Fast food chains and casual restaurants have to constantly innovate to stay competitive these days. And by innovate, we mean, add new menu items. No longer can a popular restaurant like McDonald’s just sell burgers.

Domino’s is adding a first-of-its-kind menu item that’s not pizza. The pizza chain is launching creamy mac and cheese, and the two varieties sound pretty tasty. 

Classic macaroni and cheese is made with elbow macaroni noodles and usually some variation on Cheddar cheese. Domino’s two new mac and cheese offerings both use five kinds of cheese, and Cheddar is definitely in there, but the pizza chain ups the cheesiness significantly and switches up the pasta.

• 5-Cheese Mac & Cheese: Penne pasta combined with a blend of Cheddar, American, Parmesan-Asiago, mozzarella blend, and Alfredo sauce—all oven-baked to creamy, bubbly perfection. 
• Spicy Buffalo 5-Cheese Mac & Cheese: Hot Buffalo sauce is drizzled on the new 5-Cheese Mac & Cheese

New U.S. dietary guidelines, advocating for increased consumption of protein while advising Americans to reduce intake of ultra-processed foods and added sugars have been released. 

These guidelines, updated every five years by the Agriculture and Health and Human Services departments, align with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, although they fall short of some experts’ expectations for more radical changes.

The guidelines emphasize eating whole foods, including fresh vegetables, whole grains, and dairy products, while urging consumers to avoid highly processed foods like chips and candy. The guidelines suggest limiting saturated fat intake to no more than 10% of daily calories, recommending whole-food sources like meat and avocados.

The new guidelines also propose increasing protein intake to 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight. For a 150-pound person, this translates to 81.6 to 109 grams of protein daily. The guidelines recommend three servings of full-fat dairy per day for a 2,000-calorie diet.

The New York State Gaming Commission has unanimously approved licenses for three new casinos in New York City. The decision paves the way for Bally’s in the Bronx, Hard Rock Metropolitan Park near Citi Field, and Resorts World near the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens to begin development. 

According to Gaming Commission Chairman Bryan O’Dwyer, the licensing fees are expected to generate $1.5 billion for the state.

The Hard Rock Metropolitan Park, a significant part of the approved projects, is a partnership between Hard Rock International and New York Mets owner Steve Cohen. The $8.1 billion project will transform 50 acres of parking lots around Citi Field into a large-scale entertainment and gaming complex.

The complex will feature a Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, a Hard Rock Live concert center, multiple restaurants and bars, a retail store, and a 25-acre public park.