I got to try my Soylent today! Here's a picture of the packaging, don't mind the dual-advertising It was stuck in the building managers office from Friday. I had to wait until the office opened to get my food, otherwise I would have tried Soylent a few days sooner. As per this, I thought I should update.
I bought the 28 meals / 7 bags package. For those who don't know, Soylent is meant to be an optimally balanced foodstuff. It is designed to have a 'neutral' flavour. In my opinion, the flavour is not terribly great. It tastes as though someone was about to start baking, and had mixed all the dry ingredients aside from sugar. Not bad per se, but not exactly appetising on its own. I tried adding sugar and cocoa powder to the mix to liven the taste. It did not help much... Perhaps I will try vanilla tomorrow.
I would describe its texture much like everyone else does: as if I had just mixed a bit of chalk powder with water. It is certainly less chalky than I was expecting, but even so, it is still somewhat chalky.
So far, both the taste and the texture are not terribly appetising. If I cannot find a way to improve its taste, I think it may be best alongside some small solid food. I am currently eating some pretzels while drinking Soylent.
Despite this, I am still enjoying myself while I drink it. Perhaps this is because it is supposedly very healthy. If I manage to find anything to improve its flavour, I may try that and let you all know my opinion.
I'm interested but after the whole lead in protein shakes thing, or the lack of protein in protein powder I'm kinda wary of these powdered meal replacements. Is soylent safe? Edit: After a bit of googling seems like a lawsuit is out. I'd be careful about eating that stuff every day.
If you're interested, I've re-written the ingredients list on the back of the packaging: Contains: SoySoylent Powder Ingredients: Canola & Sunflower Oil Powder (Canola Oil, Sunflower Oil, Maltodextrin, Modified Food Starch, Mono & Diglycerides, Tricalcium Phosphate, Mixed Tocopherois), Rice Protein, Isomaltulose, Oat Flour, Modified Food Starch, Vitamin and Mineral Blend [Potassium as (Potassium-Gluconate), Calcium (as Calcium Carbonate), Choline Bitartrate, Magnesium (as Magnesium Oxide), Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid), Zinc (as Zinc Sulfate), Vitamin E (as di-alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate), Vitamin B3 (as Niacinamide), Copper (as Copper Gluconate), Vitamin B5 (as Calcium d-Panto-thenate), Manganese (as Sodium Molybdate), Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine HCI), Vitamin B2 (as Riboflavin), Vitamin B1 (as Thiamin HCI), Vitamin A (as Palmitate), Chromium (as Chromium Chloride), Folic Acid, Biotin, Iodine (as Potassium Iodide), Molybdenum (as Sodium Molybdate), Selenium (as Sodium Slenenite), Vitamin K1 (as Phytonadione), Vitamin D2 (as Ergocalciferl), Vitamin B12 (as Cyanocobalamin)], Rice Starch, Soy Lecithin, Trehalose, Cellulose, Salt, life'sDHATM Oil Powder (Docosahexaenoic Acid from Algal Oil), Cellulose Gum, Xantham Gum, Carrageenan, Sucralose.
Wow must have taken a bit! I think it would be fine taken occasionally, they argued in court once every 8 days is average use. With any if this stuff that's not FDA regulated companies really can take advantage of people. If you want to do something like this more often you can combine optimum nutrition powder, fish oil, and a multivitamin. Gets you pretty close without the lead!
Every eight days? Woops. I've been eating it daily...
While that does concern me a little, the article does say ... The primary frustration for manufacturers, however, is that even if they can prove they are under Prop 65 safe harbor levels, the costs associated with defending yourself (hiring a toxicology expert, legal fees etc) will almost certainly exceed whatever amount plaintiffs demand in settlement, prompting some lawyers to argue that Prop 65 has turned into a form of “legalized blackmail”. And then there's this page on the Soylent website regarding Proposition 65.Despite its laudable aims, however, Prop 65 has proved controversial given that the vast majority of firms sued over alleged violations opt to settle - even if they are supremely confident in the safety of their products - because the burden of proof is on defendants to prove exposure levels are zero (or in the case of substances where safe harbor levels have been set, below a set threshold).
I don't have a blender : ( But I was thinking of adding bananas to it, actually. I might try strawberries, or raspberries, or something, too.