Alice Waters Teaches The Art of Home Cooking

Apollonia Poilâne Teaches Bread Baking

Bill Nye Teaches Science and Problem-Solving

Dominique Crenn Teaches Modern Vegetarian Cooking

Gabriela Cámara Teaches Mexican Cooking

Gordon Ramsay Teaches Cooking I

Gut Health

Dr. Jane Goodall Teaches Conservation

Joe Holder Teaches Fitness and Wellness Fundamentals

Lewis Hamilton Teaches a Winning Mindset

Massimo Bottura Teaches Modern Italian Cooking

Matthew Walker Teaches the Science of Better Sleep

Michael Pollan Teaches Intentional Eating

Michael W. Twitty Teaches Tracing Your Roots Through Food

Niki Nakayama Teaches Modern Japanese Cooking

Robin Arzón Teaches Mental Strength

Ron Finley Teaches Gardening

Roy Choi Teaches Intuitive Cooking

Skin Health

Thomas Keller Teaches Cooking Techniques

Thomas Keller Teaches Cooking Techniques III: Seafood, Sous Vide, and Desserts

Wolfgang Puck Teaches Cooking

Yotam Ottolenghi Teaches Modern Middle Eastern Cooking

Meet Your Instructor

Rethink Your Relationship With Food

Confront Barriers to Intentional Eating

Follow Food Rules, Not Diets

Eat Food

Not Too Much

Balance Caffeine and Sugar Consumption

Finding Your Creativity

The Microbes Among Us

The Modern Gut Dilemma

Rebuilding the Biome, Mind, & Body

Food as Fuel

The Ocho System Food 101: Eat Real, Eat Right

How to Exercise Self Discipline

Optimize Your Body for Performance

Build the Habit of Eating Intentionally

Discover Where Your Food Comes From

Explore the Present and Future of Meat

Climate Change

Industrial Agriculture

Food As Activism

Planting a Revolution

Getting Dirty

Sourcing Ingredients

Choose Ethically Farmed Foods

Baking: Salt-Baked Branzino With Fennel and Red Pepper Vinaigrette

Grow Your Own Food: Herbs

Salsa Verde Cruda & Salsa Brava | Raw Salsas

Cooking For Your Pantry: Alice’s Staples

Cooking From Your Kitchen Garden: Salsa Verde

Recipe: Tuna Sashimi

Recipe: Roasted Branzino

Ancestral Foodways: Keeping Recipes Alive

Accara: Black-Eyed Pea Fritters

Mother Sauce: Kogi Vinaigrette

Kogi Taco Part II: Slaw, Toppings, and Assembly

Veggie Spread: Grilled Carrots With Labneh and Dukkah

Introduction

An Evolution of Pesto

Sogliola al Cartoccio (Mediterranean-Style Sole)

Craft Nutritious, Flavorful Meals

Eat Mostly Plants

Take Advantage of "Food Hacks"

Sleep and the Human Body

Improve Your Gut Health

Cleansing

Moisturization

Anti-Aging

Exfoliation

Nutrition

Lifestyle

Lip Care

Scalp & Hair

Acne

Skin Cancer

Skin Diseases

Nourish Your Skin From the Inside Out

Baking à la Poilâne

Make: Lobster Ravioli

The Power of Food: The Edible Schoolyard

Owan: Soup With Bone Broth 

Explore Everything All at Once

The Equipment You Don't Need

Panchan: Asian Pear and Watermelon Kimchis

Rice Bowls

Passatelli Part 1: Vegetarian “Broth of Everything”

Passatelli Part 2: Bread Crumb Pasta

Melon: Enhanced

Unlock Zero-Waste Cooking Skills

Health & Wellness

Teaches Relational Intelligence

Esther Perel

Esther Perel Teaches Relational Intelligence

Teaches Mindfulness and Meditation

Jon Kabat-Zinn

Jon Kabat-Zinn Teaches Mindfulness and Meditation

With Leading Experts

The Power of Mindset

Teaches Intentional Eating

Michael Pollan

With Shan Boodram

The Art of Sex Appeal

Ryan Holiday with Noted Experts

Using Ancient Wisdom to Solve Modern Problems

Teaches U.S. Presidential History and Leadership

Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris Kearns Goodwin Teaches U.S. Presidential History and Leadership

Teaches Yoga Foundations

Donna Farhi

Donna Farhi Teaches Yoga Foundations

Teaches Self-Expression and Authenticity

RuPaul

RuPaul Teaches Self-Expression and Authenticity

With Dr. Alexandra Solomon 

In Practice: Your Midyear Refresh

In Practice: Your Midyear Refresh with Dr. Alexandra Solomon

In Practice

Gloria Steinem and Noted Co-Instructors

Redefining Feminism

Redefining Feminism with Gloria Steinem and Noted Co-Instructors

With Halle Berry and Leading Experts

The Magic of Menopause

With Noted Experts

Teaches Gardening

Ron Finley

Gut Health with Leading Experts

Teaches Building a Fashion Brand

Diane von Furstenberg

Diane von Furstenberg Teaches Building a Fashion Brand

Teaches The Power of Resilience

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Teaches the Power of Resilience

Hillary Rodham Clinton Teaches The Power of Resilience

Teaches Mental Strength

Robin Arzón

Teaches the Runner’s Mindset

Joan Benoit Samuelson

Joan Benoit Samuelson Teaches the Runner’s Mindset

Teaches The Art of Performance

Usher

Teaches The Art Of Performance

Usher Teaches The Art of Performance

Small Habits that Make a Big Impact on Your Life

James Clear

James Clear: Small Habits that Make a Big Impact on Your Life

Navigating Change

Jay Shetty

Teaches Fitness and Wellness Fundamentals

Joe Holder

Brain Health

Brain Health with Leading Experts

Teaches the Science of Better Sleep

Matthew Walker

Teaches Modern Vegetarian Cooking

Dominique Crenn

Teaches a Winning Mindset

Lewis Hamilton

Teaches Sex and Communication

Emily Morse

Emily Morse Teaches Sex and Communication

Dr. Shereene Idriss

Dr. Michelle Henry

Ron Robinson

Dr. April Armstrong

David Zilber

Dr. Emeran Mayer

Erica Sonnenburg & Justin Sonnenburg

Michael Pollan grew up in Long Island, New York. After studying English at Bennington College and Columbia University, he put his degrees to good use as a contributing writer to publications like *Harper’s Magazine*, *The New Yorker*, *The New York Times Magazine*, and *The Washington Post*. He published his first book—a collection of nature writing titled *Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education*—in 1991.

Since then, Michael has written extensively about the value of understanding humanity’s relationship to food, as well as the importance of eating a healthy and balanced diet. He’s chronicled his research in bestsellers like *The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World*, *Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation*, *In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto*, and *The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals*.
Discover tips and techniques for optimizing your grocery store trips from bestselling author and food educator Michael Pollan:

1. __Buy less than you think you need__. You can help the environment and make significant positive impacts toward addressing the global food crisis by consciously deciding not to overbuy groceries. Michael says, “Something like forty percent of the food that comes off America's farms is not eaten; it's wasted.” You can meal-prep and reuse staple products like rice and veggies in diverse ways to keep your diet interesting and [reduce food waste](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-reduce-food-waste-and-repurpose-scraps). 
2. __Choose quality over quantity__. Michael argues people think about grocery shopping as the “end all, be all” of economic food consumption and sometimes select large amounts of lower-quality products over fresh, organic products to save money. “You are better off buying the grass-fed meat and using less of it in the recipe than buying the conventional meat and using a giant chunk of it,” Michael says. You can also work with a dietitian to develop a list of foods and nutritional requirements that will fit your dietary needs and weekly food budget.
3. __Make informed, responsible grocery shopping decisions__. “Choice has to be informed by knowledge to have any meaning at all,” Michael says. “And that's why I think your only obligation is to know something about the system feeding you, and then you make your choices.” Each consumer can shape the food landscape and future of [food sustainability](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/food-sustainability) by making responsible choices that promote environmental improvements and free-trade equity for workers in the [supply chain](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/supply-chain). 
4. __Reduce impulse buys__. Consumers should scrutinize the many ploys supermarkets and marketing firms use to lure them into impulse purchases as they peruse grocery store aisles. Michael says, “In the same way food scientists are manipulating foods to get us to eat more, supermarkets are manipulating the landscape of the supermarket to get us to buy more.” Investigate the layout of your local market, take note of products the company has displayed at eye level or the ends of aisles, and observe how candy, soda, and other nutritionally deficient treats line the shelves near the checkout line as you leave. These are all strategies supermarkets use to encourage you to buy products that were likely not on your shopping list to start.
Consider these steps you can take to optimize your grocery list and make the most of your shopping trip:

1. __Be on the lookout for deals__. Coupon cutters can save a lot of money and stretch their grocery budget by taking advantage of sales, rebate offers, and sell-by expiration dates. Frugal shoppers can find the best price for nonperishable food items like [lentils](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/lentil-recipes), [soups](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/healthy-soup-recipes), and canned fruits nearing their sell-by date even though these products likely have a considerably longer shelf life. 
2. __Buy generic brands__. There is a consistent markup on name brands because marketers realize they can charge a premium for the public's trust in household names. Generic store brands sometimes produce products of equal, if not better, quality than some of the top-name firms. Investigate the unit price and nutrition facts to ensure you purchase healthy foods for the best price.
3. __Choose local, in-season options__. Pick up fresh fruits and healthy snacks at local shops or a [farmers’ market](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-shop-at-the-farmers-market-with-alice-waters). These locations will have a wide selection of fresh produce from local farmers. Although they might be more expensive than what you find at big-box stores and other large retailers, they offer more nutritional value for your money. This also allows you to support your local economy and create relationships with the people who grow and prepare your food. 
4. __Stick to your shopping list__. Going to the grocery store on an empty stomach and no list is a recipe for disaster; falling victim to marketing and momentary cravings could mean making poor decisions. Instead, write out a detailed grocery list and give yourself strict guidelines to stay on track while you’re shopping. For instance, if bread is on your list, add a specific note reminding yourself to buy bread with [whole grains](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-are-whole-grains-learn-how-to-cook-with-whole-grains) if you plan to select healthier options on your next trip. These simple reminders will make you think twice before defaulting to your typical [processed foods](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-processed-food). 
See food like you have never seen it before. With the [MasterClass Annual Membership] (https://www.masterclass.com/), journalist and educator Michael Pollan teaches you how to determine your [ingredient sources] (https://www.masterclass.com/articles/michael-pollan-on-where-does-food-come-from), shop at the grocery store, and rethink your relationship to food.
At markets and grocery stores, you may struggle to differentiate nutritious ingredients from processed foods that lack nutritional value. Here, food educator and author Michael Pollan provides grocery <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/tan-france-shares-essential-shopping-tips' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/tan-france-shares-essential-shopping-tips","linkCopy":"shopping tips","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>shopping tips</a> and techniques for navigating the supermarket, buying healthier foods, and saving on your grocery bill.

At markets and grocery stores, you may struggle to differentiate nutritious ingredients from processed foods that lack nutritional value. Here, food educator and author Michael Pollan provides grocery <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/tan-france-shares-essential-shopping-tips' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/tan-france-shares-essential-shopping-tips","linkCopy":"shopping tips","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>shopping tips</a> and techniques for navigating the supermarket, buying healthier foods, and saving on your grocery bill.

Michael Pollan’s Grocery Shopping Tips

Michael Pollan grew up in Long Island, New York. After studying English at Bennington College and Columbia University, he put his degrees to good use as a contributing writer to publications like Harper’s Magazine, The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and The Washington Post. He published his first book—a collection of nature writing titled Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education—in 1991.Since then, Michael has written extensively about the value of understanding humanity’s relationship to food, as well as the importance of eating a healthy and balanced diet. He’s chronicled his research in bestsellers like The Botany of Desire: A Plant&#39;s-Eye View of the World, Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, and The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals.

A Brief Introduction to Michael Pollan

Discover tips and techniques for optimizing your grocery store trips from bestselling author and food educator Michael Pollan:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Buy less than you think you need. You can help the environment and make significant positive impacts toward addressing the global food crisis by consciously deciding not to overbuy groceries. Michael says, “Something like forty percent of the food that comes off America&#39;s farms is not eaten; it&#39;s wasted.” You can meal-prep and reuse staple products like rice and veggies in diverse ways to keep your diet interesting and <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-reduce-food-waste-and-repurpose-scraps' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-reduce-food-waste-and-repurpose-scraps","linkCopy":"reduce food waste","category":null}'>reduce food waste</a>. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Choose quality over quantity. Michael argues people think about grocery shopping as the “end all, be all” of economic food consumption and sometimes select large amounts of lower-quality products over fresh, organic products to save money. “You are better off buying the grass-fed meat and using less of it in the recipe than buying the conventional meat and using a giant chunk of it,” Michael says. You can also work with a dietitian to develop a list of foods and nutritional requirements that will fit your dietary needs and weekly food budget. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Make informed, responsible grocery shopping decisions. “Choice has to be informed by knowledge to have any meaning at all,” Michael says. “And that&#39;s why I think your only obligation is to know something about the system feeding you, and then you make your choices.” Each consumer can shape the food landscape and future of <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/food-sustainability' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/food-sustainability","linkCopy":"food sustainability","category":null}'>food sustainability</a> by making responsible choices that promote environmental improvements and free-trade equity for workers in the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/supply-chain' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/supply-chain","linkCopy":"supply chain","category":null}'>supply chain</a>. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Reduce impulse buys. Consumers should scrutinize the many ploys supermarkets and marketing firms use to lure them into impulse purchases as they peruse grocery store aisles. Michael says, “In the same way food scientists are manipulating foods to get us to eat more, supermarkets are manipulating the landscape of the supermarket to get us to buy more.” Investigate the layout of your local market, take note of products the company has displayed at eye level or the ends of aisles, and observe how candy, soda, and other nutritionally deficient treats line the shelves near the checkout line as you leave. These are all strategies supermarkets use to encourage you to buy products that were likely not on your shopping list to start. </li></ol>

4 Grocery Shopping Tips From Michael Pollan

Consider these steps you can take to optimize your grocery list and make the most of your shopping trip:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Be on the lookout for deals. Coupon cutters can save a lot of money and stretch their grocery budget by taking advantage of sales, rebate offers, and sell-by expiration dates. Frugal shoppers can find the best price for nonperishable food items like <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/lentil-recipes' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/lentil-recipes","linkCopy":"lentils","category":null}'>lentils</a>, <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/healthy-soup-recipes' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/healthy-soup-recipes","linkCopy":"soups","category":null}'>soups</a>, and canned fruits nearing their sell-by date even though these products likely have a considerably longer shelf life. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Buy generic brands. There is a consistent markup on name brands because marketers realize they can charge a premium for the public&#39;s trust in household names. Generic store brands sometimes produce products of equal, if not better, quality than some of the top-name firms. Investigate the unit price and nutrition facts to ensure you purchase healthy foods for the best price. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Choose local, in-season options. Pick up fresh fruits and healthy snacks at local shops or a <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-shop-at-the-farmers-market-with-alice-waters' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-shop-at-the-farmers-market-with-alice-waters","linkCopy":"farmers’ market","category":null}'>farmers’ market</a>. These locations will have a wide selection of fresh produce from local farmers. Although they might be more expensive than what you find at big-box stores and other large retailers, they offer more nutritional value for your money. This also allows you to support your local economy and create relationships with the people who grow and prepare your food. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Stick to your shopping list. Going to the grocery store on an empty stomach and no list is a recipe for disaster; falling victim to marketing and momentary cravings could mean making poor decisions. Instead, write out a detailed grocery list and give yourself strict guidelines to stay on track while you’re shopping. For instance, if bread is on your list, add a specific note reminding yourself to buy bread with <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-are-whole-grains-learn-how-to-cook-with-whole-grains' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-are-whole-grains-learn-how-to-cook-with-whole-grains","linkCopy":"whole grains","category":null}'>whole grains</a> if you plan to select healthier options on your next trip. These simple reminders will make you think twice before defaulting to your typical <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-processed-food' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-processed-food","linkCopy":"processed foods","category":null}'>processed foods</a>. </li></ol>

4 Ways to Optimize Your Grocery List and Budget

See food like you have never seen it before. With the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/","linkCopy":"MasterClass Annual Membership","category":null}'>MasterClass Annual Membership</a>, journalist and educator Michael Pollan teaches you how to determine your <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/michael-pollan-on-where-does-food-come-from' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/michael-pollan-on-where-does-food-come-from","linkCopy":"ingredient sources","category":null}'>ingredient sources</a>, shop at the grocery store, and rethink your relationship to food.

Eat With Intention

At markets and grocery stores, you may struggle to differentiate nutritious ingredients from processed foods that lack nutritional value. Here, food educator and author Michael Pollan provides grocery <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/tan-france-shares-essential-shopping-tips' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/tan-france-shares-essential-shopping-tips","linkCopy":"shopping tips","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>shopping tips</a> and techniques for navigating the supermarket, buying healthier foods, and saving on your grocery bill.

At markets and grocery stores, you may struggle to differentiate nutritious ingredients from processed foods that lack nutritional value. Here, food educator and author Michael Pollan provides grocery <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/tan-france-shares-essential-shopping-tips' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/tan-france-shares-essential-shopping-tips","linkCopy":"shopping tips","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>shopping tips</a> and techniques for navigating the supermarket, buying healthier foods, and saving on your grocery bill.

Michael Pollan with a wide smile, seated at a dining table. 

michael-pollan-on-grocery-shopping-tips

Diet culture is a system of beliefs and behaviors prevalent in society about the value of adhering to calorie deficits, cutting out food groups, and participating in detoxes and cleanses. It tends to put a high premium on weight loss. 

Society disseminates information about fad diets via advertisements, influencers, certain health professionals, and other public figures and sources. Rather than encouraging a moderate approach to healthy eating, diet culture takes a limited view of what people should eat and how they should look. It can, therefore, have a very negative impact on people’s physical health and mental well-being.
Diet culture convinces people they must pursue a specific body type at all costs, even if it’s detrimental to their physical and [mental health](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-mental-health). The diet industry often demonizes gaining weight, no matter the extenuating circumstances, and promotes disordered eating behavior. It makes a moral virtue out of weight loss and thinness, singling out the negative health effects of obesity even as it refuses to recognize how crash dieting can adversely affect a person’s wellness. 
Diet culture has had a negative impact on people of all sorts of body shapes and sizes. These are some of its harmful effects:

- __Body image issues__: Diet culture can make people with larger body types develop harmful self-images. For that matter, diet culture defines almost all of a given population as having too large a body shape in the first place. Many [health care](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/paul-krugman-on-health-care-in-the-united-states) workers now advocate for a “health at every size” approach, hoping to reduce people’s insecurities about their bodies at the same time they encourage them to adopt healthy habits.
- __Eating disorder risk__: When diet culture makes people feel they have an abnormal or wrong body size, it can lead to the development of disordered eating behaviors. Some people might obsessively track their calorie consumption in dieting or food restriction apps, while others might develop more extreme eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia.
- __Malnutrition__: Some diets encourage their adherents to cut out entire food groups. For instance, a diet might suggest drastically lowering or cutting out [carbohydrates](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/complex-carbohydrates-guide). While eating an unnecessary surplus of [carbs](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/refined-carbs-guide) is possible, they are still necessary for your body to function well. Misleading dieting advice like this causes people to negate other aspects of their health so they can avoid weight gain.
- __Weight cycling__: Rapidly fluctuating eating behaviors and choices can lead to a rapidly fluctuating weight as well. This sort of weight cycling can harm your physical health and wellness over a long period of time. Even in the short term, it can lead to a drastic increase in [insomnia](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/insomnia-explained) and [anxiety](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/anxiety-and-sleep).
Food journalist [Michael Pollan](https://www.masterclass.com/classes/michael-pollan-teaches-intentional-eating) has spent years studying the connection between what people eat and how it contributes to or detracts from their well-being. Consider his tips for combating diet culture:

1. __Avoid dieting__. As a general rule, Michael is anti-diet and thinks it’s better to eat a wide array of items from all different food groups. “You know, we have been through so many fad diets, and all of them founder eventually,” he says. “They don't work. And they're just not the way to approach eating because the changes that you make are not sustainable.” Approach food with balance in mind instead of seeking ways to cut out hundreds of [calories](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-a-calorie) or avoid entire food groups.
2. __Expect nutrition advice to change__. New diets become popular because of new and sometimes conflicting information about the human body. “Nutrition advice is always changing,” Michael says. “The human body, like the natural world, is a wilderness in many ways, and human nutrition and [metabolism](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/metabolism-explained) is still very poorly understood.” You’re also much better off consulting a trusted and registered dietitian or nutritionist than basing your food choices on social media fads or bestselling diet books.
3. __Practice moderation__. If you would like to lose weight, recognize you’ll have a better chance of doing so through clean eating than crash dieting. “If you're eating well,” Michael says, “[if] you're eating from a healthy food chain, from healthy soils and you're not eating ultra-processed food, you will, as a byproduct, lose weight.” Practice [intuitive eating](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-intuitive-eating) habits, and focus as much on your mental health as your physical health.
4. __Question what you hear__. If you hear about a new diet on a [podcast](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-a-podcast) or from a friend, it doesn’t mean there’s a lot of hard science to back it up. “When you read about some new study showing that, you know, low fat helps, or [Mediterranean](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/mediterranean-recipes-guide) helps, or whatever it is,” Michael says, “what is that data based on? How has that conclusion arrived? How do you study what people are eating?” Approach nutritional advice with common sense and skepticism.
See food like you have never seen it before. With the [MasterClass Annual Membership](https://www.masterclass.com/), journalist and educator Michael Pollan teaches you how to determine your [ingredient sources](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/michael-pollan-on-where-does-food-come-from), [shop at the grocery store](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/michael-pollan-on-grocery-shopping-tips), and rethink your relationship to food.
*Content Note: This article might contain references to sensitive information, such as body image and disordered eating.* 

Diet culture insists you prioritize overcoming societal weight stigma by following extreme dietary advice. Renowned food journalist Michael Pollan believes you must cut out this sort of noise about diets and take a more moderate and intuitive approach to your overall health and wellness. Read on to learn what he has to say about combating diet culture. 

*Content Note: This article might contain references to sensitive information, such as body image and disordered eating.* 

Diet culture insists you prioritize overcoming societal weight stigma by following extreme dietary advice. Renowned food journalist Michael Pollan believes you must cut out this sort of noise about diets and take a more moderate and intuitive approach to your overall health and wellness. Read on to learn what he has to say about combating diet culture. 

Michael Pollan on Diet Culture

Diet culture is a system of beliefs and behaviors prevalent in society about the value of adhering to calorie deficits, cutting out food groups, and participating in detoxes and cleanses. It tends to put a high premium on weight loss. Society disseminates information about fad diets via advertisements, influencers, certain health professionals, and other public figures and sources. Rather than encouraging a moderate approach to healthy eating, diet culture takes a limited view of what people should eat and how they should look. It can, therefore, have a very negative impact on people’s physical health and mental well-being.

What Is Diet Culture?

Diet culture convinces people they must pursue a specific body type at all costs, even if it’s detrimental to their physical and <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-mental-health' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-mental-health","linkCopy":"mental health","category":null}'>mental health</a>. The diet industry often demonizes gaining weight, no matter the extenuating circumstances, and promotes disordered eating behavior. It makes a moral virtue out of weight loss and thinness, singling out the negative health effects of obesity even as it refuses to recognize how crash dieting can adversely affect a person’s wellness.

Why Is Diet Culture Harmful?

Diet culture has had a negative impact on people of all sorts of body shapes and sizes. These are some of its harmful effects:<ul class="mc-m-4 list-styled"><li class="">Body image issues: Diet culture can make people with larger body types develop harmful self-images. For that matter, diet culture defines almost all of a given population as having too large a body shape in the first place. Many <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/paul-krugman-on-health-care-in-the-united-states' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/paul-krugman-on-health-care-in-the-united-states","linkCopy":"health care","category":null}'>health care</a> workers now advocate for a “health at every size” approach, hoping to reduce people’s insecurities about their bodies at the same time they encourage them to adopt healthy habits. </li><li class="">Eating disorder risk: When diet culture makes people feel they have an abnormal or wrong body size, it can lead to the development of disordered eating behaviors. Some people might obsessively track their calorie consumption in dieting or food restriction apps, while others might develop more extreme eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia. </li><li class="">Malnutrition: Some diets encourage their adherents to cut out entire food groups. For instance, a diet might suggest drastically lowering or cutting out <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/complex-carbohydrates-guide' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/complex-carbohydrates-guide","linkCopy":"carbohydrates","category":null}'>carbohydrates</a>. While eating an unnecessary surplus of <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/refined-carbs-guide' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/refined-carbs-guide","linkCopy":"carbs","category":null}'>carbs</a> is possible, they are still necessary for your body to function well. Misleading dieting advice like this causes people to negate other aspects of their health so they can avoid weight gain. </li><li class="">Weight cycling: Rapidly fluctuating eating behaviors and choices can lead to a rapidly fluctuating weight as well. This sort of weight cycling can harm your physical health and wellness over a long period of time. Even in the short term, it can lead to a drastic increase in <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/insomnia-explained' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/insomnia-explained","linkCopy":"insomnia","category":null}'>insomnia</a> and <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/anxiety-and-sleep' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/anxiety-and-sleep","linkCopy":"anxiety","category":null}'>anxiety</a>. </li></ul>

Harmful Effects of Diet Culture

Food journalist <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/classes/michael-pollan-teaches-intentional-eating' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/classes/michael-pollan-teaches-intentional-eating","linkCopy":"Michael Pollan","category":null}'>Michael Pollan</a> has spent years studying the connection between what people eat and how it contributes to or detracts from their well-being. Consider his tips for combating diet culture:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Avoid dieting. As a general rule, Michael is anti-diet and thinks it’s better to eat a wide array of items from all different food groups. “You know, we have been through so many fad diets, and all of them founder eventually,” he says. “They don&#39;t work. And they&#39;re just not the way to approach eating because the changes that you make are not sustainable.” Approach food with balance in mind instead of seeking ways to cut out hundreds of <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-a-calorie' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-a-calorie","linkCopy":"calories","category":null}'>calories</a> or avoid entire food groups. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Expect nutrition advice to change. New diets become popular because of new and sometimes conflicting information about the human body. “Nutrition advice is always changing,” Michael says. “The human body, like the natural world, is a wilderness in many ways, and human nutrition and <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/metabolism-explained' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/metabolism-explained","linkCopy":"metabolism","category":null}'>metabolism</a> is still very poorly understood.” You’re also much better off consulting a trusted and registered dietitian or nutritionist than basing your food choices on social media fads or bestselling diet books. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Practice moderation. If you would like to lose weight, recognize you’ll have a better chance of doing so through clean eating than crash dieting. “If you&#39;re eating well,” Michael says, “[if] you&#39;re eating from a healthy food chain, from healthy soils and you&#39;re not eating ultra-processed food, you will, as a byproduct, lose weight.” Practice <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-intuitive-eating' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-intuitive-eating","linkCopy":"intuitive eating","category":null}'>intuitive eating</a> habits, and focus as much on your mental health as your physical health. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Question what you hear. If you hear about a new diet on a <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-a-podcast' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-a-podcast","linkCopy":"podcast","category":null}'>podcast</a> or from a friend, it doesn’t mean there’s a lot of hard science to back it up. “When you read about some new study showing that, you know, low fat helps, or <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/mediterranean-recipes-guide' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/mediterranean-recipes-guide","linkCopy":"Mediterranean","category":null}'>Mediterranean</a> helps, or whatever it is,” Michael says, “what is that data based on? How has that conclusion arrived? How do you study what people are eating?” Approach nutritional advice with common sense and skepticism. </li></ol>

How to Combat Diet Culture: 4 Tips From MasterClass Michael Pollan

See food like you have never seen it before. With the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/","linkCopy":"MasterClass Annual Membership","category":null}'>MasterClass Annual Membership</a>, journalist and educator Michael Pollan teaches you how to determine your <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/michael-pollan-on-where-does-food-come-from' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/michael-pollan-on-where-does-food-come-from","linkCopy":"ingredient sources","category":null}'>ingredient sources</a>, <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/michael-pollan-on-grocery-shopping-tips' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/michael-pollan-on-grocery-shopping-tips","linkCopy":"shop at the grocery store","category":null}'>shop at the grocery store</a>, and rethink your relationship to food.

Content Note: This article might contain references to sensitive information, such as body image and disordered eating. Diet culture insists you prioritize overcoming societal weight stigma by following extreme dietary advice. Renowned food journalist Michael Pollan believes you must cut out this sort of noise about diets and take a more moderate and intuitive approach to your overall health and wellness. Read on to learn what he has to say about combating diet culture.

Content Note: This article might contain references to sensitive information, such as body image and disordered eating. 
Diet culture insists you prioritize overcoming societal weight stigma by following extreme dietary advice. Renowned food journalist Michael Pollan believes you must cut out this sort of noise about diets and take a more moderate and intuitive approach to your overall health and wellness. Read on to learn what he has to say about combating diet culture. 


Michael Pollan speaking while seated at a kitchen table. 

michael-pollan-on-diet-culture

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