AI Took Over My Meals, I Took It Personally

Good morning.

Recently, a writer experimented with letting an AI app plan all of her meals. The promise was efficiency: balanced nutrition, precise grocery lists, no wasted food. It worked on paper, but the experience revealed something unsettling about what happens when technology takes over the kitchen.

AI Took Over My Meals, I Took It Personally

Handing over my meals to an AI app felt like a sensible experiment. Who wouldn’t want fewer decisions, less waste, and the promise of perfectly balanced nutrition? Life already runs on autopilot in so many ways, so outsourcing dinner seemed like the next logical step.

At first, it worked. My fridge looked orderly, my shopping list was unnervingly precise, and the meals arrived on schedule, as if my kitchen had finally joined the productivity revolution.

But something was off. I was eating enough, but not really eating. The food filled me, but it didn’t feel like mine.

The problem, I realized, wasn’t that the meals were bad. It was that they were too good, or rather, too neat. Food isn’t meant to run on the same operating logic as a calendar app. A recipe generated by algorithm tastes fine, but it misses the one ingredient that makes eating interesting: the irrationality of being human.

Consider what really drives our appetites: the snack we know is terrible for us but crave anyway; the half-burned toast that tastes better because it reminds us of a childhood kitchen; the improvised dinner that shouldn’t work but somehow does. None of this fits neatly into an optimization model. And yet these are the moments when food becomes more than fuel, when it becomes memory, comfort, story.

AI doesn’t know what it means to eat chicken soup when you’re sick, or to fry eggs at midnight after a breakup, or to cook the same dish badly every year because tradition demands it. It knows macros and meal plans, not moods.

The unsettling part wasn’t that AI couldn’t replicate these things. It was that I almost forgot to miss them. For a few days, I was seduced by the smoothness of it all: the tidy routines, the absence of choice, the illusion that eating could be one less source of friction. And that, I suspect, is the real danger. Not that machines will steal our humanity, but that we’ll hand it over gladly, in exchange for the relief of not having to decide what’s for dinner.

In the end, I stopped the experiment. Not because the app failed to feed me, but because it succeeded. It gave me food stripped of mess and memory, and in the process, revealed just how much of life’s meaning lies in the mess.

AI can handle the cooking. But it can’t handle the craving, and that, inconveniently, is the whole point of eating in the first place.

The Curiosity Edit

Today’s Insight: Sensory Secrets

Can Smells Trigger Memories Better Than Sight?

Unlike sight or sound, smell takes a shortcut in the brain. Odor signals travel directly from the nose to the amygdala and hippocampus, where emotion and memory live. This is why scent-evoked memories are often more vivid and emotional than those sparked by images or words.
Source Note: PMC

Modern Living:

Home

Cleaning Your Bathroom Should Always Start In This Spot

Cleaning the bathroom can feel overwhelming, with every surface competing for your attention. Do you start with the sink, the mirror, or the toilet? Where you begin makes a difference, and getting it right sets the tone for the rest of the job. Read the full story here.

Health & Wellness

Understanding the Hidden Factors Shaping Health and Behavior

From movement and vision to stress and relationships, these stories explore how subtle patterns influence physical well-being and emotional resilience.

Walk This Much, This Fast to Reduce Heart Attack and Stroke Risk
A study pinpoints the pace and duration of walking that best supports cardiovascular health.

What Is Pebbling and Can It Help Grow Your Relationships?
This small but meaningful gesture could strengthen connection and intimacy.

Why Teens Are So Stressed, According to an Expert
Specialists explain the rising pressures affecting adolescent mental health.

The Psychology Behind Money Hoarding
Researchers reveal why some people hold onto cash compulsively and how it connects to identity and fear.

9 Common Causes of Blurry Vision in One Eye You Should Know
Eye doctors outline the most frequent culprits and when to seek immediate care.

The Conscious Plate:

Food, Nutrition & Elevated Living

The Foods That Could Add Years, Steady Your Sugar, and Protect Your Heart

From reducing stroke risk to boosting blood sugar balance, these nutrition insights highlight the small choices that add up to a healthier, longer life.

8 Foods to Eat to Help Reduce Your Risk of Stroke
Dietitians share the foods most linked to better cardiovascular health and stroke prevention.

This Vegetable Could Add Years to Your Life
One vegetable stands out for its remarkable connection to longevity and overall wellness.

Veggie Burgers vs. Beef: Which Is the Healthier Choice?
A closer look at the pros and cons of plant-based patties compared to traditional beef.

10 Foods That Lower Blood Sugar Immediately
These smart additions can help keep blood sugar in check and support metabolic health.

The Essential Nutrient Women Over 60 Are Missing Out On
Experts say many women aren’t getting enough of this key nutrient for strength and vitality.

Final Note

This is what we leave you with. A thought to end the day, carry in your pocket, or come back to later. Nothing big. Just something to reflect on.

Everyday Life as Teacher

Sometimes the clearest lessons aren’t in books or classrooms but in the corner of your own home. Even a washing machine has something to say if you’re willing to listen.

The hum of the washer can feel like background noise, but it’s also proof that even while you sit still, some part of your life is quietly moving forward.

Pass It On

Sometimes a thought, an idea, or a perspective lands at just the right time. If something here feels like it might resonate with someone you know, share it with them.

"Love Worthyest? Share the Joy!"
If our newsletter brightens your day, why not share it with someone you care about? Every friend you invite helps grow a community filled with insights, positivity, and meaningful tips for better living.

Your voice matters. Let’s inspire more people together.

Use the “Click to Share” button below to share the joy and help us spread the good today!