I did it. I ordered Soylent. It’s scheduled to be delivered in December. I even convinced Karen to give it a try and ordered some for her.
As I mentioned previously, Soylent is a brand new (not even shipping yet) food replacement… um… thing. The theory behind it is to gather everything a human body needs and ingest just that.
Well, I shouldn’t say “just.” While Soylent’s creators do believe we can live solely on Soylent and water, they are not pitching it as a complete replacement. They expect people to still eat socially, just as they drink socially. (I just love this concept of food being relegated to a social experience or hobby.)
Soylent comes in the form of a powder. Mixed with water, it turns into a smoothie-like drink. I’ve read experiences of beta testers, and they claim Soylent is absolutely filling. Those who went all out and ingested nothing but Soylent (and water) for a week or so said that after a couple days they didn’t even crave regular food. Supposedly, if your body is getting everything it needs, cravings simply don’t happen.
So why am I getting on board the Soylent train? For a number of reasons:
- Novelty – I love new, big ideas, and it doesn’t get much bigger than replacing something humans have been doing since the dawn of their existence.
- Health – I believe my current diet is healthier than most Americans, but that doesn’t make it ideal. Soylent will provide all sorts of nutrition that I’m missing now while also cutting down on all the crap that I currently put into my body. I’ve read reports of increased energy, sharper mind, healthier skin, and whiter teeth. I want that.
- Time and convenience – Most of my meals are eaten because I’m hungry and need sustenance. They’re eaten hurriedly and often without me even noticing the taste. In these instances, all I’m going for is the fuel, but it takes time to prepare and clean up each of these meals. Soylent is prepared in batches ahead of time. When I’m hungry, I can just start drinking.
- Money – Currently less than $3 per meal, Soylent is cheaper than old fashioned food. By saving on those meals that I’m not even paying attention to, I can spend more on nice, social meals.
- Weird looks – I’m not an attention whore, but I can’t wait to see the weird looks people give me when I tell them I don’t eat anymore.
I’ve purchased a month’s worth of Soylent, so my plan is this: I will go a full week on nothing but Soylent and water. This is mainly to jump in and get the full effect. After that, assuming things go well, I expect to use Soylent for breakfasts and lunches. I’ll probably still join my wife for real-food dinners.
This all assumes, of course, that I can stand the taste and texture and have no medical issues with the stuff.
I honestly can’t wait. This is one of the most exciting ideas that I’ve ever heard of, and it could reshape human cultures, economies, and heck, even human evolution.
I’m ready for Soylent.
Learn more at Soylent.me.