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EvgeniZyntx wrote: »
Apologies, I should have clarified - this has been my conversations both online and with friends and coworkers, not this thread in particular.
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EvgeniZyntx wrote: »
Apologies, I should have clarified - this has been my conversations both online and with friends and coworkers, not this thread in particular.
Well, Soylent is people. Or a highly processed sludge.
I guess some people will get upset.
People got upset when I lost weight while eating chocolate....
Anyway, it's interesting to discuss with people trying this - I doubt I'll every try it out (and certainly not for any extended amount of time at the current state of the arts) but who knows, it might be a path forward for more than a small niche.0 -
chivalryder wrote: »@chivalryder I too originally chose Soylent as a cost saver. The convenience and nutritional makeup of Soylent was just a bonus for me. Nothing quite like being able to mix a pitch up the night before and drink it throughout the day for your nutritional needs. I haven't been willing to invest the time to research DIY recipes, but it sounds like you found one that is working for you.
I know that ahamm002 has been really dogging Soylent, but with no experience using it I just don't know how much weight I would put behind his words. Obviously there is great benefits to eating a diet based upon fresh fruits, vegetables and fish but is that something that all of us can implement into our daily routine or afford on our current budgets? No one is questioning that. What they are questioning and sort of the reason I thought this thread was created was how it stands up compared to those ideal convention sources of nutrition. As far as cost, I know where I live I would be hard pressed to consume those types of foods and keep my food bill under the $255/month that month's supply of Soylent cost.
I have been using Soylent pretty steadily now for over a month and while it isn't the only food I consume, it does make up a large portion of my diet. (Usually for breakfast and lunch with a good dinner.) I can tell you from first hand experience that I have noticed a significant increase in overall energy, improved sleep, and just an overall increase in my sense of well-being. I am clearer headed and find myself able to focus much better on difficult or complex issues as well.
Does this mean that everyone should run out and start drinking Soylent exclusively or that this is the only reason I feel this way? Hell no. Even those who created it recommend finding a balance that works for you. (Plus I don't want too much competition over my source of processed humans.) What I can tell you from my experience so far is I feel significantly better using it as a source for nutrition and caloric intake than when I did not use it. I also find that when I have an extended weekend away and eat like a normal foods that I begin to crave Soylent come Monday morning. My body is telling me that it wants it as a food source.
No I have not used Soylent as a dietary supplement. Why would I want to switch from a healthy varied diet that I enjoy eating to liquid diet of primarily maltodextrin and rice protein???
BTW, I'm glad that you're having good results from starting Soylent. My only concern is that it's not a permanent fix. It's a bandaid for your lack of a healthy diet. Are you really going to eat soylent for most of your calories for the rest of your life? And even if you somehow never got sick of it do you really think that would be good for your longevity?
And please don't give me the old "healthy foods are too expensive" garbage. Fruit, veggies, nuts, legumes, chicken, and many types of fish are all very cheap provided you don't have to buy organic. Once you put some effort into learning to cook it becomes pretty easy.
I find this quite funny. How much do you spend on food every month? I used to cook everything I ate from scratch, being very careful of what I bought and ate. I never bought organic and took advantage of sales as often as I could.
The absolute lowest I got my grocery bill was $450/month. If I'm not anal-retentive about sales and penny-pinching, it's over $500/month. I've been trying for three years to get it lower and it's impossible for me to do so.
My DIY soylent is costing me less than $200/month.
If you look at the food diaries of most people complaining about the cost of healthy food, the diaries are often loaded with entries like McDonald's, Arby's, domino's, etc. For most people, the cost of real food bought in a normal grocery store is not the true issue.
When I was a student I used to shop at a Save-a-lot in the city. It was cheap as dirt, although I'm not sure if it was actually as little as 50 bucks per week. If I was really hard up for cash I'd probably shop there again despite how bad their produce is.
If your budget is truly so tight that you have a good reason to limit your food spending to only 50 bucks per week then DIY Soylent might be one of the easiest ways to do that. I've never tried to get my food budget that low though.0 -
emmydoodles83 wrote: »
Hmm 100 mile, sounds interesting. I do buy boxed food at the grocery store, but usually I try to stick with simple stuff like rice, beans etc. One or two ingredient stuff. Lol if it has a bunch of crazy *kitten* I've never heard of then I def put it back. I also have been getting farm deliveries which they do in my area so I was very excited about that.
I do the same thing at the grocery.
Try to keep it simple and stay out of the isles as much as possible. I was told the good stuff is found on the outside of the store that surrounds all the stuff on the shelves.
My sister does farm deliveries as well and really likes it. Unfortunately they are done for the season and are geared more towards family size deliveries. I try to use a local farmers market when it is open during the season, but was hoping to look into the deliveries if they have a smaller version for singles like myself. After all, I don't just eat Soylent.
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chivalryder wrote: »Oh, another thing I'd like to add: When eating real foods, I was always crazing different things. Chocolate, candy, pizza, burgers. I always wanted something that I shouldn't necessarily be eating at that time (too many calories for my daily allotment. Not saying you should never eat any of the above). Since I started drinking Soylent, ALL of my cravings have vanished. It's easier to control my intake.
ETA: Cravings, from what I have read, are your bodys way of telling you that you're deficient on certain micronutrients. I'm certain I no longer have cravings because I'm now getting all of the (known) necessary micronutrients.
Cravings are a lot more complex than just being your body's way of telling you that you need more micro's. Otherwise I wouldn't crave salty food, ice cream, cake, cookies, etc b/c I get plenty of micros.
However, it is well known that when you avoid a food for a long time then routine cravings for that food tend to diminish/vanish. That doesn't mean Soylent is good for weight loss though. It might work in the short term, but temporary diets only lead to temporary weight loss.0 -
chivalryder wrote: »@chivalryder I too originally chose Soylent as a cost saver. The convenience and nutritional makeup of Soylent was just a bonus for me. Nothing quite like being able to mix a pitch up the night before and drink it throughout the day for your nutritional needs. I haven't been willing to invest the time to research DIY recipes, but it sounds like you found one that is working for you.
I know that ahamm002 has been really dogging Soylent, but with no experience using it I just don't know how much weight I would put behind his words. Obviously there is great benefits to eating a diet based upon fresh fruits, vegetables and fish but is that something that all of us can implement into our daily routine or afford on our current budgets? No one is questioning that. What they are questioning and sort of the reason I thought this thread was created was how it stands up compared to those ideal convention sources of nutrition. As far as cost, I know where I live I would be hard pressed to consume those types of foods and keep my food bill under the $255/month that month's supply of Soylent cost.
I have been using Soylent pretty steadily now for over a month and while it isn't the only food I consume, it does make up a large portion of my diet. (Usually for breakfast and lunch with a good dinner.) I can tell you from first hand experience that I have noticed a significant increase in overall energy, improved sleep, and just an overall increase in my sense of well-being. I am clearer headed and find myself able to focus much better on difficult or complex issues as well.
Does this mean that everyone should run out and start drinking Soylent exclusively or that this is the only reason I feel this way? Hell no. Even those who created it recommend finding a balance that works for you. (Plus I don't want too much competition over my source of processed humans.) What I can tell you from my experience so far is I feel significantly better using it as a source for nutrition and caloric intake than when I did not use it. I also find that when I have an extended weekend away and eat like a normal foods that I begin to crave Soylent come Monday morning. My body is telling me that it wants it as a food source.
No I have not used Soylent as a dietary supplement. Why would I want to switch from a healthy varied diet that I enjoy eating to liquid diet of primarily maltodextrin and rice protein???
BTW, I'm glad that you're having good results from starting Soylent. My only concern is that it's not a permanent fix. It's a bandaid for your lack of a healthy diet. Are you really going to eat soylent for most of your calories for the rest of your life? And even if you somehow never got sick of it do you really think that would be good for your longevity?
And please don't give me the old "healthy foods are too expensive" garbage. Fruit, veggies, nuts, legumes, chicken, and many types of fish are all very cheap provided you don't have to buy organic. Once you put some effort into learning to cook it becomes pretty easy.
I find this quite funny. How much do you spend on food every month? I used to cook everything I ate from scratch, being very careful of what I bought and ate. I never bought organic and took advantage of sales as often as I could.
The absolute lowest I got my grocery bill was $450/month. If I'm not anal-retentive about sales and penny-pinching, it's over $500/month. I've been trying for three years to get it lower and it's impossible for me to do so.
My DIY soylent is costing me less than $200/month.
If you look at the food diaries of most people complaining about the cost of healthy food, the diaries are often loaded with entries like McDonald's, Arby's, domino's, etc. For most people, the cost of real food bought in a normal grocery store is not the true issue.
When I was a student I used to shop at a Save-a-lot in the city. It was cheap as dirt, although I'm not sure if it was actually as little as 50 bucks per week. If I was really hard up for cash I'd probably shop there again despite how bad their produce is.
If your budget is truly so tight that you have a good reason to limit your food spending to only 50 bucks per week then DIY Soylent might be one of the easiest ways to do that. I've never tried to get my food budget that low though.
That's true. Most people complaining about the cost of food don't actually cook and therefore have no real idea on the cost.
My situation is more extreme than most because I cannot eat soy, gluten, dairy, eggs, and basically every other staple food product that comes in cheap from the grocery store. I believe this is one of those rare instances where I am a special snowflake (and it f*ing sucks!).
Place that on top of all my other current living expenses and something had to give. It was this for a couple of years, or I default on my car loan.
The cost saving are also more than just food. I have a fraction of the dishes to wash, so I save on water and a bit of electricity (hot water). I don't cook every day, or batch cook, or thrown anything in the microwave. There's savings on electricity there. It's not as much as I'm saving directly from food, but a little bit goes a long way.0 -
Wait....what....this *kitten* is real? Ill stick to real food thank you.0
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chivalryder wrote: »Oh, another thing I'd like to add: When eating real foods, I was always crazing different things. Chocolate, candy, pizza, burgers. I always wanted something that I shouldn't necessarily be eating at that time (too many calories for my daily allotment. Not saying you should never eat any of the above). Since I started drinking Soylent, ALL of my cravings have vanished. It's easier to control my intake.
ETA: Cravings, from what I have read, are your bodys way of telling you that you're deficient on certain micronutrients. I'm certain I no longer have cravings because I'm now getting all of the (known) necessary micronutrients.
Cravings are a lot more complex than just being your body's way of telling you that you need more micro's. Otherwise I wouldn't crave salty food, ice cream, cake, cookies, etc b/c I get plenty of micros.
However, it is well known that when you avoid a food for a long time then routine cravings for that food tend to diminish/vanish. That doesn't mean Soylent is good for weight loss though. It might work in the short term, but temporary diets only lead to temporary weight loss.
Indeed it is more complex, but that is a bit of it.
It took me 2-3 days for my cravings to go away. I've only been doing this full-time for a few weeks. Less than a month.0 -
But I love food. Why would I drink this when I can eat food? Food that tastes good.
Also LOL at it being called Soylent and people actually buying it.0 -
SoDamnHungry wrote: »But I love food. Why would I drink this when I can eat food? Food that tastes good.
Also LOL at it being called Soylent and people actually buying it.
Because some people can't afford real food. Some people have health reasons. Some people (third world countries) don't even have access to food.
I hate calling it Soylent, for that reason. I prefer calling it a meal replacement shake.0 -
EvgeniZyntx wrote: »chivalryder wrote: »EvgeniZyntx wrote: »@chivalryder
Question about your preparation - do you mix your dyi dry and then add water? How long do you store a ready to drink solution?
Just curious.
I had made single-day batches, three-day batches, and one week batches. I prefer the one week batches because it's an hour on the weekend to get it all done, then I don't have to worry about food at all throughout the week.
I had tried using flaxseed for my fat, but found it was WAY too much flax per serving. It was also a bit expensive. I've now gone to the typical oil. I had researched mixing tapioca maltodextrin with the oil to turn it into a powder, but I had to order it. I simply mixed the oil into the powder mix (mixed the powder first to ensure consistency) and found that the powder soaked up the oil. It just makes the powder hold together a bit better. Takes a lot of mixing to avoid clumping, but it's still a very dry powder.
I add water right before I drink. I pour a bit of water into a shaker bottle, with the spiral ball (very important to break down the clumps), then pour in the powder (get a wide mouth funnel, the ones for canning are perfect), then top it off with water. Shake well and drink immediately.
Without the oil, I just kept it in sealed containers in a cool, dry place. It's dry powder, so in a week it shouldn't go bad. Same situation as portien powder.
Now that I'm adding oil, I keep it in the fridge, just to be safe. The oil gives bacteria a second way to breed itself in the formula. Probably not much of an issue, but I'm just playing it safe. My fridge is empty otherwise.
And thanks for this, clearly you've given this a lot of thought.
I'm getting diagnosed with ADD. I put a lot of thought into everything. Most of it time too much and often unnecessary.0 -
Oh geeze, it comes with a Soylent Scoop.0
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chivalryder wrote: »SoDamnHungry wrote: »But I love food. Why would I drink this when I can eat food? Food that tastes good.
Also LOL at it being called Soylent and people actually buying it.
Because some people can't afford real food. Some people have health reasons. Some people (third world countries) don't even have access to food.
I hate calling it Soylent, for that reason. I prefer calling it a meal replacement shake.
Countries that don't have access to food due to monetary reasons certainly can't afford ten dollars a day worth of shakes to drink. The average income in many of them is so low that would have to feed a family for a day, or even a week.
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SoDamnHungry wrote: »Oh geeze, it comes with a Soylent Scoop.
Protein powder comes with a scoop. How else do you get accurate serving sizes without a weight scale?0 -
SoDamnHungry wrote: »chivalryder wrote: »SoDamnHungry wrote: »But I love food. Why would I drink this when I can eat food? Food that tastes good.
Also LOL at it being called Soylent and people actually buying it.
Because some people can't afford real food. Some people have health reasons. Some people (third world countries) don't even have access to food.
I hate calling it Soylent, for that reason. I prefer calling it a meal replacement shake.
Countries that don't have access to food due to monetary reasons certainly can't afford ten dollars a day worth of shakes to drink. The average income in many of them is so low that would have to feed a family for a day, or even a week.
Where did you get $10/day from? People who are producing food for charity isn't going to charge the same markup as they do for commercial products. On top of that, it's a niche product that is produced in low quantities. If they started producing the product for charity organizations that support third world development, the cost of manufacturing would go down. My DIY mix costs me less than $200/month. If I bought it at near wholesale cost, I'm sure it would be closer to $100/month.
Not to mention it's a dry product. Per calorie, it's smaller and lighter than any other food product. It would be easier to ship, and will last a very long time in storage.
It's a far better, and cheaper solution to famine than anything else that currently exists (other than educating and assisting communities to grow their own food, but that's a very slow and not always a viable option).
ETA: I briefly followed the Soylent startup when it was in the preliminary stages, long before the crowdfunding started or before he was even considering making it a commercial product. He was looking for volunteers to see what effect it had on people in short and long-term. He was offering to ship the mixture to whoever wanted to get in on it and I believe it was about $60-$80 for a months worth of mix. Mind you, it has changed a lot since then, but in the grand scheme of things, it's still really cheap.0 -
This is what my mix looks like, when ready to drink. It's beige because of the corn masa, and grain based protein powder. It doesn't taste like anything, but that's ok. I treat myself once a week and it makes the food much more enjoyable.
ETA: When I up my calories, 1/4 of carbs will come from sugar (maple, cane, brown, coconut, whatever). It makes it very tasty. Much better than protein powder shakes.0 -
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Someone mentioned something about soy lecithin and emulsifiers. I actually put soy lecithin granules into my shake because having an emulsifier is good for consistency, and because it's an excellent source of choline. Choline is hard to find. It also has a lot of Vitamin K.0
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chivalryder wrote: »EvgeniZyntx wrote: »Well, it certainly sounds like a great time...
http://discourse.soylent.me/t/this-box-is-making-me-sick/18057
http://discourse.soylent.me/t/still-sick-on-2nd-day-after-trying-only-1-glass-of-soylent/16064
http://discourse.soylent.me/t/sick-from-soylent-1-2-stringy-consistency/18398
http://discourse.soylent.me/t/is-soylent-making-me-sick/19240
http://discourse.soylent.me/t/offical-soylent-should-it-be-producing-mustard-gas/12660
Any food has the potential to give people bad reactions. It happens.
You should see me with walnuts, red wine, wheat, and uni.
As for concerns about taurine... not relevant to me. I'm already supplementing about 7gr a day due to this thing I'm taking. Keeps the back pumps at bay.
I'd much prefer seeing people drinking powdered foods as well, than to eat meat they let a proxy kill and prep for them. Then again, I think people taking responsibility for their actions is a good thing, but whatevs.chivalryrder wrote: »I'd much rather see someone drinking a mixture of powdered food products, with a couple of supplements thrown in, than eating foods containing controversial food products (sweeteners, flavour and colour additives, preservatives, etc.). I'm not trying to start a debate on what is good or bad food. That's not my point. My point is that there is plenty of debate on what is a carcinogen and what isn't. Soylent does not have anything of the like, especially DIY formulas that are made from real food products (albeit highly processed food products).0 -
chivalryder wrote: »SoDamnHungry wrote: »But I love food. Why would I drink this when I can eat food? Food that tastes good.
Also LOL at it being called Soylent and people actually buying it.
Because some people can't afford real food. Some people have health reasons. Some people (third world countries) don't even have access to food.
I hate calling it Soylent, for that reason. I prefer calling it a meal replacement shake.
Food doesn't get any more "real" than rice and beans. Or rice and lentils.
Dirt cheap.
Throw in frozen or in-season vegetables and still dirt cheap.
If someone wants to live on Soylent, it's fine with me, but the idea that cost or food availability is a primary driver is not consistent with the realities.
Nobody posting on this thread is living as a third-worlder, so let's not complicate the discussion unnecessarily.
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