Requires refrigeration, not shelf stable, contains lactose, which not everyone can tolerate, contains cholesterol, less convenient than bottles, not vegan, for those who it matters to, and more expensive than the equivalent amount of Soylent to top it all off. And that's without even trying particularly hard to think of reasons.
And, for the record, I don't even drink Soylent anymore.
> Pasteurized Whole Milk, Pasteurized Cream, Live Active Cultures
Over:
> Filtered water, soy protein isolate, maltodextrin, high oleic sunflower oil, isomaltulose, canola oil, rice starch, oat fiber, isomaltooligosaccharide, soy lecithin, potassium chloride, calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, natural & artificial flavors, dipotassium phosphate, salt, choline chloride, gellan gum, sodium ascorbate, dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, ferrous gluconate, zinc sulfate, d-calcium pantothenate, niacinamide, sucralose, thiamine hydrochloride, copper gluconate, manganese sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin a palmitate, riboflavin, chromium chloride, biotin, folic acid, sodium molybdate, sodium selenite, phytonadione, potassium iodide, vitamin b12, vitamin d. contains: soy
I guess it is less convenient.
> more expensive than the equivalent amount of Soylent to top it all off
Somehow I don't think penny pinchers are Soylent's target audience, but maybe I'm wrong.
I quite assure you that if I listed all of the compounds of "Pasteurized Whole Milk, Pasteurized Cream, Live Active Cultures, Cream" using standard chemistry nomenclature, the list would look far more intimidating to the average layperson.
Isn't it? You're the one bandying about phrases like "...strange synthetic meal..." and touting the ingredient lists of one meal over another.
As for bad omega 3:6 ratio, that's easily solved by eating something else that contains omega-3. Nobody says that Soylent is the only thing a person is permitted to eat.
But it's supposed to be able to be used that way, if one wants. AFAIK it doesn't warn to get omega-3 from time to time.
It has been marketed as a sole source of nutrition, and every conversation about Soylent on HN has people claiming it can be used as a sole source of nutrition.
I'm not convinced your alternative is actually more healthful, nor do I believe it contains the vitamins or minerals you'd need for it to act as a reasonable meal replacement. From a macro perspective at least, I don't see anything particularly wrong with Soylent's product.
You didn't know, or you don't think they should be? The jury is still out on dietary cholesterol, and there are plenty of people, some on this very forum, who consider it a health hazard.
I'm aware of recent research suggesting it isn't all that bad, but there's no telling if that's going to be reversed as well in a couple of years.
For reference, dietary cholesterol is most often a problem for people of certain African, south Asian, Mesoamerican and Mediterranean populations that historically consumed limited animal products, or low fat animal products such as warm-water fish. People of central/northern European/Asian descent are typically fine.
Feel free to lowercase it yourself. HN readers will appreciate it!
filtered water, soy protein isolate, maltodextrin, high oleic sunflower oil, isomaltulose, canola oil, rice starch, oat fiber, isomaltooligosaccharide, soy lecithin, potassium chloride, calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, natural & artificial flavors, dipotassium phosphate, salt, choline chloride, gellan gum, sodium ascorbate, dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, ferrous gluconate, zinc sulfate, d-calcium pantothenate, niacinamide, sucralose, thiamine hydrochloride, copper gluconate, manganese sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin a palmitate, riboflavin, chromium chloride, biotin, folic acid, sodium molybdate, sodium selenite, phytonadione, potassium iodide, vitamin b12, vitamin d. contains: soy
Vim v$~ FTW!
-- Just seems like empty one-upmanship on the internet.
I wonder if the bioavailability is even good in Soylent. I know some of these nutrients are much more bioavailable in animal sources than plant sources (though I can't recall which), so the vegan-friendly label on Soylent is a mark against it, if health is your goal.
Isn't it much easier and safer to just find the right mix of carbs/fats/protein and take a vitamin pill?
I recall hearing of the soylent creator having somewhat serious problems with micronutrients dosage...
My breakfast is often Siggi's 4% skyr (thick yogurt): http://siggisdairy.com/product/plain-whole-milk-24oz/
Plus Organic valley heavy cream: https://www.organicvalley.coop/products/cream/
Ususally about 300g + 100g, then sometimes some granola (oats, almonds, sometimes honey), for body.
Soylent is:
* 37g carb
* 21g fats
* 20g protein
What I'm eating is much healthier by my estimation:
* 16g carb
* 49g fats
* 35g protein
(Before granola, which you can use to moderate the carbs if you want.)
It is not hard to mix two things together, sometimes three. If you really want to custom flavor it, buy a jam (I suggest Mymoune rose petal jam, from Lebanon, but there are millions of flavors when you pick your own jam!)
What is so good about soylent? Why not just mix skyr and heavy cream if that's the kind of meal you want?
Why eat a strange synthetic meal from a company that has trouble with rats and mold when you could eat a couple simple whole foods? What problem is Soylent solving, exactly?
And aren't you worried about the unfavorable omega 3:6 ratio in this stuff? Just going off the ingredients they list, I can't find any literature they give on the ratio. (If you're not up to speed, the latest: http://openheart.bmj.com/content/openhrt/3/2/e000385.full.pd... )
(Diet Note: I'm 5'10 and 146 lbs male, 12-13% body fat. In my diet I aim for ~60-70% calories from fat, but don't always hit it.)