logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2023
25m 52s

Let’s process food

Vox
About this episode

Doctor and journalist Chris van Tulleken wanted to know how ultra-processed foods affect us, so for a month he ate almost nothing but UPFs. His book Ultra-Processed People examines how the food we eat today is dramatically changing our bodies and minds.

This episode was produced by Siona Peterous, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Isabel Angell, engineered by TK, and hosted by Noel King.

Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained

Support Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Today
From Alligator Alcatraz to South Sudan
The Trump administration is not happy with their deportation numbers. They're turning to more extreme strategies to hit 1 million by year's end. This episode was produced by Gabrielle Berbey, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd and ... Show More
28m 49s
Yesterday
I was told there would be deals
After pressing pause on the steepest tariffs, the Trump Administration promised 90 tariff deals in 90 days. That deadline is nearly here but the deals are not. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Jolie Myers, fact checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kri ... Show More
27m 52s
Jul 8
Trump's Nobel Peace Prize
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Donald Trump he has nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize for his Middle East efforts. We hear what he's done to deserve it. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy and Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fac ... Show More
27m 51s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2021
Expired food is a myth | Tell Me More
It seems reasonable to assume that food packaging saying the contents are expired indicates inedible food. You can trust the labels on what you buy in the grocery store, can't you? Except America’s food label system isn’t standardized, and it has very little to do with food safet ... Show More
16m 4s
Jul 2023
Junk Food for Thought
Dr Xand van Tulleken and Dr Dolly van Tulleken join Adam to chat about confusing portion sizes, ultra-processed foods and how the government could act to improve Britain’s diet. And BBC international editor Jeremy Bowen unpicks events in Israel after a tumultuous week which saw m ... Show More
33m 46s
Feb 2022
Could we lose delicious foods forever?
Vox's Benji Jones talks with food journalist and author Dan Saladino, whose new book Eating to Extinction documents rare foods and food cultures from around the world, showing how they are being affected by climate change, globalization, and industrial agricultural practices. Dan ... Show More
1h 6m
Oct 2020
The meat we eat affects us all
In this special episode of the Future Perfect podcast, neuroscientist Lori Marino helps us understand how arbitrarily we draw the lines between animals as pets and animals as food, and how we might redraw those lines.Subscribe to Future Perfect on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your ... Show More
35m 4s
Jun 2022
ConGRADulations, fellow kids
Hey, Weeds listeners: Today, we are bringing you an episode of Today, Explained that originally aired in early June.  Ten months ago, the faculty of Cramer Hill Elementary set out to get their kids back on track after a year of mostly remote learning. Today, Explained’s Miles Bry ... Show More
27m 40s
Jul 2021
The pros and cons of eating bugs | Tell Me More
In many parts of the world, insects are a regular part of people’s diets. That’s not the case in the United States, but perhaps it should be. Vox senior correspondent Dylan Matthews explains why eating bugs may be a more environmentally friendly alternative to eating meat, as wel ... Show More
14m 50s
Sep 2020
Chicken Big
In 1992, Craig Watts got into growing chickens for Perdue Farms because he was told he could turn a good profit. Instead, he found himself hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, and unable to bargain for better working conditions because Perdue was the only game in town. Thing ... Show More
28m 50s
May 2023
Chris van Tulleken with Isy Suttie
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by medical doctor, academic and science populariser and presenter, Chris van Tulleken.Chris joins us to discuss his latest book, Ultra Processed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn't Food… and Why Can't We Stop? This tho ... Show More
55m 47s
Jun 2024
Farm-to-Table Pioneer on Why We Still Need Better Food
Alice Waters helped the farm-to-table movement go mainstream in the U.S. through her restaurant Chez Panisse. In the decades since she has kept advocating for locally grown, organic food over the fast food Americans regularly consume. Kate Linebaugh sat down with Waters at The Wa ... Show More
19m 9s