'What to Eat Now' nutritionist talks SNAP, food policy and the 'triple duty' diet

"Nestle says the Trump administration's efforts to withhold SNAP benefits from millions of Americans has made clear how fragile our economy is: "We have 42 million people in this country 16 million of them children who can't rely on a consistent source of food from day to day and have to depend on a government program that provides them with benefits that really don't cover their food needs, only cover part of their food needs.""

"The purpose of a supermarket is to sell as much food as possible to as many people as possible, as often as possible at as higher prices they can get away with, she says. The more products you see, the more you're likely to buy. Therefore, the products that are organized so that you cannot miss them are in prime supermarket real estate."

"Nestle's 2006 book, What to Eat, became a consumer bible of sorts when it came out, guiding readers through the supermarket while exposing how industry marketing and policy steer our food choices. Now, two decades later, she's back with What to Eat Now, a revised field guide for the supermarket of 2025. Nestle recommends what she called a "triple duty" diet aimed at preventing hunger, obesity and climate change: "Eat real food, processed as little as possible, with a big emphasis on plants," she says."

Marion Nestle highlights that withholding SNAP benefits reveals economic fragility and leaves 42 million people, including 16 million children, without consistent access to adequate food. SNAP benefits frequently cover only part of recipients' food needs. Supermarkets prioritize selling products and maximizing profits by placing high-margin items in prime locations and accepting payments from companies for eye-level and end-of-aisle placement. Industry marketing and policy steer consumer choices and make nutritious food harder to afford. Nestle recommends a 'triple duty' diet of real, minimally processed, largely plant-based foods to prevent hunger, obesity and reduce climate impact, and updates guidance for supermarkets of 2025.

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