Book · 2014 · Social Science
Eating on the Wild Side
The Missing Link to Optimum Health
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Robinson's latest book is called Eating on the Wild Side. It's fascinating. Almost every page tells you something you don't know about food, especially fruits and veg and herbs.
Stephen Dubner · Freakonomics Radio · Nov 2015 Why people recommend it
Eating on the Wild Side by Jo Robinson is a scientifically grounded guide that explores how modern agricultural practices have altered the nutritional value of common fruits, vegetables, and herbs compared to their wild ancestors. On Freakonomics Radio, host Stephen Dubner featured the book in multiple episodes, praising it as fascinating and noting that nearly every page offers surprising insights into produce. Dubner explained that the book traces the historical divide between crops bred purely for sweetness and those retaining ancestral nutritional potency. Drawing directly from Robinson's research, Dubner detailed the biochemical mechanisms plants use to survive, explaining how they produce protective chemical compounds to fend off insects, harsh weather, and disease, which subsequently function as beneficial antioxidants when consumed by humans. Furthermore, Dubner summarized the author's practical dietary recommendations based on these scientific findings. He highlighted specific guidance on produce selection, noting that dark green or red leaf lettuces offer far superior nutritional benefits compared to paler varieties, and that specific apple cultivars outperform conventional supermarket standards. Through these discussions, the book served as an essential resource for listeners seeking to optimize their diets through a deeper understanding of plant evolution and modern agricultural science.
Every mention
Stephen Dubner Robinson's latest book is called Eating on the Wild Side. It's fascinating. Almost every page tells you som… 4
“Robinson's latest book is called Eating on the Wild Side. It's fascinating. Almost every page tells you something you don't know about food, especially fruits and veg and herbs. And a lot of it goes back to that split between delicious and nutritious.”
“Robinson's latest book is called Eating on the Wild Side. It's fascinating. Almost every page tells you something you don't know about food, especially fruits and veg and herbs.”
“As Robinson writes, plants can't fight their enemies or hide from them, so they protect them by producing an arsenal of chemical compounds that protect them from insects, disease, harsh weather, and sunlight. And many of those compounds function for us when we eat them as antioxidants.”
“So the best thing that you can be eating in terms of true lettuces would be a red leaf or dark green leaf lettuce with red leaf lettuce far superior to the others. A Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apple is better than a Golden Delicious, although heirloom varieties, as Robinson writes, are generally much better than supermarket varieties.”
