[dancesdrunk]

A slightly off-topic question this brings up in my mind - considering the current availability of multivitamin pills, protein + carbohydrate bars / shakes, various iron/mineral supplements, is it not possible to sustain yourself using just engineered products? Without having to buy the staple food we currently do (breads, meats, salads).

From reading the article, it seems we're still a fair bit off lab grown food - but certainly for future generations it may just be the norm.

[spacemanaki]

I am not a nutritionist, but my understanding from reading a bit about it and from the writings of Michael Pollan and others is that our understanding of the nutritional needs of humans is pretty rudimentary. There may be (or there likely are) unforeseen consequences of breaking down food into component nutrients and consuming a cocktail of pills instead of eating "food, mostly plants, not too much" as Pollan recommends. Even industrially produced meat and vegetables may contain things we don't understand and aren't currently capturing in supplements.

[lifeformed]

Possibly, but eating is not just about nutrition. There's a strong cultural, social, and emotional aspect to eating.

[Lost_BiomedE]

Yes. I imagine all you would need vitamins, minerals and essential fats. Of course, this is sustenance not optimal nutrition. An example are coma victims fed ensure through a tube for very extended periods.