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Texture matters. Mold can spread below the surface of soft or porous foods such as bread, soft fruit, jam, yogurt and soft cheese, so discard the whole item. With hard cheese and some firm vegetables, contamination is more localized; USDA recommends cutting at least 1 inch around and below mold on hard cheese.
Food kept continuously frozen at 0°F (-18°C) remains safe almost indefinitely according to USDA; the recommended freezer timelines are mainly about quality. Flavor, texture and moisture decline, and freezer burn becomes more likely. Any thawing or temperature failure changes the safety question.
Freezer burn is a quality problem, not food poisoning. Air exposure allows surface ice to sublimate, leaving dry, leathery or discolored patches. Food remains safe if it stayed properly frozen, although flavor and texture may be poor. Damaged areas can be trimmed away.
A prebiotic is not a bacterium. It is a substrate selectively used by host microorganisms that provides a health benefit. Inulin and fructans occur in chicory root, garlic, onions, leeks and artichokes; galactooligosaccharides occur in legumes. Not every type of dietary fiber automatically qualifies as a prebiotic.
Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when given in adequate amounts, confer a demonstrated health benefit. Prebiotics are substrates selectively used by host microorganisms that also confer a benefit. One is the microorganism; the other is material used by parts of the microbial community.
Fermented foods are made through desired microbial growth and enzymatic conversion of food components. Yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso and tempeh are examples. Fermented does not automatically mean probiotic, and some fermented products no longer contain live microorganisms when eaten.
Yogurt and kefir usually contain live cultures when they are not heat-treated after fermentation; refrigerated kimchi, sauerkraut and similar ferments may also retain live microorganisms. But 'live microorganism' is not automatically the same as 'probiotic': the latter requires a defined strain, an adequate amount and a demonstrated health benefit.
Foods highly concentrated in inulin and fructans include chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke and garlic. Composition studies place Jerusalem artichoke and chicory around 15–20 g inulin per 100 g fresh weight and garlic roughly 9–16 g, although values vary widely. Onions, leeks, artichokes and legumes are less concentrated but more practical everyday sources.
Spinach does contain meaningful iron, but the reputation needs context. Raw spinach has about 2.7 mg/100 g, while cooked spinach can look higher per 100 g because water and volume are lost. The iron is nonheme, so absorption is more variable and depends on the food matrix and the rest of the meal.
A U.S. large egg, about 50 g edible weight, contains roughly 6.3 g of protein. The white contributes about 3.6 g and the yolk about 2.7 g. Smaller eggs provide less and extra-large eggs more, so 'one egg' is not a perfectly fixed unit.
The glycemic index (GI) ranks carbohydrate foods by the blood-glucose response to a standardized amount of available carbohydrate. Low GI is 55 or less, medium 56–69 and high 70 or more. White bread, some rice and potatoes can be high, but variety, cooking and processing can shift the number substantially.
Glycemic index (GI) describes the response to a standardized carbohydrate amount; glycemic load (GL) also accounts for how much available carbohydrate is in the serving you actually eat. GL = GI × grams of available carbohydrate per serving ÷ 100. A high-GI food can therefore have low GL when the serving contains little carbohydrate.