# Possible food substitute **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 6, 2014, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-food-substitute/687808 "2014-05-06T15:05:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-food-substitute/687808/21 "2014-05-07T13:15:40Z")
I don’t know if it would lead to a life worth living. During my thru hike of the AT I learned the value of food variety and spices, how much enjoyment it added to life and how meals were a treasured part of it, but when food got boring the whole day suffered and it was just something you had to eat, but there was no joy in it. Good food experience really makes a difference ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2014, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-food-substitute/687808/22 "2014-05-10T18:31:10Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I read about this a week ago, and am really interested. > > Only drawback is if I order it I won’t get any until around July. > > However it seems to be hyopallergenic, so I could use it to test if I have food allergies. Plus the creator says he feels better and has more energy on it (but he has to say whatever makes the product sound good). > > I don’t know if I’d do 100% soylent, but I could see myself doing 50-80% of my calories from that. > > Edit: Shit, they jacked up the price. It was $65 for a weeks worth, now they want $85. I had the same reaction. I was very interested after reading the _New Yorker_ article. I don’t cook and I’m not a foodie. Except for my occasional dinners and lunches out with friends, I’m not really into food; shopping for it and thinking about it is a chore. I can’t see myself doing a 100 percent diet of Soylent, but sure, maybe 50-80 percent. It would replace routine meals at home when I’m usually eating something like microwaved soup or a bologna sandwich. However, the sudden price increase really put me off. There’s a lot of complaining about this on the product forum. The Soylent apologists are predicting that the price will come down if the product catches on (yeah, right) and are talking about all the time you regain from using it. I’m getting the feeling that this is never going to be anything more than a niche product for affluent urban hipsters. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-food-substitute/687808/23 "2014-05-11T00:28:56Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Who wants a food pill anyway? They’ve been talking about this since I was a kid. Who wants to replace life’s second greatest pleasure with a pill? According to the New Yorker article, the idea isn’t to completely replace all eating with this food substitute. The thinking is that there are two types of dining: dining for pleasure, such as for the taste experience, or at special occasions; and eating for necessity, such as everyday lunch at work. This substitute would replace the latter, not the former. ---
**Author:** ![Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/77aa72/32.png) [@Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fluffy_PickleSniffer)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2014, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-food-substitute/687808/24 "2014-05-11T17:17:31Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > According to the New Yorker article, the idea isn’t to completely replace all eating with this food substitute. The thinking is that there are two types of dining: dining for pleasure, such as for the taste experience, or at special occasions; and eating for necessity, such as everyday lunch at work. This substitute would replace the latter, not the former. No, no, no, no. Lunch at work is the highlight of my day. I spend all morning thinking of whatever yummy thing(s) I’ve packed, anticipating the lunch break. Then I spend all afternoon digesting the yumminess. It makes the workdays tolerable. DO NOT replace that with a pill :eek: ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2014, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-food-substitute/687808/25 "2014-05-11T17:24:31Z")
I wonder how long it will take for the human body to evolve so that the excretory system can still function efficiently, in the virtual absence of bulk. For many generations so come, the system is still going to require all that bulk, which will still have to be stacked on supermarket shelves. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-food-substitute/687808/26 "2014-05-11T17:37:52Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > According to the New Yorker article, the idea isn’t to completely replace all eating with this food substitute. The thinking is that there are two types of dining: dining for pleasure, such as for the taste experience, or at special occasions; and eating for necessity, such as everyday lunch at work. This substitute would replace the latter, not the former. Ok, but what’s the need for something new? We have granola bars and nutrient drinks already. I know some mutant aliens who just east for nutrition and don’t like to bother with all the work of enjoying a tasty meal, but they manage with what’s available now, and still get to have a little variety so they can tell one day from the next. And this is definitely a minority of the population. However, I will grant you there are more people who would consider this a time saver so they can fit a few more hyperactive obsessive compulsive activities into their day. It’s not for me, but for anybody who wants it I’m quite happy for them if this will increase their lack of enjoyment of eating. ---
**Author:** ![Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e47c2d/32.png) [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hershele_Ostropoler)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-food-substitute/687808/27 "2014-05-12T16:33:10Z")
I’ve seen this before, and I’m still not sure what problem this solves. I guess it would be good for people with eating disorders, or the sort of transhumanist who resents having a physical body. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-food-substitute/687808/28 "2014-05-12T20:59:01Z")
> [@Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](#): > > No, no, no, no. Lunch at work is the highlight of my day. I spend all morning thinking of whatever yummy thing(s) I’ve packed, anticipating the lunch break. Then I spend all afternoon digesting the yumminess. It makes the workdays tolerable. DO NOT replace that with a pill :eek: Hey, it’s not for me either. Apparently the inventor is some super programmer who is annoyed if he has to leave his computer for even a minute while he’s coding. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-food-substitute/687808.md?page=1)