# Is there a food one can live off forever? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 7, 2005, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-one-can-live-off-forever/316035 "2005-08-07T22:52:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-one-can-live-off-forever/316035/41 "2005-08-09T15:04:27Z")
How about [this](http://www.shsweb.co.uk/elemental/pat/prodmain.htm)–a powder which can be mixed with water to form a nutritionally complete drink. People can live for years on this stuff. A slightly different liquid diet than the one familiar to most dopers. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jackemaxton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@jackemaxton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackemaxton)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-one-can-live-off-forever/316035/42 "2005-08-09T15:23:17Z")
Slight hijack, but is there any danger to your digestive system from surviving off ensure or powder shake mix? I mean without any urm substantial waste what could you expect? Using the toilet once a week and Cocopuff is the result :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-one-can-live-off-forever/316035/43 "2005-08-09T15:58:30Z")
> [@jackemaxton](#): > > Slight hijack, but is there any danger to your digestive system from surviving off ensure or powder shake mix? I mean without any urm substantial waste what could you expect? Using the toilet once a week and Cocopuff is the result :eek: Time for my weekly Cocopuff. I have just spent the last 5 minutes giggling at my desk and imagining shitting a dry torrent of Cocopuffs. **lieu** should be here any moment. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-one-can-live-off-forever/316035/44 "2005-08-09T16:14:01Z")
> [@Hello Again](#): > > I’m going with Almonds, oranges, and either milk or eggs. Almonds are high in just about everything (calories, fiber, protein & vitamins) other than Vitamin A, C & B-12. The oranges and milk/eggs those. > > Menu for the day (divided in 3 meals) > 2 cups almonds > 2 glasses 2% milk > 2 large oranges > 2 hardboiled eggs > > 2400 calories. 108g protein. 47g Fiber. 85% or more of USRDA 17 essential vitamins and minerals (all but 4 well over 100%) I’m shocked that that diet would contain that many calories. That’s 300 calories per item. Do oranges have 300 calories each? One egg has 300 calories? Maybe the almonds have the most, and the other stuff has less and it balances out, but it still seems like a lot. ZJ ---
**Author:** ![Waenara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@Waenara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waenara)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-one-can-live-off-forever/316035/45 "2005-08-09T16:31:45Z")
> [@Zjestika](#): > > I’m shocked that that diet would contain that many calories. That’s 300 calories per item. Do oranges have 300 calories each? One egg has 300 calories? Maybe the almonds have the most, and the other stuff has less and it balances out, but it still seems like a lot. You’re right - it’s mostly the almonds I get the following nutritional data from that list: 2 cups Almonds: 1630kcal, 143g fat, 56g carb, 60g protein 2 cups 2% milk: 242kcal, 9g fat, 23g carb, 16g protein 2 large (3" diameter) oranges: 173kcal, 0gfat, 43g carb, 3g protein 2 large hardboiled eggs: 155kcal, 11g fat, 1g carb, 13g protein Total of 2200 kcal, 163g fat (68% of daily kcal), 325g carb (15%), 369g protein (17%). Micronutrient RDA %: Fat-Soluble Vitamins: A 65.78%, D 97.6%, E 951.24%, K 0.566% Water-Soluble Vitamins: C 334%, Thiamin 114%, Riboflavin 341%, B6 70.85%, B12 120%, Niacin 89.9%, Folate 65.5% Minerals: Calcium 149%, Phosphorus 289%, Magnesium 286%, Iron 92.7%, Zinc 105% Also contains 370mg of sodium, 3598mg of Potassium So you’d only be low on a few nutrients - a good multivitamin would take care of that. I don’t think I’d want to do this diet as it’s pretty high in fat, but it’s mostly monounsaturdated fat (41% monounsaturated, 15% polyunsaturated, 8% saturated). So people who are into low-carb diets probably wouldn’t be too fazed by it. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-one-can-live-off-forever/316035/46 "2005-08-09T16:50:27Z")
**Waenara** , thanks for clearing that up. There’s a lot of calories in them there almonds. ZJ ---
**Author:** ![tunahead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9f8e36/32.png) [@tunahead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tunahead)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-one-can-live-off-forever/316035/47 "2005-08-09T18:21:23Z")
> [@What Is Schwa](#): > > Is there one meal, processed or natural, that one could eat every day that would provide all his needed nutrients? > > Taste is less of a concern, and simplicity is key. > > So… to the dopers… replace “goop” with something that exists and is edible. Any Ideas? Here ya go: [http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=5226853625&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=5226853625&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT) Lemon-flavored lifeboat rations. ---
**Author:** ![mazinger\_z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mazinger\_z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazinger_z)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-one-can-live-off-forever/316035/48 "2005-08-09T18:39:23Z")
If we’re talking types of meals, then I would say Chili. Use lean meat, and it has tomatoes, celery, and onions (ok, those last two I threw in there). I suppose you could supplement it with a banana on the side to round out the last of the essential vitamins and minerals. Anyway, chili (and a banana) has to be the easiest, quickest, and best tasting to prepare, and should come in lower in calories to the almond and egg meal (not exactly what I would call tasty). ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-one-can-live-off-forever/316035/49 "2005-08-09T18:46:18Z")
> [@mazinger\_z](#): > > Anyway, chili (and a banana) has to be the easiest, quickest, and best tasting to prepare, and should come in lower in calories to the almond and egg meal (not exactly what I would call tasty). Tastiness seems to be secondary when Monkey Chow is on the table :D. ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-one-can-live-off-forever/316035/50 "2005-08-09T19:46:44Z")
It would be pretty easy to order a pizza a day and if you balance it right you could actually eat pretty healthfully. I bet a medium pizza a day would sustain the average person, and for probably less than $10 if you’ve got a coupon! Find a place that has a whole wheat crust, low-fat mozz. cheese, and pile on all the veggies, maybe add some chicken or ham and you have a pretty well-balanced meal there. About the easiest thing you could do, and even palatable if not tiresome after a while. You could also go on the “Subway Diet.” Jared ate nothing else for months, right? (Maybe something else for breakfast, but if you wanted to stick to one item only you could have another sub for breakfast.) I have also heard about some kind of food loaf that is used in prisons. Basically a bunch of food baked into a big loaf, the inmates eat it every day and get their requirements, but not very enjoyable. That might be more what you are thinking of. I even remember seeing a recipe for it somewhere (could it have been Reader’s Digest?) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-one-can-live-off-forever/316035/51 "2005-08-09T20:02:55Z")
Cookbook author Peg Bracken once presented a daily diet of 1 lb. flour, 1 oz. lard, 1 cabbage leaf and a carrot. Supposedly it supplies all daily nutrients. I’ve also read that a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread, one orange and a glass of milk three times a day would do the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-one-can-live-off-forever/316035/52 "2005-08-09T20:34:17Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Cookbook author Peg Bracken once presented a daily diet of 1 lb. flour, 1 oz. lard, 1 cabbage leaf and a carrot. Supposedly it supplies all daily nutrients. This diet contains 0% Vitamin D, 0% B-12, and only around 20% of Zinc, Vitamin C, B-6, E and Magnesium. > [@](#): > > I’ve also read that a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread, one orange and a glass of milk three times a day would do the same thing. This one does better. It is only low in Vitamin K (19%) and somewhat low in Vitamin A (42%) and Iron (60%) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-food-one-can-live-off-forever/316035.md?page=2)