I found “The End of Food” by Lizzie Widdicombe to be very intriguing. In paragraph two of page one, Rob Rhinehart says “Food was such a large burden.” I find this statement to be quite interesting because in the United States food is something that is so greatly valued and enjoyed for more reasons than one, and I don’t think that I have ever once heard someone view food as a “burden.” According to Rhinehart, he has a very busy schedule and food has become something that he has grown to resent due to the time and preparation it requires. I think I could potentially use this in my essay to contradict this statement and argue that meals are in fact not a “burden” because they bring family and friends together and are time well spent.
Another statement that stuck out to me was in paragraph two of page three when Lizzie Widdicombe says “Soylent isn’t coming for our Sunday potlucks. It’s coming for our frozen quesadillas.” What I have come to learn from further research is that Soylent isn’t here to replace all meals, it’s just here to replace the unhealthy or poorly made, last resort meals. I believe that I could use this in my essay to explain that yes you should avoid unhealthy meals if you can, but you shouldn’t completely rely upon soylent for all of your meals. You could always try meal prepping once a week and using containers and silverware that you can throw away if you don’t have the time to clean the dishes.
The last quote that I found interesting was in paragraph four of page six when Rhinehart said, “Water doesn’t have a lot of taste or flavor, and it’s the world’s most popular beverage… everything your body needs.” Yes, water is the world’s most popular beverage, but as a meal replacement wouldn’t you think that people would want a variety of flavors to choose from? I guess this aligns with his thought that meals should be for utility purposes only, but meals are also meant to be enjoyed. I believe that I could tie this quote along with my essay by arguing the importance of flavoring and the importance of enjoying your meals.
