Soylent - What if You Never Had to Worry About Food Again? (People Not Included)

**Ghost_Wheel22** · 2014-01-14 20:53

Think of it as comparing apple juice compared to eating the whole fruit. The oats probably help out significantly for leveling the insulin response but I would like to see a final ingredient panel before I could support this as anything more as an occasional meal replacement option. And I use a superior version (for me at least) of that already.

**quannum** · 2014-01-14 21:17

in your example you'd have to be drinking an apple-replacement apple juice right?

**Clash Perez** · 2014-01-14 21:24

For those interested, here are a couple more week-long trials by contributors to Ars Technica and Forbes.

Ars Technica:

Spoiler: show

Forbes:

Spoiler: show

**Ghost_Wheel22** · 2014-01-14 21:40

Body response to whole apple fruit (solid food) compared to apple juice (liquid meal). Either the food would need to be dosed into many smaller increments or blended into some sort of time-release system (foam, fiber pellets, oats) so your body doesn't crash 3-4 hours later because it pushed everything through much quicker than needed. And since the body can only metabolize vitamins so fast the rest gets flushed and you're not getting what you need later. That is my biggest concern over liquid products and diets touted as miracle solutions.

**Clash Perez** · 2014-01-14 22:00

I think a more appropriate comparison would be to compare eating a loaf of bread to eating the flour, salt, eggs, butter/oil, and yeast, blended with water. Ultimately it's all of the same components, just in a different format.

**notorious bum** · 2014-01-14 22:53

Yeah, I'm sure this could be a great "cheat" meal-substitute for 1 meal out of your day, tops, but you're fooling yourself if you plan to do it full-time YOLO-status and expect to be healthy.

For the poor saps who refuse to cook(I'm 90% sure I've posted this before lol): go buy yourself a crockpot and a rice cooker, read the BG crockpot thread, and look up any of the millions of quick/easy recipies that dominate cooking today. Jaimie Oliver is my mentor for making shit easy and taste good.

Throwing crap into a pot/cooker takes ZERO effort, makes a lot of food, infuses tons of flavor, and you won't have to worry later on about being your own or someone else's liability when you get old due to eating like cockaroach.

**Ksandra** · 2014-01-14 22:57

Originally Posted by Clash Perez

I think a more appropriate comparison would be to compare eating a loaf of bread to eating the flour, salt, eggs, butter/oil, and yeast, blended with water. Ultimately it's all of the same components, just in a different format.

the funny thing is with your example, is that the blend could end up be worse for you. (salmonella)

**Ghost_Wheel22** · 2014-01-14 23:22

In a sense yes. The amount of processing done on the food has a direct effect on how fast your body breaks it down. This is why drinking a glass of apple juice will cause a sharper sugar spike compared to eating three whole apples which not only takes longer to eat but since the body has to process the fruit into juice it causes a slower insulin response. Nifty side effect of eating the apple is it has intact soluble fiber like pectin which also aids in feeling sated longer.

The bread comparison is a bit flawed since yes bread is more processed but its also drastically different in raw form as it undergoes a chemical change when cooked. You /could/ eat the raw materials but the taste and texture would be unpleasant at best and probably make your guts hate you.

**Clash Perez** · 2014-01-14 23:27

Most of what I'm about to say is a variation on many of the other posters' stories so far, but here goes:

On occasion I enjoy a good medium-rare steak or a plate of thai food as much as anyone, but it's not something I'd want to eat (or pay for) every day. Most of the time I'm hungry it's accompanied by a vague craving for something undefinable, which only serves to accentuate how whatever it is that I end up eating isn't really what I want (despite the fact that I don't know what I want). This takes the steam out of preparing a flavorful meal. Often times, the more flavorful the item, the more off-putting it is since it doesn't seem 'right'. What's the point of spending time preparing a meal that I'm not going to enjoy any more than something that takes a moment? Like RKenshin mentioned previously, I practically never reheat leftovers, regardless of what they are. It doesn't improve the act of eating it for me, and often times makes it even less palatable.

I work twelve hour shifts, and rotate through each of the days of the week, and switch between day and night shifts. Many times I'm the only one there, and my only food option is what I've brought with me that day, or the cup-of-noodles and popcorn and other junk food in the cabinet. While there is a sink/coffee pot/microwave/refrigerator, the facilities for food preparation are slim apart from that. Being able to spend a minute or two with the blender preparing enough Soylent for the day after having dragged my butt out of bed at 5 AM on a Sunday sounds like a much better prospect than pulling a bag of something I'd prepared after the previous day's twelve hour shift, or stopping by some fast food joint to spend $6 on a stomach ache.

One of the things that appeals to me about Soylent is the neutral/bland flavor. I don't know how I'll respond to it, but for general day-to-day eating I imagine I'll be fine with it. I'm fond of cinnamon and vanilla, so I'll probably add varying amounts for a little variety. Will it be enough? Will I respond to it more favorably than the food I eat now? I don't know, but I'm sure willing to give it a try.

As for crockpot fare, I'm just not a fan. I grew up on it, and still loathe the smell and taste of celery/carrot/potato pot roasts and the like. Given the option I'd much rather have fresh vegetables than something that has been cooked together for hours on end.

**hey** · 2014-01-15 00:09

I love leftovers because it's already cooked, so i can just throw it in the microwave and it's ready to eat.

**Nephlite** · 2014-01-15 01:20

It's not that I'm a lazy cooker. I can't cook worth a shit but that doesn't mean I don't try. It's usually reserved to fresh veggies and some type of pasta or chicken. I grill maybe once a week and I do a generous amount at a time so I have plenty to eat. The problem is at work. There's far and few places to heat up a meal that requires it so you're forced to grab on-the-go stuff which usually is shitty food. I'm not a huge fan of cold spaghetti or meatloaf which is a usual dinner leftover. I can do cold pizza so when we have our bi-weekly outing, I can take some of that for a few days. I should try to do what some people do at work and fast over midnights and eat the rest of the day but man my stomach might collapse like that...

Originally Posted by Clash Perez

One of the things that appeals to me about Soylent is the neutral/bland flavor. I don't know how I'll respond to it, but for general day-to-day eating I imagine I'll be fine with it. I'm fond of cinnamon and vanilla, so I'll probably add varying amounts for a little variety. Will it be enough? Will I respond to it more favorably than the food I eat now? I don't know, but I'm sure willing to give it a try.

Try adding a bit of this in there. Shits money.

http://www.ambarinutrition.com/PB2_C...htm&Click=6224

**Kohan** · 2014-01-15 02:59

PB2 is so fucking good. Seconded on that suggestion. It's Goddamn amazing.

(You can buy it on Amazon, too.)

**Boyiee** · 2014-01-16 16:47

Originally Posted by Kohan

PB2 is so fucking good. Seconded on that suggestion. It's Goddamn amazing.

(You can buy it on Amazon, too.)

I make tons of smoothies both fruit and veg, or both, and go through a lot of PB2/chocolate PB2. Stuff is awesome and amazon gets it here fast and cheap thanks to add-on item.

**BaneTheBrawler** · 2014-01-16 17:22

i'm allergic to peanuts. its probably the most annoying allergy i have. peanut butter is amazeballs.

**notorious bum** · 2014-01-23 00:25

This could probably go into the slow-cooker thread as well, but this recent Lifehacker article really dispells the traditional idea of crockpot foods that were mentioned earlier in the thread.

Delicious Dishes You Didn't Know You Could Make in a Slow Cooker

http://lifehacker.com/delicious-dish...-sl-1506535684

**Talint** · 2014-02-08 20:27

I would like to thank all the people who pointed out PB2. This stuff is really great!

**Waraji** · 2014-02-10 12:01

Originally Posted by BaneTheBrawler

i'm allergic to peanuts. its probably the most annoying allergy i have. peanut butter is amazeballs.

Spoiler: show

**Clash Perez** · 2014-02-10 12:56

Speaking of nutrition labels, a few people had mentioned wanting to see what a final nutrition label would look like for Soylent, so here's a repost of what they've put on their blog:

Spoiler: show

**Cream Soda** · 2014-02-10 13:28

Not bad to be honest. If the price were lower, I'd be all over it.

**Clash Perez** · 2014-06-07 01:58

Updating, as I received the official Soylent in the post a few days ago. I'm trying my first night on it tonight while at work.

The flavor isn't overpowering, and tastes kind of like malted milk -- sort of like plain Ovaltine (not the chocolate variety). When my wife tried it, she said it reminded her of a belgian waffle. To my surprise, she also said she might want to give try it once she's done breastfeeding. She wasn't at all interested in my DIY soylent, which admittedly is less tasty.

So far I'm liking it well enough that I plan on getting a one-week-a-month subscription, and weaving in my DIY blend until I'm out of materials, and re-evaluating from there.

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