# What is the appeal of Soylent? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 9, 2015, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228 "2015-02-09T15:55:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228/41 "2015-02-11T23:02:05Z")
Ars Tech did a series where one of their reporters existed on the stuff for a week. Here’s part 1 of the original series - > **[Ars does Soylent, day 1: Embrace the chalky weird sweetness](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/08/ars-does-soylent-day-1-embrace-the-chalky-weird-sweetness/)** > > A tall glass of lukewarm Soylent can make for a queasy breakfast on day one. And here’s a follow up after a slight change in the formula - > **[Soylent gets a version bump to 1.1—new flavor, new gut flora help](https://arstechnica.com/science/2014/10/soylent-gets-a-version-bump-to-1-1-new-flavor-new-gut-flora-help/)** > > Enzyme change will help Soylent drinkers who experience wrathful gas. Conclusion: it’s a cheap, convenient, vegan, nutritious, and reasonably tasty method for producing mass quantities of methane gas. It’s also a perfectly good meal replacement. In short, it lives up to it’s claims on the tin. Personally, I’m in the group that would rather eat this stuff thrice a day than take the time to constantly shop, prep, cook, clean & wash up. Sure I can cook restaurant quality meals. That takes time I’d rather use for other things. Once something like this becomes easily available - and if it’s not Soylent, it’ll be something else - I’ll be all over it. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228/42 "2015-02-11T23:02:18Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Right now, I have more questions about the stuff than I do answers. So, you don’t have any actual evidence. You just think it’s a scam because it resembles the scammy stuff sold at GNC, even though the only claims he makes are uncontroversial and easy to test (it contains X calories, etc.). That said, I was curious how the costs compare to other nutrition shakes like Ensure. From Walmart I can get a 16-pack of pre-mixed drinks for $19.97. Per kilocalorie, that’s: $19.97 / (16 cans \* 220 kcal/can) = $0.0056/kcal Or the powder version: $8.97 / (7 serv \* 250 kcal/serv) = $0.0051/kcal Compare to the 7-day Soylent pack: $85 / (7 days \* (1530+480) kcal/day) = $0.006/kcal Or the 28-day pack: $300 / (28 days \* (1530+480) kcal/day) = $0.0053/kcal So the prices are really pretty comparable. I was expecting Soylent to be a savings, but it’s not (buying larger quantities would lower prices a bit, but that’s true in both cases). Given that pre-mixed Ensure is more convenient than the powder, it seems like the better option. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228/43 "2015-02-11T23:28:19Z")
> [@Tuxie](#): > > It would be like if while discussing the iPod Steve Jobs told anecdotes about how he doesn’t feel the need to ever wipe his bottom and saves his urine in jars so the sewer company doesn’t steal it. This is a slightly weird example since it’s well-known that Jobs basically killed himself by treating his cancer with bogus therapies such as special diets. It didn’t seem to impact the credibility of Apple at all. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228/44 "2015-02-12T02:18:02Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Their website is quoted upthread. > They are claiming it is wholesome. Wholesome isn’t associated with production under unhygenic circumstances for a powdered product that is simply mixed with water and consumed. Now we’ve gone from “it could be unhygienic” to “it’s, without a doubt unhygienic”. All I’m seeing is that it’s unregulated, but no evidence about it being unhealthy. > [@Scumpup](#): > > They aren’t claiming just that it provide nutrients. They are claiming this product provides “all the essential nutrients required to fuel the human body.” That is rather an extravagant claim for a product designed by a guy with no background in nutrition or health. It’s not really that extravagant. Having a survivable diet is something most of us manage by ourselves without a degree. In any case, it either works or it doesn’t, the guy’s background is irrelevant. > [@Scumpup](#): > > One of **Tuxie’s** links indicates that the product has already caused the designer himself health issues due to iron and sulfur deficiencies. > The stuff is a scam just like all the supplements and powders on the shelves at GNC that promise weight loss/muscle growth/prolonged youth. The owner seems to have bought into his own scam. You mean he tested it on himself, and altered the formula according to the results? That makes it a scam? ---
**Author:** ![Postariti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Postariti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Postariti)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228/45 "2015-02-12T08:12:30Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > Once something like this becomes easily available - and if it’s not Soylent, it’ll be something else - I’ll be all over it. Jevity is a meal replacement used in hospitals. It’s premixed and you can order it from the company, or from Amazon. It was designed by health professionals. There are people who have lived exclusively on Jevity for years. That’s what a lot of people have against Soylent. It’s not new. It’s not tested. Is it complete? Will it cause serious deficiencies? Why risk your health, when there’s something safe and tested available? ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228/46 "2015-02-12T08:36:15Z")
> [@Postariti](#): > > Jevity is a meal replacement used in hospitals. It’s premixed and you can order it from the company, or from Amazon. It was designed by health professionals. There are people who have lived exclusively on Jevity for years. Contains Soy so I and quite a few others are out. its a top 10 food allergen. iirc Soylent strangely contains no soy. (been a while since I checked the ingredients) in all honesty I would totally give this a try. I already cook large batches of damn near everything and freeze up leftovers so I don’t have to continuously make food. If I could get by with this even one meal a day it would save a small fortune over the course of a year. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228/47 "2015-02-12T08:39:35Z")
> [@Postariti](#): > > That’s what a lot of people have against Soylent. It’s not new. It’s not tested. Is it complete? Will it cause serious deficiencies? Why risk your health, when there’s something safe and tested available? The options narrow if you want it in powder form. Powder increases the prep time but weighs less if you have a water source. Possibly more convenient if you’re backpacking, etc. Ensure is available as a powder but Jevity seems not to be. Also, while these other options are nutritionally complete, they may not have the optimal balance of protein, etc. for a particular individual. For cost optimization, [Twocal HN](http://www.amazon.com/Twocal-Calorie-Protein-Nutrition-Vanilla/dp/B000AS1LKA/ref=pd_bxgy_hpc_text_z) seems like the best so far at only $0.0032/kcal. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228/48 "2015-02-12T08:48:29Z")
> [@Postariti](#): > > That’s what a lot of people have against Soylent. It’s not new. It’s not tested. Is it complete? Will it cause serious deficiencies? Why risk your health, when there’s something safe and tested available? Sooo… are you against any new product that’s not original? You won’t accept a new brand of beer since there are already plenty in the market? Anything new will have that “untested” label over it, too. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228/49 "2015-02-12T08:57:08Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > Those phases greatly diminish the reward of the final meal, nearly to the point of genuine resentment toward the final meal. It is a chore. Yeah. It’s surprising that this is so difficult for some to understand. Pick some random non-food thing that you like. Maybe sex. Maybe going for a walk. Maybe reading the SDMB. Whatever. Someone curses you, and now you have to do that thing three times a day, every day. If you miss even one, you’ll start to weaken, and it alters your mood. If you miss too many in a row, you die. The curse doesn’t care about your circumstances, so you have to arrange your entire life around always being able to do that thing on schedule. Isn’t that pretty much the quintessentially worst curse ever? Or the ironic punishment you get in the Nth circle of hell? Whatever pleasure you might have gotten from it is gone. > [@GargoyleWB](#): > > Soylent fits that nice niche that water does. It quenches a survival urge in a simple easy manner, with no labor expended toward worrying about nutritional value, side effects, preparation, etc. That’s a good comparison. I _like_ beer and coffee and wine and soda and other drinks. But most of the time I just want something simple and neutral, and water is optimal for that. I can subsist on water for my liquid intake indefinitely, or occasionally treat myself with something else. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228/50 "2015-02-12T09:36:38Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > You mean he tested it on himself, and altered the formula according to the results? That makes it a scam? It is cause for concern because I want a “Bachelor Chow” product that does not cause health issues, and his testing method of “I seem okay so far” seems inadequate for catching such design flaws. Not all forms of malnutrition cause symptoms as quickly or as overtly as others, so having independent verification that the new version of Soylent gets it right would be reassuring. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228/51 "2015-02-12T09:37:55Z")
> [@Postariti](#): > > Jevity is a meal replacement used in hospitals. It’s premixed and you can order it from the company, or from Amazon. It was designed by health professionals. There are people who have lived exclusively on Jevity for years. > > That’s what a lot of people have against Soylent. It’s not new. It’s not tested. Is it complete? Will it cause serious deficiencies? Why risk your health, when there’s something safe and tested available? I thought Jevity was the gunk they use for feeding tubes? Do people really drink the stuff directly? What’s it taste like? Certainly, it’s reasonable to ask about the nutritional values and food safety issues of Solyent. However, these are concerns with answers. Here, for example, is their nutritional information and food label - > **[files\_Complete-Soylent-Nutrition-Facts-1p2.pdf](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0421/5993/t/12/assets/files_Complete-Soylent-Nutrition-Facts-1p2.pdf)** > > 599.85 KB Soylent also has a DIY section where people can trade recipes for different blends, some of them geared for different nutritional needs, such as body building, and some of them starting from scratch with no Soylent at all. [http://diy.soylent.me/](http://diy.soylent.me/) It’s a product that’s still under development. I can’t wait to see where it goes - especially with the coming advent of food-based 3d printers. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228/52 "2015-02-12T11:49:38Z")
> [@Tuxie](#): > > It isn’t cheaper than other meal replacement products already on the market, has a shorter shelf life, and is manufactured in a factory with much lower hygiene standards. Would this slurry pass FDA muster? What does a software engineer know about nutrition? didn’t you know? the tech sector can do absolutely everything better than everyone else, even stuff they know nothing about. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228/53 "2015-02-12T14:30:38Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > I don’t know enough about this specific product to say whether it’s any good, but I support the concept. Finding the cheapest, easiest way to provide a healthy diet is something worth doing. Even if it’s not as nice as “real” food, there are lots of places where that would be useful. It’s not really cheap. It’s just cheaper than eating out. It must be the convenience that is appealing. $10/day for food for 1 person is a lot. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228/54 "2015-02-12T14:49:57Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > I’m not. At all. Not even interested in trying it. > > What does interest me is the vitriol it causes, like it’s sheer existence is going to make “real” food disappear forever. That is quite astonishing. [Here’s an article about that very thing…](http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/05/the-psychology-of-soylent-and-the-prison-of-first-world-food-choices/3/) Personally, I don’t get the vitriol either. If I had to describe my reaction to it, it would be mostly a combination of bemusement combined with a fair amount of pity. I mean, it doesn’t piss me off, or offend me in the least that some people would want to eat this stuff. I am somewhat baffled as to exactly _why_ this sounds like such an awesome idea, and do feel somewhat sorry for someone whose attitude toward food and meals is so hostile/negative that they’d rather drink bland shakes 3 times a day instead of eating meals with friends and family. I understand the being really busy and not wanting to stop to go get food; that’s what the various forms of takeout/delivery are for, and if that’s too much, there are things like Balance bars and canned soup that can bridge that gap without the need for a specific product. I get the impression that a big part of Soylent is centered around personality flaws like aversion to making choices and trying new things. That I don’t get either, and again, have that pity working for those poor souls. To me, culinary novelty is one of the true joys in life, and a way to get a little more visceral experience of what another culture is like, even if it’s just eating some tamales or having a currywurst. It doesn’t offend me though if someone else wants to guzzle Soylent for 2000 calories a day indefinitely. His business, his “wrathful gas” as the article’s author once said in another Soylent article. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228/55 "2015-02-12T15:18:47Z")
> [@bump](#): > > [Here’s an article about that very thing…](http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/05/the-psychology-of-soylent-and-the-prison-of-first-world-food-choices/3/) > > Personally, I don’t get the vitriol either. If I had to describe my reaction to it, it would be mostly a combination of bemusement combined with a fair amount of pity. I mean, it doesn’t piss me off, or offend me in the least that some people would want to eat this stuff. > > I am somewhat baffled as to exactly _why_ this sounds like such an awesome idea, and do feel somewhat sorry for someone whose attitude toward food and meals is so hostile/negative that they’d rather drink bland shakes 3 times a day instead of eating meals with friends and family. > > I understand the being really busy and not wanting to stop to go get food; that’s what the various forms of takeout/delivery are for, and if that’s too much, there are things like Balance bars and canned soup that can bridge that gap without the need for a specific product. > > I get the impression that a big part of Soylent is centered around personality flaws like aversion to making choices and trying new things. That I don’t get either, and again, have that pity working for those poor souls. To me, culinary novelty is one of the true joys in life, and a way to get a little more visceral experience of what another culture is like, even if it’s just eating some tamales or having a currywurst. It doesn’t offend me though if someone else wants to guzzle Soylent for 2000 calories a day indefinitely. His business, his “wrathful gas” as the article’s author once said in another Soylent article. We are all different. Some people likes to travel, others don’t feel anything about vintage clothing. Some people likes exercising, others don’t like stand-up comedy. Some people loves architecture, others refuse to carry a cellphone. I don’t need everybody to be the same. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228/56 "2015-02-12T15:52:23Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I am somewhat baffled as to exactly _why_ this sounds like such an awesome idea, and do feel somewhat sorry for someone whose attitude toward food and meals is so hostile/negative that they’d rather drink bland shakes 3 times a day instead of eating meals with friends and family. When one in three Americans is obese, the appeal in making it as cheap and easy as possible to keep yourself fed without setting yourself up for horrible diseases should be obvious. Even if you don’t eat it all the time, such a product would help to dilute the effects of any meals that are not so well balanced. ---
**Author:** ![Tuxie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ee59a6/32.png) [@Tuxie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuxie)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228/57 "2015-02-12T15:57:49Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > We are all different. Some people likes to travel, others don’t feel anything about vintage clothing. Some people likes exercising, others don’t like stand-up comedy. Some people loves architecture, others refuse to carry a cellphone. I don’t need everybody to be the same. And some people are so ‘different’ it starts to creep around to ‘special’. > [@Grumman](#): > > When one in three Americans is obese, the appeal in making it as cheap and easy as possible to keep yourself fed without setting yourself up for horrible diseases should be obvious. Even if you don’t eat it all the time, such a product would help to dilute the effects of any meals that are not so well balanced. Sounds legit, but there are other, cheaper options. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228/58 "2015-02-12T16:04:34Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > We are all different. Some people likes to travel, others don’t feel anything about vintage clothing. Some people likes exercising, others don’t like stand-up comedy. Some people loves architecture, others refuse to carry a cellphone. I don’t need everybody to be the same. I don’t need everyone to be the same either, but that doesn’t mean that I find everyone’s differences, especially differences of opinion, to have the same merit. I’m not advocating that we force-feed picky eaters strange foods, or that we don’t allow bland food eaters to eat the same dish more than twice in a month, but I am saying that I don’t find the attitudes toward food that the Soylent guy espouses to be particularly admirable ones. ---
**Author:** ![Tuxie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ee59a6/32.png) [@Tuxie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuxie)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228/59 "2015-02-12T16:11:59Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > didn’t you know? the tech sector can do absolutely everything better than everyone else, even stuff they know nothing about. I kind of wonder if a lot of these tech nerds see everything in life like a computer- something to be coded, tweaked, and hacked. A lot of their ideas and innovations seem to revolve around taking the human element out of things. How awesome would it be to live on soylent? Think of all that time you save not having to even _chew_ or taste your food? Because people spend a TON of time buying, preparing, and eating food amirite? Like hours and hours that could be spent coding or playing Minecraft or something. Plus let’s not forget the social aspect of meals; no longer will you be forced to interact with people and make conversation, decide what you want, or even have to leave the house. Frankly I would think nerdy engineer programmer types would LOVE to cook. Cooking is a form of experimentation, tinkering, design involving chemicals, fire and gadgets. You can follow recipes to the letter or improve upon existing ones. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228/60 "2015-02-12T16:13:49Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I don’t need everyone to be the same either, but that doesn’t mean that I find everyone’s differences, especially differences of opinion, to have the same merit. > > I’m not advocating that we force-feed picky eaters strange foods, or that we don’t allow bland food eaters to eat the same dish more than twice in a month, but I am saying that I don’t find the attitudes toward food that the Soylent guy espouses to be particularly admirable ones. Differences of opinion? Of course not. Differences in TASTE, however? Thinking that trying to rate taste is a logical idea is an opinion with very little merit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-soylent/712228.md?page=4)