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

[Berabouman]

Well, if you would rather post on BG about being lazy instead of spend 5 minutes a day cooking a healthy meal which tastes good...I have nothing to say. Really. To be honest, that's a way of thinking that is utterly alien to me. It's so alien I can't even be judgemental about it. Seriously.

I get the convenience factor, but really, it's not that hard to put together a sandwich or a soup. Like I said, you can prepare it once, eat it for 2-3 meals. You can even listen to music or something while preparing it. Cooking isn't some mystical art (although I admit a lot of people act like it is one) if you can read, you can cook. In fact you can even get audio instructions nowadays. (and DS games, and Wii games, and YouTube instructionals, the list goes on...)

That being said, I know of some individuals who probably should never cook - like this guy I knew once who thought that cornstarch was salt and cucumber was celery. Still, we all gotta start somewhere!

If you're in something like law enforcement though, then I feel for you. You can still do soups and sandwiches but I imagine that would get seriously boring after a while. I'm sure I could come up with some alternatives but that might take time that you don't have.

[thetruepandagod]

Already on the pre-order for soylent, come at me. If it doesn't kill me i am done cooking for the rest of my life and i am going to throw my dishes at traffic. Also some of the DIY soylents look pretty good.

http://diy.soylent.me/recipes

I think i will still eat jerky to maintain dat der jaw strength.

[Andalusian girls]

please don't throw our dishes at traffic

[Jefe]

Kinda funky. I wonder if the peeps in the not so distant future will be feeding this paste through their ani. I mean, fuck drinking this thing.

[Cream Soda]

CS, cheat days may apply for diets, but not for budgeting. unless someone else is buying it for you. did you take that into account in your calculations? not jumpin, just askin.

Cheat days come out from personal budget not my food budget; The budget I gave for food would last if I kept it 7 days a week. I just don't always reach it. When I eat out, it subtracts from fun budget, so that's my punishment for cheating

[Tokitoki]

I'd rather spend my time posting on bg about how I'm too lazy to eat anything.

Haha, brilliant!

[Talint]

Well, if you would rather post on BG about being lazy instead of spend 5 minutes a day cooking a healthy meal which tastes good...I have nothing to say. Really. To be honest, that's a way of thinking that is utterly alien to me. It's so alien I can't even be judgemental about it. Seriously.

I get the convenience factor, but really, it's not that hard to put together a sandwich or a soup. Like I said, you can prepare it once, eat it for 2-3 meals. You can even listen to music or something while preparing it. Cooking isn't some mystical art (although I admit a lot of people act like it is one) if you can read, you can cook. In fact you can even get audio instructions nowadays. (and DS games, and Wii games, and YouTube instructionals, the list goes on...)

It's not about being "lazy" (what happened to not being judgmental) in as much as you don't have access to the tools required at all times. Ask anyone who's ever worked through a lunch or a dinner, or have had to work someplace that's not their normal environment.

Where I work, we get catered dinners. I wind up passing on about 80% of them because they're not the healthiest things in the world and my hours permit me to go home at a reasonable hour. But for many working 12+ hours, that's just the best option for them. I bet if the kitchens had ovens, stoves, and refrigerators that could handle the capacity, then yes; you'd probably see a lot better eating going on.

[Pyrena]

I have a full kitchen and the time. Yet when I come home and if I'm hungry, I'll get a piece of bread out of the bag and eat that in bits rather than even put leftovers my mom gave me in the microwave for a minute. It's not even laziness, it's just not worth it to me.

I went to Steak N Shake with a friend last night and spent $5+ on a burger, that tasted good, but I hated parting with that money for it.

I have frozen vegetables that would take me 2 mins to warm up, but I never do. If I decide I'm going to eat semi-decently and put a chicken breast in the toaster oven, that's enough for me, I'd be wasting or forcing myself to eat the vegetables.

IN ANY CASE, I don't get the nutrition I should. I'm also willing to bet that most people that do cook don't get the nutrition they should.

It's not going to be for everyone, but it is definitely for me.

[BaneTheBrawler]

Cheat days come out from personal budget not my food budget; The budget I gave for food would last if I kept it 7 days a week. I just don't always reach it. When I eat out, it subtracts from fun budget, so that's my punishment for cheating

nice. thats a good way to do it.

[RKenshin]

Everyone has different priorities for different things, not sure why some seem care so much about what other people eat (just generally).

I love good food just as much as the next guy, and will go out to eat and/or cook big meals and/or eat other delicious food or likewise on occasion... but much of the rest of the time, I really just don't care.

Often I’ll be asked "Why don't you just warm that up? Why are you mixing those foods that don't go together? Why don't you add salt/pepper/spices? Why don't you put those foods on different plates/containers/etc? Why don't you throw that old food out?" And my answer is just about always some variation of 'meh.' I eat just about anything/everything, particularly when it comes to leftovers, and don’t care much either way. I still eat pretty well overall; I don't remember the last time I had ramen, I rarely have fast food, and I usually manage a pretty good balance of carbs/fats/proteins in each meal.

That aside, I could see myself liking this Soylent idea if it was actually cheaper than a standard meal, but it doesn't seem to be. I don't know how many people here are doing the math, but say... the actual cash breakdown of the first 800 calories of my breakfast comes out to ~$1.75, which includes milk, kashi cereal, peanut butter, bread, a banana, and a nutrigram bar. Soylent would be an extra $1 for the same calories, ignoring the convenience factor.

[Cream Soda]

Why are you mixing those foods that don't go together?

Lol I get this soooo much, especially at the buffet.

[Aragon of Odin]

Well, if you would rather post on BG about being lazy instead of spend 5 minutes a day cooking a healthy meal which tastes good...I have nothing to say. Really. To be honest, that's a way of thinking that is utterly alien to me. It's so alien I can't even be judgemental about it. Seriously.

I get the convenience factor, but really, it's not that hard to put together a sandwich or a soup. Like I said, you can prepare it once, eat it for 2-3 meals. You can even listen to music or something while preparing it. Cooking isn't some mystical art (although I admit a lot of people act like it is one) if you can read, you can cook. In fact you can even get audio instructions nowadays. (and DS games, and Wii games, and YouTube instructionals, the list goes on...)

That being said, I know of some individuals who probably should never cook - like this guy I knew once who thought that cornstarch was salt and cucumber was celery. Still, we all gotta start somewhere!

If you're in something like law enforcement though, then I feel for you. You can still do soups and sandwiches but I imagine that would get seriously boring after a while. I'm sure I could come up with some alternatives but that might take time that you don't have.

Sometimes it's about being lazy, sometimes it's about not having time, sometimes it's other things. Putting together a sandwhich or a soup isn't going to provide the same nutrition this is supposed to either. Part of eating healthy is more than just eating a sandwich, it's about a balanced diet, which this is supposed to provide. I don't think I could prepare a full on balanced meal in 5 minutes. So if I'm in a rush, I see 2 choices A) Make a sandwhich and get only part of the nutrition my body requires or B) Make and drink one of these in less than 2 min, and recieve all the nutrition needed. Option B just seems more logical.

[Pyrena]

It isn't cheap right now. I LOVE the idea, and think it could get cheaper as word gets out. Didn't someone say early on that it was being mixed and made by some dudes in a warehouse or something? A major company picking it up and mass producing it could make it a lot cheaper. Is that how it works? It makes sense to me, but disclaimer I don't know wtf I'm talking about.

[Ksandra]

I figured I'd post this for anyone who does like food, but feel they don't have a lot of time (not bashing the soylent people btw, just figured this was related and people keep talking about it).

I started watching The Chew awhile back and the chef Micheal Simon has been a godsend for me with cooking. When my daughter was younger (and sometimes even now) it was a nightmare cooking food with a lot of prep work involved. She wouldn't sit in her high chair for long, and if I let her crawl in the kitchen I had to spend 90% of my focus/time just keeping her away from the cat food.

Anyway, so Simon does a series of recipes called 5 in 5 which is 5 ingredients (excluding basic necessities: ex. salt, pepper, etc.) in 5 minutes of cooking.

Here are the ones he has done on The Chew (they include videos):

http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/rec...h?q=5%20in%205

One of my fav's btw:

http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/rec...-Michael-Symon


list of all his recipes from the chew if you want to look through them:

http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/rec...ichael%20Symon

He also has a book out for more 5 in 5:

http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Symons.../dp/0770434320


They really are delicious, and worth a shot for people who don't want to spend a lot of time but want something nice and hot.

[BaneTheBrawler]

that reminds me. i discovered this past week that black pepper has joined the list of awful foods. acts just like opioid painkillers, which is exceedingly bizarre, but so are my guts, so whatever.


still, gonna give that a look 'sandy. thanks.

edit: bleh. a few promising dishes but most are actually 5 servings, not 5 minutes or ingredients. most also have ingredients i cant eat. from the 5 for 5 list, anyway. will go through the more extensive list later, my internet is being wonky and not loading it.

[Ksandra]

edit: bleh. a few promising dishes but most are actually 5 servings, not 5 minutes or ingredients. most also have ingredients i cant eat. from the 5 for 5 list, anyway. will go through the more extensive list later, my internet is being wonky and not loading it.

Should still be 5 minutes and ingredients. Like I said, he doesn't count basic stuff you should already own in the 5 (salt, pepper, eggs, oil, etc.). And ya you can cut down the recipe for single servings. If you watch the clips they put a timer up when he cooks them. Sometimes he doesn't QUITE get it in under the five minutes but he's usually close and yapping away anyways.

Sucks about food you can't eat though. I dunno what you can and can't so I can't pick some out for you.

[Ghost_Wheel22]

Biggest reservation about MR tech like this is how to replace the physical bulk of food traveling through the body. You'll metabolize the meal too quickly leading to large spikes of energy/fatigue, muscle loss, and the mental/stomach inability to turn off the hunger switch. Unless a filler like styrofoam or some sort of fiber mass was combined with this you will eventually have a form of what Bane has.

I like the vision, but there is no magic slurpee solution yet to deal with human complexities.

[quannum]

where are you getting that this stuff will metabolize too fast?

[Kalmado]

I love the idea, even though I love food. While I haven't been clinically diagnosed, I have a strong feeling I have celiac disease and/or lactose intolerant. While I sip on this glorious coffee doppelbock, I'll say I'm quite tired of feeling as if my bowels will cause my death every time I have to #2 after I eat/drink just about anything. Doesn't help I LOVE pizza/doritos/etc. If the cost goes down on this I'm all in.

[BaneTheBrawler]

Unless a filler like styrofoam or some sort of fiber mass was combined with this you will eventually have a form of what Bane has.

referring to my general level of nutrition, i hope, and not the crohn's itself. but yeah, lack of mass would be an issue, i think. for metabolization rates, i'm sure they can do microcapsules, set to release in the appropriate areas of the digestive system.