Individuals are increasingly feeling that they are on their own – due, in part, to a loss of trust in government and institutions, as well as to the disappearance of safety nets. In response, consumers are creating a tool kit for defense of their bodies by welcoming processed foods when those processed foods deliver more of what they need to physically or metaphorically protect themselves (e.g., added protein, nutrients), while rejecting ultra-processed foods when processing only improves the products’ flavoring and shelf life or the brands’ margins. Recent cuts to government agencies tasked with protecting the U.S. food supply chain, including the FDA and the USDA, are only furthering the distrust of offerings in grocery stores and the products many legacy brands sell, while adding to the attractiveness of farmers markets and foods that marketers advertise as “better for you,” many of which are coming from “insurgent” brands.