Exclusive | Meet the crunchy college students crusading against ultra-processed foods and forever chemicals on TikTok

Sophie Pokela just graduated from the University of Wisconsin with an English degree — and a rigorous education in nutrition.Pokela grew up thinking she was a healthy eater because she mostly chose foods packed with protein and fiber.It dawned on her a year into college that she didn’t actually know much about what she was consuming.“I was scrolling on Instagram and came across a crunchy mom who was talking about seed oils,” Pokela, 21, told The Post.

“I’d never heard of them before, and I started scrolling through her page and realized that I had no idea what the ingredients in my food were.”Pokela quickly graduated from health-conscious to “crunchiness,” a holistic lifestyle prioritizing whole foods while shunning toxins.Crunchy crusaders tend to avoid ultra-processed foods, plastics, “forever” chemicals and pharmaceuticals in favor of alternative remedies, natural ingredients, organic fare and spiritual wellness.The “Make America Healthy Again” movement has helped this subculture become more vocal and visible, even on college campuses, where 2 a.m.

pizza, borgs and the freshman 15 are rites of passage.Clinical psychologist Laura Braider said crunchiness can be positive — if managed properly.She warned that some students may overdo healthy practices, especially if they’ve struggled with an eating disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder.“In moderation, I think this is not necessarily a bad trend,” Braider, assistant vice president of college mental health at Northwell Health, told The Post.

“I think being intentional in this population and being present and being aware can be a very good thing, as long as it’s in a controlled atmosphere.”One concern is that crunchy enthusiasts are not receiving evidence-based advice.Online communities, particularly social networks, can be breeding grounds for misinformation.“Social media can provide good information, but there’s also a lot of erroneous information on social media, a...