The 30 Biggest Food And Drink Stories Of The Year
To celebrate the end of 2016 (and the beginning of 2017), we're sharing our 30 most popular pieces of content for the year — five from each of our channels — based on the number of page views they received.
You'll find a wide range of stories here, something for everyone — for the cook trying to improve a growing recipe repertoire; the parent who wants to send the kids off to school with sandwiches made with real ingredients; the diner who loves fast food but wants to be aware of healthier menu items; and more.
It's no surprise that "101 Ways to Cook Chicken" and "The Best Steakhouse in Every State" were a couple of our most-viewed stories this year, but you may be surprised to learn that "14 Cool Things Made Especially for Left-Handed People," "Foods You Can't Bring Into the US," and "7 Pieces of Common Cookware That Can Make Your Food Toxic," also made the list.
Healthy eating and comfort foods were the big themes in 2016. What will 2017 bring?
These were our most-viewed stories in 2016.
Cook
101 Ways to Cook Chicken
From breasts and thighs to legs and wings, chicken is one of the most popular and versatile ingredients available. The inexpensive protein is a dinner, lunch, and snack-time favorite that is included in different recipes across many cultures, but sometimes we find ourselves stuck with the same chicken dinner over and over again. Break the monotony with 101 different ways to cook chicken.
For 101 ways to cook chicken, click here.
101 Soups for All Seasons
Who doesn't love soup? Even for the most inexperienced of cooks, soups are doable. Our "101 Soups for All Seasons" is chock-full of amazing soup recipes featuring hearty stews to warm up your winter, bright spring broths celebrating nature's first crops, chilled summer gazpachos to beat the heat, and, of course, bountiful fall soups that take advantage of the year's most thrilling time for produce.
For 101 soups for all seasons, click here.
Grilling Secrets From America's Barbecue Champions
To help you achieve pitmaster-level barbecue, we asked some pros what they think the most important secrets are to making great food on the grill. Our experts weighed in with tips ranging from how to shop for ingredients to their favorite tools to use to how to prep your meat for success every time.
To find out the grilling secrets of America's barbecue champions, click here.
Make Cheap Steak Tender and Delicious
It's no secret that a good cut of quality beef is expensive, but that doesn't mean that you have to settle stewed meats or braises. The secret to an awesome steak dinner made with low-priced steak is in how you season and cook it.
For marinade ideas and cooking tips check out these 9 ways to make cheap steak tender and delicious.
Healthy School-Day Breakfasts to Make Your Kids in 10 Minutes or Less
The recipe collection in our super popular article "10 Healthy School-Day Breakfasts to Make for Your Kids in 10 Minutes or Less" is here to help calm your mornings and get the kiddos fed, out the door, and off to school. The roundup doesn't rely on premade convenience foods (like Pop-Tarts) or require you to cook up and freeze a triple batch of waffles the night before (although that's a great idea, too). Instead, these recipes are simple suggestions for those frenzied mornings when time — and maybe the kids — is not on your side.
For the 10 healthy school-day breakfasts to make for your kids in 10 minutes or less, click here.
Drink
Healthiest and Unhealthiest Coffee Creamer
The scourge of nutritionists and pure food advocates, coffee creamer is often a bizarre blend of vegetable oils, artificial flavorings, and food dye. Some companies have gone above and beyond to reinvent coffee creamer as something you shouldn't be afraid to drink.
Click here to see which coffee creamer is the healthiest (and unhealthiest).
Best Craft Breweries in America
We surveyed all the many craft breweries in America to come up with out list of the very best. Did your local favorite make the list?
Click here to for the 50 best craft breweries in America.
Teas That Settle Your Stomach
When you're feeling ill, nothing is more comforting than a sip of warm tea. Tea has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties, and this list points out which teas are best at soothing an upset stomach.
For the 7 best teas to settle your stomach, click here.
Taste Test of America's Best-Selling Beers
Hundreds of thousands of viewers wanted to know which best-selling American beer was ranked the best. Sorry Busch Light fans... you all took the bottom spot.
Click here for the results of the best-selling American beer taste test.
Teas for Weight Loss
Want to shed some pounds? It might be as simple as sipping on these 10 best teas for weight loss. Try swapping out your morning cup of coffee for some bilberry or oolong tea. Hey, don't knock it till you try it.
To find out which teas are best for weight loss, click here.
Eat/Dine
Best Steakhouse in Every State
Every state is home to (at least) one great steakhouse, as we learned in August when we published "The Best Steakhouse in Every State." Some unexpected standouts included George's Steak Pit in Sheffield, Alabama; David Burke Prime inside Connecticut's Foxwoods casino; The Big Steer in Altoona, Iowa; and Jeffrey's Steakhouse in Moab, Utah.
Click here to see the best steakhouse in every state.
America's Favorite Tacos
Whether they're crunchy and filled with ground beef or soft and filled with carnitas, tacos are one of the most delicious foods on earth, and this year's ranking of America's top 75 was a big hit. Aside from ones in taco destinations like San Francisco (La Taquería), Austin (Tacodeli), and Los Angeles (Mexicali); there were some dark horses in cities you wouldn't expect, like Atlanta (Taquería Del Sol), Charleston (Basico), and Louisville (Seviche).
Click here to see the ranking of America's top tacos.
Top Casual Restaurants
Super-expensive restaurants get their fair share of praise, but it's the casual, less expensive ones that become standbys. All of the restaurants in this year's ranking of the 101 best casual restaurants — including top vote-getters Frank Pepe, Willie Mae's Scotch House, Franklin Barbecue, and Katz's Deli — are absolute must-visits for diners on any budget (or diners who just want some delicious, unpretentious food).
Click here for our ranking of the 101 best casual restaurants.
Outrageous Burgers
Like tacos, burgers are universally beloved, and our annual ranking of the 101 best burgers in America was once again one of our most successful stories. This year's most praiseworthy burgers included the ones served at Minetta Tavern, Holeman & Finch, Husk, db Bistro Moderne, and The Spotted Pig.
Click here to see which burgers were ranked the best in America.
24-Hour Restaurants Ranked
Twenty-four-hour chain restaurants are a (more or less) beloved part of the American dining scene, and our ranking of the top 10 garnered a lot of attention. Denny's, IHOP, and, of course, Waffle House were at the top of the pack.
Click here to see our ranking of the top 24-hour restaurants.
Healthy Eating
Healthiest Fast-Food Chains
And you thought fast food couldn't be healthy... We checked menus and nutritional information from fast-food restaurants from around the country and compiled a list of the 10 healthiest. These chains aren't attracting diners with monstrous burgers or cheese-drenched pizza; they're doing it with skillfully seasoned salads, exciting grains, and clever interpretations of meatless proteins.
For the list of the 10 healthiest fast-food chains, click here.
Foods That Will Add Years to Your Life
It's possible to eat your way to longevity. There are a handful of foods that have been found to battle against disease, preserve health, and add years to your life. Regions of the world with the highest percentage of centenarians (people 100 years old and above) have similar diets founded in vegetables, legumes, soy, tropical fruits, nuts, whole grains, and only a small amount of meat and dairy.
Click here to see which foods may add years to your life.
Toxic Common Cookware
Does microwaving plastic transfer hazardous chemicals to foods? Can cooking with Teflon lead to the "Teflon flu?" Certain pieces of common cookware can make your food toxic, and this issue affects professionals and home cooks alike. That's why it was one of the most popular articles of 2016. Read on to see if any of these offensive pieces of common cookware are in your kitchen.
Click here for 7 the pieces of common cookware that may be making your food toxic.
Healthy Fast-Food Meals
Fast-food restaurants have suffered from an image problem (to say it nicely), but they're doing their best to develop and offer healthier options. Get your fast-food fix without all the calories and saturated fats by eating these nine fast-food meals that are actually healthy.
Click here for the 9 fast-food meals that are actually healthy.
Healthy Peanut Butter Options
Peanut butter is spread on toast, added to smoothies and oatmeal, and blended into curries, stews, and chilis. Peanut butter ought to be made with simply roasted peanuts and salt, but some companies lace their peanut butters with sugar, tropical oils, and/or preservatives. Fortunately, healthy peanut butter still exists, and these nine brands are doing the classic condiment justice.
Want to know which brands of peanut butter are healthiest? Click here.
Entertain
Cool Things Made for Left-Handed People
Though only 10 percent of the population is left-handed, lefties flocked to our list of 14 cool things made for lefties. From can-openers to guitars to spiral notebooks, these specially made items can be really handy.
Click here for our list of 14 cool things made especially for lefties.
Grilling 101
There's nothing quite like grilling out in the summertime, so we wrote "The Complete Grilling and Barbecuing Guide for Your Summer Parties." With essential tips on maintaining your grill and recipes for the best-ever barbecue, it's no wonder this comprehensive guide was a favorite.
Click here for the complete grilling and barbecuing guide for your summer parties.
Foods Killing Your Sex Drive
What can we say? Sex sells. And few people want to have a lower sex drive. To help you out, we wrote "11 Foods That Are Killing Your Sex Drive" and got some surprising results. Chocolate? Yeah, we didn't expect that, either.
Click here for the 11 foods that are killing your sex drive.
Best Games for Dinner Parties
One of the best parts of a dinner party is the games, so we wrote "11 Best Games for Dinner Parties." Whether you're playing charades, board games, or a rousing bit of fortune telling, people want to know how to entertain their guests.
Click here to see the 11 best games for dinner parties.
Games to Play at the Table
This list of five great games to play at the table is perfect for young families looking for a night of easy entertainment away from the TV.
Here are 5 great games to play at the table.
Travel
World's Spiciest Foods
If your stomach can handle the heat of some of the spiciest popular dishes in the world, you might be familiar with some of the dishes on the list of the world's 11 spiciest foods. Most notable was the spicy Korean kimchi, called Kimchi Jjigae, which has plenty of red chiles simmered into the broth, but the Thai pepper steak is even spicier. This dish is called Neua Pad Prik and includes bird's-eye chiles, which rank between 100,000 and 225,000 on the Scoville heat index.
Click here to read about the world's spiciest foods.
101 Best Food Trucks in America
Every year, the task of publishing a list of the 101 best food trucks in America gets harder with new trucks popping up every day around the country. Based on a readers' choice survey, The Daily Meal released the list back in July. Impromptu road trip, anyone?
Click here for the 101 best food trucks in America.
9 Countries That Eat Cats and Dogs
You might be surprised to hear that countries around the world eat these two household pets. Is your country on the list?
Foods You Can't Bring into the US
During your world travels, there will probably be times when you want to bring home certain foods. But are they allowed to be brought into the U.S.? We created a list of foods you can't bring into the U.S., plus a list of treats you should bring home. Find out which cheeses, nuts, fish, eggs, and meats are, or aren't, allowed into the States.
Click here to see which foods you can't bring into the U.S.
Things Your TSA Agent Won't Tell You
What exactly is going through the heads of TSA agents on a daily basis? What secrets do they hold? What things are they dying to tell you, but can't? Now you can find out.
Click here for 12 things your TSA agent won't tell you.