Everyone knows the cultural shorthand by now: Chick-fil-A is “too conservative,” Bud Light is “too woke.” But what most people don’t realize is just how far this bizarre politicization of food has spread. In America today, it’s no longer just your bumper sticker or your yard sign that marks your politics — apparently, your refrigerator does too.
Take milk. Yes, plain white cow’s milk. A 2017 VICE article seriously claimed that milk had become a “symbol of white supremacy” after memes linking it to “whiteness” appeared in fringe internet circles. A year later, Quartz argued that the government’s decades-long promotion of cow’s milk was “rooted in systemic racism,” because Black and Asian Americans are more likely to be lactose intolerant. So what once was the quintessential symbol of wholesome Americana — the “Got Milk?” ads, the school cafeteria carton — is now painted by cultural critics as a coded expression of racism. Imagine being told your glass of milk is basically a political statement.
It doesn’t stop there. Root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and cabbages have been recast as foods only “white nationalists” eat in Europe and among academics who study “food nationalism.” The logic? These simple, traditional “peasant foods” get linked to nostalgia and “blood-and-soil” politics. Translation: eating carrots is no longer just eating carrots. It’s, apparently, a cultural marker for right-wing ideology.
Red meat has been caught in the crossfire too. Environmental activists frame hamburgers and steaks as climate crimes, with some even calling them symbols of “toxic masculinity.” Former New York City mayor Bill de Blasio went so far as to impose “Meatless Mondays” in public schools, removing red meat from the cafeteria once a week and forcing students to “embrace” veganism in the name of saving the planet. Woke researchers have even gone after cows themselves, claiming that methane from “cow farts” is a major contributor to global warming — as if grilling a steak at your backyard cookout is somehow melting the polar ice caps. The message is clear: if you enjoy a burger, you’re signaling your MAGA leanings, whether you mean to or not. What used to be dinner is now a form of protest.
Fast food hasn’t escaped either. When President Trump famously served McDonald’s and Burger King to college football players at the White House, the media mocked it as “low class.” But that only cemented fast food’s status as a populist badge of honor on the right. Suddenly a Big Mac wasn’t just cheap and convenient — it was cultural defiance.
And then there’s gas stoves. The Biden administration floated restrictions after a biased study claimed that gas stoves were responsible for 12.7% of childhood asthma cases nationwide. The study was based on modeling, not hard data, but it was quickly weaponized as proof that gas burners were a hidden health crisis. Some outlets even suggested that because a study showed an infinitesimal amount of Black children got asthma compared to White children, eating foods cooked on a gas stove was racist. A claim critics said was more about justifying a culture-war ban than sound science. Suddenly, whether you grilled your steak over gas or an electric coil wasn’t just about taste — it was framed as a matter of racial equity and public health. Once again, what had been an everyday household choice turned into a political statement.
The common thread? Everyday, apolitical choices are being weaponized by activists and academics who see politics in everything. It used to be you were what you ate. Now it’s: you vote how you eat. And that’s not just absurd — it’s a recipe for division.