10 ms·
Soylent 1.4: a quick review
- FreakyT 12y agoGlad to see they've integrated the separate oil bottle -- that will make it way more portable. On another note, I hope that the increase in manufacturing capacity will eventually allow Soylet to be purchased through traditional retail channels -- it'd be nice to just buy it by the package instead of bulk-orders online.
- kposehn 12y agoI'm almost done with my 1.3 and looking forward to 1.4. The big thing for me is the lack of the oil bottle and the sodium (I wasn't getting enough before and would get headaches). At this point, my body has fully adjusted and I crave Soylent at some times. I use it for ~1/2 my meals and could easily see it taking 2/3. I do enjoy regular food a _lot_ so I doubt I'll ever go full time, but it definitely has helped to balance out my nutrition fully. I continue to feel that Soylent is the first company that will likely feed the world - literally. Without the oil bottle and the ability to scale manufacturing, it is only a matter of time before we see Soylent as part of humanitarian convoys and/or used in medical settings. The possibilities are quite frankly amazing...
- quotedmycode 12y agoThat matter of time may be a very long time. There are already foods which handle this application well enough. See Citadel spread, Plumpynut, K-Mix-2. The difference is that these provide more calories per weight than soylent and don't require added water (except the K-Mix-2). If they can come up with a high calorie Soylent and eliminate the need to add water (perhaps serve it as a paste) then it would be used in humanitarian convoys. As it is now, that's not likely to happen.
- kposehn 12y agoGood point about calories vs. weight.
- aroch 12y agoUnless they bring cost significantly lower (like 10-20fold lower), there's no way you're going to see it for humanitarian aide.
- kposehn 12y agoPrice is indeed a good point. It does have to drop further to make it hit that angle.
- DanBC 12y agoThere are already better products for humanitarian use and for medical use. The medical products come in a wide variety of styles to suit different medical needs. The humanitarian products are much cheaper than soylent and don't require so much water - which is in short supply in the target regions; and they have a more suitable nutrient profile. It's baffling when people claim soylent could be used for medical or humanitarian purposes, especially when those uses have been debunked on HN everytime they're mentioned.
- yazaddaruvala 12y agoOut of curiosity, how much do those products cost?
- maxerickson 12y agoPlumpy'nut is one of them: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumpy%27nut http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumpy%27nut In 2010, it was $60 for a 2 month supply for a child (~1 course of treatment).
- DanBC 12y agoOne product cost $4 to $5 per kg in 2008; treatment lasts 6 to 8 weeks with children eating about 11 kg total: http://irinnews.org/report/83124/malawi-cheaper-recipe-for-treating-hungry-children#.VRMIB6_47To http://irinnews.org/report/83124/malawi-cheaper-recipe-for-t... High energy biscuits are 12 cents per 100g; micronutrient sprinkles are $3 per hundred sachets; plumpyDoz ration is 20 cents; http://wfp.org/nutrition/special-nutritional-products http://wfp.org/nutrition/special-nutritional-products This PDF lists the range of products but doesn't have prices: http://documents.wfp.org/stellent/groups/public/documents/communications/wfp255508.pdf http://documents.wfp.org/stellent/groups/public/documents/co... This website talks about what the different products are http://wfp.org/nutrition/how-wfp-fights-malnutrition http://wfp.org/nutrition/how-wfp-fights-malnutrition
- deleted 12y ago[deleted]
- rictic 12y ago
- dragonwriter 12y ago> I continue to feel that Soylent is the first company that will likely feed the world - literally. I've never seen any coherent reason to believe this, or even anything individual piece relevant to this that Soylent has innovated on.
- kposehn 12y agoI have my own reasons, namely the logistics part of the equation. What initially gained my interest about Soylent was that it seems that they are developing it in such a way as to reduce logistical burden and ensure ingredients can be found and produced with relative ease. I'm no expert, for sure, but that they immediately gravitated toward the logistics of food as one key area to attack got my interest. I still have more research to do to fully understand the space, but my gut feeling is that they have a massive potential that is slowly being unlocked.
- deleted 12y ago[deleted]
- Zikes 12y agoThere's an update at the end of the article saying this as well.
- plus 12y agoI posted my comment prematurely, I hadn't read through the article fully yet. I feel a bit embarrassed about obviously commenting on an article that I hadn't fully read, which is why I deleted my comment (before having seen your reply)...
- Zikes 12y agoNo biggie, being an important point for people considering purchasing it probably does bear repeating here for anyone that missed it.
- vhost- 12y agoI'm not going to run-on and on here, but I'm on 1.4 right now (first time Soylent user) and I'm pleasantly surprised. I was very skeptical about it at first and got it just to convince myself I didn't need it. Immediately I felt pretty good and didn't crave the burrito I wanted for lunch. I'm also very excited that it's vegan because that's been my diet for over 8 years.
- JTon 12y agoWhat does a vegan burrito look like?
- rosser 12y agoBeans and rice, cilantro, maybe some onion or bell pepper. Fake cheese, if you're into that kind of thing. Tofu, if you eat that. Guacamole. &c.
- hamburglar 12y agoOne thing that's surprisingly not mentioned at all in their FAQ is the actual process of preparing the stuff. Do you have to use a blender or can you get away with just stirring it up with a spoon?
- XBigTK13X 12y agoThe powder ships with an instruction manual in each box. They recommend a blender for smoother consistency. My first night testing it out I tried one pitcher using a blender and one shaken by hand. The next morning, the pitcher that was mixed with a blender has less fat separation. We now mix individual servings in protein shakers instead of a blender or the larger pitcher. The smoothness is close to the blender pitcher.
- Vraxx 12y agoWith the previous version it was simply mixing about 1.5L of water with a bag of powder, shaking vigorously, then adding oil and about .5L of water, and finally shaking and cooling. Now the step with the oil is out, and it's a just add water and shake.
- mizzao 12y agoI wonder what it would be like if some food products were versioned 0.x, like OSS projects :)
- deleted 12y ago[deleted]
- mrfusion 12y agoIt seems odd to remove fiber? Does anyone know if it has enough fiber?
- orik 12y agoThe article implied the fiber led to digestion issues.
- dragonwriter 12y agoSignificant changes in fiber intake tend to lead to digestive issues, even where the overall level, sustained, would not.
- jcoffland 12y agoFiber can make you gassy.
- Harelin 12y agoOfficial blog entry reports: "These reductions come from the removal of gum acacia and the decreased quantity of oat flour. There is still ample fiber in Soylent 1.4, and we are happy to have found a balance between essential fiber content and digestibility." http://blog.soylent.me/ http://blog.soylent.me/
- mrfusion 12y agoIt still seems very expensive. $12/day? Also I wish I could buy a 1 day sample. I'd hate to be out $85 if I don't like it.
- TamDenholm 12y agoPerhaps its where i live (UK) or maybe its because i purposely buy food that tends to be expensive but $12 (£8) for a day of meals is crazy cheap. Thats around what i spend on lunch every day.
- XBigTK13X 12y agoThe biggest savings for me has been time. No need to drive out weekly for groceries, and fewer cravings to eat out during the week. It takes roughly 15 minutes each night to clean bottles and prep shakes for my wife and I, which will be used the next day.
- Igglyboo 12y ago$12 a day seems pretty cheap honestly, I spend around that for a single meal usually.
- Someone1234 12y agoExpensive relative to what? If you're making your own meals ($3/meal), yes, it is expensive. If you eat out then it is much more reasonable. A single eat-out costs ballpark around $6/meal, so assuming you did that twice it would break even. I agree re. sample size. $85 in one go is hard to justify to the +1 when all you're really buying is food. $6 here or there is easy to ignore, but $85 is a weekly grocery shop in everyone's mind. I wonder if price will come down as they expand? It might be wishful thinking to be honest, but I do suspect there are a fair few people who would happily try it if it was closer to $4/meal rather than $6/meal per now (i.e. $8/day from $12/day). PS - I have to admit my three reasons for not trying it is: price, manufacturing problems/delays, and also I remain unconvinced that we know enough about nutrition to create this product that won't caused health defects in the medium to long term.
- dyeje 12y ago
- mrcwinn 12y agoIs Soylent on SemVer? Does anyone know if 1.4 is another breaking (wind) change? I would like to apologize to the entire HN community.
- mrfusion 12y agoMaybe a dumb question, but how would you use this at work? Do you mix it up at home in the morning and bring it in? Or just mix it at your desk?
- TamDenholm 12y agoFrom what i've read, you mix it the night before, put it in the fridge overnight to get smooth and then consume it throughout the day. So presumably you'd just take a small bottle of it into work for your lunch.
- XBigTK13X 12y agoThat is correct. I mix up 2 meals worth each night and grab them from the fridge in the morning. One for breakfast immediately and the second for lunch at the office. I do not use the provided pitcher, but rather mix individual servings in these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MVMCUK8 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MVMCUK8
- genetik 12y agoThis is how I prepare mine at the end of each day before bed. If I know I'm going to be working late, I'll bring the pitcher in with me. Otherwise, I just fill a 28oz blender bottle for lunch and afternoon meals.
- deleted 12y ago[deleted]
- DustyDiscovery 12y agoYou'll get more detailed user opinions on the soylent forum. I go through 3 bags a week. I'm on my second of 1.4: The sugar crashes I would get in previous versions are significantly reduced in 1.4. The artificial vanilla flavor made 1.3 tastier; 1.4 is easier to prep but its blend of oils and lack of grittiness makes it smoother and slimier. Unmodified 1.4 digests slightly better than 1.3 for me. 1.3 digested best for me when I added psyllium husk. I'll be adding that again next batch to test.
- mrfusion 12y agoWhy 3 bags? Isn't a week one bag?
- XBigTK13X 12y ago1 bag is 1 day (2000 kcal).
- DustyDiscovery 12y agoIt complements my weekly 9 meals of food and maintains my weight.
- mrfusion 12y agoHas anyone lost weight on this? I'd also be curious if it lowered your blood pressure [1] if it was high, and if it helped with any other health issues. [1] I'm thinking the high potassium, and low sodium could lower high blood pressure?
- XBigTK13X 12y agoSpeaking only to weight, my wife and I did lose a planned number of pounds. Soylent was a means of controlling caloric intake, while providing complete nutrition while exercising.
- mrfusion 12y agoWhat kind of calorie deficit were you running? How was the hunger level?
- jack-r-abbit 12y agoI've lost ~20lbs since I first started drinking Soylent. My longest stretch of a 100% Soylent diet was for 2 weeks when I first got it last August. I lost ~8lbs during that time. I was mixing one pouch with enough water to make 4 pints. I would have 1 pint for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So I was getting ~1500 calories a day. From Thanksgiving into the New Year, I hardly drank any Soylent. And the scale was certainly ready to remind of that. I managed to undo much of my weight loss as a result. At the beginning of this year I added exercise to my routine. Since that first 2 week stretch last year, I've gone as much as a week at a time. But typically, I will do 2-3 days of 100% Soylent, then have a solid dinner one night. Some times stuff gets in the way and I'll not have Soylent for a day or two. It varies week to week. I'm a bit of an emotional eater so when things get hectic or stressful, I crave crappy food. So there are days when I've just said "F it... I'm getting pizza." So Soylent is not going to be some magic diet drink that will give you willpower you didn't already have. :)
- rjurney 12y agoThings in plants other than basic nutrients are what keep you alive, well and free of cancer. Soylent is an obviously horrible idea for your health.
- WizzleKake 12y agoWhat things?
- rjurney 12y agoGlad you asked. Let's look at Kale: Kale, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) Energy 117 kJ (28 kcal) Carbohydrates 5.63 g Sugars 1.25 g Dietary fiber 2 g Fat 0.4 g Protein 1.9 g Vitamins Vitamin A equiv. beta-carotene lutein zeaxanthin (85%) 681 μg (76%) 8173 μg 18246 μg Thiamine (B1) (5%) 0.053 mg Riboflavin (B2) (6%) 0.07 mg Niacin (B3) (3%) 0.5 mg Vitamin B6 (11%) 0.138 mg Folate (B9) (3%) 13 μg Choline (0%) 0.4 mg Vitamin C (49%) 41 mg Vitamin E (6%) 0.85 mg Vitamin K (778%) 817 μg Trace metals Calcium (7%) 72 mg Iron (7%) 0.9 mg Magnesium (5%) 18 mg Manganese (20%) 0.416 mg Phosphorus (4%) 28 mg Potassium (5%) 228 mg Sodium (2%) 23 mg Zinc (3%) 0.24 mg Other constituents Water 91.2 g Link to USDA Database entry Units μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams IU = International units Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, and rich in calcium. Kale is a source of two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin.[9] Kale, as with broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane (particularly when chopped or minced), a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties.[10] Boiling decreases the level of sulforaphane; however, steaming, microwaving, or stir frying does not result in significant loss.[11] Along with other brassica vegetables, kale is also a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells.[12][13] Kale has been found to contain a group of resins known as bile acid sequestrants, which have been shown to lower cholesterol and decrease absorption of dietary fat.[citation needed] Steaming significantly increases these bile acid binding properties.[14]
- maxerickson 12y agoSoylent is going to have no problem providing all of those ingredients. You gotta reach for delicate and complex organic molecules that are not well characterized, not stuff so well understood that it is listed in internet nutrition databases.
- kileywm 12y agoI'm almost finished with my first shipment (formula 1.3) and my results have been positive. I use it to replace some, but not all, meals in my diet. I think it especially excels in situations where I am in a hurry or too lazy to cook, because it's far more nutritious and cost-effective than the meals I would eat/skip otherwise. I currently have my subscription set up so that I receive 2 weeks work of Soylent every month. Breakdown: 500 calories per meal ~$2.33 per meal How I use it: Complete meal/snack replacement for breakfast and lunch most days. Rarely have it for dinner. What I've learned so far: Don't drink it right after you mix it unless you shake it really really well, otherwise you'll encounter clumps. Given at least an hour to soak in water, it reaches a clumpless consistency. The taste is fairly neutral with a slight hint of malty sweetness. Some people rave about using it as a coffee creamer, but I myself have not tried that. The texture is grainy in comparison to a smoothie, but this is to be expected with a powder-based meal. It's filling, very easy to drink when chilled, and the bowel movements are regular in frequency (and consistency!) with no notable increase in gas. So far I'm pretty happy with it. It strikes me as a good deal healthier and ridiculously more convenient than anything else I'd make for myself, meal-wise, if you can tolerate sacrificing flavor and texture.
- rckrd 12y agoI think the supply shortage of soylent initially helped with their marketing and buzz. I wonder if they are now claiming an artificial shortage to try and continue to sustain the illusion.
- weego 12y agoYou can powderise oils using maltodextrin, it's a trick that a lot of gastro-chefs have been using for years. Turns back into oil in the presence of any liquid.
- stevebot 12y agoI like the idea of Soylent, but everything I have read lately on nutrition seems to suggest that gettings vitamins and minerals from real food should be a priority and is against multivitamins. I wonder what is people's view on Soylent as a replacement for fruits/vegetables? Is the nutritional makeup somehow different from a multi-vitamin? If it isn't, then it just seems like an overpriced protein powder alternative. I can't seem to find any info on their site.
- DanBC 12y agoLook at something like cholesterol. We used to think high blood cholesterol was caused by a diet high in saturated fat, and that this was a causal risk factor for hear attack. Now we've modifed that a bit and some doctors think that saturated fat isn't as terrible as it was and that sugar is the actual problem: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2013/10October/Pages/Saturated-fat-link-with-heart-disease-questioned.aspx http://www.nhs.uk/news/2013/10October/Pages/Saturated-fat-li... If we got that wrong how well are going to do with all the micronutrients and other stuff that is in real food? Soylent had a terrible, unethical, marketing campaing during its kickstarter. (Probably illegal in the US - it made medical claims) but they seem to be a lot more careful about that kind of stuff now. If you're going to use any of the meal replacement products (there are loads on the market) you don't have to give up real food. You can still eat fruit and veg alongside your nutrient-gloop.