Today marks the official publication of my new book, What to Eat Now!  All 703 pages of it!

Here’s the press release.

Order it—ISBN 9780374608699—from Amazon   Barnes & Noble   Books-a-Million   Bookshop   Powells   Target

It’s a thoroughly revised version of What to Eat, published in 2006.

A lot has changed, much more than I imagined when I set out to do this.  I thought it would be a six-month project, but it’s now four years later.

The big changes?  Ultra-processed, plant-based, and cannabis, for starters.  But there’s much, much more.

This is a book about how to think about food issues.  Come with me on a trek through supermarkets to see what today’s food marketing looks like, and its effects on our health and that of the environment.

I’m collecting information and reviews on this page.

Come to the event at NYU:

The Culinary Historians of New York and the NYU Department of Nutrition and Food Studies invite you to the semi-official launch of the book: The Politics of Your Plate: A Conversation with Dr. Marion Nestle, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., NYU Bobst Library, 70 Washington Square South, Richard A. Chase North Reading Room, 2nd Floor.  Register here.

Enjoy!!!

In case it’s not obvious, I view studies claiming major health benefits from eating one food—mangoes in this case—to be about marketing, not science.  We don’t eat just one food; we eat diets of enormous complexity.  This makes such studies inherently ridiculous.  And I’m not the only one who thinks so.  Some examples:

I.  Insulin sensitivity

This one comes from Obesity and Energetics Offerings’ occasional series on “Headline vs Study”

Headline: Daily Mango Consumption May Improve Insulin Sensitivity in Overweight or Obese Adults.

Study: RCT [randomized control trial] of Mango or Control Product: Markers of Inflammation [Joint Primary Outcomes] Were Not Different at the End of 4 Weeks. [Oops]

Here’s the press release from the National Mango Board: New Study: Eating Mangos Daily Shown to Improve Insulin Sensitivity and Blood Glucose Control.  It notes: “This study was supported through an unrestricted grant from the National Mango Board (NMB). NMB had no influence over the study or its findings.”

II.  Cholesterol and blood pressure

Here’s the blurb for this one: Journal of the American Nutrition Association Mango intake linked to short-term cholesterol, blood pressure benefits A two-week trial in postmenopausal women found that daily mango consumption lowered blood pressure and fasting cholesterol, though it did not affect microvascular function or inflammation markers. Read More

Conclusions: Further research using amounts of mango typically consumed, over an extended period of time, are warranted [well, at least this is an honest assessment].

Funding: This study was supported by a research grant from the National Mango Board. The sponsor had no role in the design or conduct of the study, the data analysis, interpretation of the results, or the decision to publish.

III.  Diabetes prevention

Basiri R, Dawkins K, Singar S, Ormsbee LT, Akhavan NS, Hickner RC, Arjmandi BH. Daily Mango Intake Improves Glycemic and Body Composition Outcomes in Adults with Prediabetes: A Randomized Controlled Study. Foods. 2025; 14(17):2971. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14172971 

Conclusion: The daily consumption of mango for 24 weeks improved the glycemic control, insulin sensitivity, and body composition in adults with prediabetes, which supports the potential of mango as a practical dietary intervention for metabolic health.

Funding: The National Mango Board provided funding for this study.

From ConscienHealth: Magical Mango Thinking About Preventing Diabetes

Diabetes Prevention?

But the real problem with claiming a benefit for diabetes prevention is that this study did not study the onset of diabetes.

So do mangoes prevent diabetes? Not likely. Not all by themselves.

Are they a better snack than sugary granola bars? Probably so.

From Medical News Today: Is it OK to eat mango if you’re at risk for diabetes? Experts weigh in

• In a recent study, mangoes more effectively improved prediabetes risk factors in a new study than low-sugar granola bars.
• The key to mangoes’ better results likely lies in their being a whole food with natural fiber, vitamins, and nutrients.
• However, experts agree that the best way to avoid type 2 diabetes is to eat a balanced, healthy diet and be physically active, rather than to depend on a single ‘superfood’ to prevent the condition.

Comment

Enough said.  I love mangoes (although I have to be careful about their skin and pits).  Their deliciousness is reason enough to eat them.  I suppose the Mango Board has to justify its existence….

I just got my first copy!  My new book, What to Eat Now!  All 703 pages of it!

The official publication date is November 11, but it can be pre-ordered.  ISBN 9780374608699. Amazon   Barnes & Noble   Books-a-Million   Bookshop   Powells   Target   It comes hardbound and in Kindle and Audible editions.

Enjoy!

Early press coverage

• Washington Post interview with Anahad O’Connor
• NBC4 Washington
• Kirkus Review (starred review)

I wish USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins would use less inflammatory language in making her announcements.  They sound right out of George Orwell’s 1984—or the 1950s McCarthy era—and do not speak well for American democracy.

Let’s start with the banner at the top of USDA websites.  If nothing else, it violates the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from partisan public statements.

Next, take a look at ICYMI: Secretary Rollins Pens Newsweek Op-Ed “Theatrics Don’t Feed the Hungry” [my emphasis]

What began as a program for the neediest Americans, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly referred to as food stamps, has exploded to serve one in every eight Americans. The food stamp rolls have not only skyrocketed due to eligibility loopholes and regulatory boondoggles—each allowing for millions of work-capable adults with school age children to participate—but a program that has recently become a “leverage” point for Democrats in their self-inflicted government shutdown…So, the truth has revealed itself. Democrats’ support for programs like SNAP is now reduced to cynical control over people’s lives.

Instead of focusing on reopening the government and keeping programs like SNAP and WIC functioning…Senate Democrats are holding firm on propping up failed government programs with billions in health care subsidies that benefit corporations over people. Not to mention exposing their far left agenda items: illegal aliens, open borders, gender mutilation and more…It is unconscionable.

I agree on “unconscionable.”

On Monday, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins’ filed this comment on X:

@POTUS is doing everything he can to help our most vulnerable mothers and babies while Radical Left Democrats continue to obstruct.

Name-calling does not help.

Red-baiting does not help.

Civility might.

I’ve been trying to keep track of what’s happening with SNAP, but it hasn’t been easy.

Fortunately, Jerry Hagstrom’s Hagstrom’s Report “Ag News As It Happens” does the heavy lifting.

But first, a brief recap.

The current government shutdown is about SNAP benefits.  Republicans want to cut benefits; Democrats don’t.

The Trump administration said it could not use emergency funds to pay SNAP benefits during the shutdown, because Congress has not appropriated money for SNAP for fiscal year 2026.

Friday, October 31

Two federal judges disagreed.  They said USDA should issue at least partial benefits through November.

• Commonwealth of Massachusetts v U.S. Department of Agriculture: Memorandum and Order
•  Speaker Johnson and Secretary Rollins Remarks on Day 31 of Government Shutdown (video)
• The New York Times : Government Ordered to Pay Food Stamp Benefits During Shutdown

Also, President Trump said he wanted SNAP benefits paid.

Our Government lawyers do not think we have the legal authority to pay SNAP with certain monies we have available, and now two Courts have issued conflicting opinions on what we can and cannot do. I do NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT. Therefore, I have instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible.

In the meantime, the USDA issued a sharp edict to retailers: Do not give any special discounts to SNAP recipients.

Saturday, November 1

Leah Douglas writes in Reuters:  As US federal food aid lapses, most states unable to fill the void

Just five states, Delaware, New Mexico, Louisiana, Virginia and Vermont, and the District of Columbia have said they will pay for some or all of the November food aid, according to a Reuters review of state websites and public statements. The rest have said they will not pay for the benefits due to technical or cost barriers, or provided no explanation.

The USDA said in an October 24 memo that it will not reimburse states if they cover the cost of benefits.

• CNN: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent won’t say whether Trump will use emergency funds to restore SNAP benefits
• NBC News: Trump administration faces Monday deadline to respond to judge’s SNAP order
• Associated Press: SNAP benefits cut off during shutdown, driving long lines at food pantries
• Politico: Trump admin will partially fund November SNAP benefits

Tuesday, November 4

Here is President Trump on Truth Social:

SNAP BENEFITS, which increased by Billions and Billions of Dollars (MANY FOLD!) during Crooked Joe Biden’s disastrous term in office (Due to the fact that they were haphazardly “handed” to anyone for the asking, as opposed to just those in need, which is the purpose of SNAP!), will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before! Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Yes, SNAP benefits increased—during the pandemic.  No, they were not haphazardly “handed” out for the asking.

If Trump will not provide benefits during the shutdown, let’s hope the courts intervene.

Tomorrow: the McCarthy-era rhetoric

I first read about this in Food Business News: New coalition targets ‘ingredient transparency’

Major food, agricultural and consumer products trade groups and companies have given their support to Americans for Ingredient Transparency (AFIT), a new policy advocacy coalition seeking a uniform national standard for ingredient transparency…With many states now enacting or considering their own ingredient transparency laws, the goal is to avoid the emergence of “an ever-expanding patchwork of disjointed food, beverage and personal care regulations” that would sow confusion among US consumers, the coalition said.

Specifically, AFIT said it will focus on reform of the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) process, front-of-package labeling and QR codes….The group also said it seeks to amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to establish the US Food and Drug Administration as “the sole entity setting the floor and ceiling for regulations on the marketing and sale of foods, beverages and over-the-counter products in the United States.”

Translation: The coalition wants a weak federal law to preempt (block) tougher state standards for GRAS qualification and front-of-pack labels.

US Right to Know explains what this is really about:  Americans for Ingredient Transparency: Product defense for unhealthy ultra-processed foods.  It shows:

Sarah Sorscher in Food Safety News calls this out for what it is: a front group aiming to weaken food safety rules.

But wait!  84 organizations have called on Congress to block preemption of states’ rights to regulate food chemicals .

I’m for this group.

Which side are you on?

Let your congressional representatives know.

Now.

Several readers have sent me Instagram posts that include videos of me arguing in favor of not eating breakfast , fasting, or promoting wellness products.  These more-or-less look like me speaking, and more-or-less sound like me.

But they are not my words or opinions.

They are fakes produced by Artificial Intelligence.

If you run across such videos of me on Instagram or elsewhere, please

• Do not try to rebut them by spreading them around or reposting them.
• Do not interact with the post, even to rebut it.
• Do not share the post.

Instead:

• Do report the post as spam or fake.
• Do report the site account as spam or fake.

If enough people report the posts as spam, they have a good chance of being removed.

Thanks very much for your help with this.

Halloween, no matter its origins and promotion of costumes, means only one thing to the candy industry: sales.

And plenty of detailed research helps that along.

America’s Halloween Sweet Tooth: Instacart’s 2025 Candy & Decor Trends: Who loads up on candy the most? Since Utah’s first full year on the Instacart platform, Utah has once again decisively claimed the crown, buying candy 50% more often than the national average in October 2024.

And if you ever wondered which candies sell best?

Selling Halloween candy

• Halloween scare: Candy costs are soaring: Trick-or-treaters may get fewer sweets this year as high cocoa prices haunt the candy aisle.
• Halloween candy sales soar: Trends & treats driving growth:  Halloween is no longer just for kids, it’s a confectionery goldmine… Read more
• Confectionery market to hit $278bn by 2032 as candy sales surge: The confectionery market is entering a new growth phase, driven by evolving consumer preferences, seasonal demand, and innovation in non-chocolate formats… Read more
• No trick: Halloween 2025 candy sales to hit record highs: After Summerween comes the real deal: Halloween, which expects to see recording spending… Read more

Enjoy!