When people think about diet, they usually focus on the basics—what they eat, breaking it down into calories or macronutrients. Seldom do they consider the psychological aspects of food or examine their ingrained eating patterns deeply enough to change them. The reason we behave this way is simple: we aren’t fully aware that we’re doing it. Real transformation comes from observing these patterns, tracing them to their roots, recognizing which behaviors no longer serve us, and having the discipline to shift toward healthier, more sustainable habits.
The Psychology of Food
A child will instinctively cry when they want more sweets or when they’re hungry. If their needs or desires aren’t met, they may develop complex, neurotic behaviors around food. This is why food is such a difficult subject—it goes far beyond the nutritional content of what’s in a package. To truly understand food, we must also consider how our perception of it has evolved, from early survival instincts to modern supermarket culture.
When you close your eyes and daydream about food, do you picture wild tropical fruit growing freely in nature? Or do you see neatly packaged products on store shelves? We’ve lost our connection to food production, largely because survival instincts drove us toward urbanization, where we rely on centralized food distribution systems like Whole Foods. These supermarkets bring in products from around the world, but what determines what we put in our mouths has little to do with health—it’s dictated by industry trends, profit margins, and distribution logistics.
Shelf life is a critical factor in large-scale food supply chains. While Whole Foods and similar retailers aim to offer healthy options, compromises are inevitable as companies scale up to support corporate overhead and distribution infrastructure. This isn’t speculation—it’s evident in the ingredient lists of many so-called “health foods.” While these options may be better than what you’d find in conventional grocery stores, by 2025, it may become clear that our economy cannot sustain truly healthy, large-scale supermarkets.
The problem isn’t just supply—it’s also consumer demand. Shoppers want food that is cheap, delicious, healthy, convenient, lightweight, and long-lasting. These conflicting demands force food companies to bend the rules, and we, as consumers, accept it. Worse, when people speak out against these compromises, they risk legal repercussions or exclusion from the marketplace.
Instead of accepting this reality, why not challenge it? If I were running Whole Foods, I’d launch a 10-year initiative to help food manufacturers clean up their products. I’d invest in new packaging solutions, create incentives for healthier consumer choices, and publish a comprehensive list of banned ingredients with clear explanations for consumers. Why do we continue to sell half conventional and half organic produce? Because some exotic foods simply aren’t available in organic form. But the bigger question remains: how do we move toward a system that truly prioritizes health over convenience and profit?