Why Apples are More Expensive than Twinkies: A Historical Analysis of America’s Deficient Food System and Recommendations for a Path Forward

The food culture of the United States is characterized by cheap, ultra-processed foods detrimental to individual health, societal health, and national security. In attempting to pinpoint when the country shifted to prioritizing the production of fast calories epitomizing today's food landscape, this paper identifies the domestic and international factors responsible for this development through a descriptive approach. The fact is that the country’s contemporary production and distribution systems are tied to systemic agricultural changes of the 1970s, whereupon internal dynamics and world developments created the necessity for quick calories. In the second half of this paper, my focus transitions into outlining potential changes and ways forward to promote sustainable and nutritional systems that can be integrated in American society. While the state of nutrition in America is quite poor, converting to local and regional food systems in addition to changing agricultural policies can cultivate a healthier, stronger society.