Summer Summer 2019 2019
Pet Diets
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Food, and how it’s building better relationships with pets step by step.
Restarants
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Organic Farming
Local delicacies around Austin! What’s Southside Flying Pizza’s secret to perfect pizzas?
_____________________ GMOs: Do we really need them?
Learn the secret to a Delicious life!
__________________________________ Sustainable living, & healthy delicious cuisine.
Table 4 5 8
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Letter from the Editors
Contents
Credits And Team Bios Revolving Restaurants
Joanna Williams
12 Recipes
Joanna Williams
14 A Healthy Lifestyle’s Always a Better Lifestyle Xade Biscoe
18 Poverty Cycle Xade Biscoe
20 The Mystery of Organic Foods Eduardo Espinoza
24 GMOs: The Good, The Bad the Ugly 26 Pet-tastic Fun Eduardo Espinoza
Gabriela Aguirre
28 Pets & Food Gabriela Aguirre
32 Game Pages
Front Page: Joanna Williams Inside Front Cover: Gabriela Aguirre Table of Contents: Xade Biscoe Letter from the Editor: Gabriela Aguirre Inside Back Cover: Eduardo Espinoza Back Cover: Joanna Williams Logo: Gabriela Aguirre Slogan: Gabriela Aguirre
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Letter from the Editors Photo Courtesy of United States Department of Agriculture.
Dear Reader, Food is an essential part of life. A human can only last three weeks without food, while a dog can only last three to five days before death on average. Some people don’t have the resources to provide food for their families. Food was also provided as a business, allowing restaurant owners and chefs to profit from their passion. Food can also be modified by GMOs, chemicals and other variables. We’re dedicated to food and its benefits, struggles, history and how it affects modern society. Food has much variety, from the nutritious salad to the sugary doughnut. At Always Food, we’re excited to share our ideas with you and hope your journey with food takes you far.
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Always Food always has people who care about food. Always. Photograph by Nicolas Gallego
The team would like to give a special thank you to some people that helped us make our magazine. • • • • • • •
Rawlstin Kura, manager for Torchy’s Tacos David Whupper, general manager at Southside Flying Pizza Andy Dojet, chef at Phyl’s Ice House Earl Jones, breeder for Lone Star Reptiles Courtney Conover, team member of Heathy Pets Jennifer Gibbs, vice president of sales for Nulo Pets Paul Gaither, director for Marketing and Communications at Central Texas Food Bank • Hannah Gongola, gardener at the Central Texas Food Bank • Anneliese Tanner, executive director of Food Services and Warehouse Operations • Heather Rowan, community garderner
• Kevin Garcia, 2019 Summer Ezine Teacher
3 Graphic created by Joanna Williams
Eduardo Espinoza is 14 years old. He was born and raised in Austin. His favorite food is menudo, which is soup with the stomach of a cow. He is interested in where our food come from, as sometimes certain food companies do certain things to the animals or plants we eat, not knowing that whatever they are doing is inhumane. He wishes to spread knowledge about the topic.
Gabriela Aguirre is 14 years. She was born in San Francisco and lives in Austin. Her favorite food is chocolate. She was a club volleyball player but is now taking it easy. She likes animals and binge watching. 4
Xade Biscoe is 14 years old, and lives in Austin. His favorite food is ChikFil-A Nuggets. The first big part of his life is going to church to praise and worship. His second favorite thing to do is to go swimming. Lastly, he like to hang out with friends and family.
Joanna Williams is 14 years old. She was born and lives in Austin. Her favorite food is donuts. She was a gymnast for 7 years, but now is shifting more towards dance. She also plays volleyball, basketball, soccer, and was on the 2018-2019 track team at Fulmore Middle School, which is now Lively Middle School. 5
Food Around Restaurants Written By Joanna Williams
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It would be strange if all the restaurants in Austin were exactly the same. That’s why every company that owns a restaurant tries to change up every location that they have. The layout of each location for restaurants is different, whether it’s the size or even just the shape and color of the name of the restaurant. And of course different restaurants serve different kinds of food. “It’s a unique spin on, traditional tacos,” Rawlstin Kura said, manager at Torchy’s Tacos. “You got a few crazy tacos, fried chicken tacos, right now the taco of the month is, chicken fried steak. Yeah, it’s just a little bit more than just your meat, cilantro,
and onions you know?” Phil’s Ice House serves many different types of food as well. “Mostly burgers and fries, but I mean we got a little surprises on the side too,” Andy Dojet said, chef at Phil’s. “You know, chicken, fried chicken, all the good stuff. We got fried okra in recently, thank-you, finally. Yeah. We’re pretty much, like a two trick pony.” Southside Flying Pizza Chef from Southside Flying Pizza making a pizza from scratch. Photo by Joanna Williams. serves mostly pizza, but they also make calzones, food they cook, the owner does trambolis, and their salads are that. There are different reasons pretty popular too. that chefs do what they do. Chefs usually don’t choose the “Oh, I just love food and being
creative,’’ Dojet said. “A lot of cooking is a lot of on the fly thinking. A lot of smells, a lot of tastes, a lot of texture, a lot of things that keeps you like multi-task is the key word. So, yeah, challenging and fun, really.’’ While some chefs are chefs because they love food, some do the job because they’re good at it and need the money. In this case there is no predicting on how long they will be working at a certain restaurant. David Whupper, general manager at Southside Flying Pizza, has been working at Southside Flying Pizza for five years. Rawlstin Kura, on the other hand has been working at Torchy’s Tacos for less time. “At this location about a year and a half and I’ve been with 7
Torchy’s for about two years,’’ Kura said. Over the time a chef or any cook that works at a restaurant will probably form favorites. If this happens they will probably pick a meal that they really like from the menu of the restaurant that they work at. Kura said, Mr. Orange is the best thing on Torchy’s Tacos’ menu. He said that he really loves salmon. Because he grew up in the Pacific NorthWest, he became familiar with eating a lot of salmon. He said that it is definitely one of the better tacos they have. Whupper said different people have different favorites, but the specialty pizzas are the most popular. “Our Southsider pizza, is kinda of our supreme pizza, that’s really popular. “The Meatsider is like four different kinds of meat, that’s really popular. Texas is big for meats. Those are two of our most popular ones.’’ 8
Chef and cashier from Southside Flying Pizza working in harmony. Photo by Joanna Williams.
“Oh, I just love food and being creative.” -Andy Dojet, Chef at Phil’s Ice House
A favorite at Southside Flying Pizza is a supreme pizza, but Phil’s has a totally different special. “The best thing here? That’s a tough question,” Dojet said. “You’re asking hard headed ones. I’m gonna have to go with our 78704 burger. And that is the jalapeño burger it’s got some avocado, chipotle meio, all the good stuff.’’ Everyone has the right to have favorites, but another thing that is very important to know when you are going to eat at a restaurant is what kind of people the restaurant recommends eating there. “Family,” Dojet said. “Definitely family environment. The old American dream. You know, grill in the backyard playing with the kids. Got everything here.’’
Chef from Southside Flying Pizza Southside Flying Pizza checking on his pizza. Photo by Joanna Williams
Family should try Phil’s,, and Kura said everyone should try Torchy’s Tacos for sure. On the other side of the food map, Whupper said that Southside Flying Pizza does a pretty good lunch crowd. Like Phil’s, they also recommend it for families in the evenings, who will often order and pick up their food or have it delivered. “We’re close enough to downtown where it’s good for, convenient for office workers and people on lunch break to come out during the afternoon,” Whupper said. “And then we also get a lot of families in the evenings that will pick up dinner or have it delivered.’’ Although these chefs and managers are working at these restaurants at the moment and know a lot about them, like Kura they probably won’t be there forever. “Unfortunately I’m leaving pretty soon,” Kura said. “My wife got into Law School in Oregon, so we’re moving away. I’ll have to find a new job in some other restaurant.’’ It’s the same for Dojet, who said he won’t stay at Phil’s forever either. “I have plans in a recipe book for my own food truck,” Dojet said. “And, this is all experience of a time to build your confidence in your skills. You know what I mean? That way when you take it on, on yourself, your ready.’’ Different restaurants might have
Full meal at Torchy’s Tacos. Photo by Joanna Williams.
different quality or a different variety of pizza, because there are different chefs making the food. People in every community are different in their own way, and so are the restaurants. Beyond all the difficulties, problems, happiness, and achievements chefs and managers have, one of the most important things you need is a good relationship between your workers. “We have a really good relationship with the workers here,” Whupper said. “That’s one of the things I like about
working here. The crew is like a big family, everybody gets along well, and has a good time. So everyone makes it a lot easier to come to work when you don’t dread coming to your job everyday, and you have a good time with the people you’re working with.” _______________________
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1. One onion 2. Two teaspoons of chilli 3. Two cloves of garlic 4. One can of tomato paste 5. Olive oil
Choose a large frying pan. Heat olive oil over a hgh heat and brown the mince.
Cut a onion very fine, then add it to the frying pan.
Season the onion with chilli and garlic.
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6. Three small tomatoes with the beef stock 7. Three cups of beans 8. Two teaspoons of oregano 9. O tablespoon of cumin
Cook this until the onion is translucent, then stir in tomato paste and cook for two minutes. Next add the tomatoes with the beef stock. Lastly add the beans, oregano, and cumin. Now let it simmer for twenty minutes. While the chili is simmering, make the corn bread.
Finally, stir the chili well one more time and serve immediately.
Put the bacon drippings, cornmeal, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Blend the ingredients together. In a seperate bowl, put in the sugar, eggs, buttermilk and butter. Blend the ingredients together.
Combine the two batters in the same mixing bowl.
-One tablespoon of bacon drippings -Two cups of cornmeal -One teaspoon of baking soda -One teaspoon of salt
Now, choose a rather shallow baking pan. Grease the bottom and the sides of the pan. Put the batter into the baking pan, and place it carefully into the oven for 40 minutes at 400 degrees. Finally take out the cornbread when it is golden on top and soft in the center. Let it cool for 10 minutes, then slice it carefully and enjoy!
-One tablespoon of sugar -One large egg -One 1/4 cup of buttermilk -Six tablespoons of melted, unsalted butter
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A Healthier Lifestyle Is Always a Better Lifestyle By Xade Biscoe
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After someone volunteers at the Food Bank finishes their shift, they place their badge on the cube. Photo by Xade Biscoe.
AISD Food Warehouse is where they store there goods. Photo by Xade Biscoe
Doctors always elaborate on how eating healthy can prevent health problems so why don’t some humans eat healthily? One of the reasons some humans don’t eat healthily is because of money but in Austin that is not a problem because of these few companies. “We have a nutritional education team that teaches people how to cook different meals they get, they might not be familiar with it if they didn’t grow up with these meals, and we try to get them to cook healthier,” Gaither said. “We are just not
Conveyor belt that the volunteers use to pack the food. Photo by Xade Biscoe.
concerned about giving them the food also about helping them live a healthier lifestyle. We have been gardens, and so we produce a lot of fresh produce ourselves, which we give to our clients.” Paul Gaither, a director of marketing and communications in Austin that works for the central texas food bank explained the food bank has resources at the Central Texas Food Bank that can help people in need. He feels that this is very important because living a healthier life13
These are some examples of the fresh foods and vegetables that the Food Bank produce. By Xade Biscoe.
That is a baby watermelon that has some more months to grow Photo by Xade Biscoe
Fresh Strawberry at the Central Texas Food Bank Photo by Xade Biscoe
“Next year we will have the community eligibility provision in 82 schools, so 82 schools in Austin ISD so all students will eat breakfast and lunch for free.” -Anneliese Tanner, executive director for food services and warehouse operations at the Austin Independent School District
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doesn’t have to come with a cost. “Helping to create healthy habits, educating them about the food system, and what you eat impacts the environment and climate change. Teaching our students about global food and other food cultures” Anneliese Tanner said. Anneliese Tanner is an executive director for food services and warehouse operations at the Austin Independent School District
The Central Texas Food Bank organizes plants in these containers in this room. Photo by Xade Biscoe
(AISD). “It’s apart of education, to teach people how to grow there own food and harvest it, and to live sustainably,” Gongola said. Hannah Gongola is a gardener at the Central Texas Food Bank that feels that just going to school and getting that specific part of education isn’t enough since gardening and learning how to produce your food is essential to education as well. “The very first thing is that students eat with us. Our department is funded by the department of agriculture and we receive reimbursement for every meal we serve so the more meals we serve the more funding we have to buy better food,” Tanner said. If a student that doesn’t eat breakfast or lunch eats,
they can receive more money which leads to healthier products which she made important. “The easiest way is to donate money because we A tree that grows fresh peachs. Photo by Xade Biscoe are so big and we have economies of scale which means we can turn every dollar that’s donated into 4 meals for our clients,” Gaither said. Money can be a problem but if you just donate one dollar you can give a family 4 meals so why not. “It’s apart of education, to teach people how to grow there own food and harvest it, and to live sustainably,” Gongola said. Which she gives a great example because she had a field trip which some students who were in a summer program came and Gongola taught them about garden education “It’s amazing what a small donation to the Food Bank can do to help people that are in need be satisfied but also live a healthy lifestyle,” Gaither said. 15
Poverty Cycle By Xade Biscoe
Struggling with work
Economic Decline
The Poverty Cycle is a sequence of events that explains what happens for some people that don’t have a job or no source of income. This doesn’t always happen it just depends on how bad the circumstances are.
Low Personal Income
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Disease malnutrition and poor health
Hunger and Poor Sanitation
Lack of acess to food and safe water
How many people are in the world are homeless? There are approximately 7.7 billion people in the world but out of that 7.7 billion, there are 150 million homeless people. The number of homelessness is growing significantly according to the website YaleGlobal Online. When people get evicted, some turn to family or friends. Others don’t have that choice, meaning there are more people in homeless shelters. Homeless shelters have a maximum capacity of people, meaning some of the homeless are turned away.
2% 98% How many people lack adequate housing? There are approximately 1.6 billion people that lack adequate housing. Adequate housing means the right of every woman, man, youth and child to gain and sustain a safe and secure home and community in which to live in peace. 20% globally lacks those resources.
20% 80% Source: Yale Global Online
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The Good, The Bad and The Future of Organic Foods By Eduardo Espinoza Herb garden. Photo by Eduardo Espinoza
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Potted plants and herbs. Photo by Eduardo Espinoza.
help protect the environment Organic foods are grown as it grows the endurance without the use of GMOs, of soil, meaning it doesn’t simply being organically blow away during natural grown produce and meat without having “Organic farming and to mess with gardening is definitely more the genetics of labor-intensive, especially the organism. Discussing them if you are doing the kind of biodynamic farming that a will provide lot of people think happens an in-depth understanding of when they think of organic organic foods. farming.” The good thing -Heather Lin Rowan about organic food is that it’s disasters that uproot growing not pumped with chemicals plants. our environment. that could cause any serious They also enable animals disorders later in life.They to reproduce quicker, so by 20 feeding your animals organic crops, they’re more likely
to have healthier and stronger offspring than when given the stuff that they feed animals in mills or factories. Now, this doesn’t mean that they don’t come without disadvantages, such as low shelf time as they have no modifications to be able to preserve them more, they are more expensive to buy due to people considering them a “luxury” item, growing them is very laborintensive as you have to grow them in a more traditional way rather than mass producing them, are thought to have massive benefits but are more
have more or less the same amount of risks as GMOs,the list could go on for a few more lines but just listing some of these downsides to making a mental image that organic isn’t wanting people to want it to be as it has more or less the same number of risks as GMOs. There might not be a future to look at for organic foods due to high demand from our growing population, which paves the way for GMOs to take over. This is a major concern for organic farmers as the demand will be less for their products and Garden of lemongrass. Photo by Eduardo Espinoza. will sway towards cheaper, mass produced organic foods.
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Photo by Eduardo Espinoza. Huang Qui Garden
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GMO Foods • Farmers are able to earn more due to the fast cheap production of GMO goods • Some GMOs do not require pesticides as some are engineered to repel pests • Able to survive in many harsh conditions and environments • Have low consumer confidence due to the high gamble in health issues of eating GMOs • Strands of GMOs are sometimes found on non-GMO crops which unintentionally make those crops part GMO
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Organic Foods • Are safer to eat since they contain healthier amounts of minerals and nutrients • Buying them support local economies in the community • Using organic supplies to protect against the environment • Higher risk of being vulnerable to diseases (Blight, Canker, Chlorosis, etc.) • Have a shorter life compared to GMOs
Find The Difference!
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A safe pastry to share with your dog
Bake-A-Fruit-Cake Serving Size: 1 cake per every two days
By Gabriela Aguirre
What are your choices? Best Fruit for Dogs Seedless Apples Blueberries Carrots Peas Pears Potatoes Pumpkin Strawberries
Best Frosting Item for Dogs Low-Sugar Yogurt Pumpkin Puree Applesauce Bananas Sweet Potato Puree Mashed Potatoes Peanut Butter
What do you need? Frosting
Best Flour for Dogs
-3/4 cup frosting item (choose from Frosting Item Section) -2 tablespoons honey -Natural food coloring
Cake Lentil
Potato
Almond
Coconut
-1 1/2 cups flour -3 tbsp coconut oil -1/4 cup fruit (choose from Fruits Section -2 eggs -2 tbsp honey
How to Make Frosting
Mix 3/4 cup frosting item , 2 tablespoons honey, and natural food coloring. To store, freeze in fridgerator.
How to Make Cake
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farehnheit -Mix flour, coconut oil, and natural food coloring. To store, freeze in fridgerator -Grease a 4 inch springform pan with coconut oil. Fill with batter and bake for 20-25 minutes. -Remove from oven. Once it’s cool, spread the frosting on the cake. You can decorate 24 with fruit.
Match the Pet to the Food! Written by Gabriela Aguirre
PETS FOOD Top 5 Crazy Food Products for Your Pets! 1. Pet Winery Non Alcoholic Drink for Cats and Dogs 2. Treat Launcher Throws treats to your dog without you having to do anything! 3. Reptilinks A alternative to mice, this sausage is packed with the protein your reptile needs to thrive!
4. Pet Ice Cream This ice cream is for dogs! Flavors include vanilla, pumpkin, blueberry, maple bacon, and many more!
Maple Bacon Peanut Butter
5. Pet Cakes You can now make your own pet cakes with mix, and decorate them too! You can also do a custom order from pet bakeries 25
Food & Pets By Gabriela Aguirre July 8, 2019
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Above: Canned cat food at Healthy Food comes in many varieties, including color, ingredients and quality. Cats are the second most popular pet in the U.S, besides the dog. Photograph by Gabriela Aguirre. Left: Carrots shouldn’t be the main source of food for rabbits, as they are high in sugar and not part of their natural diet. Rabbits can have a staple diet of hay, grass and dark lettuce such as romaine lettuce. Graphic by Gabriela Aguirre.
Throughout thousands of years, humans have facility Lone Star Reptiles. Roscoe has domesticated, cared for and evolved the animals imprinted on Jones and is reported not known as pets, and their food evolved alongside them. Nationwide companies are dedicated to making sure cats get high protein, glutenfree kibble. Technology has invested time in machines that dispense treats whenever the family dog solves a puzzle. To make feeding easier for squeamish reptile owners, snakes can eat a proteinfilled sausage instead of a dead mouse. Not only has food helped pet owners keep animals healthy, but it also has strengthened their relationships with their animals. Zoologist Earl Jones cares for Roscoe a coatimundi, a medium-sized Above: Roscoe, a coatimundi looks through his enclosure. It costs $150-$200 to cat-like mammal, at the animal-housing feed him a week. Animals provided by Earl Jones. Photo by Gabriela Aguirre. Bottom: Dozer, a Boston Terrier eats a dental chew. Although they aren’t for a staple diet, they can be used as a treat for dogs with bad breath. Animals provided by Gabriela Aguirre. Photo by Gabriela Aguirre.
to eat for days without Jones present. “Anything that imprints is tough because you’re the only person who can take care of that animal, its food or you know giving him a bath,” Jones said as the coatimundi grabbed marshmallows from the child’s hands. “I promise you, somebody tries to give him a bath and they’ll end up in the hospital. I can give him a bath and he’s fine, but if I weren’t out there with ya’ll, he’ll come up and let you pet him, but if you try to open the
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gate, he’ll probably go ape on y’all.”
The History of Pet Food and How it’s Changing the Food Industry
Although pets are known for seeking the affection of humans, that wasn’t always the motive. The exchange between humans and animals began as protection, comfort, and food. According to the Smithsonian, the theory of how dogs were domesticated is that their ancestors domesticated themselves. Some of the animals were friendlier than others, allowing themselves to come closer to humans, meaning more access to human food. When others realized the perks that came with being a human’s pet, more joined. Food has been strengthening the bond between humans and animals for more than 20,000 years, opening new jobs to help provide for the animals. As the pet food demand continues to increase, so does the pet food industry. “With an industry that’s changing and growing significantly, it’s now a million-dollar industry, so we strive to be industry leaders,” said Jennifer Gibbs, vice president of sales at Nulo Pets, a
“Many pet parents in this day and age both work, and it’s usually dual income households, where they’re gone all day, and they don’t spend as much time with their dogs and cats as they’d like to, so this provides an opportunity for them to have a deeper tie to their pets at meal time.” -Jennifer Gibbs, Nulo Pets nationwide pet food company based out of Austin. Some of their ideas have made large advances in pet food such as Mix-it-Meals. Mix-it-Meals use a variety of products including dry products, wet food, broth, and raw food. According to the website Statista, Americans in 2018 spent $30 billion on pet food. In 2019, it’s estimated that the number will increase to $32
Ball pythons are notoriously picky eaters when it comes to frozen mice. All these animals fed on live prey. Animals courtesy of Lone Star Reptiles. Photos by Gabriela Aguirre.
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billion. The first-ever commercial pet food was in 1860, by James Spratt. It was a dog biscuit made of wheat, vegetables, beetroot, and beef blood. The first canned food was created in 1922, and made of horse meat, according to the Pet Food Institute. Since then, the pet food industry continues to grow but still is aware of where dogs came from. “They originate from, you know, wolves, wild,” Gibbs said. “So meat, for them physically to eat diets that provide the nutrition to perform at a certain level, so I do feel based on what we’re delivering, to, our, you know in different retailers and to dogs and cats out there in the community, it gives them a better feeling overall health and well being.” Dogs and cats aren’t the only domesticated animals. Different types of reptiles, such as ball pythons, are living among human houses as companions. Some tegus can be trained with food motivation. All snakes are carnivores, with most captive reptiles eating rodents such as rats, mice, and rabbits. Some people will feed frozen mice, that were killed from carbon dioxide. It is supposedly more humane for the mice. Other keepers use freshly killed mice, where they kill the mice themselves minutes before their scaled pet consumes it. Some owners will allow their animal to kill the prey. “You want these animals to be as close to the wild as possible,” said Jones, who feeds live prey to his animals. “We tamed these animals down, there is no doubt about that, but at the same time
there’s nobody in the wild that’s feeding his animals frozen.” According to the website Wide Open Pets, feeding live can be dangerous if the rat is left inside the cage for a large amount of time, as they will fight back, but some snakes are reluctant to feed on frozen or dead rats, just like some people are reluctant to eating certain foods. “I think it really depends on how animals react to certain foods, like if they have an allergy or special condition,” said Courtney Conover, an employee of Healthy Pets. Pets may have started as wild animals but evolved later on to help perform tasks in exchange for food, and eventually companionship. Animals have been adapting to life among humans and their lifestyles, but still have instincts that help them hunt, decide what to eat, and when to eat. Humans have also studied how to help animals live longer and healthier lives through food while making a profit and business out of it. Although cats and dogs are more commonly seen as pets, reptiles have become more popular with more variety, and so has their food. “To dogs and cats out there in the community, it gives them a better feeling overall of health and well being,” said Gibbs. ______________________________________
A shedding adult argentine red tegu eating a rat. Tegus are natural predators who rely on their skills in the wild to survive. Animals Courtesy of Lone Star Reptiles. Photograph by Gabriela Aguirre.
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Game Pages Ahead! This is a betta fish. Color it in, and make the fins whatever shape you want. What will these fish eat? Draw their food in the fish tank, and add decorations!
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Fruits and Vegetables
APPLE BANANA BELLPEPPER BLUEBERRY CAULIFLOWER GRAPE
GREEN BEAN JALAPEÑO LEMON LETTUCE LIME OKRA
ONION PEAR PEAS STRAWBERRY TOMATO
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Big Watermelon By Eduardo Espinazo
YEAH!
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You want a big one?
That’s what she said
Always Food