve at home.

That matters because Garten is often associated in popular culture with other drinks, especially the outsized Cosmopolitan she mixed on Instagram during the pandemic. Delish, which recently republished her Cosmopolitan recipe from Simply Ina, noted that the oversized vodka-and-cranberry drink became one of her most recognizable cocktail moments. The contrast helps explain why a whiskey sour can still read as an unexpected fall answer for readers who mainly know Garten for cosmos and martinis.

Food Network also currently carries Garten’s whiskey sour recipe, underscoring that the drink is not just a one-off television remark but part of her established recipe catalog. That recipe listing attributes the drink directly to Garten and places it alongside her broader entertaining repertoire.

The story has broad appeal, but no specific local market is central to this update

This item is not tied to a restaurant opening, closure, recall, or local distribution event in a single state or city. Instead, the confirmed geography is national media and home entertaining culture, because Garten’s comments appeared through nationally distributed television and magazine coverage rather than a local business announcement. No company or broadcaster has framed the cocktail preference as part of a state-specific promotion.

What is confirmed is that the whiskey sour has followed Garten across several public contexts. TIME associated the drink with her warm-weather preferences, while more recent commentary and secondary reporting have continued to identify it as her favorite or go-to order. A recent podcast transcript surfaced by Podscripts also captured Garten describing a favorite bourbon sour she discovered in the south of France, with chocolate liqueur and vanilla, suggesting the broader sour family still fits her taste.

What is not known is whether Garten currently considers one exact whiskey sour variation her definitive fall serve at home in 2026. She has not released a new seasonal statement specifically labeling the drink her official fall cocktail, and no current promotional announcement appears to tie the preference to a regional rollout, product launch, or event series.

The appeal comes from classic tastes, familiar ingredients, and a broader return to whiskey drinks

The broader context for Garten’s pick is that whiskey-based cocktails remain closely associated with cooler-weather drinking, even when they are not explicitly seasonal. Delish recently described the Manhattan as a prototypical fall cocktail because of its heft and whiskey base, while bartender-roundup coverage from the same outlet said fall menus often center on Manhattan variations, smoked Old Fashioneds, Irish coffees, and other whiskey-led classics. That industry framing helps explain why Garten’s preference reads as both surprising and seasonally plausible.

Garten herself has also given clues about why the drink stays in rotation. In older rapid-fire comments to Bon Appétit, she singled out whiskey when asked about preferences, and secondary reporting has noted that she uses a whiskey sour to judge a new bar. Those details support a practical explanation: the drink is familiar, structured, and easy to compare across settings.

For readers and home hosts, the takeaway is straightforward. The most verified reading of Garten’s public comments is that a whiskey sour remains the cocktail most consistently linked to her personal taste, even as her Cosmopolitan and martini moments attract more attention online. Food Network’s published recipe means the drink remains part of her active entertaining playbook, keeping a classic whiskey cocktail in the conversation as fall hosting season begins.

Farmed salmon remains one of the most widely sold seafood products in U.S. grocery stores, but the fish Americans buy today is not nutritionally identical to the fillets sold a decade or two ago. Recent research tracing feed and fillet composition shows the most notable change is a decline in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA, as salmon feed uses less marine oil and more plant-based ingredients. That matters nationally because farmed Atlantic salmon dominates retail seafood cases, restaurant supply chains, and a large share of consumer omega-3 intake.

Recent research documents a measurable nutrient shift

A 2025 peer-reviewed study in Heliyon tracked nutrients and contaminants in farmed Atlantic salmon and salmon feed from 2006 through 2021 and found that vitamin D and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids followed the same downward pattern as marine oil use in feed. The researchers reported a rapid decline from 2006 to 2014, followed by a more stable period through 2021, tying the shift directly to lower inclusion of fish oil and fishmeal in aquaculture diets.

That finding aligns with a 2025 review in Nutrients, which stated that farmed Atlantic salmon previously contained about 2.80 grams of EPA plus DHA per 100 grams in 2005 but has declined gradually as terrestrial oils became more common in feed. The review reported more recent average levels near 1.16 grams per 100 grams for farmed Atlantic salmon, indicating that the fish still provides meaningful omega-3 content, but less than before.

Researchers have been explicit about which nutrient is fading most quietly from the fillet. EPA and DHA are the long-chain omega-3 fats most closely associated with seafood nutrition guidance, and several recent papers describe them as the nutrients most affected when fish oil is replaced with vegetable oils or other non-marine fats in commercial feed.

The change is showing up in the salmon sold across the U.S.

For U.S. shoppers, the confirmed takeaway is not that farmed salmon has lost its value, but that its nutrient profile is shifting. A 2024 paper in Frontiers in Marine Science said wider use of vegetable oils in aquafeeds has helped aquaculture expand without increasing pressure on marine resources at the same pace, while also negatively affecting the balance of essential fatty acids in the fish.

What is not yet known is a single nationwide omega-3 figure that applies to every salmon product in every supermarket seafood case. Researchers and industry groups have not released a comprehensive U.S. brand-by-brand breakdown covering all retailers, fresh versus frozen products, origin countries, or every feed formulation currently used in the market. Salmon sold in the United States can come from different producers and feed programs, which means omega-3 content can vary.

Even so, the broad direction is consistent across the published literature. Studies in recent years have continued to show that farmed salmon remains a good source of EPA and DHA, but that the concentration depends heavily on feed composition, especially the proportion of marine oils versus plant oils or newer alternatives.

Feed economics and sustainability goals explain why it is happening

The main driver, according to multiple studies, is the aquaculture sector’s long-running move away from heavy dependence on wild-caught fish oil and fishmeal. The 2025 Heliyon study said limited access to marine raw materials, along with variable prices and pressure on wild fish stocks, pushed the industry toward greater use of vegetable feed ingredients over the 2006-to-2021 period.

That explanation is echoed in recent academic and industry research. A 2024 study in Nature Food noted that salmon aquaculture is promoted for its omega-3 contribution but depends on feed systems that must balance seafood nutrition, production growth, and finite marine ingredients. Other recent studies have examined alternatives including algae-based oils and genetically modified camelina oil as ways to restore EPA and DHA levels without returning to older fish-oil-heavy formulas.

For consumers, that means farmed salmon is still a meaningful source of omega-3, but not automatically at the same level many nutrition tables or older assumptions may suggest. The practical expectation is more variation by producer and feed recipe, while researchers and feed developers work on replacements that can raise EPA and DHA levels again without reversing the industry’s broader sustainability shift.

Southern comfort food remains a steady fixture in home kitchens and food media, with chefs continuing to revisit staple dishes through practical, technique-driven recipes. In Carla Hall’s case, the latest attention has centered on a straightforward lesson about grits: the secret is not an unusual add-in, but giving them enough time to cook.

Recent coverage points to a simple method, not a hidden ingredient

A September 23, 2026 AOL article highlighting Hall’s approach to grits distilled the technique to a basic rule: cook them until they are fully done, rather than relying only on a package time. That framing aligns with earlier reporting from Chowhound, which summarized Hall’s advice as watching for the grains to open fully so no crunchy bits remain. In both accounts, the scale of the takeaway is broad rather than product-based: Hall is not promoting a branded mix or specialty tool, but a repeatable cooking method any home cook can use.

Hall’s own published recipes reinforce that point. On her website, her Southern-style shrimp and grits recipe presents grits as a foundational dish built through gradual cooking and texture control, not a shortcut. The Kitchn also reported last week, in its review of Hall’s sweet grits brûlée recipe from Carla Bakes, that Hall explicitly says great grits need enough time in the pot to absorb their cooking liquid.

That consistency matters because it turns a familiar headline into a verifiable technique. Across recipe writing, recipe reviews, and food-media summaries, the confirmed action is the same: Hall’s “secret” is patience at the stove, with doneness judged by texture rather than the clock alone.

The impact is national, though the cooking logic comes from Southern tradition

There is no single local market, restaurant chain, or state-specific rollout attached to this story. What is confirmed is that Hall’s guidance is being circulated nationally through widely read food publications and her own recipe platform, making it relevant to home cooks far beyond the South. What is not known, because no source states it, is how many readers have adopted the method or whether any one region is driving the renewed interest.

Hall’s culinary background gives the advice a clear regional anchor. Food Network’s profile identifies her as a longtime television personality and chef whose work often draws from Southern cooking traditions, while other interviews and recipe features repeatedly connect her grits dishes to that heritage. That matters because grits remain one of the dishes where texture, cooking time, and liquid absorption are often debated among cooks.

The practical impact is less about geography than accessibility. A home cook in Tennessee, Georgia, California, or New York can apply the same guidance without needing specialty equipment. The available reporting does not indicate a state-by-state difference in technique, and no source identifies a list of especially affected cities or regions because this is a recipe method story, not a retail or restaurant event.

Hall’s advice reflects a broader shift toward technique-first cooking

The reason Hall’s grits tip resonates is that it pushes against a common habit in home cooking: treating printed cook times as fixed rules. Chowhound’s summary of Hall’s advice emphasizes visual and textural cues over box directions, while The Kitchn’s review underscores absorption and time in the pot as the basis for flavor and consistency. Those sources place the cause in technique, not trend-driven ingredients.

There is also a broader food-media context. Recent coverage has increasingly focused on demystifying classic dishes by showing that better results often come from process rather than complexity. Hall’s approach fits that pattern neatly. Instead of adding a “secret” cheese, stock blend, or garnish, the message is that fully cooked grits become creamy when the grains have had enough time to soften and open.

For readers, that means the takeaway is direct and practical. Expect Hall’s grits advice to remain useful because it does not depend on a limited product or seasonal ingredient. The current reporting supports one clear conclusion: if cooks want grits with a smoother texture and fuller flavor, Hall’s method says to stay with the pot a little longer and judge doneness by the grains themselves.

As bulk grocery shopping remains a fixture for U.S. households balancing food prices, convenience, and nutrition, Costco continues to hold an outsized place in how families stock their kitchens. That broad trend narrows quickly to one question many shoppers ask in the aisles: what do dietitians actually buy there for themselves? Recent dietitian roundups from national lifestyle outlets, paired with Costco’s own product listings and current federal nutrition guidance, point to a consistent answer: practical staples with protein, fiber, produce, and flexible meal use.

The staples dietitians repeatedly name

The clearest pattern is that dietitians are not treating Costco as a specialty-health store. In recent roundups from outlets including Good Housekeeping, WeightWatchers, AOL, and MoneyLion, registered dietitians repeatedly highlighted everyday foods rather than niche supplements or trend products. Those lists consistently included frozen blueberries, Greek yogurt, beans and lentils, nuts, olive or avocado oil, seafood, and easy proteins, while Costco’s own grocery catalog continues to emphasize nutrition products, trail mixes, and pantry staples.

Costco’s current product pages reinforce that pattern with bulk formats built around basics. Kirkland Signature Organic Greek Yogurt is sold in a 48-ounce tub and described by Costco as an excellent source of protein and a good source of calcium. Kirkland Signature Organic Quinoa is sold in a 4.5-pound bag, and Costco describes it as certified organic and notes it is packaged in a resealable bag. Kirkland Signature Organic Blueberries are also listed in a 3-pound format, a size that helps explain why frozen fruit remains a frequent expert pick for smoothies, oatmeal, and breakfast bowls.

Those choices also track with current federal guidance. The USDA says the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are intended to promote health and prevent diet-related chronic disease, and supporting materials describe a simple emphasis on vegetables, fruits, dairy, protein foods, healthy fats, and whole grains. In practice, that means a Costco cart built around yogurt, fruit, grains, nuts, beans, and fish looks less like a social-media hack and more like a direct reflection of mainstream nutrition advice.

What that means for Costco shoppers

For Costco members in the United States, the practical takeaway is that many dietitian-backed buys are widely available warehouse staples, not region-specific limited releases. Costco listings show products such as Greek yogurt, quinoa, rotisserie chicken, and frozen fruit are part of the retailer’s standard grocery ecosystem, though availability can still vary by warehouse and by same-day delivery assortment. The company has not released a national master list of “dietitian-approved” products, and dietitian media picks are editorial selections rather than official Costco merchandising categories.

What is confirmed is that the nutrition logic behind these carts is straightforward. The American Heart Association recommends dietary patterns that emphasize vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish, fat-free or low-fat dairy, and non-tropical plant oils. It also notes that beans and legumes provide fiber and plant protein, and that nuts and seeds can contribute unsaturated fats, protein, and fiber in modest portions.

Frozen and shelf-stable items matter here because they reduce waste as much as they improve convenience. The American Heart Association says healthy diets can include fresh, frozen, canned, and dried produce, while the FDA’s fish guidance continues to recommend seafood as part of a healthy eating pattern. For a Costco shopper, that helps explain why frozen berries, canned beans, plain yogurt, bulk grains, salmon, and unsalted nuts keep showing up in expert carts: they are easy to store, easy to portion, and aligned with established nutrition standards.

Why these foods keep making the cut

The bigger context is cost, meal prep efficiency, and nutrient density. Dietitian recommendations cited in recent consumer coverage repeatedly frame Costco’s value not as permission to buy more food, but as a way to buy reliable ingredients that can cover breakfast, lunches, snacks, and weeknight dinners at lower per-unit cost. That is especially true for foods with multiple uses, such as Greek yogurt for breakfasts and sauces, frozen berries for smoothies and oatmeal, and quinoa or beans for bowls, soups, and side dishes.

There is also a clear nutrition rationale behind the repeats. The FDA says fish such as salmon are among seafood choices that can fit into regular weekly intake, and agency guidance notes seafood supplies protein along with omega-3 fats and other nutrients. The American Heart Association likewise advises prioritizing protein from plant sources such as legumes, nuts, and seeds, while also including fish and seafood and choosing unsaturated fats in place of saturated fats.

For customers, that means the most evidence-based Costco cart is often the least flashy one. It is heavy on ingredients that can anchor multiple meals and light on foods that only work in a single recipe or occasion. That approach also fits Costco’s own current inventory signals, where bulk yogurt, grains, berries, chicken, and pantry staples remain central to the warehouse model rather than side categories.

Restaurant chains are under pressure to find new revenue streams as digital ordering, loyalty programs, and screen-based store formats become more common across the industry. McDonald’s is now testing whether those same tools can support an unexpected business line: selling ads for other brands. The idea surfaced publicly at the company’s Investor Day on September 23, when executives outlined a pilot already underway in the U.S.

McDonald’s says a 450-store pilot is already underway

McDonald’s told investors on September 23 that it is testing a commerce media network, a model that allows a company to sell advertising using its own customer-facing platforms and physical footprint. According to Restaurant News and reporting published after the presentation, the pilot is running at about 450 company-owned restaurants in the U.S. and includes digital menu boards and other in-store screens.

During the presentation, McDonald’s highlighted a Geico ad appearing on a drive-thru menu board, signaling that the company is exploring ads from non-competing brands rather than just internal promotions. Morgan Flatley, McDonald’s global chief marketing officer, said the test is intended to generate revenue for the system with limited added cost and without adding operational complexity.

The company also framed the effort as a large-scale advertising opportunity because of its reach. McDonald’s told investors it serves more than 70 million customers a day globally, and company materials tied to Investor Day said the chain now operates more than 45,000 locations worldwide. Industry reporting on the presentation said McDonald’s believes the media network could eventually become a $1 billion annual business.

What is confirmed in the U.S., and what McDonald’s has not yet disclosed

What is confirmed so far is limited but significant: the pilot is taking place in the United States, and it is currently centered on company-owned restaurants rather than franchised locations. That distinction matters because McDonald’s restaurants are overwhelmingly operated by franchisees, and any broader rollout would likely require decisions about revenue-sharing, screen placement, and how advertising fits into daily operations.

The company has not released a full list of affected states, cities, or specific restaurant addresses. It also has not publicly identified all ad categories that may appear on the screens, beyond the example shown during the Investor Day presentation. McDonald’s has likewise not announced a timetable for expanding the pilot beyond those 450 locations.

For customers, that means the experience may vary widely depending on where they order. Some diners and drive-thru customers may see no change at all, while others at pilot locations could begin seeing more third-party content on digital displays. At this stage, the company has only confirmed the test, not a systemwide launch.

Why McDonald’s is exploring ads, and what customers should expect next

McDonald’s is entering a space that has grown quickly across retail. Commerce media networks have become common at companies such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, Kroger, and Instacart, and Restaurant News cited eMarketer data projecting that U.S. commerce media ad spending will top $100 billion by 2028. McDonald’s executives indicated they see a comparable opening because of the chain’s scale, screen-heavy restaurant formats, and frequency of customer visits.

Investor Day materials and executive remarks also tied the effort to McDonald’s broader growth strategy, which increasingly relies on digital infrastructure, loyalty, and restaurant modernization. In that context, advertising is not being presented as a separate side project, but as another way to monetize assets the company already owns, including menu boards, dining room screens, and customer attention during the ordering process.

For customers, the immediate takeaway is that McDonald’s is still in testing mode. The company has not announced national rollout dates, a complete list of participating markets, or whether franchised restaurants will join the effort. What it has said is that the pilot is intended to avoid disrupting the customer experience, while giving the system a potential new source of revenue if the model proves workable.

Seafood restaurant chains have spent the past two years navigating bankruptcies, inflation, and shrinking store counts across the broader casual and quick-service dining business. Against that backdrop, Long John Silver’s is emerging as a quieter story in the category, with recent openings, remodels, and continued same-store sales growth putting the brand back on the radar.

Long John Silver’s is still opening stores and reporting growth

Long John Silver’s is the specific chain drawing renewed attention, and the clearest recent benchmark came on July 31, 2026, when QSR Web reported that the brand’s store count had fallen to slightly less than 500 locations even as same-store sales continued to grow. That matters because the company itself says it once operated a fleet of more than 1,000 restaurants nationally, making its current position a rebuild rather than a first-time expansion.

The brand has also confirmed fresh unit activity in 2026. A company LinkedIn post highlighted three new restaurant openings to start the year in Anderson, South Carolina; Sedalia, Missouri; and Killeen, Texas. In western Pennsylvania, WPXI reported that a Butler Township restaurant reopened on September 8, 2026, after what the station described as a complete remodel.

Recent menu and pricing strategy updates point to a chain trying to drive repeat visits while keeping its seafood identity intact. QSR Web reported last month that Long John Silver’s had posted 16 consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth, while company messaging around 2026 promotions has centered on permanent $6 basket offers and seasonal seafood limited-time items.

What the chain’s activity means in local markets

The local impact is clearest in the places where Long John Silver’s has recently opened or reinvested. Anderson, Sedalia, and Killeen each gained newly opened restaurants this year, according to the company’s own announcement, while Butler Township saw an existing store return after a full remodel. Those are concrete signs of capital being directed to selected markets rather than a systemwide retreat.

What is not yet publicly clear is the full state-by-state development pipeline. The company has not released a comprehensive public list of every market slated for openings, remodels, or relocations in 2026, and publicly available location pages do not provide an easy nationwide unit count by state. That means some local construction or permitting activity may point to future stores, but not every project can be treated as a confirmed opening until the company announces it.

Texas appears to be one state worth watching. Beyond the confirmed Killeen opening, state permitting records and local reporting have pointed to additional Long John Silver’s development activity, though not every site has an opening date attached. For readers in markets where the brand has disappeared over the years, that pattern suggests Long John Silver’s is being selective about where it returns and where it reinvests.

Why seafood chains are getting another look

The wider context helps explain why a smaller seafood chain can suddenly look notable again. Nation’s Restaurant News reported that seafood chains as a segment saw sales decline by more than $500 million, or about 1.6%, in 2024, the same year Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy. In that environment, simply maintaining momentum has become a meaningful business story.

Long John Silver’s appears to be leaning on three practical levers: value pricing, menu familiarity, and store reinvestment. QSR Web reported that the company has kept its $6 baskets in market throughout 2026 as part of a two-part strategy, while recent coverage has tied the brand’s sales gains to loyalty efforts, menu promotions, and a push to refresh the customer experience. Company materials also emphasize continued rebuilding work, from remodels to digital programs.

For customers, the near-term takeaway is straightforward. Long John Silver’s is still a smaller chain than it once was, but verified reports show it is opening restaurants, remodeling some older locations, and continuing to compete on low-price seafood meals. That does not mean every market will get a new store, and the company has not published a full 2026 map of affected cities, but the brand’s recent activity shows it remains active in a category many diners may have assumed it had left behind.

IBD is entering 2026 with more visibility, more treatment options, and sharper data than patients had even a few years ago. That is good news, but it also means the conversation is getting more complex.

For anyone living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, the big story is no longer just symptom control. It is about earlier diagnosis, better-targeted care, and protecting quality of life over the long term.

IBD is more common than many people realize

Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, is the umbrella term for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, two chronic conditions driven by ongoing inflammation in the digestive tract. Crohn’s can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract and often involves deeper layers of tissue, while ulcerative colitis is limited to the colon and rectum. Both can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, bleeding, fatigue, weight loss, and periods of relapse and remission.

The scale of the condition is becoming clearer. New CDC data published in 2026 found that in 2023-2024, 1.6% of U.S. adults had ever been diagnosed with IBD, including 1.2% with ulcerative colitis and 0.5% with Crohn’s disease. That translates to millions of people managing a lifelong disease, and it confirms that IBD is not rare.

The burden is unevenly distributed. The CDC says prevalence rises with age, and women were more likely than men to report ulcerative colitis and overall IBD. White non-Hispanic adults still showed the highest prevalence in the latest national estimates, though public health researchers have also noted that the disease burden is increasingly visible across a broader range of racial and ethnic groups than older data suggested.

The practical takeaway for 2026 is straightforward: IBD should no longer be treated as a niche diagnosis. Primary care physicians, emergency clinicians, schools, and employers are all more likely to encounter patients dealing with chronic flares, complex medication regimens, and the mental strain that often comes with unpredictable symptoms.

Treatment is getting broader, and more personalized

The old IBD treatment model followed a simple ladder: start with milder drugs, escalate slowly, and reserve advanced therapies for later. That approach is giving way to a more tailored strategy in which doctors weigh disease severity, complications, biomarkers, and patient goals much earlier. Groups such as ECCO now emphasize structured algorithms, treat-to-target thinking, and tighter monitoring rather than waiting for symptoms alone to guide every decision.

Biologics remain central, but the field has widened. Anti-TNF drugs are no longer the only major option, and clinicians increasingly use therapies that target different immune pathways, along with small-molecule oral drugs for selected patients. The FDA has also continued to expand pediatric options, including recent approvals involving ustekinumab and golimumab in children with inflammatory bowel disease, a sign that treatment access is improving beyond the adult population.

That does not mean every patient should expect a breakthrough prescription overnight. Advanced drugs can still be expensive, insurance approvals can delay care, and some patients cycle through multiple therapies before finding a durable response. Even so, the direction of travel is clear: more mechanisms, more age-specific approvals, and more individualized decision-making.

Heading into 2026, one of the most important shifts is that success is being defined more rigorously. Gastroenterologists are increasingly focused on healing visible inflammation, reducing steroid exposure, preventing hospitalizations, and lowering the risk of surgery, not just helping patients feel better for a few weeks.

Nutrition, monitoring, and daily life matter more than ever

Medication is only one part of modern IBD care. Nutrition has become a much bigger part of the discussion, especially after ECCO released a dedicated dietary consensus in late 2025 that framed diet as more than supportive advice. The message from experts is not that food alone cures IBD, but that nutrition can influence symptoms, deficiencies, inflammation, and recovery in meaningful ways.

That matters because people with IBD often face overlapping challenges: iron deficiency, low vitamin D, poor appetite during flares, unintentional weight loss, and confusion about elimination diets they find online. The best current approach is individualized, with registered dietitians and gastroenterology teams helping patients distinguish between evidence-based adjustments and overly restrictive eating patterns that may do more harm than good.

Monitoring is also becoming more sophisticated. Instead of relying only on colonoscopy or symptom diaries, clinicians increasingly use blood work, stool markers such as fecal calprotectin, imaging, and regular follow-up to catch smoldering inflammation earlier. That can help explain why a patient feels unwell even when standard tests once looked acceptable, and it can also reduce the risk of waiting too long to change course.

The broader reality for 2026 is that IBD management is becoming more whole-person and more proactive. Patients are being asked to think about sleep, stress, vaccination, bone health, mental health, and cancer surveillance alongside prescriptions. That may sound overwhelming, but it reflects a more mature understanding of the disease and a better chance of protecting long-term health.