“Doritos Are Healthy Now?”: Why Fixating on Food Dyes Is Missing the Point

In this episode of Vitals and Values, David Roden and Lara Baatenburg debunk a common trap in diet culture: the obsession with individual ingredients like food dyes. They explore how marketers and influencers oversimplify health by highlighting what’s not in a product—while ignoring what actually matters. From calorie context to processed food patterns, they challenge listeners to move beyond fear-based messaging and toward a more balanced understanding of nutrition. If you’ve ever thought “this snack must be healthy because it’s dye-free,” this episode offers a reality check—and a healthier mindset.