What to Eat Now: The Indispensable Guide to Good Food, How to Find It, and Why It Matters

by Marion Nestle

A thoroughly revised classic, What to Eat Now is a field guide to food shopping in America, and a treatise on how to eat well and deliciously.

What to Eat Now is a clear-eyed, no-nonsense guide to the most important food questions on our plate today. How do we make informed dietary choices for ourselves, our families, and our communities?

In the twenty years since Marion Nestle’s groundbreaking What to Eat first came out, food has undergone a radical change. The emergence of techno foods, the growth of corporate organics, and a surge of interest in food-delivery services reignited by the pandemic are just a few of the things that have altered how we think about how we eat.

The typical American supermarket carries more than thirty thousand products. How do you choose? Misinformation, disinformation, and corporate misdirection play a crucial and hard-to-see role in how the average shopper thinks about and chooses food.

In an aisle-by-aisle guide, Nestle, America’s preeminent nutritionist and a founding figure in American food studies, takes us through the American supermarket. With persistence, wit, and common sense, she establishes the basics of good nutrition, food safety, and ethical and sustainable eating, and gives readers a close-up look at the web of interests—from supermarket slotting policies to multinational food corporations to lobbying groups—that food has to navigate before it gets to your shopping basket.

Above all else, What to Eat Now is a defense of real food and of the value of eating deliciously, mindfully, and responsibly.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Food, Nutrition, Book Club, Science

681 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 11, 2025

About the author

Marion Nestle, Ph.D, M.P.H., is the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University. She is also a professor of Sociology at NYU and a visiting professor of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University.

Nestle received her BA from UC Berkeley, Phi Beta Kappa, after attending school there from 1954-1959. Her degrees include a Ph.D in molecular biology and an M.P.H. in public health nutrition, both from the University of California, Berkeley.

Reviews

[Crystal King · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when it first came out and found it insightful then, but now, when we are faced with such commercialism, climate crisis, and economic uncertainty, it resonates even more than ever. If you want a real sense of how the food system in America works, you need to dig into this book. A dense, information-packed read that will change how you think about food forever.

[Carlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Starts with an overview on how supermarket chains make a profit, which was expected yet still surprising.
Then we move on to how to eat and what to eat (ultra processed vs real food). Learning to read food labels, navigating the accuracies or inaccuracies, seals, certifications and their meanings (fair trade, rainforest alliance…) and the annoying but purposeful vagueness of it all.
One knows that everything and everyone is driven by profit but to see it so blatantly in the food industry is shocking and honestly, sad.
Bottled water, tap water, water inequality. This book covers everything about consumption in great details. While this can get to be intense because of the amount of information, it’s very interesting and eye opening, despite being mostly American-based. Moving on, meat, veggies, eggs, dairy, vegan substitutes, fish and the whole mercury dilemma, ethics, labels, benefits versus risks, marketing. The pet food part I found interesting as well. Breads, prepared salads, this book really delves deep into everything you find in the supermarket and more. In a way this is overwhelming which is why I read this over a long period of time, and there is no way all of the information will ever stick, but some did and that’s more than enough for me.
I never read the first book, What to Eat, but am curious to read it now just to see how much has changed.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

I have long respected the author for being willing to stand up to the food companies and government to tell some needed truths. This newly updated and revised book, however, felt very ambivalent, with the answer to her own question about what to eat often equating to, "I don't eat healthy either so go ahead and eat the bad food, just try not to eat too much."

That isn't to say that there isn't some great information here, nicely updated since COVID upended things quite a bit in the food industry (not to mention the current political climate of repealing consumer safeties). With topics covering everything from meat to cat food, you'll get a good idea of the chances you (and your pets) take with health. There is less focus on environment or people/animal welfare (e.g., slaughterhouse workers or livestock).

And yet, despite all the good information, the tone feels very wishy washy apologist in nature.
It makes it hard to trust or want to follow the advice of someone who can't even follow it herself - be it avoiding extremely unhealthy ultra processed food or meals cooked/heated up in stores that may have questionable hygiene. It felt like each chapter ended with, "don't eat this but I love it and do, so I try not to have too much of it but enjoy!"

I guess the point of the book is to help you make decisions to eat better/safer - even when the author doesn't. Kind of a mixed message. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Cherryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

** Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review **

What to Eat Now by Marion Nestle is an insightful guide that tackles the ever-evolving landscape of food choices in America. As someone who tries to make informed decisions about what I consume, I found Nestle's updated perspective on food shopping, especially considering the last two decades of changes in the food industry, to be particularly valuable. Her deep dive into "techno foods" and the rise of food delivery services offers a timely overview, prompting a good look at how our eating habits are influenced by modern conveniences. The aisle-by-aisle tour of the supermarket, infused with discussions on nutrition, food safety, and ethical considerations, provided a comprehensive framework that was genuinely thought-provoking.

While the book offers a wealth of well-researched information, my experience with it was somewhat mixed. On one hand, I appreciated the sheer breadth of topics covered and the detailed analysis of the American food system. On the other, I felt some of the advice could be a bit ambivalent at times, and the length of the book, while comprehensive, occasionally made it feel a bit dense. Additionally, I wished for a deeper exploration into how socioeconomic factors and wealth distribution significantly impact food access and choices for many. Despite these points, it's undeniably a thoroughly researched book that provides valuable insights for anyone trying to navigate the complexities of modern eating.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent, in depth look at American food and the companies that produce it. It’s extremely thorough and walks you through everything from cereals to bottled water to baby food.

Nestle is an expert in her field and has been for years, but at times her age really showed in this book. She talks about the old days a bit too often and she has some attitudes typical of her generation. She doesn’t have any real opinions about things that matter a lot to many modern nutritionists like prioritizing organic, avoiding GMOs, eating grass fed, consuming more fiber, consuming healthy fats, eating foods high in anthocyanins and antioxidants, and so much more. She even says almost everyone eats too much protein (even vegans) and that is not necessarily true especially as we age and need more protein. None of this is her forte and she really does sound at times like your intelligent grandmother who tells you what she’s read and what other people have told her.

All that said, this is a really important read about how food companies operate and why you should avoid almost all of them. Eat fresh, real, home cooked food. If you don’t know why it matters so much, you really do need to read this book.

I read an advance copy of this book via netgalley.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌱 I’ve always had an interest in picking up Dr. Marion’s work, as she was involved in a lot of the documentaries and readings featured in my education for my degree in sustainability. I found “What to Eat Now” to be helpful in deeply explaining the food industry and its US regulating bodies, marketing and labeling, calories, nutrients, and the “behind the scenes” of the mass growing and selling of food. It also contains Marion’s recommendations to the general consumer based on her experience in the industry.

This book is scientific but approachable in its language, meaning that it was a slower, denser read but ultimately didn’t leave me overwhelmed. I recommend this book if you want to increase your consumer awareness regarding what you eat. After reading this I definitely find myself looking at food labelling and marketing a lot closer, which I appreciate. Thank you to Marion Nestle and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. 🌱

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

In What To Eat Now, Marion Nestle gives an 'aisle by aisle' guide of the food in supermarkets. She goes into detail about nutrition and health, as well as food politics and marketing, on foods and drinks ranging from organic vegetables to meat, bottled water and soft drinks.

This feels like a very comprehensive text. There is so much information that it is probably best used to pick up and read the chapters that interest you at a given time, although reading from beginning to end is fascinating and offers a lot of insight into the food industry.

The book does focus on American food systems, although I'm sure a lot of the information can be applied to other countries as well. Reading as someone not from America, it is interesting to see the differences and similarities between supermarkets there vs. where I live.

Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy.

[Maude · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fascinating, although a pretty long and arduous read. This book covers everything, from PFASs in your bottled water to antibiotics in your grocery store-bought ground meats, and includes a thorough list of references at the end to back up any and all claims made by the author. A must-read for north-americans looking to understand the food environment around them, and how to navigate it better for themselves and their family.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance reader copy.

[Magnolia Cure · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

This is a great book for people interested in learning more about healthy eating, albeit a bit too long as a starter pack.

It's well researched and offers valuable insights on how supermarket aisles are organised, but I don't believe it takes into account the disproportionate distribution of wealth and how it affects what we can afford to eat.

Still, it was an interesting read, and I learned a couple of new facts.

[Mel Kettle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first edition of this book became an important reference book in my collection, and I was excited to hear a new edition was coming out.

Marion Nestle is an absolute force in the world of food, nutrition and public health, and this book should be compulsory reading for anyone with an interest in any of these topics.

An easy 5 stars, and really, it should get 6.

Thank you Netgalley and North Point Press for an e-ARC.

[Denisek · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was an informative audiobook but wayyyyyy tooooo looong. It really could’ve been two chapters. How markets and restaurants manipulate consumers for profit and how to read labels and know what to eat. Nothing new.

[Julia Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well presented

[Kirsti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb data crunching and wise advice from someone who isn't swayed by fads, trends, or advertising/PR. I love her clear writing style and her assertion that food can be a source of joy.