A MAHA Mess and the Scourge of the Spiel

Plus other stories you'll want to read as you get back to routine

If you’ve checked out of the news lately, I get it. I consider myself a dedicated newshound, and even I’ve felt it necessary to look away. The news is … a lot.

But … next week is September! Real life starts again. The kids are in school! No one thinks twice about scheduling a Friday afternoon meeting! And with that in mind, here’s a roundup of the food news you’ll want to know, plus a preview of what’s to come.

Leaked Draft of Make America Healthy Again Strategy Draws Criticism // Politico, CNN, New York Times, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Many a journalist’s summer vacation was ruined with the promise that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. & Co. would release their strategy to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) in mid August. In fact, the big day, August 12, came and went with no report. A week later, though, Politico obtained a leaked version, which it called “quite industry friendly.”

Other outlets dug into the strategy’s contradictions. CNN noted that despite Kennedy’s claims that ultra-processed foods are the root of chronic disease, the draft suggested HHS will only “launch awareness campaigns around the benefits of whole foods, but is not unveiling any regulatory crackdown on ultra-processed snacks.” The New York Times, meanwhile, focused on the walkback on new pesticide regulations — a move that is angering the MAHA faithful.

For the best roundup on MAHA, though, settle in for 30 brilliant minutes of John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight, which includes an unforgettable shot of Casey Means, Trump’s nominee for Surgeon General, attempting to finish a “healthy liver shake” with a smile.

The official MAHA report is now scheduled for September; the new Dietary Guidelines, which will be big news, are slated for October.

The MAHA Trend in Groceries Will Backfire // The Atlantic

Speaking of MAHA, The Atlantic has a piece suggesting that the voluntary changes that MAHA has spurred at the grocery store — think beef-tallow-fried chicken strips, seed-oil-free instant ramen, and Cheetos made without artificial flavorings and dyes — are unlikely to have a positive impact on our health. (Really? I’m shocked.) Because the new health claims will allow us to keep eating the junk food we love with little or no real improvement to their health profiles. A case in point: RFK-approved tallow fries have seven times more saturated fat than those fried in avocado oil.

The Lazy Man’s Guide to Climate Conscious Eating // Gravy

For an actually fun read, and some very useful info, check out this essay from Paul Greenberg. The journalist and author has tried just about everything to lower his climate impact and cholesterol, including pescatarian and vegan diets. It turns out that the answer to a climate-friendly and healthy diet is pretty simple: If you eat meat, stick to chicken.

Cracker Barrel is Trying to Change. Bless Its Heart // The Washington Post

In previous years, I would have classified this as a classic August story, much ado about nothing because nothing else is going on. But as writer Travis Andrews notes, the unhinged reaction to a new simplified Cracker Barrel logo is very 2025: “Last week, Cracker Barrel committed its gravest (graviest?) sin yet, if you believe its critics, by unveiling a new, minimalistic logo, which eliminated the overall-wearing fellow sitting on a chair and leaning against a barrel (which is presumably full of crackers). Normally, no one would have noticed. But this is 2025, and 2025 is the stupidest year since, well, last year.”

He's not wrong: “WTF is wrong with @CrackerBarrel??!” Donald Trump Jr. demanded to know on X. The right accused the new logo — which is just the restaurant’s name on a yellow background — of being woke. The left clapped back. Steak ’n Shake somehow got involved and won’t stop posting about it (see: the stupidity of 2025). The official X account of the Democratic Party shared the Norman Rockwell painting “Freedom of Speech” with the note, “We think the Cracker Barrel rebrand sucks too.” You get the idea …

The Spiel Has Become a Scourge // New York Magazine

Alan Sytsma seeks to understand why servers must offer up an introductory “spiel” to diners who probably know how to navigate a menu. “One front-of-house vet I know says this Spiel renaissance has sprung up as a way for servers to connect more directly with diners, a moment for increased hospitality,” he reports. “But another, more cynical frequent diner I know theorizes that it’s a way to not-so-subtly massage messaging and inject talking points into diners’ minds in this age of social-media omnipresence.” Whatever the reason, Sytsma asks that the spiel be kept to under 45 seconds so he can get on with his meal.

DC Restaurants are Dead // The Washington Post

I’ve been hearing scary stories from many of the restaurateurs I know in my occupied hometown: sales down 25 percent over last year, even during Restaurant Week; staff being pulled out of their cars on the way to work(!). The fear is particularly intense in the historically Latino neighborhood of Mount Pleasant, as the hometown paper reports. The rash of firings in the federal government already was making things tough. Many restaurants may not survive this latest hit.

Kennedy’s Crusade Against Food Safety Rule Threatens Supplement Industry // The New York Times

Time for some self-promotion! Last month, I published a story about the tight spot that Robert F. Kennedy has put himself in by attacking the Generally Recognized as Safe, or GRAS, rule. It’s an important issue to watch and was featured on the front page of The New York Times!

The story explains how and why Robert F. Kennedy has targeted GRAS, which allows food companies to put all sorts of chemicals into our food without anyone, including the FDA, knowing. His problem? It turns out the supplement industry, which Kennedy champions, also quietly uses the GRAS rule to put all sorts of chemicals in their products. Kennedy, who is already struggling to please various interest groups (see: the MAHA report), is now in a bind with his colleagues and supporters, many of whom benefit financially from the sale of supplements.