Food is (Getting More) Polarizing in 2025

Plus, my goal to publish 52 Substack articles in 2025

Publication Year: 2025, Issue #1

By now, we should all agree: food is often more polarizing than we care to admit. If you're still on the fence or need a refresher, check out this piece HERE.

As we roll into 2025, food isn’t just what’s on our plates, it’s become a moral battleground, a values test and a performance stage. From the rise of tradwives championing sourdough supremacy to RFK Jr.’s potential policy soup du jour and the ongoing gender performance expressed through what we eat, food is becoming an ever-sharper tool for expressing where we stand. Food is now a shorthand for values, politics and identity. And yes, this has always been true, but I suspect it will take on a new flair in 2025.

But here’s the thing: I hate being boxed in. Personality quizzes with four-letter codes or numbers that make little predictions about what I’ll do next? No thanks. And while I love exploring food, don’t expect me to broadcast my every political and ideological leanings via my plate of mezze or my curiosity about fermented goods.

So the real question becomes: how do we stay curious and embrace the delicious gray areas in a world insistent on black-and-white takes?

In 2025, I foresee an even stronger push to polarize what’s on our plates, whether it’s a perfectly seared ribeye steak or a flavorfully marinated block of tofu. These choices are increasingly being weaponized as symbols of what we stand for or, more accurately, what we stand against.

But here’s the twist: the real magic lies not in picking a side but in resisting the pull to fit neatly into a box. Flexibility, curiosity and a willingness to explore without allegiance to labels or factions, that’s where understanding and even joy reside. It’s about asking questions instead of issuing declarations, experimenting instead of adhering and recognizing that our food choices don’t always have to come with a manifesto.

Choosing the middle ground, or no ground at all, is a radical act in a world that thrives on extremes. Of course, there’s a caveat. This isn’t about promoting foods or companies that blatantly harm or exclude people; that’s a hard line we should all agree on. What I am saying is that resisting the urge to make every bite a performance of your political, religious or ideological alignment can save you from being boxed in. Yes, you can and should vote with your dollars, but I believe that we all need to avoid reducing food to empty political statements to conform to a contrived identity trope.

In other words, conservatives don’t need to subsist on steak and potatoes to broadcast their values and liberals aren’t required to live off tempeh and bean sprouts to prove their dedication. These are, of course, exaggerated stereotypes, but you get the point.

Food doesn’t have to be a divisive signal; it can be a bridge. If we let it, it’s one of our most universal tools for breaking down walls. When we let go of extreme binaries and approach food with genuine curiosity, we open the door to meaningful connections and resist the polar extremes the world so often tries to impose on us.

So go ahead and savor the Ballerina Farms protein powder, relish the vegan Ital dishes of Rastafarian tradition or try the viral edible glass Tanghulu fried chicken. Ultimately, you are more than just the last meal you ate.

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This year, I’m committing to writing 52 Substack articles, one a week. 2025 feels like the year to finally make it happen because, honestly, I enjoy hanging out with you all here way more than trying to decipher the chaos of other social media platforms.

As the year rolls on, I’m excited to produce more recipes and articles, connect with you and maybe even make you laugh, ponder or crave a snack along the way. And yes, I’m also putting this goal here as a public record because nothing screams accountability like you all silently judging me if I fall behind. Let’s do this!