WELLNESS CAPSTONES: FUTURE TECHNOLOGY IN NUTRITION
A FUTURE DAY IN THE LIFE OF A NUTRITIONIST
Writing for the London Technology Club - we produced the Future Technology in Nutrition report. This is the seventh report we have written in the Future Technolgy Series.
TO DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT CLICK HERE
In our humble opinion, this could easily be a typical day for a nutritionist in the very near future…
Tech has disrupted many things but the disruption I am most happy about is the disruption of the cow.
We reached ‘peak meat’ in 2021. After that, consumers drastically shifted to analogue meats – partly due to superior taste and nutrition, but also because it no longer made financial sense to buy traditional meat. The plant-based vs meat argument was won. It became the right decision for the environment, for our health and for our wallets.
First, it was tofu. Then came Quorn. Eventually, meat analogues arrived, though they were half as tasty and twice as expensive. But today, getting protein in the form of meat from a single animal cell is widely accepted – even welcomed. As a nutritionist, I spend all my time working on food-as-software. Rather than wait for evolution, we can make ongoing iterations towards better taste, nutrition and affordability, while also reducing waste, pollution, environmental degradation and antibiotic use.
Modern foods and technology let us all find the right nutrition for balanced gut microbiomes, avoiding inflammation and preventing disease. And each of us now has world-class nutritionists in our pockets. I focus on big data and ensuring modern food technologies get into as many hands as possible. Wellness and preventative health are no longer just for the top 1 per cent.
Technology once used by the world’s leading scientists is now in my home. My regular check of biomarkers highlights certain nutritional deficiencies and needs, so my AI-enabled nutrition planner plots out my next few days of food combinations and when it will be best to eat. I wish it didn’t recommend cell-based chicken and shrimp so much, but I understand it’s important for me and my family to follow these recommendations as part of our holistic, preventative health programme. Now and again, though, I ignore these and 3D-print a kobe beef short rib or wagyu sirloin. My kids are obsessed with clean meat nuggets and whey protein-based ice cream!
Around the world, we are moving closer to equitable nutrition. Countries can use bio-reactors to produce what they need locally, so there is less global trade. World leaders continue to make bold nutrition commitments that support a pro-equity agenda, so all people can survive and thrive. It’s been hard for the meat, dairy and pharmaceutical industries. Agricultural land has been freed up for other uses, with no need for livestock and feed production. I wish we had thought earlier about what to do with 485 million acres of former farmland. Incentivising rewilding the US farmlands and planting a trillion trees, anyone?
That reminds me: it’s my wedding anniversary this week. So I have ordered my wife a cell-based leather grown handbag as a gift. My app tells me a Starship delivery robot will be arriving at any moment.
TO SEE THE LONDON TECHNOLOGY CLUB FUTURE TECHNOLOGY IN LONGEVITY WRITE UP CLICK HERE