A Taste of the Past Politics in the Grocery Aisle with Marion Nestle
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Dec 12, 2025 
Marion Nestle, a leading nutrition and food activist, dives into her updated book, What to Eat Now. She discusses the rise of ultra-processed foods and how they are reshaping grocery shopping and eating habits. Marion shares insights on corporate influence in food policy and how to make healthier choices in supermarkets. She highlights concerns about childhood obesity due to aggressive marketing and suggests that store layouts significantly affect buying decisions. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone wanting to navigate the complex world of food better!
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Pandemic Project Became A Four-Year Rewrite
- Marion started the book update as a pandemic project expecting six months but it became a four-year effort.
- She was surprised how many products she'd cited in 2006 had disappeared and how much had changed.
Supermarkets Transformed By New Products And Online Sales
- Supermarkets and product mixes changed massively in 20 years, driven by bottled waters, organics, international foods, and online shopping.
- Online grocery now accounts for nearly a third of supermarket sales and reshapes pricing and access.
Ultra-Processed Foods Predict Poor Health
- The NOVA 'ultra-processed' category groups foods by industrial processing rather than nutrients and predicts health risks.
- Extensive research links ultra-processed diets to higher calorie intake, obesity, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and mortality.
