BONUS: Biotech Can Make Even Big Family Dinners More Bearable
Big family dinners can be hard for most of us. They sound great in theory, but let’s be honest: It’s not all Full House Family Fun. By the end of the meal you can’t wait to get in the car and rehash the “Oh my God, can you believe what she said?” comments. Bioprinting can’t make your family less problematic, but it can minimize the problems that come up food-wise while you eat together. Here’s an excerpt from my new book, Printing Your Dinner, to give you an idea how:
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It’s 5:15 p.m., and you’re finally leaving the office, walking through the parking lot on the way to your red Toyota Corolla. Today is your Nana’s 90th birthday! Incredible, but it also means you’ll have to get through a big family dinner. You start the engine and head downtown to DiPietro’s Italian Restaurant, Nana’s favorite.
When you get there, you see your cousin bringing in a new girlfriend wearing stilettos and a chartreuse mini skirt, whom you’ll pretend to like but probably won’t actually, if she’s anything like the past four.
Of course, you’re seated next to her when you make it inside. Your family takes up the longest table in the restaurant; your beloved Nana, the reason you’re here, is far away from you at the head.
When the server finally comes and says, “What can I get for you today?” in a high, peppy voice, you sigh and make knowing eye contact with your brother — here comes the list of lengthy orders.
Mom is first, and she’s just gone on a high protein diet. “Can I get the breaded baked chicken, but with at least 40 grams of protein and a reduction in carbs?”
Nana’s a regular here, so they already have her medical profile: She can pick anything off the menu she wants, and they’ll make it to her health specifications. She goes for the pasta primavera…
“And for you?” You’re startled out of a trance and the waitress is staring expectantly. You’re craving cheese, and lots of it, but lately you’ve been breaking out when you eat dairy.
“Ummm, can I get the chicken breast as well, but with extra parmesan flavor?”
“Of course, right away. Let me know if you need anything!” The waitress says before walking away. You’re over the first hurdle, but the battle’s just begun.
Aunt Gia shouts at you from the other end of the table, “So, sweetie, are you in a relationship yet??” It’s going to be a long night.
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No, you can’t get your aunt to stop asking that. But you can get food tailored to everyone’s needs — no more standing on the street “hangry” arguing about where to eat. No more “No, I can’t eat there!” (which is the story of my life as a vegetarian).
Your family can enjoy a dinner together and everyone’s health needs will be met. Eventually you’ll be able to monitor your body’s needs to-the-second and give yourself exactly what you need at each meal.
It’s the little things.
Soon enough, everyone will have a diet that’s specifically tailored to them. In 2018, it is still hard to accommodate all the specialized diets out there. To make everyone happy, we’d basically have to be eating grass.
But this global trend of specialized diets is useful, not problematic. Everyone does have different dietary needs, and it makes sense that as everyday citizens learns more about nutrition, their diets will reflect that knowledge.
There’s no one “healthy” diet that works for everyone. Yes, fruits and vegetables are healthy, but beyond that? There’s a plethora of options.
Neil Grimmer, the founder and CEO of personalized nutrition beverage business Habit, told NBC News: “When you think about moving from a one-size-fits-all approach to food to something that’s highly personalized, it changes everything. It changes the way you shop. It changes the way you eat. And quite frankly, it even changes the way you think about your own health and well-being.”
If something can be personalized, people will want it personalized. Personalized nutrition is not an “if,” but rather a “when.” We can already see it starting, with the growth of build-your-own fast-casual restaurants. Customized nutrition content is the next step.
It might start out small: “Would you like high or low vitamin A in your salad?” But this will allow for to-the-second health personalization. What does your body need in the long term (e.g. a high protein diet)? What does it need right now? (e.g. electrolytes after a game).
As bioprinting technology becomes less expensive and more readily available, the options for personal choice will increase. To get there, we need to make bioprinting faster and cheaper through development that’s driven by awareness of bioprinting’s potential.
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Contact me at sgt26@georgetown.edu with any and all questions or thoughts. To learn more, check out Printing Your Dinner: Personalization in the Future of Food, available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle starting June 11!
