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Soylent (meal replacement)

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This article is about a powdered meal replacement mix. For other uses, see Soylent (disambiguation).
Soylent
A glass of Soylent
TypePowder prepared as a drink
CourseMain course
Place of originUnited States
Region or stateNorth America
Created byRob Rhinehart
Invented2013
Serving temperatureRefrigerated or room temperature
Main ingredients1.5:[1] Rice Protein, Oat Flour, Omega-3 Fatty Acids extracted from Algae
Ingredients generally used1.5:[1] Rice Starch, Modified Food Starch, Soy Lecithin, Cellulose, Salt, Canola and Oleic Sunflower Oil, life'sDHA Oil Powder, Xanthan Gum, Sucralose
Food energy
(per 500 ml serving)
1.5: 500 kcal[1]
Nutritional value
(per 500 ml serving)
Protein20 g
Fat23 g
Carbohydrate57 g
Glycemic index 65 (medium)

Soylent is a powdered meal replacement product, advertised as a "staple meal". Its creators state that Soylent meets all nutritional requirements for an average adult. Soylent was first created and tested by software engineer Rob Rhinehart as a self-experiment in nutrition. Subsequently, Soylent was developed into the first product line of the company Rosa Labs, who currently markets and sells the formulation.

Rosa Labs states that the current formulation is based on recommendations of the Institute of Medicine[2] and that Soylent meets the current Food and Drug Administration requirements to be sold as a food.[3] Rosa Labs also states that Soylent includes all of the elements of a healthy diet, without excess amounts of sugars, saturated fats, or cholesterol.[4]

History

On February 13, 2013 Rhinehart detailed his initial 30-day experiment in food replacement[5] on his blog before later sharing the nutritional information and original formula[6] for interested parties. Posts to his blog over the next two months detailed modifications to his personal formula.

These modifications lead to a crowdfunding campaign on Tilt that raised over US$3 million[7][8] aimed at moving the powdered drink from concept into production. As of 2015, this crowdfunding campaign remains the most funded food-related crowdfunding project ever accomplished. After the campaign, Soylent had venture capital financing for a seed round of $1.5 million[9] to further develop proof of concept. Media reports have detailed how operations began for Rosa Labs in April 2014, using a relatively small US$500 system to ship the first US$2.6 million worth of product.[10] In January 2015, Soylent received $20 million in Series A round funding, led by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.[11]

Prior to June 2015, Soylent was only available for purchase and shipment to those in the United States. On June 15, 2015, it was announced that Soylent would begin shipping to Canada[12] at the same price in US dollars as for United States customers. Expansion to European countries is a stated future goal.

In July 2015, it was announced that Soylent would move its corporate headquarters to Broadway Media Center, located in downtown Los Angeles.[13]

Product History

In the first week of May 2014, the first shipments of U.S. orders of Soylent 1.0 began.[14] There have been subsequent changes, each called a new "version". Since Soylent 1.2 in November 2014, all versions have been vegan.[15] Version 1.4, introduced in February 2015, used a carbohydrate/fat/protein ratio of 43/40/17, made so considering the advice of F. Xavier Pi-Sunyer, M.D., a professor of medicine at Columbia University.[16] Version 1.5, introduced in June 2015, further adjusted the ratio to 45/40/15,[17] and has a glycemic index of 65 and a glycemic load of 35.[18]

Version Changes Date
Soylent 1.0 First full version. Ingredients were finalized in January 2014,[19] and shipments began in April[20] (vegan) and May[21] (regular) of 2014. Early 2014
Soylent 1.1 The sucralose was decreased, giving it a more neutral flavor, and new digestive enzymes were added.[22] October 2, 2014[23]
Soylent 1.2 Omega-3 fatty acid from fish sources was replaced with omega-3 from algae, making the drink suitable for vegans and the enzymes added in Soylent 1.1 were removed.[15] November 10, 2014[15]
Soylent 1.3 Dipotassium phosphate was added and shipping box sizes were reduced.[24] December 11, 2014[24]
Soylent 1.4 Fats were incorporated into the powder which eliminated the need for the oil bottles, resulting in less packaging required in the shipping boxes and isomaltulose was added. Gum acacia was removed.[25] February 25, 2015[26]
Soylent 1.5 Improvements to texture from a reduction to oat flour and an addition of emulsifiers. Removal of powdered safflower and flaxseed oil which were both replaced by canola oil powder, supplementing the existing powdered high oleic sunflower oil and algal oil.[17] June 1, 2015[17]

Name

The product's name is based on Harry Harrison's 1966 science fiction novel Make Room! Make Room! in which the food product derives from soya and lentils. The term is, however, commonly associated with its 1973 film adaptation Soylent Green, in which the eponymous food supplement is made from human remains.[27]

Cost

In April 2013, Rhinehart said he was spending US$154.62 per month on Soylent, yielding a diet of 11,000 kilojoules (2,600 kcal) per day[28] while a diet of medical food such as Jevity would cost US$456 per month for 8,400 kilojoules (2,000 kcal).[29]

Soylent 1.0, which began shipping commercially in May 2014, was supplied in quantities of 7, 14, or 28 bags, with one bag providing "3+" meals.[30] As of July 2015 it was available in the US and Canada for US$85 for 7 bags, reducing the price for larger quantities or having a monthly subscription.[31][32] The lowest cost-per-meal option is the monthly subscription at a cost of US$255 for 28 bags, which calculates to US$9.11 per day, US$2.28 per meal (at recommended serving size of 4 meals/day), or $3.04 (3 meals/day). The tag line on Soylent's main website states "A full day of balanced nutrition made in 3 minutes for $3/meal."[33]

Nutrition

The following summarizes the nutrition facts and ingredients for Soylent 1.5.[34] The nutrition facts are based on one serving of 115 grams (4.1 oz).[34] Each Soylent pouch contains four servings.

Soylent 1.5 Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 115g Servings per Container: 4
Calories 500
Calories from fat 200
Amount per Serving % Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 35%
Saturated Fat 2.5g 13%
Trans Fat 0g N/A
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Sodium 360 mg 16%
Potassium 866 mg 25%
Total Carbohydrate 57g 19%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 15g
Protein 20g
Nutrition Facts (continued)
% Daily Value
Vitamin A 25%
Vitamin C 37%
Calcium 30%
Iron 23%
Vitamin D 26%
Vitamin E 26%
Vitamin K 28%
Thiamin 25%
Riboflavin 25%
Niacin 25%
Vitamin B6 25%
Folate 25%
Vitamin B12 25%
Biotin 25%
Pantothenic Acid 25%
Iodine 30%
Magnesium 23%
Zinc 25%
Selenium 25%
Copper 28%
Manganese 25%
Chromium 25%
Molybdenum 25%

Taste

Soylent contains soy lecithin and sucralose as masking flavors and to adjust appearance, texture and smell.[35] Rhinehart calls the flavor "minimal", "broad" and "nonspecific".[36] Before version 1.4, vanillin was included as an ingredient for flavoring.[37]

Reviews on the taste of Soylent vary widely. Positive reviewers were "pleasantly surprised" with the "rich, creamy, and strangely satisfying" flavor,[38] or likened it to that of a vanilla milkshake with the texture of pancake batter.[39] Negative reviewers have called it a "punishingly boring, joyless product", "like someone wrung out a dishtowel into a glass",[40] "purposefully bland", and compared the taste to "homemade nontoxic Play-Doh".[38][41] Due to the way in which Soylent is released by version, slight taste variances are introduced in every subsequent version, leading to an updated taste profile.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Soylent Nutrition Facts. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  2. ^ Nutrition - Soylent. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  3. ^ Hutchinson, Lee (29 January 2014). "Soylent gets tested, scores a surprisingly wholesome nutritional label". Ars Technica. Retrieved 11 June 2015. However, the results of the nutrition testing done to gain the label have established that Soylent meets the Food and Drug Administration's standards for a whole raft of healthy claims: "Everything from reduced risk of heart disease and some cancers to absence of tooth decay," said Rhinehart. Based on the testing, he explained, Soylent can make many of the health and nutrient claims that the FDA tracks.
  4. ^ "What is Soylent?". Soylent.
  5. ^ How I Stopped Eating Food. Feb 13, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2015
  6. ^ What's in Soylent Feb 14, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2015
  7. ^ Scutti, Susan (February 18, 2014). "Can Soylent, A New Crowd-Funded Nutritional Drink, Back Its Claims? Eat All A Healthy Body Needs For $9/Day". Medical Daily. Retrieved 2014-03-14.
  8. ^ "Soylent - Free Your Body". Tilt.com. Tilt.com. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  9. ^ Crowdfunding Darling Soylent Nets $1.5 Million In VC Funding. October 22, 2013
  10. ^ Alando Ballantyne. "How We Spent $500 on Tech to Ship $2.6M of Soylent". Medium.
  11. ^ Soylent Raises Money. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  12. ^ "Soylent : Now Shipping to Canada". soylent.com.
  13. ^ "Soylent To Relocate Headquarters to Broadway Media Center in Downtown Los Angeles". JLL.
  14. ^ "Soylent Update". Discourse.soylent.me. May 1, 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
  15. ^ a b c "Soylent : Announcing Soylent 1.2 Development of the Soylent..." soylent.me.
  16. ^ Nutrition advisor for Soylent. 16 March 2015.
  17. ^ a b c "Soylent : Soylent 1.5 Has Arrived". soylent.com.
  18. ^ "Soylent Glycemic Data". Soylent.
  19. ^ "Soylent : There is more to food than nutrition. Even a..." soylent.me.
  20. ^ "Soylent : Soylent Update 4/23". soylent.me.
  21. ^ "Soylent : 5/1 Shipping Update". soylent.me.
  22. ^ Soylent gets a version bump to 1.1—new flavor, new gut flora help. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  23. ^ "Soylent : Introducing Soylent 1.1". soylent.me.
  24. ^ a b Soylent 1.3 Shipping Today. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  25. ^ Soylent 1.4 begins shipping today. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  26. ^ "Soylent : Soylent 1.4 begins shipping today". soylent.me.
  27. ^ Varughese, Ansa (March 15, 2013). "Rob Rhinehart, 24, Creates Soylent: Why You Never Have To Eat Food Again". Medical Daily. Retrieved 2013-05-13.
  28. ^ Pomeroy, Ross (April 1, 2013). "'Soylent': Can Man Survive on Goop Alone?". Real Clear Science. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  29. ^ Matthews, Dylan (March 14, 2013). "Rob Rhinehart has a crazy plan to let you go without food forever. It just might work". Washington Post. Retrieved 2013-05-14.
  30. ^ Hutchinson, Lee (September 5, 2013). "Ars does Soylent, the finale: Soylent dreams for people". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
  31. ^ "Soylent Website Launch". Soylent. May 5, 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
  32. ^ "Soylent - Free Your Body". Soylent.
  33. ^ "Soylent - Free Your Body". soylent.com.
  34. ^ a b "Soylent 1.5 Nutrition Facts" (PDF). Soylent. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  35. ^ "There is more to food than nutrition". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  36. ^ "Stephen Colbert Taste Tests Soylent... And Finds It Delicious?", Inc. (magazine), June 13, 2014, Rhinehart described the "minimal flavor" as "broad" and "nonspecific"
  37. ^ Soylent 1.4 begins shipping today., retrieved 20 March 2015
  38. ^ a b "Soylent survivor: one month living on lab-made liquid nourishment", The Verge, July 17, 2014
  39. ^ "Soylent Review", Business Insider, July 14, 2014
  40. ^ "We Drank Soylent The Weird Food of the Future", Gawker, May 19, 2013
  41. ^ Manjoo, Farhad (May 28, 2014), "The Soylent Revolution Will Not Be Pleasurable", The New York Times
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