Experiment -1: Soylent
Another experiment from the distant past. This one’s about subsisting on naught else but Soylent.
Background
Before starting this experiment I had no idea people could get so worked up about what others eat. It’s precisely because I don’t really care about day-to-day sustenance that I’ve always wanted some kind of cheap, fast nutritious drink downable in 5 minutes to save all that time spent on preparing meals. Imagine all the things I could do, how much more productive I could be, if I shaved hours off of something as meaningless as preparing food for myself - or so I thought.
I’d heard of Soylent before, but for some reason had the misconception that it was a kind of high-protein mix made for muscle-building athletes. Turned out it was a low-effort just-add-water powder for time-conscious (lazy) people like me.
After doing the requisite internet research on the product, I reached two conclusions:
It probably works, in that it’s nutritionally complete enough that you could substitute a bunch of your meals with it and come off all right. In fact, multiple self-reported data suggested that in general, you seem to get healthier and more energetic subsisting on the stuff.
A lot of people out there have very strong and negative feelings about others replacing their typical hot meals with a cup of bland white goo. Reasons range from health concerns to “it’s un-na’chural!”. From what I can tell, the most valid and substantiated concern is really just regarding the taste of the product.
Doing some calculations, each meal looks to burn roughly $3 for me. One could eat cheaper than that, of course, but then one would have to bother about getting groceries on sale, balancing nutrients and whatnot, not to mention all that time spent on cooking and cleaning after. At this price point, some substitution could be in order.
Hypothesis
Bet I could replace almost all my meals with Soylent without problems.
Results
Taste
My first time trying Soylent was actually from one of the drink bottles. Tasted not too bad actually. It was definitely on the bland side, but I reckon that’s a plus - probably one would get sick of taking the same drink multiple times a day everyday if it wasn’t bland. The powder version is cheaper per meal though, so that’s my main source. You can add flavourings to the powder to for something tastier (I’ve tried strawberries, bananas, cocoa powder, Ovaltine, peanut butter, cinnamon, etc), but if mixed plain with water I have to say, it just doesn’t taste as good as the bottle version.
But either way. I don’t think Soylent is “disgusting” or “horrible-tasting”. It’s just neutral and bland. And slightly more creamy and palatable when made with alternative milks, like almond.
I do occasionally crave other foods - especially meat (which might or might not have to do with the decreased amount of protein in Soylent compared to my previous diet) - and crunchy foodstuffs (which entirely has to do with the fact that Soylent is a goop). But interestingly enough, there were times where I craved Soylent itself as well, especially when prepared warm.
Eggs are a healthy way of increasing protein intake, and a few low-salt crunchy snacks solves these problems, so it’s hardly a showstopper.
Social
It seems that many people do have a negative view of Soylent. Most of the people around me found it weird, if not outright disgusting. And their incisive questions were pretty much what you’d expect, after reading what many think of it online. It can get old fast, especially when fielding attacks from those who have opinions disproportionately strong when compared to the amount of research they’ve actually done on the stuff. But hey, on the flip side, you get a quick litmus test for discerning the open-mindedness of people around you - at least where nutrition is concerned.
In terms of social events, it can be a bit of a problem if you’re trying to go on a 100% Soylent-only diet for whatever reason. Restaurant dining with others can be awkward when you’re the only one with a bottle in front of you, and people feel compelled to offer you food even if you’re technically already having lunch right there with them. It makes for extra awkwardness when they won’t take no for an answer, but you also don’t want to pay for the food they’ve ordered. Sometimes it’s better to skip out on eating entirely and just say you’ve already eaten.
Health
When first starting on a Soylent-heavy diet, there was a bit of an adjustment period as others have recounted experiencing. Mine only lasted about two days, and wasn’t all that uncomfortable - just some vague sense of unusual digestive activity.
The nice thing is, where I used to have a bit of an energy crash after lunchtime, I now keep relatively steady throughout the day - saving me even more time than I originally thought this experiment would. Probably boosted productivity more than expected, too, what with the general increased sense of energy while going on a simpler diet.
As far as I can tell, there haven’t been any negative side effects since starting the experiment, depending on whether or not you call increased frequency in bowel movement a negative side effect.
Miscellaneous
Regular food seems to have become more flavourful, and more enjoyable on the occasion that I do take the chance to try some. It feels as though perhaps the taste buds used to be overstimulated, and now even a simple home-cooked meal is far more appetizing than it used to be. There is no longer an urge to add as much sugar or salt or anything to regular food. Sweets and candies with higher sugar content has become off-putting. I definitely used to be more of a sugar junkie - another unexpected health bonus from the new diet, it seems.
Conclusion
The pros definitely seem to outweigh the cons, and I would recommend trying something similar for a while, if just to get to know your mind and body better.
I’d be interesting in checking out some DIY-lents later, which could have the double benefit of driving costs down further, while also being more delicious. Drinking a homemade shake may also come off as more socially acceptable than Soylent, which as you may know has an interesting namesake.