# Why don't nutritious human food pellets exist **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 20, 2013, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-nutritious-human-food-pellets-exist/658795 "2013-05-20T06:31:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-nutritious-human-food-pellets-exist/658795/61 "2013-05-21T15:03:22Z")
I’ve heard it said that blood is almost a perfect food for humans, yet it’s rarely eaten. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-nutritious-human-food-pellets-exist/658795/62 "2013-05-21T15:49:06Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Clearly… I think the real question is why that’s the case. > > I’m with **Napier** on this one; I think having some sort of food pellet or bar that’s nutritionally complete, not loaded with sugar (i.e. low glycemic index), comes in 5-10 flavors, and is portioned in say… 100 calorie chunks, would be a great thing for people who are wanting to not be quite so obsessed with food, yet lose weight. > > That’s part of the problem with the diet aspect of weight loss IMO; you just trade one food obsession for another, and either way, you’re still thinking about food and eating all the time. I’d much rather be able to forget about it and do something else and not even think about it until I’m hungry, and a product like this would be a great idea. > > Plus, it might be really handy for the military and other situations where a shelf-stable, nutritionally complete food source would be handy. They already have it: Datrex Emergency Survival 2400 Calorie Food Ration Bar , etc, aka Lifeboat or Survival rations. Kinda tasty, fiber, protien, etc. It comes in a pack of 1200, 2400 or 3600 Kcal, and each is divided up. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-nutritious-human-food-pellets-exist/658795/63 "2013-05-21T16:15:21Z")
As soon as there are food pellets, drop-down airline pellet dispensers will follow. Then we can sit there like the gerbils we are, batting at a lever to get our pellets and water while crushed between two sumo-sized humans. YOU! ELBOWS IN! ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-nutritious-human-food-pellets-exist/658795/64 "2013-05-21T16:29:37Z")
It’s funny you said that, Chefguy. I’ve always compared airport architecture to that of rat mazes in psychological experiments. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-nutritious-human-food-pellets-exist/658795/65 "2013-05-21T16:33:29Z")
Just checked Datrex, it’s not complete nutrition by any stretch. ---
**Author:** ![Shadowfyre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfyre/32/9972_2.png) [@Shadowfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadowfyre)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-nutritious-human-food-pellets-exist/658795/66 "2013-05-21T18:18:22Z")
I don’t have the knowledge to do it, but I think it would make millions. Little bits kinda like kibble with different textures to appeal to different people. Nutritionally balanced with proteins, fats and carbs, with a bunch of fiber and vitamins thrown in. 1 cup would be 500 Calories (I’m just pulling that number out of my arse). So if you wanted a 2000 Calorie diet, that would be 4 cups per day. Maybe 3 1/2 cups to lose some weight if you need it. Do like Jelly Belly and make them in different flavors so the customer could mix and match them for different flavors. The main ideas here are to keep the individual pieces small, like a popcorn kernel or M&M to make measurement of calories easier. If it were a bar or loaf, it would be harder to cut of just the right size for the number of calories desired. Also it would need to be nutritionally perfect so a customer would not have to supplement with fruits and veggies or a multivitamin. That’s the problem we have now. Few people eat enough fruits and veggies. The main thing would be to make it easy. No fooling around with tracking calories or “points”. No juggling menus to find the perfect balance of protein, fat, carbs, fiber and vitamins while keeping the calorie count on target. I tried the Atkin’s diet back when it was hugely popular and I felt like all I was doing was cooking and preparing meals and menus. I get up at 5am, immediately get ready and leave. I don’t get home until 6pm. Assuming I’m in bed for 7 hours, that only leaves me 4 hours of free time. I hated it and gave up on the diet fairly quickly for that reason alone. Taste is important as well, but I’d be willing to give up a bit of flavor to know that I am eating healthy and not having my free time infringed upon. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-nutritious-human-food-pellets-exist/658795/67 "2013-05-21T18:51:59Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Just checked Datrex, it’s not complete nutrition by any stretch. Exactly - it’s designed to stave off death in a life raft - and 2,400 calories of it weighs 1.2 pounds. Ingredients: > [@](#): > > WHEAT FLOUR, VEGETABLE SHORTENING, CANE SUGAR, WATER, COCONUT AND SALT So add to that the fibre and protein and it’s probably up to 1.5 pounds, then mix in all the necessary vitamins and it will be 1.5 pounds of funky-tasting goo. ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-nutritious-human-food-pellets-exist/658795/68 "2013-05-22T06:07:32Z")
[The Soylent Corporation](http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/21/soylent_food_replacement/) may have the answer. Really! ---
**Author:** ![Keithvdw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@Keithvdw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keithvdw)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-nutritious-human-food-pellets-exist/658795/69 "2013-05-22T06:27:40Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > If they can make a single all-inclusive food for dogs then why can’t they do the same for humans? I eat Clif Bars all the time. There really isn’t a lot of difference before various food bards and such and dog food other than the flavors we prefer. High end dog food is actually pretty edible. The only reason it’s all stored and served dry is because it’s easier to preserve. Honestly, a lot of the high end cat and dog food would work just fine as human food. Dogs are partly omnivorous, so a lot of dog food contains grain, fruit, and vegetable matter for vitamins and such. My dog eats better food than I do, and is healthier looking because of it. If I was desperate for food, I would certainly not be too proud to eat pet food. The stigma is partly because pet food used to be the lowest quality leftover crap from animal products and grain. The stuff I feed my dogs is based on byproduct free meats and grains and has less junk food in it than the frozen dinners I tend to eat. But my Clif bars are pretty healthy… and they are compressed nuggets of oatmeal, rice syrup, and random flavorings, pretty much just a more vegetarian version of dog food. ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-nutritious-human-food-pellets-exist/658795/70 "2013-05-22T06:43:00Z")
> [@Myglaren](#): > > [The Soylent Corporation](http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/21/soylent_food_replacement/) may have the answer. > > Really! This is the same guy linked upthread, although the article seems needlessly biased. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-nutritious-human-food-pellets-exist/658795/71 "2013-05-22T07:19:38Z")
Sort of related - [more than you can possibly want to know about dog and cat food.](http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-03/chemistry-kibble?single-page-view=true) Very cool article. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hogbin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@Martin\_Hogbin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hogbin)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-nutritious-human-food-pellets-exist/658795/72 "2013-05-22T11:05:22Z")
Humans generally have a choice; dogs do not. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-nutritious-human-food-pellets-exist/658795/73 "2013-05-22T13:10:45Z")
It happens again: SD Coincidence (or is it just coincidence?) [NASA printable food pellets](http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/05/3d-printable-food-nasa-wants-a-taste/). ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-nutritious-human-food-pellets-exist/658795/74 "2013-05-22T14:16:51Z")
Moving forward from Myg’s Soylent link, it turns out that you can buy sme, but it’s not going to ship until August: [soylent.me](https://campaign.soylent.me/soylent-free-your-body) a $65 donation getsyou 1 week’s worth of meal replacements. $230 gets you enough for a month. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2013, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-nutritious-human-food-pellets-exist/658795/75 "2013-06-19T12:54:07Z")
Someone from PopSci has tried out this Soylent for a week [How I Survived A Week Without Food | Popular Science](http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-06/how-i-survived-week-without-food) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-nutritious-human-food-pellets-exist/658795.md?page=3)