Opinion Archives | The Bittman Project

About Those Dietary Guidelines …

Some quite venerable institutions, the AMA noteworthy among them, are celebrating the release of the new Dietary Guidelines. I can, up to a point, understand the impulse. I wish, though, that these dietary guidelines had actually conformed to the science on which they are supposed to be based.

By David L. Katz Published January 28, 2026

The Vegan vs. Carnivore Narrative Distracts From Climate Action

By framing diet as a cultural battlefield, rather than a potential climate solution, sensationalist narratives distract from the attainable actions that most people are actually open to.

By Jessica Scott-Reid/Sentient Published July 23, 2025

Just Call Me a Deadbeat Meat Eater

My family’s progress toward vegetarianism has not been linear. And despite my wife and son’s theoretical dissent, I cook and share what I love as an expression of care. If they push the meat to the rim of the plate, I feel like a sad man holding wilted flowers. Here’s my dilemma.

By Mike Diago Published June 11, 2025

Is MAHA Real?

Should we take seriously RFK’s professed intent to make our food healthier?

By Mark Bittman Published March 17, 2025

Food Is Everything

If you subscribe to the Bittman Project, my guess is that you do so, at least in part, because you’re interested in what I have to say. And the following is something I just have to say, even though it’s hardly food-related. So it might bother you; on the other hand, you might love it. And it’s a free post, so I hope you’ll share it widely.

By Mark Bittman Published March 1, 2025

Should We Be Eating Meat?

Some factor, or a combination of factors, has made me a real purist when it comes to eating meat. The transition started at home, but now I find myself questioning whether or not I can casually order meat when I’m dining out.

By Kate Bittman Published February 27, 2025

Food and the Election

We have a system of production for one of the most important elements of life that needs fixing. The candidates should pledge to do just that, especially the one candidate we can believe (in case you’re unclear, that’s Kamala Harris.)

By Mark Bittman Published October 14, 2024

What Is Food?

Eaters have a food problem, the problem of equal or universal access to good food, the problem of growing food with poisoning the air and land and water, and so on; but corporate producers have a different food problem, and that is making money off of food, and they’re succeeding at that, perhaps more now than ever. They have no interest in “fixing” our “broken” food system, because for them it isn’t broken. Somehow we must force them to, or take control of it away from them, or – most likely – a combination of both.

By Mark Bittman Published July 11, 2024

Vegetables Alone

I’m just back from Italy, and the revelation there was that the vegetable dishes were the most interesting, even though in general they were far from the most laborious or, generally, widely featured—in fact, like here, they’re usually an afterthought.

By Mark Bittman Published January 18, 2024

You’re Almost Never Going to Have Good Coffee Unless You Make It Yourself

I’m here to beg you to make your own coffee when you can. You’ll save money and drink better. I do not have the most discerning palate in the world, but in this little piece, I’m going to try to tell you about the differences I believe matter.

By Mark Bittman Published January 16, 2024

More About Ozempic, Obesity, and the Real Cure

As I’m lucky to be both a friend and a colleague of David Katz, who has more authority in this field than I do, I’m going to provide you with links to a couple of stories he’s written that further amplify the notion that we’re both trying to get across: That calling obesity a ‘disease’ is not only incorrect from a medical perspective, it blames the victim and willfully ignores the causes of this ‘disease.’

By Mark Bittman Published October 5, 2023