Most Americans now have more choices when it comes to food than any other group of people in the history of the world. We are so, so lucky to live in a time and place when we get to choose between feasting on fresh vegetables from the farmer’s market… and ordering a meat lover’s pizza delivered right to our door.

With such a ridiculous abundance of options, how do we actually decide what’s for dinner?

On Why We Eat What We Eat, host Cathy Erway investigates the unseen forces that shape our eating habits. We’ll tackle a kale conspiracy, how to get your kids to quit being so picky, visiting the epicenter of the potluck scene, and more. 

Brought to you by Blue Apron and Gimlet Creative.

The stats say that mealtimes are becoming a smaller and smaller part of Americans’ lives. The average American eats one out of every five meals in their car. Americans eat alone nearly half the time. And, when we eat alone, we tend to eat less healthy foods. But sometimes we actually pause and take a moment to cook for someone else. Today’s episode is about what can happen during those moments. For our sixth and final episode of the season, we sent producers around the country to record people getting together over food. We’re bringing you five scenes of people cooking for others over the course of just one weekend — from a Brooklyn apartment where new parents are having their first post-baby dinner party to the heart of Cajun country where people are keeping traditional cajun cooking alive to the desert of Utah and a meal with a legend. Because sometimes we eat what we eat because of who we’re with.<br />
This episode features: Debbie Kim Michaelson, Managing Director at DeSantis Breindel; Erik Michielsen, founder and CEO of Capture Your Flag; Carl Landry, owner of Black Pot Bus Catering; Mara Lazer, audio producer; Meg McWilliams, digital media producer &amp; host of The Green Divas Radio Show; Ranjan Dey, chef and owner of New Delhi Restaurant; Alyssa Jeong Perry, audio journalist; Cat Jaffe, radio producer and founder of House of Pod; Jim Donini, record-setting mountain climber and alpinist.<br />
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Why We Eat What We Eat

The Data