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Soylent gets a lot of hate (I'm looking forward to skipping out on this thread before the inevitable negative comments from people who assume that Soylent consu

• endorphone 10y ago
  Soylent gets a lot of hype, and invariably the hype follows a predictable pattern- "Geez, you don't eat only Soylent! It's just an occasional meal replacement!" "Okay, then how is it interesting when there are dozens of competing products in the meal replacement category?" "Because those aren't a full dietary replacement. You can't live on only Ensure (insert many other products here)." "Okay....but you just said..." I don't get Soylent. Not only is food one of the greatest luxuries in life -- one of the greatest rewards -- it's laughably easy to have a nutritionally complete lifestyle with minimal effort or time. But if I were enfeebled they all sound pretty terrible.
  • johnfn 10y ago
    I would gladly pay twice the amount I pay for Soylent for a "nutritionally complete lifestyle" that I could get in the same amount of time. I honestly don't think it exists, though. Cooking and preparing food takes time and creativity. > Not only is good one of the greatest luxuries in life See, I promised myself I would leave this thread before people started toting out the arguments isomorphic to "you only eat Soylent 100% of the time! You monster!" - and yet here we are :). I thought I made it clear in my OP, but I don't eat Soylent for every meal- just the meals where, in the absence of Soylent, I would have had something worse. Does that clear things up?
    • endorphone 10y ago
      See, I promised myself I would leave this thread before people started toting out the arguments isomorphic to "you only eat Soylent 100% of the time! You monster!" You announced this at the outset, and remarkably have left a number of comments now. Yet you were the one who keeps bringing up this strawman, and exactly the same circle of argument happens every single time. You, as is the rote cycle, are trying to argue both sides at the same time.
      • johnfn 10y ago
        I'm not sure I follow. How is it a straw man if people such as GP literally did exactly what I said they'd do. That's not a straw man, that's the opposite - like a flesh man. (In my defense I didn't expect my comment to become popular at all. I find it only polite to people asking me direct questions, such as yourself.)
  • pyrophane 10y ago
    Your comment reminds me of this article an article the guardian wrote about "conspicuous production" being the new way of signaling status[1]. To that end, the consumption of food becomes just another thing to be optimized. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/apr/24/new-status-symbol-hard-work-spending-ceos?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethits https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/apr/24/new-statu...
  • plus 10y ago
    Just because I don't intend to replace 100% of all meals with Soylent doesn't mean that its nutritional content is irrelevant. The fact that I could replace all meals with Soylent if I wanted to suggests that it has a better nutrient profile than something like Ensure or Slimfast, which is not intended to replace all meals. If you look at the macronutrient profiles of those three drinks, Soylent comes out head and shoulders above the others. Even though I don't want to bother making breakfast, a 200 kcal shake isn't going to cut it for me on a regular basis.
    • endorphone 10y ago
      Soylent has a very high glycemic index, and isn't far off of eating a bowl of sugar. From that angle alone I would categorize it as an extremely poor choice (and indeed this whole discussion is a little surreal -- Soylent would be categorized as garbage, ultra-processed junk food if it didn't have the VC/valley aura around it). I've never bought into the super-food fantasy, because there is utterly nothing qualifying it. Having said that, most people -- even very busy people with busy lifestyles and a "poor" food diet -- are not nutritionally deprived (and really, a centrum can alleviate concerns with ease). There are a lot of valid reasons for products like Soylent. Stocking a bunker, for instance. Or for coping when under low energy (depression, as mentioned elsewhere), or in a critical crunch. But that seems to be such a niche that the presentation on here constantly as if this is the future of food seems like fantasy, and would never get a pass if it weren't that it somehow got bound up in the valley/VC bubble. If Oprah came out and started pushing Soylent, it wouldn't get a mention on here beyond derision.
      • plus 10y ago
        >Soylent has a very high glycemic index This is false, particularly for Soylent 2.0. https://faq.soylent.com/hc/en-us/articles/212769503-Glycemic-Data https://faq.soylent.com/hc/en-us/articles/212769503-Glycemic... I'm not saying Soylent is a super-food, but it is a food that isn't horrible for you (at least not as horrible as you're letting on!)
        • endorphone 10y ago
  • rwnspace 10y ago
    Partially agreed, though, I replace two meals a day with the UK equivalent. I suffer from depression and ADHD, so while I generally collect myself enough to make a proper evening meal, prior to Huel I would often skip or forget meals, and binge on junk later in the day. I'm working on 50/50. From the horses mouth, most use cases I've heard are pretty sensible. Very few users treat it as their entire diet. You've a good point that food is great, and it's good to do it right. I'd hope students would take the opportunity to learn, but they rarely do. Still, Soylent or equiv >>> pizza. Most other arguments against it/characterisations are a little circular at best, or reduction to absurdity at worst.
    • lapinrigolo 10y ago
      I've lived off Huel for months on end (3? 4?) with snacks and cheat weekends and never felt better in my life. As in, I felt significantly better than when eating "normal" food.
  • psyc 10y ago
    I would much rather do any other enjoyable thing, than stop doing that thing, to eat.
  • 0xffff2 10y ago
    > it's laughably easy to have a nutritionally complete lifestyle with minimal effort or time. Care to elaborate? I can cook and know how to eat a balanced set of macro-nutrients, but I find it quite difficult to be consistently health concious when eating out all the time and cooking regularly is anything but minimal effort and time.
  • ljk 10y ago
    > I don't get Soylent. Not only is food one of the greatest luxuries in life -- one of the greatest rewards totally agree with this. soylent feels too much like... dog food for humans
    • int_19h 9y ago
      Soylent is exactly that - it's kibble for humans. And there's nothing wrong with that. It's great to enjoy your meals, but you don't always get an opportunity for that.
    • Retra 10y ago
      How miserable the dogs must be to eat so poorly. They must never have a moment of joy in their lives. Personally, I think this whole "food fetish" mantra is a ridiculous exaggeration. There are literally thousands of things that bring me more pleasure than food.
    • mathw 10y ago
      Something I always wanted! I love cooking, I love eating, but cooking well takes time, effort, ingredients, shopping trips, storage, inventory management. I can do all that, but when you get right down to it replacing some of my diet with Huel (a British product in the same niche as Soylent, although the composition is substantially different) just makes my life easier. It's tasty enough, it keeps me going, I can be confident that it's giving me a balanced meal, and on a busy day it's saving me a pile of money too. Then when I do have time, I cook something ridiculously delicious. For me, this category is about convenience, and it serves it very well.
  • saturdaysaint 10y ago
    I get a lot more pleasure out of shopping, meal prepping and cooking without the pressure of having to scramble for crappy food if I get busy when I'm low on food. There have been many times where I'd normally be sheepishly eating Wendy's where instead I'll head straight to the supermarket with a Soylent in my car's cupholder. On a similar note, I love cooking breakfast for myself and my wife, and if anything occasionally being able to take a break for a day or two has sustained my enthusiasm. So Soylent and real food hardly need to be enemies.
• Kurtz79 10y ago
  Soylent does nothing for me because I find that any other viable option for eating, be it a sandwich from a vending machine, is a more attractive. Even low quality food is likely to give me a modicum of satisfaction, when a meal replacement does not. I can't get the hate either, though. If you are happy with it and improves your life, more power to you (and to Soylent).
  • CPLX 10y ago
    > I can't get the hate either, though. I believe the fact that someone just wrote them a $50MM check is a fine reason to make a critical assessment of their actual value.
    • jonknee 10y ago
      Why? Most $50mm investments end up worth nothing. The fact a company has investment does not mean they have actual value.
      • maxerickson 10y ago
        It's a quibble, but I would expect most $50 million dollar investments to be low risk. Things like power plants and so on. You mean VC investments, the point is that VC investment is a small fraction of overall investment.
      • CPLX 10y ago
        I mean, it kind of does. For example, the day they close the round of funding they will presumably have $50MM in their checking account, so it would be a quite remarkable situation indeed if their actual value on that day was below that number.
    • Kurtz79 10y ago
      But I think that's really the point. Criticism of Soylent seems to be due to factors that go beyond a reasonable critical assessment of the product, and tends to be much harsher in form. I think many people tend to assume that just because Soylent is not an appealing product for THEM, then there is not a market for it.
• scott_s 10y ago
  > Ample which is similar to Soylent but a bit more health conscious with ingredient choice What does that mean? How did you make this judgement?
  • johnfn 10y ago
    If you go to what they've written up on their website, https://www.amplemeal.com/products/ample https://www.amplemeal.com/products/ample, you can see they've taken and written about a lot of care in selecting ingredients. Off the top of my head, probiotics are a big thing that you don't see in Soylent. Spirulina is included. Omega 3 fatty acids. The emphasis on whole foods rather than nutrients is another thing important to me. From what they've written it is clear they are taking a significant focus on nutrition, as the expense of, er, expense. This is a trade off I am willing to make. I don't want to spend my days pouring over the latest nutrition research to see what I should be eating. Before Ample I would spend a lot of time chasing the latest research, yet continually feeling like there were huge things I was missing. It gives me great peace of mind to see that apparently smart people are doing this work in my stead. This is a huge advantage I cannnot overstate.
    • mixmastamyk 10y ago
      Looks good but doesn't list many vitamins or minerals on the label.
      • fernly 10y ago
        The published nutrition panel [1] lists four micros: Vitamin A 0% (zero percent) Vitamin C 2% Calcium 4% Iron 14% Since they list no others, one might infer those are not present. [1] https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1096/7494/products/Ample_400_Nutrition_v2.png?v=1493054307 https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1096/7494/products/Ample_4...
        • mixmastamyk 10y ago
          Hence my comment.
• deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
• milquetoastaf 10y ago
  What advantage does Soylent have over say, other meal replacements e.g. Slimfast, weight watcher shakes, juices etc that have existed for years before it and will continue to do so for years after? All I see is SV hype and marketing. In fact you just showed that Soylent is easily outplayed because you switched to a different drink already.
  • jefftk 10y ago
    Slimfast has 4x as much sugar as Soylent (per-calorie). To get 2000 calories from Slimfast you'd be getting 180g sugar, while with Soylent it would be 45g. Now 45g is a little higher than recommended, but 180g is way too high. http://d8m5oga7foiu.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/NF-50007-S003-OriginalChocoRoyale_shake.jpg http://d8m5oga7foiu.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/1... http://files.soylent.com/pdf/soylent-drink-nutrition-facts-en.pdf http://files.soylent.com/pdf/soylent-drink-nutrition-facts-e...
    • kunaalarya 10y ago
      not sure where you got the slimfast nutritional info but they have 1g of sugar: http://slimfast.com/advanced-nutrition/#shakes http://slimfast.com/advanced-nutrition/#shakes if it had that much sugar, it wouldve never gained a reputation for losing weight.
      • wattson12 10y ago
        looks like the "original" versions have much more sugar: http://slimfast.com/original/#shakes http://slimfast.com/original/#shakes
      • maxerickson 10y ago
        Original vs Advanced (click the buttons on their website to find Original). The Original I checked had 18 grams of sugar.
        • Chathamization 10y ago
• Danihan 10y ago
  How does it blow away a clif bar?
  • mixmastamyk 10y ago
    Clif is ok if you are going hiking, there is a lot of sugar. Sitting in front of a computer? Not so much.
  • johnfn 10y ago
    As I recall, Clif Bars are predominantly carbs and some fat. Soylent has a reasonable balance of protein and more emphasis on vitamins and minerals. To be clear, I'm not a nutritional expert. But I've had people who know more than me tell me clif bars are basically non-nutritious.
    • atomical 10y ago
      And too much protein? http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/fda-daily-recommendations-protein-10249.html http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/fda-daily-recommendations-pr... "The FDA recommendation for daily protein intake is 50 grams on a 2,000-calorie diet."
      • hyperpape 10y ago
        That's not a maximum. The body can heathily process a few times that much a day (don't quote me on the precise number).
        • atomical 10y ago
          That's true but it also means they could be using those calories for other macronutrients instead.
    • ddoran 10y ago
      My Choc Chip Clif Bar says 10 of its 65grams are protein with approx 10% of daily values of quite a few vitamins #NotADoctor
• macspoofing 10y ago
  >it's solved a large problem in my life: what to eat when I'm hungry but I don't have enough time to prepare a full meal. Meal replacements is a well-defined and established category
  • johnfn 10y ago
    The fact that at least 3 people in this thread have named the category "meal replacements" but not a single one has named a specific product I would know by name (non dieting!) seems to me a pretty clear indictment that this category is not as established as you are suggesting.
    • icelancer 10y ago
      While I'd generally agree with you, you can look up any "meal replacement" shakes made for athletes that are used to add calories. They contain a large amount of protein and calories and are fairly well established. MET-Rx Meal Replacement is one of the larger SKUs on the market, but there are many others.
      • bkanber 10y ago
        If it has a large amount of protein, it's not an actual meal replacement -- it's a supplement.
        • adamors 10y ago
          An average meal comprised meat and rice contains a large amount of protein. It's a relacement for that. What are you talking about?
          • bkanber 10y ago
            Only about 25% of your daily calorie intake should be from protein. 60g a day for a 160lb sedentary person. Those high-protein shakes are usually around 60% protein. It is possible to consume too much protein. So I say that it's a supplement rather than a replacement because it's not replacing a balanced meal. It's supplementing protein. A single protein shake can give a sedentary person almost 100% of their protein. That's great for active, athletic people who have higher protein requirements. Not great for sedentary people who have lower protein requirements.
• arikr 10y ago
  For other readers, a caution - I found Ample to be inedible, taste wise. I took a few sips of the first bottle, and didn't touch the rest of my order.
  • johnfn 10y ago
    That's a really interesting experience. I personally find it to be significantly better tasting than Soylent. One crucial thing is that the water you mix it with has to be very cold, otherwise I did find it to be difficult to drink. Once you hit that temperature threshold though, it makes a world of difference. At least for me. I've never been bothered by the taste of any version of Soylent, even 1.0, so I could just have a unique experience.
  • fumar 10y ago
    What about the taste was bad? Does anyone use a dairy-free milk alternative instead of water?
• tryitnow 10y ago
  That's my use case too. I've also just bought something called MealSquares, which may be serve the same purpose with the advantage of being solid food and using mostly whole foods.
  • johnfn 10y ago
    Yeah! I tried MealSquares for a while and they were great. The actual taste left something to be desired - they were quite dry - but if I wasn't into Ample I'd totally get some more.
  • kbd 10y ago
    I second MealSquares! I've been on their subscription for months now and don't intend to stop. I really appreciate their emphasis on full nutrition with whole foods. I'd never again trust Soylent with my health for all their problems.
• lnanek2 10y ago
  I don't really hate it, but I don't see Soylent as providing anything you haven't been able to get by just walking down to the local drug store and buying a bottle of Ensure or other meal replacement formula. I do think they have brilliant marketing, though. They turned something that was for old, dying people and made it cool. So I see all the "research" stuff they post as kind of a joke or marketing, because it has all been done and available for over a decade in terms of product...
  • macspoofing 10y ago
    Their initial shtick was that you could replace all meals with Soylent - an idea with appeal to SV engineers.
  • Nadya 10y ago
    >meal replacement formula I've noticed many people mixing up "supplement" with "replacement". For example, Ensure (the commonly cited "alternative") is a supplement - not a replacement. In fact, FDA regulation differentiates between "dietary supplements" and "food". Go ahead and research how Ensure is classified then compare that with Soylent.
    • DanBC 10y ago
      > For example, Ensure (the commonly cited "alternative") is a supplement - not a replacement. This is incorrect. Several Ensure products, including Ensure Original, can be used as a sole source of nutrition.
  • greenshackle2 10y ago
    The reason it's for old dying people is that it's a weight gain shake. It turns out old dying people have trouble eating enough food to maintain weight so it (arguably) makes sense to give them basically liquid candy to up their calorie intake. Please walk down to the local drugstore and actually look at the nutritional labels. Than tell me they are the same.
• ohstopitu 10y ago
  What's wrong with those microwavable stuff (like noodles, and others)? I mean it's not healthy, but if it's once in a while, it's cheaper and imo tastes better!
  • ThrowawayR2 10y ago
    > What's wrong with those microwavable stuff? I'm guessing you and many other commenters haven't hit the age where heart disease, high blood pressure, and pre-diabetes start raising their ugly heads. All of those conditions are depressingly common in the Western world and require medication with various side effects to treat. Each one of those microwaveable meals, though tasty and convenient, takes you one step closer to a rather unpleasant conversation with your doctor. Given this, it should hardly be surprising that there's a market for a convenient meal replacement that is, if not actually healthy, then at least health-neutral. ("Just prepare your own healthy means and exercise more!" you say? Easier said than done. Just because you are able to do it doesn't mean everybody is in a situation where they can do the same.)
    • dxhdr 10y ago
      Soy protein, maltodextrin, and canola oil blended with a multi-vitamin doesn't sound healthy. I suppose it can't be worse than the occasional discount 10-pack of Celese frozen pizza. Paired with a vitamin, of course.
    • adrianmonk 10y ago
      Not all microwave dinners are beer-battered steak fries with gravy and nacho cheese. There are some that have reasonably healthy ingredients, like lean meat and actual vegetables. If you want, you can go all the way and get some that have whole grains, kale, quinoa, etc. in them.
  • mathw 10y ago
    > I mean it's not healthy And that's precisely why people turn to Soylent and its competitors, because they are attempting to be healthy, balanced sources of nutrition. A bowl of instant ramen might be tasty but it's not going to get you much in the way of protein or vitamins.
• rubber_duck 10y ago
  >what to eat when I'm hungry but I don't have enough time to prepare a full meal. Protein powder (whey or soy pick based on lactose tolerance) + powdered oats + whatever for flavoring (eg. cocoa powder and coconut flour) in a shaker bottle - add water/whatever milk - shake and consume. Throw in fiber supplement if you don't get enough fiber like psyllium husks. Waaay cheaper than soylent if you buy smart (bulk), scale macros according to your requirements, at home or if you have a kitchen at work you can pre-mix powders in a container then scoop out, mix, drink and clean up in 10 mins tops. Take some fruit along if you want - like an apple or a banana. Honestly soylent seems like a shitty version of a protein shake diet - low satisfaction is there but you get none of the gains.
  • lapinrigolo 10y ago
    1) It's not convenient 2) That's not nutritionally complete.
  • eikenberry 10y ago
    You missed a major benefit of Soylent... convenience. It is pre-made, pre-bottled and ready to drink. For some at least, time is worth more than the money saved.
    • rubber_duck 10y ago
      Soylent has 20% of calories from protein - good luck with that if you do any physical activity. The stuff I mentioned can be bought in 5kg bags which will last you a month at least - depending on how much meals you're replacing - if it's all then you'll probably go trough more - you can pre-mix a week worth in a standard plastic container and shake in like two minutes. The major time difference is going to be in figuring out how to do it the first time - but this is time well spent if you want to balance your nutrition (figuring out how much protein/fat/carbs you want and how many calories). I'm in the same boat - I don't want to cook every day or eat out all the time - this is convenient and works towards my fitness goals. Throw in a multi vitamin, fish oil and some fruit/vegetables and you got a easy to do fast and cheap diet for building muscle.
• jsjohns2 10y ago
  Soylent is great, but you should check out Joylent if you get a chance. Similar nutritional profile to Soylent, but cheaper, better tasting, and cooler branding. I've been getting 90% of my calories from Joylent for about 5 months.
  • easilyBored 10y ago
    I've been getting 90% of my calories from Joylent for about 5 months. 90% for 5 months? Any specific situation or just prefer it that way? Personally, I'd prefer to get out of the home /office, stretch, clear my head and eat the (kinda) old fashion way. Everyone has the same 24 hours...
• maverick_iceman 10y ago
  Can't you keep some fruits like strawberry or bananas handy?
  • pm90 10y ago
    Hehehe...I think the argument made here is perishability/storage since they spoil easy. But that brings up another point: dried fruits, nuts etc. are excellent sources of nutrition, and I would certainly prefer that over Soylent.
  • johnfn 10y ago
    I do! But strawberries, bananas, apples, even nuts don't feel like a full meal. I always feel oddly and uncomfortably unsaturated after eating them. The closest I ever got was avocado. Avocado is delicious and satiating. Takes a bit to prepare, but that's okay. Avocado: the true Soylent competitor? (Probably not. :))
• smelterdemon 10y ago
  >what to eat when I'm hungry but I don't have enough time to prepare a full meal. In what way is Soylent any better than a handful of almonds and a banana?
• cowpewter 10y ago
  Thank you for mentioning Ample, as I hadn't heard of it before. I'm a T2 diabetic, so I've been avoiding Soylent because of the carb content. Ample looks like it's made of things I'd actually feel good about putting in my body vs the maltrodextrin/oat base of Soylent. I went ahead and ordered a 12 pack to give it a try.
  • fernly 10y ago
    Soylent does publish their GI info [1]. But if you want a low-carb product with a wide range of flavors, check KetoChow [2]. [1] https://faq.soylent.com/hc/en-us/articles/212769503-Glycemic-Data https://faq.soylent.com/hc/en-us/articles/212769503-Glycemic... [2] https://www.ketochow.xyz/ https://www.ketochow.xyz/
    • DiThi 10y ago
      Is there a KetoChow equivalent in the EU? edit: I just found this: https://www.completefoods.co/diy/recipes/keto-chow-150-master-spain-005 https://www.completefoods.co/diy/recipes/keto-chow-150-maste...
• Animats 10y ago
  There's Calorie Mate Balanced Food Block from Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company in Tokyo.[1] It's like Soylent, but in solid form, without the pretension. Popular with Japanese salarymen who eat lunch at their desks. It's such a cliche in Japan that it appears in Metal Gear Solid. Nijiya Markets, the California chain, stocks it. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Calorie-Mate-Balanced-Chocolate-Ounce/dp/B000W9CNOK https://www.amazon.com/Calorie-Mate-Balanced-Chocolate-Ounce...
  • sbierwagen 10y ago
    The bay area version is called Mealsquares: http://www.mealsquares.com/ http://www.mealsquares.com/ Whole foods, in bar form. Pretty good when warmed up (think banana bread, but slightly gritty, from all the fiber) but not exactly recreational when cold. Short shelf life.
• victor22 10y ago
  I think you nailed it. I drink Soylent not to replace a dinner with my girlfriend, but in those times when the alternative is getting a quick burger or pizza due to lack of time, usually late in the night.
• dimillian 10y ago
  So stopping at a groceries store to buy a fruit is not an option when you're 'rushing around'?
  • esolyt 10y ago
    Soylent is a meal replacement product. A fruit is not. Not to mention, it is indeed faster to drink the bottle you already own, rather than going to a grocery store.
  • cheapsteak 10y ago
    It is an option with trade-offs and variables (distance, hours, how busy they are) Is "a fruit" really a healthier alternative as a meal replacement? "Which fruit" is also a question that requires some overhead to answer (bananas are convenient but I don't like the flavor, oranges are delicious but messy to eat, etc) I actually do prefer to have a Soylent in addition to whatever fruits I have available. It's not like you're swearing off all other foods if you choose Soylent as an option. Everything that was an option still remain to be options, Soylent adds to the list of available options
• fernly 10y ago
  Re Amplemeal? You should take a close look at the nutrition label and compare to Soylent's, Joylent's or any other meal-replacement. You will find the product provides laughably paltry amounts of micronutrients, less than 5% RDA of any vitamin, in a 400 kcal "meal". If you replace even one meal a day with Ample you will run a deficiency.