Essay 1 Draft 1
In today’s society, there are numerous inventions thought of everyday. Many go nowhere, often staying stuck in peoples’ heads. Very few, however, can pose a large impact on the everyday lives of many. For example, some famous inventions of the past, such as electricity, cell phones, and the cotton gin, are an essential part of the world today. Many people often take this inventions for granted, as without them we all would be lost. One up and coming invention starting to create some buzz is a meal replacement product called “Soylent Green”. Described as a “gooey lemonade”, this chemical mixture provides all of the essential carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins that normal foods would provide. Soylent takes no time to prepare, and the need to stop for a meal, or even make one, is now out the window. In addition, this product is also an easy way to save money, as there would be no more expensive trips to the grocery store or to restaurants. For example, in Lizzie Widdicombe article The End Of Food, she writes about a former technology entrepreneur named Rob Rhinehart, who made a complete diet switch to solvent only. Rob became an avid spokesman for this food product. While describing how he feels after weeks of this strict diet, Rob stated “I feel like the six million dollar man. My physique has noticeably improved, my skin is clearer, my teeth whiter, my hair thicker, and my dandruff gone.” (Page 2).
After reading this article, I thought to myself, “where’s the catch?”. The whole idea of Soylent seemed almost too good to be true, and after thinking to myself for awhile, I realized it was. While there is no taking away some of the positive implications Soylent could bring, I believe going all in on a strictly Soylent diet is not the way to live our best lives. Soylent differs from food in the respect that it’s simply a eat or die mentality, rather than holding meanings and playing an important role in society like food does.
To begin, it is important to understand how much of the economy relies both the growing and production of food. In 2016, there was over 900 billion dollars contributed to U.S. gross domestic product. In addition, nearly 14% of all US jobs are involved with either the transportation or creation of food/beverages. (US Department of Labor). Both of these facts should be eye opening to advocators of a pure solvent diet. The U.S economy cannot afford to lose nearly 14% of the nations jobs. The mass production of this green soylent will keep the jobs of some, but the majority of people will be jobless.
People may save money on not spending as much on food, but if they have no, or less of a source of an income this won’t matter as they will still have to pay for other common expenses. Also, if the transition was made to a pure solvent diet for a majority of Americans, businesses would be unable to stay afloat.
However, this is only the beginning of concerns that come along with such a drastic change in everyday life. One of the main reasons why the solvent diet is so appealing is because of the time saved. Things like cooking a meal, buying groceries, and going to dinner can now all be avoided. According to Rhinehart, in order to prepare the solvent you simply “scoop powder into a pitcher, add water, oil, and (optionally) ice, and shake it up”. (Page 12). These simple instructions allow the consumer to carry on with whatever he/she is doing. Rather than taking a half hour to prepare and then eat a meal, why not just take two minutes and get all of the same nutritional benefits. This is the idea that hooks many.
At first glance, the switch seems like a no brainer to just about everyone, including myself. However, the time it takes to sit down and have a meal with your family or coworkers is actually meaningful. The time spent at the grocery store with other members of the local community is meaningful. The time it takes to prepare and serve a meal to family members is meaningful. In reality, by drinking soylent instead of having a meal will save you time, but how do you spend it? Many people would just go back to work, continuing to stress the body. Food allows people to interact socially, and to take a break from stressors such as school and work. For example, within Rhinehart’s travels he came across a food truck in El segundo. The truck was labeled “Real Meat. 100% Plant based Proteins”. While in conversation with people about trying Soylent, Rhinehart discovered “They’re [People at the Truck] hardwired to love meat, and they love the trappings of meat—Thanksgiving, Christmas, ball games”. To Soylent dieters, this may seem as a reluctance to new things. Instead, people often hold values such as family, pride, and patriotism through food. There values are quality that soylent does not have, which is why the complete removal of food from one’s diet would not improve the quality of life.
Expanding on these values that only food can withhold, I recently wrote a narrative on chocolate chip cookies, my favorite food. Despite their tremendous flavor, the true reason why they are so special to me is the internal value of which they store. When I was younger, I would often go to my grandmothers while my parents had to work. Here, one thing we almost always did at least once a week was make cookies. Those are memories I will never forget. Reflecting on this times in my narrative, I wrote “While the cookies only make up miniscule part of our lives, they stand for the bonds our family has created, and the remembrance of my grandmother. (Favorite Food Essay;P4). Although she has recently passed away, these cookies are a way for my family to embrace the joyful memories that we created.
Essay 1 Draft 2
Connor Sirois
Professor Miller
ENG110 H2
3 October 2018
Why Soylent is Not What it Seems
In today’s society, there are numerous inventions created everyday. Many go nowhere, often staying stuck in peoples’ heads. Very few, however, can pose a large impact on the everyday lives of many. For example, some famous inventions of the past, such as electricity, cell phones, and the cotton gin, are an essential part of the world today. Many people often take these inventions for granted, as without them we all would be lost. One up and coming invention starting to create some buzz is a meal replacement product called “Soylent”. Described as a “gooey lemonade”, this chemical mixture provides all of the essential carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins that normal foods would provide. Soylent takes no time to prepare, and the need to stop for a meal, or even make one, is now out the window. This meal replacement is talked about in Lizzie Widdicombe’s article The End Of Food, where she writes about a former technology entrepreneur named Rob Rhinehart. After his dietary changed, Rob became an avid spokesman for this food product. While describing how he feels after weeks of this strict diet, Rob states “I feel like the six million dollar man. My physique has noticeably improved, my skin is clearer, my teeth whiter, my hair thicker, and my dandruff gone” (Widdecombe 2). All of these things are important to people in today’s society, thus promoting the diet change to Soylent even more. After reading this article, I thought to myself, “where’s the catch?”. The whole idea of Soylent seemed almost too good to be true, and after thinking to myself for awhile, I realized it was. The issues arises in terms of the idea that Soylent differs from food in the respect that it’s simply a eat or die mentality, rather than holding meanings and playing an important role in society like food does. I believe going all in on a strictly Soylent diet is not the way to live our best lives, but rather moderately implicating could provide some benefit.
To begin, it is important to understand exactly how much of an impact food, and the business around it affects the way we live. In 2016, there was over 900 billion dollars contributed to U.S. gross domestic product. In addition, nearly 14% of all US jobs are involved with either the transportation or creation of food/beverages. (US Department of Labor). The U.S economy cannot afford to lose nearly 14% of the nations jobs. In addition, not only would people be losing money, but also extremely important values. While people may save money on not spending as much on food, they also will have a much harder time finding jobs to help pay for other common expenses.
However, this is only the beginning of concerns that come along with such a drastic dietary change. One of the main reasons why the Soylent diet is so appealing is because of the time saved. Tasks such as cooking a meal, buying groceries, and going to dinner can now all be avoided. According to Rhinehart, in order to prepare the solvent you simply “scoop powder into a pitcher, add water, oil, and (optionally) ice, and shake it up” (Widdecomb 12). These simple instructions allow the consumer to carry on with whatever he/she is doing. Rather than taking a half hour to prepare and then eat a meal, why not just take two minutes and get all of the same nutritional benefits. This is the idea that hooks many.
At first glance, the switch seems like a no brainer to just about everyone, including myself. However, the time it takes to sit down and have a meal with your family or coworkers is actually meaningful. The time spent at the grocery store with other members of the local community is meaningful. The time it takes to prepare and serve a meal to family members is meaningful. In reality, by drinking Soylent instead of having a meal will save you time, but is that time saved worth it? Many people would just go back to work, continuing to stress the body. Food allows people to interact socially, and to take a break from stressors such as school and work. For example, within Rhinehart’s travels he came across a food truck in El segundo. The truck was labeled “Real Meat. 100% Plant based Proteins”. While in conversation with people about trying Soylent, Rhinehart discovered “They’re [People at the Truck] hardwired to love meat, and they love the trappings of meat—Thanksgiving, Christmas, ball games”. To Soylent dieters, this may seem as a reluctance to new things. Instead, people often hold values such as family, pride, and patriotism through food. Stopping at this food truck for lunch not only gives people the chance to enjoy delicious food, but also to interact socially with others whom may store the same values in the food. These values are a quality that soylent is unable to possess, which is why the complete removal of food from one’s diet would not improve the quality of life. It would rather inhibit people from maintaining values and social interactions, a key part of happiness.
Expanding on these values, I recently wrote a narrative on chocolate chip cookies, my favorite food. Despite their tremendous flavor, the true reason why they are so special to me is the internal value of which they store. When I was younger, I would often go to my grandmothers while my parents had to work. Here, one thing we almost always did at least once a week was make cookies. Reflecting on this times in my narrative, I wrote “While the cookies only make up miniscule part of our lives, they stand for the bonds our family has created, and the remembrance of my grandmother.” (Favorite Food Essay). Although she has recently passed away, these cookies are a way for my family to embrace the joyful memories that we created. Those are memories I will never forget, and truly show the power of food, and what I would lose if I were to switch to an all Soylent diet.
In comparison, my personal experiences share a connection to many of the people mentioned in Widdicombe’s essay. The food truck example shares similar ideas to how my family perceives food. Whether its BBQ food which reminds us of our patriotism, cookies that remind us of our family, or the sunday night home cooked meal which reminds us where we are from, everyone has foods that are more than just for taste.
In conclusion, no matter what your beliefs are on the introduction of Soylent, there is no denying the blatant benefits it could bring. However, a complete change to an all Soylent diet is not something that would allow one to live their best life. Even though I am against the full transition, I do think there are some times were Soylent could be used. For example, for people struggling to afford food, replacing SOME meals with Soylent could be extremely useful. This way they can still get the nutrition needed to live, but put money towards other expenses. For people who can afford a meal, it would be a shame to miss out on both the values and interactions food allows you to establish. To end, an excerpt from my food essay reads as follows “The value of food serves as a reminder of the people who raised me, where I am from, and the lessons I have learned.”. (Favorite Food Essay). Imagine giving up the idea of food completely, what values would you lose?
Final Draft
Connor Sirois
Professor Miller
ENG110 H2
3 October 2018
Why Soylent is Not What it Seems
In today’s society, there are numerous inventions created everyday. Many go nowhere, often staying stuck in peoples’ heads. Very few, however, can pose a large impact on the everyday lives of many. For example, some famous inventions of the past, such as electricity, cell phones, and the cotton gin, are an essential part of the world today. Many people often take these inventions for granted, as without them we all would be lost. One up and coming invention starting to create some buzz is a meal replacement product called “Soylent”. Described as a “gooey lemonade”, this chemical mixture provides all of the essential carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins that normal foods would provide. Soylent takes no time to prepare, and the need to stop for a meal, or even make one, is now out the window. This meal replacement is talked about in Lizzie Widdicombe’s article The End Of Food, where she writes about a former technology entrepreneur named Rob Rhinehart. After his dietary changed, Rob became an avid spokesman for this food product. While describing how he feels after weeks of this strict diet, Rob states “I feel like the six million dollar man. My physique has noticeably improved, my skin is clearer, my teeth whiter, my hair thicker, and my dandruff gone” (Widdecombe 2). All of these things are important to people in today’s society, thus promoting the diet change to Soylent even more.
After reading this article, I thought to myself, “where’s the catch?”. The whole idea of Soylent seemed almost too good to be true, and after thinking to myself for awhile, I realized it was. The issues arises in terms of the idea that Soylent differs from food in the respect that it’s simply a eat or die mentality, rather than holding meanings and playing an important role in society like food does. I believe going all in on a strictly Soylent diet is not the way to live our best lives, but rather moderately implicating for uses such as saving money, and in third world countries, could provide some benefit.
To begin, it is important to understand exactly how much of an impact food, and the business around it affects the way we live. In 2016, there was over 900 billion dollars contributed to U.S. gross domestic product. In addition, nearly 14% of all US jobs are involved with either the transportation or creation of food/beverages. (US Department of Labor). The U.S economy cannot afford to lose nearly 14% of the nations jobs. In addition, not only would people be losing money, but also extremely important values. While people may save money on not spending as much on food, they also will have a much harder time finding jobs to help pay for other common expenses. This leads to why I believe only a partial integration of Soylent into our everyday lives is necessary. A total switch would result in devastating economical effects, but a partial allows people to have a easier way of getting a meal.
However, the economy is only the beginning of concerns that come along with such a drastic dietary change. One of the main reasons why the Soylent diet is so appealing is because of the time saved. Tasks such as cooking a meal, buying groceries, and going to dinner can now all be avoided. According to Rhinehart, in order to prepare the solvent you simply “scoop powder into a pitcher, add water, oil, and (optionally) ice, and shake it up” (Widdecomb 12). These simple instructions allow the consumer to carry on with whatever he/she is doing. Rather than taking a half hour to prepare and then eat a meal, why not just take two minutes and get all of the same nutritional benefits. This is the idea that hooks many.
At first glance, the switch seems like a no brainer to just about everyone, including myself. However, the time it takes to sit down and have a meal with your family or coworkers is actually meaningful. The time spent at the grocery store with other members of the local community is meaningful. The time it takes to prepare and serve a meal to family members is meaningful. In reality, by drinking Soylent instead of having a meal will save you time, but is that time saved worth it? Many people would just go back to work, continuing to stress the body. Food allows people to interact socially, and to take a break from stressors such as school and work. For example, within Rhinehart’s travels he came across a food truck in El segundo. The truck was labeled “Real Meat. 100% Plant based Proteins”. While in conversation with people about trying Soylent, Rhinehart discovered “They’re [People at the Truck] hardwired to love meat, and they love the trappings of meat—Thanksgiving, Christmas, ball games”. To Soylent dieters, this may seem as a reluctance to new things. Instead, people often hold values such as family, pride, and patriotism through food. Stopping at this food truck for lunch not only gives people the chance to enjoy delicious food, but also to interact socially with others whom may store the same values in the food. These values are a quality that soylent is unable to possess, which is why the complete removal of food from one’s diet would not improve the quality of life. It would rather inhibit people from maintaining values and social interactions, a key part of happiness.
Expanding on these values, I recently wrote a narrative on chocolate chip cookies, my favorite food. Despite their tremendous flavor, the true reason why they are so special to me is the internal value of which they store. When I was younger, I would often go to my grandmothers while my parents had to work. Here, one thing we almost always did at least once a week was make cookies. Reflecting on this times in my narrative, I wrote “While the cookies only make a miniscule part of our lives, they stand for the bonds our family has created, and the remembrance of my grandmother.” (Favorite Food Essay). Although she has recently passed away, these cookies are a way for my family to embrace the joyful memories that we created. Those are memories I will never forget, and truly show the power of food, and what I would lose if I were to switch to an all Soylent diet.
In comparison, my personal experiences share a connection to many of the people mentioned in Widdicombe’s essay. The food truck example shares similar ideas to how my family perceives food. Whether its BBQ food which reminds us of our patriotism, cookies that remind us of our family, or the sunday night home cooked meal which reminds us where we are from, everyone has foods that are more than just for taste.
In conclusion, no matter what your beliefs are on the introduction of Soylent, there is no denying the blatant benefits it could bring. However, a complete change to an all Soylent diet is not something that would allow one to live their best life. Even though I am against the full transition, I do think there are some times were Soylent could be used. For example, for people struggling to afford food, replacing SOME meals with Soylent could be extremely useful. This way they can still get the nutrition needed to live, but put money towards other expenses. For people who can afford a meal, it would be a shame to miss out on both the values and interactions food allows you to establish. To end, an excerpt from my food essay reads as follows “The value of food serves as a reminder of the people who raised me, where I am from, and the lessons I have learned.”. (Favorite Food Essay). Imagine giving up the idea of food completely, what values would you lose?
Works Cited:
U.S. Department of Labor. Food and Beverage Related Workers. Accessed September 19, 2018.
Sirois, Connor. Favorite Food Essay. Accessed September 19, 2018.
Widdicombe, Lizzie. The End of Food. New Yorker. Published May 12, 2014
