Applied math: which egg size is cheapest?
I recently started eating egg whites regularly, and that meant I needed to start shopping for eggs every week. My local grocer sells a variety of egg sizes. Can you figure out which one is cheapest? Here are the prices: Here is how I approached the problem.

8 meals to eat while working
I almost always take a break for meals, even if that means staying late in the office. Meal time is my time, and I want to enjoy my food. That said, I will occasionally chow down at my desk if I am overwhelmed with meetings, or if I am feeling unusually ...

Picture: tasty money
I saw this on Flickr and found it amusing:   Picture by oskay, CC by 2.0   The picture comes from the Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories, where you can read directions on how to make these interesting-shaped pretzels.

Is a calorie burned the same as a calorie eaten?
Suppose you are on a strict diet of eating 1700 calories per day. One day you relax and have a can of Coke, adding an extra 140 calories to your intake. A few hours later you feel guilty and hop on the treadmill. You run until the calories burned reads 140 calories. Will ...

The strategy of eating leftover food
image credit: muffet I often end up with leftover food in the fridge. It may be because I buy groceries generously, or because I cook in bulk, or because I often bring food home from restaurants. A while back I had a refrigerator full of leftovers including things like Parmesan cheese, a ...

Why cooking at home is smart
During this time off from the blog, I have had much time to reflect on some of my favorite articles. Here is one from the July 2008 email newsletter that I found relevant--hope it finds you well! (sign up for the free Mind Your Decisions email newsletter at phplist) image by ...

The omnivore’s next dilemma | Michael Pollan talk on TED.com
In game theory, perspective matters. Good strategy depends not only on your actions, but also on how opponents perceive and react to them. You must understand how other people think in order to analyze situations like bike accidents, assigning work in an office, or planning a bank robbery. This works ...

Are You Eating Your Retirement Savings?
Some of my acquaintances think it's impossible to save nowadays. They say there is nothing left after taxes, housing, and basic social expenses. One person even said it's getting to the point that $50,000 is not enough to live in Chicago. This seemed curious to me, so I started a discussion ...

Try New Foods to Deal with Rising Costs
All the things I love to eat are getting more expensive. Simple pleasures like bread, rice, and corn have almost doubled in price. What's one to do? Try new food, naturally. There are two reasons to do this. The first is an economic reason. Food prices are the result of supply ...

The Game of Free Food: Why We Should Just Say No
photo by jbcurio How do you shop for food? Whether you realize it or not, every time you enter the store you are engaged in a game with food companies. You want to get the best deals. They want to make the most profit. The game is about dividing the surplus ...

3 Activities Where It’s Best to Take Your Time
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while you could miss it." --Ferris Bueller "You can microwave a Pop-Tart. That just blew me away that you could do that. How long does it take to toast a Pop-Tart? A minute and a half if ...

Splitting the bill at restaurants using game theory
[Update: Welcome Lifehacker readers] [Update 2: Welcome Slashdot readers] [Update 3: Welcome Cosmic Variance readers] "We're going to split the bill," said the organizer at my friend's ninth grade birthday party. I didn't think much of it until I ended up paying $40 for a $10 entree. I felt cheated because I didn't ...

Game theory on eating at a party with an Indian host
***Small note: India has diverse geographic regions that differ greatly in customs and culture. I use the word "Indian" as a convenience. I am more accurately describing my experience with Americans of Indian heritage and my understanding of the regional culture in Mumbai (the state of Maharashtra).*** I enjoy going to ...

Strangest nutrition facts I’ve seen
Nutrition facts from coconut powder: The saturated fat content is ridiculously high (a mere 25g of this stuff has about as much artery-clogging fat as a Chipotle Burrito Bowl). And to top it off, the total fat is somehow listed as 8 grams lower than the saturated fat. The % Daily values ...

The rule of 25% for calculating restaurant tips
I'm often asked to figure out the tip at restaurants because I have a degree in math. I used to explain that a math degree does not mean I'm a human calculator, but I decided it would be easier to have a rule of thumb on hand so I can ...