The lies we tell ourselves about the virtues of food

Go ahead, eat the processed cheese

American cheese.
(Image credit: Illustrated | wisan224/iStock, FoxysGraphic/iStock)

Like any good millennial foodie, I'm not above bragging about my meals. At one point, I took to social media to describe a particularly satisfying lunch: "Just made the best grilled cheese of my life. Farmer's market sourdough, homemade kimchi, and American cheese slices."

A friend piped up. "That all sounds great, except for the cheese. Why would you do that?"

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Zoe Fenson

Zoe Fenson is a freelance writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her writing has appeared in Longreads, Narratively, The New Republic, and elsewhere. When she's not writing, you'll find her doing crossword puzzles in cocktail bars or playing fetch with her cat.