Know Your Food™ The Story Behind What We Eat

Following the evidence from paddock to plate!

These articles will explore the story behind our food through evidence, curiosity and informed questioning.

Welcome to my Rabbit Hole

The nutrition panel tells us what's in our food. This series explores how it got there

I'm a naturally inquisitive person and an absolute food nerd. Being in the food industry, I hear all sorts of shocking stories. Some are true, some plausible, others surprise and concern me, but quite a lot are just scaremongering told by people who want to sell a product.

Regardless, these "facts" always start me thinking and looking for evidence. This thinking leads to research, and research leads me down a rabbit hole that may take me days to emerge from. Eventually, I unravel truth from fiction. Inevitable I am better off with the knowledge. But it has led me to wonder, What does the average consumer not know about the food they're consuming? Food they eat for the health benefits and pay good money for!

The Assumptions We Make About Healthy Food

For many years, I assumed that if we chose foods with the right nutrient profile—fresh produce rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre—we were well on our way to fuelling our bodies in the best possible way.

As a nutritionist, that's exactly how I still approach meal planning. I identify nutrient deficiencies based on each client's individual needs and recommend foods that will help fill those gaps. I'm not affiliated with food brands, and I don't tell clients where to shop or what products to buy. My recommendations are always based on the best nutrition evidence available.

But over time, something started to change.

The more I investigated the food system, the more discerning I became about my own food choices.

How was it grown?

How was it farmed?

What did it eat?

What was it exposed to?

How long was it stored before it reached the supermarket?

The journey a food takes before it appears on our plate can influence the final product just as much as the nutrients listed on the label.

That realisation sent me down a rabbit hole.

I began investigating some of the very foods we are encouraged to eat more of—our so-called superfoods, foods promoted for their specific health benefits, and everyday staples we confidently place in our shopping trolley believing we're making the healthiest possible choice.

Why This Series Exists

As nutritionists, we're taught to understand nutrients.

We learn about protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and antioxidants. We calculate requirements, identify deficiencies and help people build diets that support better health.

That science is incredibly important, and I still believe it forms the foundation of good nutrition.

But over the years, I've realised there's another part of the story that rarely makes it into the consultation room.

The journey our food takes before it reaches our plate.

• How was it grown?
• How was it farmed?
• What did it eat?
• How was it processed?
• How long was it stored?
• What chemicals or veterinary medicines were used?
• How do our food regulations work, and have they kept pace with the way Australians eat today?

These aren't questions designed to create fear.

They're questions designed to create understanding.

The more I researched, the more I realised that many of the foods we confidently describe as "healthy" have surprisingly complex stories behind them. Sometimes those stories reinforce why we should eat them. Sometimes they reveal assumptions worth questioning. Often, they remind us that foods sharing the same nutrient profile can have very different production systems and journeys to our plate.

This series isn't about telling you what to eat.

It's about helping all of us—including me—become more informed consumers.

Every investigation begins with curiosity, not conclusions.

I follow the evidence wherever it leads, challenge my own assumptions, and continually update my understanding as new research emerges.

🌱 My Promise to You

The best nutrition advice isn't built on certainty. It's built on a willingness to keep asking better questions.

Every investigation in this series begins with curiosity, not conclusions. I follow the evidence wherever it leads, challenge my own assumptions and update my understanding as new research emerges.

Sometimes the evidence confirms what I thought I knew. Sometimes it completely changes my mind. Either way, I come out of the rabbit hole understanding my food a little better than when I went in. 🐇

Healthy Foods Under the Microscope

One thing I've learnt over the years is that good nutrition isn't about having all the answers. It's about asking better questions and being willing to change your mind when the evidence changes.

The foods below have sparked my curiosity. Some are promoted as superfoods. Others are everyday staples we confidently place in our shopping trolley. Many are recommended because of their impressive nutrient profile.

But I want to understand more than just the nutrients.

I want to understand their story.

Every investigation in this series begins with a question, not a conclusion. I read the research, explore food standards, examine farming and manufacturing practices, and look for the strongest evidence I can find. Each article represents my understanding at the time of writing and will continue to evolve as new evidence emerges.

I don't expect to answer every question. In fact, I hope I don't.

If you're a researcher, farmer, food scientist, toxicologist, dietitian, regulator or simply someone with credible information to share, I genuinely invite you to contribute. If I've missed an important study or overlooked another perspective, I'd love to know.

"My goal isn't to prove a point. My goal is to better understand the story behind our food."

"Are there common principles of ancestral eating that are still relevant today?"

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These are the types of questions Know Your Food™ is designed to explore.

This isn't about proving a point.

It's about understanding the story behind our food as accurately as possible. When we eat packaged snack foods, we understand we are not fuelling our bodies in the best possible way. So we limit our exposure.

When we choose berries, salmon, vegetables and lean proteins, most of us feel confident we're making healthy choices. Often we are. But how often do we stop to ask whether all berries, all salmon or all chicken have the same story?

🐇 Down the Rabbit Hole

I'll continue updating all of these articles well after they are published as new evidence becomes available.

The nutrition panel tells us what is in our food.

Know Your Food™ is about understanding how it got there.