Giving Compass' Take:

• This NPR podcast interviews food expert Paul Rozin on the psychology of what we eat, explaining that disgust is a learned mechanism from an early age.

• How might this inform nutrition and health programs? What can it tell us about mitigating food waste?

• Here's why changing food systems starts with youth participation.

Paul Rozin has been studying the psychology and culture of food for more than 40 years. And he's come to appreciate that food fills many of our needs, but hunger is just one.

"Food is not just nutrition that goes in your mouth or even pleasant sensations that go with it," he says. "It connects to your whole life, and it's really a very important part of performing your culture and experiencing your culture."

This week, we chew over the profound role that food plays in our lives. Then, we spit it all out — we study the ick factor that turns us off to cockroaches, skunks, and poop. Rachel Herz explains the sensation of disgust, and why it doesn't always come naturally.

Listen to the full podcast about the psychology of what we eat at npr.org.