The Roots of Jobs's Peculiar Eating
Steve Jobs's relationship with food was more than just a matter of taste; it was a reflection of his minimalist philosophy and spiritual pursuits. In his youth, Jobs was heavily influenced by several works, including Frances Moore Lappé’s Diet for a Small Planet, which encouraged vegetarianism, and Arnold Ehret’s Mucusless Diet Healing System. Ehret's book led Jobs to believe that certain foods created harmful mucus in the body and that a diet of fruits and starchless vegetables, coupled with fasting, could purify the body. These early influences set the stage for a lifetime of extreme and often rigid eating habits that extended beyond simple food preferences.
The Extremes of Fruitarianism and Fasting
Jobs's most well-known dietary quirk was his embrace of fruitarianism, an extreme form of veganism where one eats predominantly fruits, nuts, and seeds. He would engage in 'monogamous diets,' eating only one or two specific foods for weeks at a time, such as apples or carrots. One notable consequence of his intense carrot consumption was his skin developing an orange hue. Jobs also became a proponent of prolonged fasting, believing it could produce a sense of euphoria. He would fast for days, sometimes over a week, breaking his fast with water and leafy vegetables. His belief in the cleansing power of this diet was so strong that for a time, he reportedly believed he did not need to shower or wear deodorant. This theory was, by all accounts, flawed.
Documented Examples of Jobs's Pickiness
Walter Isaacson's definitive biography is replete with anecdotes illustrating Jobs's fastidious and often difficult relationship with food. These examples highlight how his pickiness was an expression of his controlling nature.
- The Soup Incident: His daughter Lisa Brennan-Jobs recalls a time when he spat out a mouthful of soup after discovering it contained butter, a forbidden ingredient in his strict diet.
- Restaurant Demands: Jobs was known to order specific, off-menu vegan items at restaurants, frustrating staff.
- The Juice Problem: On one occasion, he sent back a fresh-squeezed juice three times at a restaurant, insisting each new offering was from a bottle.
- The Obama Dinner: When planning a dinner for President Barack Obama, Jobs objected to several menu items, including shrimp, cod, and a chocolate truffle cream pie, calling them 'too fancy'.
Jobs's Diet vs. Conventional Health
Jobs's lifelong restrictive diets had significant health consequences, particularly after his pancreatic cancer diagnosis. While he started with a rare, treatable form of the disease, he refused conventional surgery for nine months, instead attempting to heal himself with his extreme diet, a decision he later regretted. His wife, Laurene Powell, and doctors desperately tried to introduce more protein into his diet to counter his drastic weight loss, but he remained stubbornly resistant.
| Aspect of Diet | Steve Jobs's Practice | Conventional Health Advice | Health Implications for Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diet Type | Primarily Fruitarian/Vegan | Balanced, diverse diet | Risk of malnourishment and nutrient deficiencies |
| Fasting | Prolonged, multi-day fasts | Intermittent fasting, if done, is structured with caution | Risk of ketosis, fatigue, and weakness |
| Food Variety | Monogamous, eating one item for weeks | Wide variety of foods for a full range of nutrients | Nutrient deficiencies; actor Ashton Kutcher developed pancreatitis mimicking Jobs's diet |
| Protein Intake | Very low (except for rare indulgence) | Sufficient protein essential for tissue repair and health | Significant weight loss and muscle wasting, especially during illness |
| Medical Advice | Ignored doctors' advice after cancer diagnosis | Follow medical guidance for serious illnesses | Delayed critical surgery, potentially worsening his condition |
Conclusion: More Than Just 'Picky'
While the simple answer to 'Was Steve Jobs a picky eater?' is 'yes,' it is a description that doesn't fully capture the complexity of his relationship with food. His eating habits were not simply based on taste preferences but were an intricate part of a deeply held, and ultimately misguided, philosophical and spiritual belief system. His quest for purity and control extended to his plate, shaping a diet that was both a source of pride and, in the end, a contributor to his failing health. Jobs's dietary asceticism stands as a testament to his intense personality—a man who applied the same rigorous, uncompromising standards to his personal life as he did to his technological creations. You can read more about his unique dietary obsessions in Walter Isaacson's acclaimed biography, Steve Jobs.
The Isaacson Biography: A Record of Dietary Obsession
Walter Isaacson's account provides the most detailed look into Jobs's food habits. He chronicles Jobs's journey from college student discovering diet books to a powerful CEO enforcing his restrictive regimen on his family and staff. The book details not only what he ate but the reasons behind it—a desire to find purity, control, and heightened sensations through restraint and fasting. The biographical record shows that his pickiness was a core part of his identity, enduring throughout his life and affecting those around him.
