We are constantly reminded to eat healthy and exercise. We have gadgets and mobile apps that measure how far we walk, how fast we get there, and estimate how many calories we burned along the way.
What’s next? How about an everyday kitchen appliance that will accurately measure how many calories on your plate?
GE Research is working on a microwave that will measure the calories on a plate of food within seconds. It works now for liquids and blended foods that are pretty uniform in density. A plate with a piece of chicken, green beans and mashed potatoes, for example, are little troublesome.
The system works by sending low-energy microwaves through a plate of food that’s been weighed. The microwaves change in predictable ways as they pass through the food, yielding a calorie measurement.
We’re looking at waves that pass all the way through the food. So you’re getting a complete measurement of the entire food, says Matt Webster, a senior scientist at GE Research, tells MIT Technology Review.
Now for the big question. Will you want a calorie-counting microwave in your kitchen? The calorie count will be right there, probably in BIG BOLD NUMBERS, to see when the cooking time is up. Maybe we’ll be able to program it to buzz differently (or shout at us) if our plate full of calories gets too big.
For some us, it will be just one more reminder to ignore.
Prototype of calorie counter | Courtesy of GE Research
h/t The Verge
