The Daily To Save His Life, Our Food Critic Reset His Appetite
174 snips
Mar 15, 2026 
Pete Wells, former New York Times restaurant critic turned food reporter, recounts changing his relationship with eating after a health scare. He talks about quitting restaurant reviewing to save his health. He describes cutting simple carbs, shifting to plants and fruit, rethinking alcohol, and finding joy and grounding in home cooking and smarter grocery habits.
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Twenty Five Minutes For One Raisin
- Michael Barbaro and Pete Wells spent 25 minutes eating a single raisin as a mindfulness exercise to slow down and notice flavor.
- The raisin meditation revealed much more flavor and changed Wells's approach to paying attention to hunger and enjoyment.
Doctor Told Him He Might Drop Dead
- Pete Wells was warned a doctor thought his belly might signal cirrhosis and later learned blood work showed high cholesterol, triglycerides and pre-diabetes.
- He kept reviewing restaurants to finish a 100-restaurants list while knowing his health was in crisis and eventually decided the job was incompatible with saving his life.
Cut Simple Carbs To Quiet Food Noise
- Avoid simple carbohydrates first to control blood sugar spikes: cut sugar, white flour, white rice and pasta.
- Wells eliminated pasta and daily teaspoons of sugar in coffee, then noticed mental clarity and reduced constant cravings.