The global rise in diet-related chronic diseases, including obesity and diabetes, has intensified the demand for technologies that enable real-time dietary monitoring. According to the World Health Organization, obesity and overweight have reached epidemic proportions worldwide, while diabetes prevalence has been steadily increasing over recent decades. In this context, kitchen appliances that can provide immediate nutritional feedback represent a significant opportunity for public health intervention. The microwave oven, present in over 90% of households in developed nations, stands as an ideal platform for such innovation due to its ubiquity and the inherent physical principles governing its operation.

Microwave ovens operate at a frequency of 2.45 GHz, utilizing a process called dielectric heating. When microwave radiation interacts with food, polar molecules—primarily water—absorb electromagnetic energy, causing molecular vibration and generating frictional heat. Critically, the extent to which different foods absorb microwave energy depends on their dielectric properties, which are determined by their unique chemical composition. Water, fats, carbohydrates, and proteins each exhibit distinct dielectric signatures, creating a fundamental link between a food's nutritional profile and its electromagnetic behavior during heating.