In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto

Imagine walking through a supermarket in the 1980s. The shelves are bursting with packages, but something peculiar is happening: the familiar, wholesome foods your grandmother would recognize seem to be vanishing, replaced by products boasting scientific-sounding nutrient claims. The spotlight is no longer on eggs or fresh vegetables but on terms like cholesterol, fiber, and saturated fat. This shift marks the rise of nutritionism, an ideology that reduces food to its chemical components, promising health through the manipulation of these nutrients.

Our story begins in the 19th century, when scientists discovered macronutrients—protein, fat, carbohydrates—and later, vitamins. These discoveries were revolutionary, offering explanations for diseases like scurvy and beriberi and promising a scientific approach to health. But with this came a new way of thinking: food was no longer a complex, living thing but a sum of its parts. We started to believe that eating the right nutrients was all that mattered.

Yet this reductionism came with consequences. It stripped away the cultural, social, and sensory richness of eating. When the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs issued the 1977 Dietary Goals, they initially recommended eating less meat. However, political pressure from the meat and dairy industries led to a retreat. The message was reframed: focus on nutrients like saturated fat rather than the foods themselves. This linguistic shift allowed industries to maintain sales while appearing to support health.

Meanwhile, the repeal of the FDA's imitation rule in 1973 opened the floodgates for processed foods to masquerade as real, so long as they matched nutrient profiles. Suddenly, margarine was no longer just a cheap butter substitute—it was 'heart-healthy' butter, fortified with vitamins and stripped of cholesterol. This regulatory change was a pivotal moment, enabling the processed food industry to grow exponentially.

These changes created a food environment where scientific claims and nutrient counts dominated, confusing consumers and distancing them from the pleasures and wisdom of traditional eating. The promise was health, but the reality was a complicated maze of labels and choices that left many anxious and uncertain. Understanding this origin is key to reclaiming a healthier relationship with food.

As we move forward, we will explore how this ideology shaped the market and the science of food, leading to unintended consequences that challenge our health and happiness.