Forked, presented by REAP/SOW

Some parts of the media have pronounced MAHA DOA PDA. But maybe they’re just FOI? Helena and Theodore discuss. They also tackle the staggering, stunning, Holy Guacamole adoption of GLP-1s by Americans, and the rise – and risks – of compounded weight loss drugs and direct-to-consumer pharma. Finally, a good vibe: a pool full of pickles for a proper purpose!

It’s been 20 years since Michael Pollan published The Omnivore's Dilemma, a book that drove a huge shift in how Americans thought about food and agriculture. He joins us to discuss how his ideas have been adopted across the spectrum of American food politics. Plus: psychedelics, consciousness, and Theodore’s favorite dim sum spot in Brooklyn.

The MAHA movement has hit some turbulence. Is it a few bumps or is it gonna crash? Casey Means for Surgeon General didn’t happen. Marty Makary flamed out at FDA. On this episode, Helena and Theodore discuss what it means for the movement, plus what the work requirements for SNAP are doing around the country. Bonus: Theodore brags about his James Beard Media Award nominations.

The senior senator from the Garden State has taken a leading role on the food and ag issues that we care about at Forked. We were so excited that Cory Booker was our guest on this episode. Helena and Theodore get his take on what Democrats should be doing about food policy, whatever happened to the farm bill – and whether his party can grab food issues back from Republicans before the midterms.

What happens when you get a James-Beard-Award-winning chef together with one of the best food and ag daily reporters out there for a live, in-depth conversation on what’s happening now in food in this country? You get a Forked special episode! Taped live in Washington, D.C. with Theodore Ross, this episode gets into glyphosate battles, the GLP-1 future, and how restaurants are recovering in the Twin Cities.

How would you feel if someone told you one of the most pressing problems in food safety in this country was fixed? Now how would you feel if you learned that wasn’t really true? Helena and Theodore provide answers to these questions and more – in this episode.

In this episode, Helena and Theodore look at how efforts to allow states to ban soda and candy purchases for SNAP recipients may fizzle out — for now. We also unpack what the war with Iran is doing to fertilizer and food prices, and in Colorado, workers at one of largest meatpacking plants in the country go on strike.

Helena and Theodore talk about Iron Mike Tyson’s mama-said-knock-you-out vibes on ultraprocessed foods, RFK Jr. tag-teaming with David Kessler on 60 Minutes, and why Kennedy’s remarks about doing cocaine off a toilet seat actually kinda sorta make sense maybe a little.

Our guest on this episode is Michael Grunwald, a journalist and the author of We are Eating the Earth: The race to fix our food system and save our climate. He’s also well-known for his opinion columns in The New York Times, and his writing often takes on, well, the sacred cows of the progressive environmental movement — CAFOs, chemicals, veganism, and more.

Helena and Theodore are joined by Vani Hari, “the Food Babe,” a New York Times Best Selling Author, wellness entrepreneur, and social media influencer. This is a wide-ranging conversation, on Roundup, the new dietary guidelines, and why Hari wishes she’d been nicer to the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. 

It’s 2026 and Forked has returned from a short holiday break. Helena and Theodore are excited – and maybe a little nervous – to see what happens in the second year of life in the MAHA moment. Along with bold (and unsubstantiated) predictions, in this episode: it’s SNAP bans on junk food, why skinny santas matter, and the pill that just may eat the American appetite.