Policy, Power & Food Truth: Melinda Hemmelgarn on Agriculture Reform, Cultural Nutrition, and Media Literacy | ANEW Ep. 68

In Episode 69 of the ANEW Body Insight Podcast, Dr. Supatra Tovar continues her eye-opening conversation with Melinda Hemmelgarn, MS, RD—investigative nutritionist, host of Food Sleuth Radio, and one of the most respected voices in food system advocacy.

In this second part of their rich and inspiring discussion, Melinda dives deeper into the intersection of agriculture policy, cultural nutrition, and media literacy, showing how what we eat is shaped not only by personal choice—but by powerful policies, corporations, and cultural narratives.

You’ll hear how U.S. food systems are influenced by legislation like the Farm Bill, and how monoculture farming, Big Ag lobbying, and industry subsidies affect food quality, health equity, and the environment. Melinda explains why living wage legislation, SNAP reform, and farm-to-school programs are essential for building food sovereignty and protecting the planet.

You’ll also explore:

• How corporate interests shape the food and nutrition messages we receive
• Why true health equity starts with access to culturally meaningful foods
• The need for media literacy in nutrition education
• The role of school gardens and community food programs in building lifelong healthy habits
• The importance of reconnecting to the soil and learning where food comes from
  
  

From growing your own herbs to questioning what's in your child’s school lunch, this conversation reminds us that small acts—like asking where your food comes from—can be revolutionary. Melinda also shares powerful stories from leaders and dietitians transforming institutions from the inside out, including hospitals that now grow their own food and communities that are reclaiming local food power.

Dr. Tovar and Melinda discuss how honoring cultural traditions in food is a pathway to global understanding, joy, and even peace. If you’ve ever wondered how to use your voice, your dollar, or your plate to push back against diet culture and the industrial food system—this episode is for you.

Learn more about Melinda: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melinda-hemmelgarn-m-s-r-d-a92b304 , https://www.facebook.com/melinda.hemmelgarn/,  https://foodsleuth.transistor.fm/,   https://x.com/food_sleuth,  https://www.instagram.com/melindahemmelgarn/?__d=1%3Futm_source%3Dig_embed 

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🎧 Listen now and discover how your food choices can become acts of power, healing, and resistance.

Thank you for joining us on this journey to wellness. Remember, the insights and advice shared on the ANEW Body Insight Podcast are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making any changes to your health routine. To learn more about the podcast and stay updated on new episodes, visit ANEW Body Insight Podcast at anew-insight.com. To watch this episode on YouTube, visit @my.anew.insight. Follow us on social media at @my.anew.insight on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads for more updates and insights. Thank you for tuning in! Stay connected with us for more empowering stories and expert guidance. Until next time, stay well and keep evolving with ANEW Body Insight!

Transcript

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:00

Welcome back to the ANEW Insight podcast. We are back for the second half of our interview with registered dietitian and Food Sleuth Radio host. She really is a media icon, people, Melinda Hemmelgarn. Melinda, welcome back. And so I want to talk about the role of policy in food systems. In your view, how do agricultural and food policies shape the availability and perception of healthy foods. We talked a little bit about that in the last section. And what changes would you advocate to promote better public health outcomes?

Melinda Hemmelgarn, RD: 0:02

And then we look at policies that impact the quality of food that's available to people and how we produce it. What I learned in my fellowship is that policy is everything and you may know people who say oh, I don't want to talk about politics I don't like to talk about politics. Policy is involved in every single decision we think we make every day. We think we have choices Well, those choices or non choices are because of policies that influence the we have available to us. That's policy. That's whether or not you have to make a choice between feeding your kids or heating your house, right? This is important. How access to housing. Housing is a policy. It makes a difference if you're homeless versus you live in a home that is safe and has a functioning stove and refrigerator. Yes some of that corn and soy goes to feed livestock, true, and that would be largely livestock that is raised in confinements or CAFOs that pollute air and water. I know as a dietitian, I encourage children to play outside. Well try living in one of these communities where you are surrounded by industrial agriculture. It's not safe to be outside when the spray plane comes, He is wonderful, and you can see where our tax dollars go with regard to the farm bill. The largest allotment is for food assistance. So if you were to go and apply for a job at Walmart, for example, you would be, you would have some assistance in knowing which federal programs. To apply for so you could basically enhance your wages through the taxpayer. You can feel where a community has been exploited When I go to a conference, I'm sure you've had this experience and you're eating that hotel food. That fund those programs. There's nothing more magical than having a school garden and having children plant a seed, the magic of a seed, nurturing that seed, growing the plant. You never have to mess with fussy, people, parents will say, Oh, I've got a picky eater. Well, you wouldn't have a picky eater if that child was in the garden, growing the food,

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:10

What are we going to do though, Melinda when I think a lot of these programs, a lot of funding for SNAP or, I can foresee in the next four years it's going to be an uphill battle, especially in more of the Midwest, in the south. What can people do that continues this, policy of trying to bring, gardens into schools, what can people do to advocate for this if there's a lot of forces against that in the next four years?

Melinda Hemmelgarn, RD: 0:11

and work towards policies that can nourish people, protect the land, protect against climate change. I mean, there are still people, there are people who, I don't know how this is true, but there are some people who still deny that climate change is real. There are a lot of horrific climate events that we've experienced, and it's not going to get better until we make some big changes, So what are we going to do? We are going to come together and we are going to support each other and we are going to reach out to our officials who work for us, and we are going to develop kind relationships with people, help educate them, help see the benefits help taste really good tasting, good nourishing food, and we're going to help move them along with us, but

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:13

Yeah. And I do think that there is so much power in our dollars. There's so much power and if we actually educate ourselves on where our dollars are going and then really trying to understand that and find ways that we can use our dollars more wisely or that, promote our health. I mean, me, I'm anti diet culture and I think that there are so many ways that companies and corporations that prey off of our deepest insecurities. And I love that you said this finding what, butters your bread and going and volunteering or going to council meetings or really just becoming more involved. And that's what I was suggesting to my clients who are feeling, a lot of confusion and despair is that there is a lot within our control.

Melinda Hemmelgarn, RD: 0:16

So the challenge is that organic food sales have been increasing significantly, as people learn more about wanting to eat food that is raised without inputs. There's a lot of money then, that everybody wants a little piece of. Both of those organizations—Friends of the Earth has put out some wonderful curtain pulling pulling back reports to help people see really what's going on. But lobby dollars are very hard, I think sometimes it's hard to, we can't really buy our way out of this, we can try to make good choices in the marketplace or healthier choices in the marketplace, but there are bigger forces out there. And that's really what we have to familiarize our with ourselves with getting to read some of these reports, understanding, even within our own profession. I've been so discouraged when the industry moves in and uses dietitians as mouthpieces for their messages. It comes with a cost and we don't want to be corporate mouthpieces. We want to step back and look at that bigger picture. Diane Emery, she's a fellow dietitian up in Vermont in Burlington, working on sustainability within an institution and going to individual farms and choosing food to serve in their hospital. I got to tell you, there are people in the city of Burlington who go to the hospital to eat lunch. That's

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:20

Wow. You are making me feel hopeful. I think. For me, it was like the first time, it was the first time I felt like the government actually did something good for me. I was like, wow I actually can afford, I was a student. So it was, pretty dire, slim pickings for me during my student years. And that was so impactful for me. You see this a lot where like, Oh, you can't have your white flour tortillas anymore. You need to have this or, entire Asian populations that have been eating white rice for forever. But you have to switch over to brown rice. How can we be more culturally aware and respectful of these traditions while still promoting health?

Melinda Hemmelgarn, RD: 0:23

And I was one of the room mothers that took the students there. Also on campus was a McDonald's. And one of the little boys was just couldn't, just nagging me to go to McDonald's. And I said, oh no, we can't do that. We're here to taste cultural foods and to learn from other cultures. And so the earlier we can introduce children to other cultures by way of their food, by way of their dancing, by way of their music, and learn to appreciate what I think has been deemed the "other." We, we are all human beings living on a very small planet and food sovereignty is the word that describes culturally appropriate foods. So for people to have food sovereignty, it means that you're able to eat and embrace and grow the food that is culturally relevant for you. It comes with exposure, I think, And I was one of the room mothers that took the students there. Also on campus was a McDonald's. And one of the little boys was just couldn't, just nagging me to go to McDonald's. And I said, oh no, we can't do that. We're here to taste cultural foods and to learn from other cultures. And so the earlier we can introduce children to other cultures by way of their food, by way of their dancing, by way of their music, and learn to appreciate what I think has been deemed the "other." We, we are all human beings living on a very small planet and food sovereignty is the word that describes culturally appropriate foods. So for people to have food sovereignty, it means that you're able to eat and embrace and grow the food that is culturally relevant for you. It comes with exposure, I think,

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:25

Mexicans, my husband's people, it's the food is incredible everywhere you go. And especially if you go and travel, you can appreciate so much more each culture and be immersed in it. But certainly if you don't, you can't travel, you don't have the money to travel. You can just go to your nearest big city and just have some fun. So I love your perspective on that. And since we're winding down on time, give us a picture, what is the future for nutrition education? What can we look forward to as far as developments that you're foreseeing?

Melinda Hemmelgarn, RD: 0:27

Where does it come from? people have good intentions. But for whatever reason, the forces of our culture push us in certain directions. So, starting out with critical thinking, using media literacy, I have a list of questions that I like to use, to help people understand that the media messages that we swim in, they're all created. No wrong answers. And media defines culture and shapes society. Media has the ability to change the way we think and feel. So it is very important to recognize its power. And to think critically about it.

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:30

Oh my gosh. And you've been doing this for so long and are continuing to do this. That is also the point of this podcast. We really do want to get the truth out there. We want people to be discerning. We want them to peel back that curtain and see the little man, who's manipulating things, and then really try to make decisions that are going to benefit us not the big corporations. I think that's really important. And what I've gotten from this part, but also from this entire episode is that we do have a lot that's within our control. We can find community gardens. We can participate in local policy and advocate for what we and our children, will be best for us.

Melinda Hemmelgarn, RD: 0:31

Well all you have to do is Google Food Sleuth Radio. And there's a whole archive. It is available through the Pacifica Network and on Public Radio Exchange. But if you live in a community that has community radio, and we're hoping to hold on to our public radio, our public media, that radio station can download it for free. It's also available as a podcast. So Apple, Spotify, Transistor. You can go on and you can, I think we've got, oh gosh I want to say 700 episodes now.

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:32

Oh, thank you so much. And thank you everyone for tuning into the ANEW Insight podcast. We are looking forward to our next exciting interview and we hope you join us next time.