A Day in the Life of a Food Scientist

People often assume a food scientist’s normal day is one of two extremes: either a lab coat, goggles, and beakers, or a glamorous world of tasting exotic ingredients and dreaming up the next big product. Of course, there are lab coat days, and experimentation days, but most of the time it’s in front of the computer…

A typical day at home in London

My mornings usually start with eating breakfast as soon as I wake up. I make a savory breakfast targeting 30 grams of protein and some fiber. After breakfast, I go for a 20–30 minute walk before heading to my computer for most of the day. I start off by checking emails and delegating out tasks, but then I like to read my newsletters on the industry and what’s new in the food and beverage world. I need to stay on top of the relevant news on acquisitions, new products hitting the market, and anything else that could be important for a client or my business.

Since I work with clients across the UK, US, Europe, and Asia, the time zones mean my day often has a rhythm of its own: early morning speaking with Asia or Europe, midday for the UK, later afternoon working with the US.

What I actually eat on a normal day

Given what I do for a living, people are always curious about this part specifically. When I’m not traveling, I try to eat at home as much as possible. I make breakfast in the morning, but for lunch I always eat leftovers from the night before. I have done this ever since I was a child; I’ve always found it the easiest way to have more diversity of meals throughout the week rather than meal prepping, while still having a nutritious and delicious meal.

Lunch and dinner are both quite similar: some source of protein, complex carbohydrates, and one to two types of vegetables. Post-workout, I’m typically consuming Body Health amino acids, as I don’t love to eat after working out but want to deliver the right balance of amino acids to my muscles. In between calls in the afternoon, I’m normally strapped for time, so I will quickly have a clear protein sachet from Arrae, which is a mix of collagen peptides and whey protein.

When travel happens

I tend to travel for work at minimum once a month, at most a couple of times per month. My travel can really change shape: one moment I’m in a lab developing new products, or out on the production floor for a product launch. I could be attending a conference or speaking at a panel or podcast.

Food on travel days looks different too. I always try to have healthier snacks on me in case I don’t have time to eat an actual meal or something impacts my schedule. However, I’m not insanely strict on travel days, as I know it’s only for a short period of time. Whatever the schedule looks like, I always try to eat like a local wherever I land. I love trying new foods and learning more about a culture, which I believe is best discovered through a country’s food.

What I ate this week that was delicious

I was traveling in the north of England in a small city called York. They have a tea room called Betty’s, which is my absolute favorite place. I was looking for a small sweet treat, so I had one of their fondant fancies — little bite-sized cakes delivering sweetness from raspberry compote and some acidity from the lemon zest. Betty’s has several locations and you can order online. Highly recommend if you get a chance!

Originally published on Substack.