750 Words:
Food is not just about getting the nutrients and energy we need in order to survive. Rather, food is one of the core experiences of life. Without food who are we to sit with at our dinner tables? Who are we to comfort, smile, and laugh with during Thanksgiving? Surely we are able to experience our emotions without food, but in the same instance, are we not able to experience our emotions on a deeper level while indulging in food? The aroma created by a freshly homemade meal, or the tears produced by the onion you chopped up would not be possible in a world without food. How could we possibly live without the billions, if not trillions of different recipes and flavors out in the world? Lizzie Widdicombe, author of “The End of Food” describes what life could possibly look like in a world without food. In said article Widdicombe writes about her time spent with Rhinehart, the creator of what could possibly replace all food; Soylent. Soylent is basically every single mineral, nutrient, etc. necessary to keep us alive and well shoved into a blender with various chemicals and powders. However, there are many things to consider about Soylent before we all go crazy over never having to eat real food ever again. Consider going out for a bite to eat with your friends. Instead of ordering a nice medium rare, juicy burger, the only item on the menu in front of you would be a big bottle of brown, grainy liquid. Going out to eat with your friends typically results in a good time, laughter, maybe even some memorable events. Except, a majority of the good times that happen in restaurants and even at home are shared over food. How could one possibly be reminded of not only a good time, but maybe even their culture and heritage through a bottle of brown liquid? Food has been a happening since the beginning of time itself. To replace something so imperative to the world itself with a plastic bottle containing each and every calorie for the day is not the ideal preference of the majority. Taking away a process such as cooking, hunting, farming, and all the work and preparation we carry out to obtain our food would simply diminish the significance of what we do and how we do it. What kind of world would it be if every single human on earth was walking around with a plastic bottle sipping on blended up chemicals and powders? Without food life would be absolutely miserable. Yet, despite the consequences that could arise by replacing our meals with this new drink, Soylent has many utilizations which should be heavily considered. For instance, the unfortunate people in hospitals who are not able to consume regular food often have to resort to a liquid based food, or some sort of supplementary nutrition. In these cases Soylent, having all the nutrients and minerals we need on a daily bases would be absolutely perfect in such a situation. This is only one of many examples of where Soylent can be actually extremely useful, but to replace every single bite of food, and every meal spent with others would not be the best decision. In “The End of Food”, Widdicombe outlines the various goals of Rhinehart (creator of Soylent). One of Rhinehart’s goals was to ensure in the future that the production of Soylent is to be fully automated by either machines, or one singular organism that is capable of producing Soylent. However, this arises many problems in our current society. To fully automate anything in today’s age means the decimation of thousands, if not millions of innocent peoples jobs. So, to replace our meals with Soylent means replacing every single restaurant, super market, grocery store, etc. with an automated Soylent factory. Certainly, this is not ideal for the future working population. Another point to consider concerns people with eating disorders. Those with eating disorders either eat too much, not enough, or not at all. Now, if Soylent came in to play could we say it would truly fix any of these problems? It is possible that obesity rates lower, but at the same time it is also possible that anemic, and bulimia cases rise. Soylent is described as something that has the texture of something grainy, is a brown liquid, and does not taste like a five star meal, never mind a classic order of chicken fingers and fries. This could cause a serious issue in people not wanting to consume food in general when all there is to offer is a bottle of Soylent.
1000+ Words:
Justyn Lopez
Prof. Miller
English 110 H
28 February 2023
Soylent, or Soylame?
The singular purpose of food is not solely about obtaining the nutrients and energy we need in order to survive. Rather, food is one of the core experiences of life. Without food, who are we to sit with at our dinner tables? Who are we to comfort, smile, and laugh with during Thanksgiving? Surely we are able to experience our emotions without food, but in the same instance, are we not able to experience our emotions on a deeper level while indulging in food? The aroma created by a freshly homemade meal, or the tears produced by a freshly chopped onion would not be possible in a world without food. How could we possibly live without the billions, if not trillions of different recipes and flavors out in the world? Lizzie Widdicombe, author of “The End of Food” describes what life could possibly look like in a world without real, genuine food. In said article Widdicombe writes about her time spent with Rob Rhinehart, the creator of what could possibly be the replacement of all food; Soylent. Essentially, Soylent is a beverage which contains each and every single mineral and nutrient which are necessary in order to keep our bodies alive and well thrown into a blender with various chemicals and powders. However, there are many things to consider about Soylent before we all decide to switch sides and never have to worry about eating real food ever again. Real, authentic food carries an entire life’s worth of shared memories, culture, love, even hardships. Replacing our meals means replacing every single one of those moments we spent together with everyone we have had the pleasure of sharing our lives with over food. Food is to be shared and experienced, whereas a replacement such as Soylent would be better as a utility. Soylent would be much more useful as a tool, or something which can be readily available instead of an overall meal substitute. To produce Soylent, Rhinehart would create automated systems which could produce Soylent, which would result in many innocent people in the food industry losing their jobs.
Consider going out for a bite to eat with your friends. Instead of ordering a nice medium rare, juicy burger, the only item on the menu you have a choice of picking would be a big bottle of brown, grainy liquid. Going out to eat with your friends typically results in a good time, laughter, and possibly even some memorable events. A majority of the good times that we experience in restaurants, as well as the comfort of our homes are usually shared over food. It doesn’t have to be a full course meal, but it could even be a snack like popcorn. Every family that sits around and watches television together shares snacks. The same goes for when we go to the movies, or any special event at all. Food is always involved in everything we do in life. How could one possibly be reminded of not only a good time, but maybe even their culture and heritage through a bottle of brown liquid? Food has been a part of life and existence since the beginning of time. To replace something so imperative to the world itself with a plastic bottle containing each and every calorie accounted for the day is not the ideal preference of the majority. Taking away a process such as cooking, hunting, farming, and all the blood, sweat, and tears we pour out to obtain our food would simply diminish the significance of what we do and how we do it. What kind of world would it be if every single human on earth was walking around with a plastic bottle sipping on blended up chemicals and powders? Without food life would be absolutely miserable. Yet, despite the consequences that could arise by replacing our meals with this new drink, Soylent does have its uses as a tool which should be considered.
There are many cases of unfortunate patients in hospitals who are not able to consume regular food and often have to resort to liquid based food, or some sort of supplementary nutrition. In these specific cases Soylent, having all the nutrients and minerals we need on a daily basis would be absolutely perfect in such a situation. Soylent is much better fit for circumstances where rations are the best option of obtaining nutrition. For instance, Soylent would be great in the military, or even for NASA astronauts. Yet, even better, Soylent is ordinarily the best option for overworked individuals in the workplace, or even during education as mentioned in Widdicombe’s article. My father has been a firefighter for almost thirty years now, and whenever I see him early morning, or late night before he’s off for work he always is struggling to find something quick and easy to eat. Rather than my father slamming a package of tuna every single day, and not getting all the nutrition he needs before heading off for work, my father could grab a bottle of Soylent and be on his way.
In “The End of Food ”, Widdicombe outlines the various goals of Rhinehart (creator of Soylent). One of Rhinehart’s goals was to ensure in the future that the production of Soylent is to be fully automated by either machines, or one singular organism that is capable of producing Soylent. However, this raises many problems in our current society. To fully automate anything in today’s age means the removal of thousands, if not millions of innocent peoples jobs. So, to replace our meals with Soylent is equivalent to replacing every single restaurant, supermarket, grocery store, etc. with an automated Soylent factory, or one of the algae based organisms Rhinehart mentions. Our lives would become incredibly dull and boring. Taking a walk down the street would no longer allow for sightings of unique restaurants, intriguing food trucks, or tasty ice cream spots. The only commercials or endorsements we would ever see for consumables would be whatever the marketing team for Soylent comes up with.
The experiences and emotions we face in life are often attributed to various aspects of our lives. Yet, we never seem to realize the hold that the meals which we nourish ourselves with have on us. We tend to take food for granted, and never attempt to understand what a life without food would look like. We may go on fasts, or go on specific diets, but we never really stop eating actual food. So, to completely remove food from our daily lives, and replace it with Soylent, the most boring nutrient ever invented in the history of mankind would certainly teach us a lesson; but it would be an incredibly miserable way of living the lives we have been given. Incorporating Soylent into our lives would take away core pieces of our lives which we would never be able to regain. The bond which food holds on us is something we should begin to appreciate more often. Each time I go to visit my grandparents I will remind myself to be grateful for the food being prepared for me, instead of being met at the door with a bottle of Soylent. Next time you go to take a bite out of what you are eating, ask yourself, would this be better than a bottle of Soylent? Your answer hopefully should not disappoint.
Final:
Justyn Lopez
Prof. Miller
English 110 H
28 February 2023
Soylent, or Soylame?
The singular purpose of food is not solely about obtaining the nutrients and energy we need in order to survive. Rather, food is one of the core experiences of life. Without food, who are we to sit with at our dinner tables? Who are we to comfort, smile, and laugh with during Thanksgiving? Surely we are able to experience our emotions without food, but in the same instance, are we not able to experience our emotions on a deeper level while indulging in food? The aroma created by a freshly homemade meal, or the tears produced by a freshly chopped onion would not be possible in a world without food. How could we possibly live without the billions, if not trillions of different recipes and flavors out in the world? As a challenge from this course we were assigned an essay where we described our favorite meals. In the same time frame Professor Miller introduced the class to Lizzie Widdicombe, author of “The End of Food”; in this article Widdicombe gives us a glimpse of what life could possibly look like in a world without real, genuine food. In said article, Widdicombe writes about her time spent with Rob Rhinehart, the creator of the possible food replacement; Soylent. Essentially, Soylent is a beverage containing each and every single mineral and nutrient necessary for us as humans to keep our bodies alive and well thrown into a blender with various chemicals and powders. However, there are many things to consider about Soylent before we all decide to switch sides and never have to worry about eating real food ever again. Real, authentic food carries an entire life’s worth of shared memories, culture, love, or even hardships. Replacing our meals means replacing every single one of those moments we spent together with everyone we have had the pleasure of sharing our lives with over food. Food is to be shared and experienced, whereas a replacement such as Soylent would be more useful as a utility. This possible meal replacement would be much more appropriate as a tool, or something which can be readily available rather than an overall meal substitute. In order to produce Soylent, Rhinehart would strive to create automated systems that would be able to produce the beverage, resulting in many of the innocent people working in the food industry to lose their jobs.
Consider going out for a bite to eat with your friends; instead of ordering a nice medium rare, juicy burger, the only item on the menu you have a choice of picking would be a big bottle of brown, grainy liquid. Going out to eat with your friends typically results in a good time, laughter, and possibly even some memorable events. A majority of the good times that we experience in restaurants, as well as the comfort of our homes are usually shared over food. It doesn’t have to be a full course meal, but it could even be a small snack like popcorn. Every family that sits around and watches television together shares snacks. The same goes for when we go to the movies, or any special event at all. Food is always involved in everything we do in life. How could one possibly be reminded of not only a good time, but maybe even their culture and heritage through a bottle of brown, grainy liquid? Food has been a part of life and existence since the beginning of time. To replace something so imperative to the world itself with a plastic bottle containing each and every calorie accounted for the day is not the ideal preference of the majority. Taking away a process such as cooking, hunting, farming, and all the blood, sweat, and tears we pour out to obtain our food would simply diminish the significance of what we do and how we do it. What kind of world would it be if every single human on earth was walking around with a plastic bottle sipping on blended up chemicals and powders? Without food, life would be absolutely miserable. Ethan Brown, C.E.O of Beyond Meat, a company which produces chicken and beef substitutes announced in Widdicombe’s essay “The End of Food”: “People have been eating meat for two million years…They’re hardwired to love meat, and they love the trappings of meat…” (Widdicombe 10) Similarly in my “Favorite Food” essay I reference the luxury and privilege it is to have such experiences in our lives. By replacing our meals and food overall with any kind of substitute I would not be able to enjoy my grandmother’s cooking ever again, or any meal in general. Having a family member who is able to cook and puts so much love and effort into their cooking is a freedom I do not want to be taken from me. In my “Favorite Food” essay I mention “Throughout my years of living I have had the privilege of trying “pastelitos” from various places. I have gone to all kinds of Spanish restaurants, bodegas, friends and families homes, all over just to try one specific cuisine, but none could ever compare to my grandmother’s speciality.” That ability to go to my grandmother’s house and know that I am going to be fed is a tradition that I would never want to be stripped away from me. Yet, despite the consequences that could arise by replacing our meals with this new drink, Soylent does have its uses as a tool which should be considered.
Unfortunately, there are many cases of troubled patients in hospitals who are not able to consume regular food and often have to resort to liquid based food, or some sort of supplementary nutrition. In these specific cases Soylent, having all the nutrients and minerals we need on a daily basis would be absolutely perfect in such a situation. Rhinehart believes in a similar approach to what Soylent could end up being. In Widdicombe’s article she included a quote from Rhinehart where he states: “we’ll see a separation between our meals for utility and function, and our meals for experience and socialization.” (Widdicombe 3) Soylent is much better fit for circumstances where rations are the best option of obtaining nutrition, and sharing is not necessarily the best option–whereas legitimate food is to be consumed for the experiences and socialization. As an example, a special moment I shared with my grandmother in my childhood was highlighted in my “Favorite Meal” essay in which I wrote: “…my grandmother would get the cheese. We always used american cheese, or sometimes pepper jack. Often we would eat the spare slices of cheese together as we prepared the rest of the meal.” Moments like these would not have been significant in my life in any way if Soylent were to be nothing more than a utility which is why it would be better off in the military, or even for NASA astronauts. Yet, even better, this nutritious beverage is ordinarily the best option for overworked individuals in the workplace, or even during education as mentioned in Widdicombe’s article. My father has been a firefighter for almost thirty years now, and whenever I see him early morning, or late night before he’s off for work he is always struggling to find something quick and easy to eat. Rather than my father slamming a package of tuna every single day, and not getting all the nutrition he needs before heading off for work, my father could grab a bottle of Soylent and be on his way. Except, for Soylent to become as big as Rhinehart hopes, it has to become mass produced, and that strikes a problem due to the means by which Rhinehart hopes to attain his goals.
Various goals of Rhinehart (creator of Soylent) are outlined in “The End of Food”. One of Rhinehart’s goals was to ensure in the future that the production of Soylent is to be fully automated by either machines, or one singular organism that is capable of producing Soylent. However, this raises many problems in our current society. To fully automate anything in today’s age means the removal of thousands, if not millions of innocent peoples jobs. So, to replace our meals with Soylent is equivalent to replacing every single restaurant, supermarket, grocery store, etc. with an automated Soylent factory, or one of the algae based organisms Rhinehart mentions in Widdicombe’s article. Our lives would become incredibly dull and boring. Taking a walk down the street would no longer allow for sightings of unique restaurants, intriguing food trucks, or tasty ice cream spots. The only commercials or endorsements we would ever see for consumables would be whatever the marketing team for Soylent comes up with.
The experiences and emotions we face in life are often attributed to various aspects of our lives. Yet, we never seem to realize the hold that the meals we nourish ourselves with have on us. We tend to take food for granted, and never attempt to understand what a life without food would look like. We may go on fasts, or go on specific diets, but we never really stop eating actual food. So, to completely remove food from our daily lives, and replace it with Soylent, the most boring nutrient ever invented in the history of mankind would certainly teach us a lesson; but it would be an incredibly miserable way of living the lives we have been given. Incorporating Soylent into everyday meals would take away core pieces of our lives which we would never be able to regain. The bond food holds on us is something we should begin to appreciate more often. Each time I go to visit my grandparents I will remind myself to be grateful for the food being prepared for me, and not being met at the door with a bottle of Soylent. Next time you go to take a bite out of what you are eating, or go to a special event, and best of all during thanksgiving, ask yourself, would this be better than a bottle of Soylent? Your answer hopefully should not disappoint.
Works Cited
Widdicombe, Lizzie. “The End of Food.” The New Yorker, 5 May 2014, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/05/12/the-end-of-food.
