The 'Sader Digest
The 'Sader Digest —where health, wellness, and food collide with a whole lot of flavor!
We’re here to dish out fresh ideas and fun conversations about how to eat well, live better, and make food choices that fuel your body and mind. From Holy Cross dining hacks to mastering the art of cooking on your own, we’re serving up everything you need to know to stay healthy and feel your best.
Whether you’re curious about what’s on your plate, looking for simple tips to level up your meals, or just want to geek out about all things food, this podcast is for you. Think of us as your foodie friends with a side of wellness wisdom.
Grab a seat, press play, and let’s dig in!
Episodes
45 episodes
What the Heck Is a Chicken Bob?
What happens when you order a “chicken bob” and expect barbecue… only to get warm pulled chicken, iceberg lettuce, mayonnaise, and a soft roll? Welcome to the Merrimack Valley.In this episode of The ’Sader Digest, Brad heads bac...
Taylor Made Nutrition: Carbs, Protein & Peanuts on the Brain
This week on The ’Sader Digest, Brad sits down with dietetic intern Taylor Barber to talk about changing majors, finding your passion, and discovering that becoming a dietitian involves a whole lot more than telling people to eat less....
Massachusetts? More Like Massachusweets: The Commonwealth of Cookies
The chocolate chip cookie feels like it has existed forever. Grandma made them. Your dining hall makes them. There’s a recipe on the back of the bag. They’re basically American edible furniture.Except… the chocolate chip cookie is less t...
Fluff Around and Find Out
Before it was a Fluffernutter, it was just a guy in Somerville selling marshmallow goo door to door.This week on The ’Sader Digest, Brad digs into the very Massachusetts history of Marshmallow Fluff—from Archibald Query making m...
From Poke Bowls to Better Dining: A Student's Perspective with Mia Simpson
What happens when students don't just talk about dining—but actually have a seat at the table?In this episode of The 'Sader Digest, Brad sits down with Mia Simpson, a Holy Cross junior and member of the Dining Advisory Board, to...
Who the Heck Is General Tso?
Sweet. Crispy. Sticky. Completely misunderstood.This week on The 'Sader Digest, Brad tells the incredible story of General Tso's chicken, a dish that's become synonymous with Chinese takeout despite having a history that's anyth...
Beyond the Fortune: The Surprising Story Inside the Cookie
Fortune cookies feel ancient, traditional, and unmistakably Chinese—but their story is far more complicated. In this episode of The 'Sader Digest, Brad Shannon cracks open the surprising history of the fortune cookie: from Japanese ...
Improvised in Mexico: How Caesar Salad Took Over the World
This week on The Sader Digest, host Bradley Shannon dives into one of the biggest misconceptions in food history: the Caesar salad is not Italian. Created in 1924 in Tijuana, Mexico by Italian immigrant Caesar Cardini, the iconic salad...
From Manchester to Every Menu in America: Chicken Tenders
This week on The 'Sader Digest, Brad tackles one of life’s most important—and somehow least questioned—foods: the chicken tender.Crispy, dippable, and universally loved, chicken tenders feel like they’ve been around forever… but...
From Fizz to Fame: The Rise of Honest Kimball Review
This week on The 'Sader Digest, Brad flies solo—but brings in a guest who definitely doesn’t hold back: Patrick, the creator of Honest Kimball Review.What started as anonymous food posts on the college app Fizz (powered...
From Tires to Tasting Menus: The Power of the Michelin Guide
What started as a clever way to sell tires has become one of the most powerful forces in global cuisine.In this episode of the Sader Digest, Brad dives into the history, influence, and controversy of the Michelin Guide—and what its recen...
From Starter to Stability: The Psychology Behind Sourdough
What does a jar of bubbling flour and water say about us?In this episode of the 'Sader Digest, Brad and Alex take a deep (and surprisingly philosophical) dive into the sourdough boom of 2020—when the world shut down, grocery shelves empt...
More Than a Nurse’s Office: Rethinking Campus Health with Kristen Gauthier
In this episode of The 'Sader Digest, Alex brings along Public Health Nurse Kristin Gauthier to share insight into the evolving role of Health Services at Holy Cross.Kristin discusses how her work extends beyond traditiona...
Airport Eats & Mindful Treats: Navigating Food When You’re Stuck in Transit
Travel days hit different—and so do our food choices.In this episode of the Sader Digest, Brad and Alex are back in the studio swapping stories from a whirlwind Florida trip that turned into an unexpected airport food deep dive. After sp...
Everyone’s a Chef Now (According to Instagram)
Everyone loves calling themselves a chef these days. Got an apron? Chef. Posted a pasta video on Instagram? Chef. Bought a really expensive knife? Obviously… chef.But in this episode of The 'Sader Digest, Brad pulls back t...
The Gentrification of Your Dinner Plate: Peasant Food’s Million Dollar Makeover
Lobster used to be prison food. Pizza was street food for dock workers. Brisket and oxtails were scraps no one wanted.Today? They’re on $40 menus.In this episode of The'Sader Digest, Brad Shannon dives into one o...
Is Authentic Food Even Real? The most dangerous word in food
Is your favorite dish actually authentic… or just something your grandma made really well?In this episode of The 'Sader Digest, Brad dives into one of the most overused—and surprisingly controversial—words in food: <...
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: How a Tomato Built a Nation
After a brief hiatus (blame the studio construction, not the tomatoes), The 'Sader Digest is back in action! While Alex enjoys life somewhere tropical, Brad is holding down the fort in Massachusetts and kicking off a new series of e...
How to Adult in the Grocery Aisle: The College Guide to Survival
This week, we’re tackling the ultimate college conundrum: how to eat healthy without selling a kidney or surviving on peanut butter toast.From grocery store hacks and freezer-friendly produce to mastering the mysterious art of the microw...
Off the Menu: Outtakes Edition
Welcome back to The Sader Digest, the health and wellness podcast where we try to sound smart… and often fail spectacularly. In this “Outtakes Edition,” we’re serving up a buffet of our finest bloopers, caffeine-fueled tangent...
Purple Goes Blue: Beans, Balance & the Birth of the Purple Zone
Ever wondered how to live to 100 without moving to a sun-soaked island in Greece? In this laugh-filled finale of our Blue Zone series, Alex and Brad try to bring the secrets of long life to—wait for it—Worcester. From flipping t...
Purple Goes Blue: The World Tour of Longevity (Part 1)
Brad and Alex jet around the globe exploring the famous Blue Zones — those rare places where people live long, happy, and suspiciously goat-filled lives. From California’s plant-powered Adventists to Costa Rica’s “plan de vida,” from S...
Microbiome: Epigenetics, Fiber, Antioxidants Oh my!
Brad is back. But more importantly Alex is back. And yes — the long-awaited Sader Digest Season 2 is here (still in our makeshift “studio,” but hey, we roll with it).In this episode, Brad and Alex dive headfirst into the myst...
Beyond the Label: Allergens, Celiac, and the Power of Safe Dining
Did you know your immune system can throw a full-blown temper tantrum over a peanut? Or that a crumb of gluten can trigger an autoimmune attack in someone with celiac disease?In this episode, Bradley Shannon—Director of Culinary Developm...
Seeds of Change: Breeding Flavor into the Future of Food (Part 2 of 2)
Forget bland broccoli and tasteless tomatoes—this episode is all about sparking a vegetable revolution from the ground up.Brad (FINALLY) shares the stories and insights fresh from the UMass Chefs Conference, where chef Dan Barber issued ...