The Future of Dining: 10 Ways the Food World Is Changing

We give you a glimpse into the future of food, from test-tube burgers, to robo-baristas, to 3D printed snacks.

Gillian Osswald

As a society, we’re obsessed with food trends, new restaurants, and what’s hot right now in the dining scene—but do we know what the future of food looks like? The food world wouldn’t be the vibrant cultural sphere that it is if it weren’t constantly evolving, and on a more global level, the world’s population is going to have a hard time surviving if we don’t revolutionize the way we eat—and fast. So why not look ahead to what dinner might look like in 2020 and beyond?

For one, there seems to be a projected drive for more responsible eating—an environmental consciousness that goes beyond fair-trade and organic. Food products that eliminate waste and limit energy consumption are on the rise. Not only will there be fewer animals in the future of dining, but there may be fewer people, too, given the rise of inventions that reduce the need for human labor when preparing and serving food.

Take a peek into the future of food, from test-tube burgers, to Smart House-style restaurants, to 3D printed snacks.

Burgers will be made with lab-grown “meat."

Why it could be awesome: Test-tube meat uses far less energy than traditional meat production, and it also avoids any ethically questionable animal slaughter. Why we should be afraid: If hearing “test-tube meat” doesn’t already scare you, know that it’s made without any fat, basically killing any chances of it tasting as good. (Tasters confirm that test-tube meat needs a little work before it hits the market.) The first-ever meat patty grown from stem cells made its debut this summer, sporting a cool $300,000 price tag, reports The Huffington Post. Mark Post, the Frankenburger creator, wanted to promote a new way of thinking about lab-grown meat and all its sustainable and ethical advantages. Post and other test-tube meat proponents, like PETA, have high hopes that Frankenburgers will be prevalent in the not-so-distant food future.
Conveyor belts and tablets will replace waiters.

Why it could be awesome: Conveyor belts make it so much easier to completely avoid human contact at restaurants. Plus, you don’t have to tip technology. Why we should be afraid: If we eliminate the need for waiters, what will literally half of NYC do for work? An automated restaurant in Tokyo is showing us what the future of food service looks like, reports The Atlantic Wire. With conveyor belts that deliver plates, and tablets that take virtual orders, the “smart restaurant” is taking the sushi conveyor belt restaurant concept to another level. But as cool as that technology is, it’s hard to imagine a dining experience so devoid of any human touch.
Plant-based proteins will offer the same sensory experience as eating meat.

Why it could be awesome: Plant-based meat substitute Beyond Meat is surprisingly similar to real meat, which means it avoids the squishy texture that makes eating vegetarian proteins painful. (Looking at you, tofu.) Why we should be afraid: A product with no antibiotics, cholesterol, trans fats, or saturated fat that tastes and looks like real chicken? All signs point to "too good to be true." As Alton Brown put it, plant-based Beyond Meat is “more like meat than anything I’ve ever seen that wasn’t meat.” According to Brown's article in Wired, Beyond Meat is seeking to replicate the sensory experience of eating animal protein, while eliminating the involvement of actual animals. Sounds like this protein innovation could be a solid replacement for some of the 183 billion pounds of chicken we consume each year.
Robo-baristas will replace real baristas.

Why it could be awesome: With an automated coffee kiosk, there’ll be no one to invent a weird spelling of your name and write it on your coffee cup. And no one to judge you for your complicated non-fat, light-ice, extra-shot caramel macchiato with whip. Why we should be afraid: If I were one of the 95,000 employed Starbucks baristas, I would be starting to panic. Quartz reports that the traditional coffee shop barista may have an enemy in the Briggo coffee kiosk. It’s small (50 square feet), versatile, and—perhaps most importantly—consistent. This coffee-bot keeps with the futuristic theme of eliminating human work, making us choose between “made with love” and “made perfect every time.”
A 3D printer will print you real snacks.

Why it could be awesome: 3D printing technology can make anything taste like anything, according to developers. As seen above, they’ve already made sea scallops shaped like a space shuttle. Why we should be afraid: Essentially, this is food coming out of a syringe—not exactly the most appetizing idea of all time. Even food has been caught up in the hype of 3D printing. According to Tech News Daily, researchers have already begun to produce edible prints. Jeffrey Lipton, a doctoral student at Cornell, is developing 3D food printing so that we can accomplish lifelong goals like making “a birthday cake with your name written across every slice on the inside.” But less ridiculously: 3D printed snacks could also have a health appeal, producing food based on diet and medical data.
Artificial nanoparticles will be added to our foodstuffs.

Why it could be awesome: There are tons of uses for nanotechnology in food, like improving flavor and enhancing nutrition content. Why we should be afraid: The technology is essentially hiding tiny stuff in our food, which brings up a slew of labeling and regulation issues. Beyond injecting elements like vitamins and flavor enhancers, nanotechnology could also allow for animal-free food production. Jeffery Card, a scientist at Intertek, told The Guardian “that the possibilities seem endless” for nanoparticles in food.
Computers will generate recipe ideas so chefs don't have to.

Why it could be awesome: Computer have the processing power to generate endless suggestions of new recipes and flavor combinations. Why we should be afraid: Can a computer make roast chicken just like mom? No, because it has no mom :( Wired reports that IBM’s super computers are not only Jeopardy champs—they’re also giving chefs a run for their money. IBM researcher Lav Varshney developed an algorithm to create new dishes from various parameters like dietary restrictions and cuisine type, using a huge internet database of recipes. While the computer still requires a chef to cook the actual food, digital food fabrication technologies are also in the works from designers like Marcelo Coehlo.
We'll all be eating insects.

Why it could be awesome: Insects are an abundant food resource and an environmentally-friendly protein choice. Why we should be afraid: We're literally talking about eating bugs. Bugs in your mouth. Bugs. Some countries have been onto the insect-eating wave forever, but the practice is slowly working its way into the food world at large: Insects can be found in candy and flour, as well as in the form of plain old edible bugs. Eat Ento, a pop-up restaurant in London, features grasshoppers, locusts, and worms on its menu, reports The Daily Mail. The restaurant’s owners are seeking to prove how healthy insects really are and break the taboo of insects in Western cuisine. You’ll have to stay tuned to see how that uphill battle goes.
Food packaging will be edible.

Why it could be awesome: Edible food packaging could change the entire landscape of the grocery store by eliminating the need for plastic packaging. Why we should be afraid: Something is just not right about washing a pod of ice cream before eating it. Further evidence of an imminent Jetsons-era: edible food packaging. WikiPearls asks us to embrace eating with our hands by packaging foods like yogurt, cheese, and ice cream in edible skins. The skins add an extra flavor element to the foods they encase, and they could also make a huge environmental impact.
You will grow fresh vegetables indoors with a miniature modular ecosystem.

Why it could be awesome: Growing food at home is cost-effective and sustainable. With revolutionary new products, you could have a trendy-looking aquarium farm instead of flowers at the center of your table. Why we should be afraid: Nothing too scary here, except maybe putting the thing together. The Aqualibrium and the Aqua Farm aren’t your average home herb gardens. These fish tank-greenhouse combos are their own self-cleaning, self-contained ecosystems. The team at Back to the Roots, which produces the Aqua Farm, is on a mission to “make food personal again.”

The Future of Dining: 10 Ways the Food World Is Changing

Burgers will be made with lab-grown “meat."

Conveyor belts and tablets will replace waiters.

Plant-based proteins will offer the same sensory experience as eating meat.

Robo-baristas will replace real baristas.

A 3D printer will print you real snacks.

Artificial nanoparticles will be added to our foodstuffs.

Computers will generate recipe ideas so chefs don't have to.

We'll all be eating insects.

Food packaging will be edible.

You will grow fresh vegetables indoors with a miniature modular ecosystem.

Latest News