My first thought whenever I see soylent is that we have studies proving that we can't replace breast milk with baby formula. Some of that is due to immune system being passed on to the infant, but we haven't yet mastered the nutritional content of real food to the point where we can confidently say it's safe to eat Soylent or another similar product regularly.<p>It takes me back to the whole issue with processed dog foods -- kibble, while even the most expensive brands claim to be "nutritionally complete", miss the fact that dogs cannot process/absorb the many nutrients within (and why their waste is... more than a nuisance). Eg, calcium added to dog food is nearly worthless, while calcium from eating raw bones is readily absorbed by their bodies. Same with many other vitamins and minerals.<p>We have a lot of work ahead of us in this sector. It's good that someone is trying, though.
Soylent 2.0 (liquid) is being sold alongside Soylent 1.5 (powder). The powder will continue to be sold. The liquid currently costs a little over 20% more per kcal. It's also important to note that the liquid is being sold as 400kcal is a serving (X bottles at 400kcal each) while the powder is being sold as 500kcal/16 oz prepared is a serving (X meals at 500kcal each with 4 meals to a pouch/28 meals to a box). At the 400 kcal serving size, the 28 meal box of powder would become 35 servings of equivalent calories to the liquid. Getting 2 boxes with 14 pouches to be 2 weeks worth of food is easier and takes up far less storage space than getting 72 bottles of liquid for the equivalent amount of food.<p>We use Soylent powder right now. Had it for breakfast this morning. The taste is really neutral... it tastes like a bland cereal, so you can add things to if if you want. It's helped us lose weight. It's helped us keep food costs down. And it's helped us enjoy the meals we do eat. We use it as a supplement for 1 or 2 meals a day.
I looked through the thread and I see too many negative comments.<p>Guys, let's take a minute to appreciate how freakin' amazing Soylent is. It's like a space food every kid dreams about. It is insanely convenient. It can solve so many problems in the world.<p>Thank you, Soylent team, I wish you luck, your startup is amazing!
Selling bottles is really terrible from an environmental perspective. It's sort of the same problem as bottled water. Now we have a lot of plastic bottle trash instead of the pouches that pack down flat and provide much more product/waste ratio.<p>Plastic bottles are more recyclable but recycling bins are still not common in my area of the country (although we recycle at home).<p>There is also the increased fuel costs of shipment. One more question is where is the bottling happens. If it's in California like the development labs, is it contributing to the drought there a la Nestle water-bottling?
Why spend energy producing and transporting heavy water and plastic bottles with this pre-mixed Soylent? Everyone already has plentiful water and receptacles at home. Seems like a retrograde step, unless I'm missing something?
Can someone explain to me the appeal of this product? Why would anyone choose to drink a nondescript sludge over the plentiful ways we can get good, enjoyable & healthy food?<p>I can certainly appreciate the science behind it - this would be a great boon to helping feed those that are less fortunate, but from what I can see that doesn't appear to be the aim of the company.
Having tried soylent in powder form before, I came to the conclusion that on the 3D scales of convenience, taste, and price, it just wasn't far enough in the desirable region (low price, high convenience, and good taste) that I was ready to buy any more of it.<p>With Soylent 2.0, that seems to have changed: it's more convenient (no more mixing needed) EDIT: but higher-priced. I'm looking forward to trying it again (not until it's generally available, though). Hopefully the taste has improved, as well.
For me Soylent would have to be incredibly inexpensive to replace a meal or two a day. I like the idea of a cheap way to avoid going out when I don't feel like cooking, but I'm thinking ~$30 a month to replace a meal a day, not $102
With regard to the liquid vs. powdered debate. Why don't they ship bottles with powder inside? Consumers can then add water and shake. Seems like the best of both worlds. This would work for a variety of products as well like dish soap or shampoo.
I tried Soylent 1.5 for about a month (not as my sole food source, but for maybe one meal a day), but I was unable to adjust to it well, my stomach was just constantly upset and I didn't feel great after eating it. I then tried Nutren 1.5 [1] thinking it might be different, but same effect for me, so I guess it is just me. I'm going to try 2.0 again, maybe I'll do it in smaller doses at first and see if I can adjust that way. Has anyone else experienced this?<p>[1] <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nutren-Calorie-Vanilla-Nutrition-8-45-Ounce/dp/B0025UOGMQ" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Nutren-Calorie-Vanilla-Nutrition-8-45-...</a>
"Soylent 2.0 makes complete nutrition accessible to all ..."<p>"All", assuming you're in the USA or Canada.. I actually thought it meant they were gonna start shipping to more countries! Bummer.
I am truly sorry, but I see this as sad. People thinking of supplements healthier than whole foods, and actually claiming and defending it.<p>First of all, what kind of macronutrients you need and how much, may depend on yours and your ancestors habitat. Paul Chek claims this, and says some are protein types, some are carb types. We all know some people who are more tolerable to carbohydrates.<p>Second of all, all these values depends on 'some' research (which I am sure almost none of us read them thoroughly), and 'some' baseline 'requirements'.<p>People claimed cholesterol was bad, some still do, and now they say no no, it is ok and good. People sad yolk is bad, now they say it is good. You get my point. This product is based on the 'realities' of today, but it is shown as a 'great' replacement, where I think 'any' replacement is not and cannot be as good as the original.<p>I really believe Soylent may be a key to solve hunger in some very poor countries, but right now it is just being marketed as a supplement/replacement.<p>I also did not like the marketing approach, such as<p>>>"Soylent 2.0 frees customers from crowded lunch lines at fast food restaurants and ends feelings of mid-morning hunger after inadequate breakfasts".<p>So this is an alternative to a fast-food, as I see it. No offense, but I would rather see true information about nutrition and eating, than a replacement for the wrongs we do. Just my 2 cents.
If I'm travelling on business, or on a road trip, where there are sometimes <i>no good options at all</i> for healthy food, then this product wins hands-down. I have zero interest in replacing my entire diet with it, and I love good food but sometimes it is simply incompatible with one's schedule.<p>This company can really be a big winner.
If I'm not mistaken, they have also increased the price of the powder. It is listed now at $280 for 28 days (112 meals), which used to be $255 (when I bought it). Or had they already changed that pricing?
Premixed Soylent makes a lot of sense. Ideally, I'd like to see them enter the convenience store market; highway rest stops, for example, are a place where it's very hard to get something nutritionally trustworthy, so in that context I'd choose Soylent every time, and would pay a premium for it.<p>In the meantime, I hope they keep the powder around for awhile. I find it very useful to pack a few bags while travelling to patch over logistics problems, and premixed soylent can't do that because it's too heavy to take in your luggage.
Now available in Canada!<p>I'll finally be able to try this, do current drinkers like the 1.5? Or is 2.0 such an improvement that I should wait for 2.0?<p>edit - Oh I guess the main thing is that it's a drink now.
I've never really understood the hype for Soylent. It does seem like a great idea for your earthquake kit, camping, etc, but as daily food? If I am rushed for time, I'll just grab an Odwalla smoothie or similar. Can someone educate me about what I am not getting from a decent smoothie that Soylent provides? (I am probably not the target demographic as I enjoy eating, and variety).
I presume the biggest difference has already been discussed previously: the switch from powder to liquid? Liquid definitely seems more convenient but apparently more expensive (to ship as well). I suppose this was inevitable but surprised that the appears to be deprecating.
Given that soy is one of the common allergens, this sounds amazing (especially with it being high-fat which matches modern nutritional science) except for the soy. They should make one called "Soylent -1.0" or something. Are there any alternatives?
I'm amazed by how FDA regulates drugs and how it regulates... actually how it <i>doesn't</i> regulate, supplements and things like Soylent, which is not even a supplement but claims to be food "that possesses all the essential ingredients a body needs to be healthy".<p>Studies anyone?<p>Maybe it does contain all the essential ingredients but maybe the human body can't process them effectively. Maybe it's not very healthy taking <i>all</i> these ingredients <i>every</i> day.<p>Maybe in the long run it'll have bad effect on the microbiome, intestinal mucosa or on million other things in the human body.<p>Whenever someone question those things, the answer is "But it's better than junk food".
Well...<p>Edit: Ok, my bad, it's actually regulated as a food [1].<p>[1] <a href="https://faq.soylent.com/hc/en-us/articles/200789315-Nutrition" rel="nofollow">https://faq.soylent.com/hc/en-us/articles/200789315-Nutritio...</a>
It says it's completely vegan but they say the Isomaltulose is from honey? Isn't honey non-vegan? Are they just saying that it occurs in honey but they used a different source?
Anyone know what the shelf life is? Does it need to be refrigerated? In the Ars Technica interview they say that thepowder has much longer shelf life, but that's as far as it goes.
Anyone who "pre-orders" from Soylent is a bozo. They say September and if their initial launch is any indication that will quickly become 1Q 2016 and then Mid 2016.
This kills me, it means I can no longer bring 20 pounds of soylent back to Argentina with me (in powder form). Or will they continue to sell soylent in powder form?
Soy is a big no within the Paleo diet group I know. This is because it's potent with Phytic acid which binds to other nutrients and turn them into waste. Consumers beware.
> Not only are its ingredients vegan, Soylent 2.0 reaches an unprecedented level of environmental sustainability with half of its fat energy coming from farm-free, algae sources. This next generation agricultural technology has the potential to reduce the ecological impact of food production by orders of magnitude, signifying a major step towards a future of abundance, a world where optimal nutrition is the new normal<p>Is this like a giant parody of the gullible shepherding of American consumers?<p>This is pablum. You can cook. You can make your own, custom meals that fit your macros. That are <i>fresh</i> and give you variety.