Soylent Green is...dinner?

[destrekor]

You need an emulsifier/binder in there if you want the almond flour to blend well with the other ingredients in there.

True.

I was just hoping all the fats were going to serve as halfway decent emulsifiers, at least for a short time.

But yeah, I've been thinking about some kind of agent for that, haven't settled on what I'd need or the minimum amount of said ingredient per shake.

 

[RossMAN]

What's the shelf life of the powder? I ordered some a few months ago.

 

[Kaido]

What's the shelf life of the powder? I ordered some a few months ago.

Should have an expiration or "best by" date on the package:

https://faq.soylent.com/hc/en-us/articles/212769723-Expiration-and-shelf-life

Shelf life is a year (before the ingredient quality starts degrading). Have you tried any yet?

 

[RossMAN]

Should have an expiration or "best by" date on the package:

https://faq.soylent.com/hc/en-us/articles/212769723-Expiration-and-shelf-life

Shelf life is a year (before the ingredient quality starts degrading). Have you tried any yet?

Come on, you already know the answer.

 

[Kaido]

Come on, you already know the answer.

1. Cut open Soylent pouch
2. Pour in Instant Pot
3. Profit!

 

[RossMAN]

1. Cut open Soylent pouch
2. Pour in Instant Pot
3. Profit!

Lol so true.

 

[Crono]

True.

I was just hoping all the fats were going to serve as halfway decent emulsifiers, at least for a short time.

But yeah, I've been thinking about some kind of agent for that, haven't settled on what I'd need or the minimum amount of said ingredient per shake.

Thinking about this, guar gum would probably work well. It has carbohydrates, but it's almost entirely fiber. You shouldn't need much anyway so it should still keep the shakes keto.

 

[whm1974]

I think I will pass on this in favor of real food, you know stuff like meat, cabbage, and potatoes for example.

 

[Kaido]

Ran out of my unflavored bottled stock, so I got a couple cases of their Strawberry & Cocoa flavors in (Amazon sells them now).

Strawberry: I don't know how to explain the flavor. I don't like it. I'll have to think more about how to describe it properly. "Not good" is my only description right now lol.

Cocoa: Tastes like sugar-free Ensure, the stuff your grandma would drink.

I doctor them up with flavored protein powder in a motorized blender bottle (20g protein in a 14oz bottled Soylent + another 24g in a scoop of whey = 44g per blender shake). Right now I'm using "vanilla ice cream" whey:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GISTZ4/

I use this USB (lol) blender bottle: (note: add liquid, turn on blender, THEN add powder into the vortex)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HCM92SV/

This combination creates a super-smooth drink (zero grittiness). When chilled, the chocolate is actually pretty drinkable...not as good as like a Fairlife or Nestle Protein Plus chocolate milk, but definitely drinkable, plus you get a full quarter of daily nutritional value (per a 2000-calorie diet) from the Soylent, so it's basically a protein-enhanced meal-replacement shake when made this way. When this batch runs out, I'll have to experiment with matching & improving the flavor using my own cocoa powder.

 

[Kaido]

I've also been experimenting with other mix-ins. Lately I've been using Kencko, which is fruit/veggie/seed powder: (freeze-dried, dehydrated, then pulverized)

https://www.kencko.com/

Here's the overview:

https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/how-do-you-create-a-smoothy.2416275/page-11#post-39552969

Here's my review:

https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/how-do-you-create-a-smoothy.2416275/page-11#post-39621020

Nutritional values:

• Blacks
• Corals
• Yellows
• Purples
• Reds
• Greens

The flavor isn't crazy-strong, but there definitely is a flavor difference between the different color packs. In the colors with chia seeds, if you mix it & the let it sit for like ten minutes, it gels up a bit into more of a smoothy consistency (without having to use a plug-in high-speed blender & frozen fruit or ice). Still a bit gritty though, which is something I don't really care for. But, you're getting a bunch of whole fruits & veggies. I've mixed like strawberry soylent + kencko powder + vanilla protein powder together & it's a decent-tasting smoothie. Again, a bit gritty (almost as if you had blended fruits with seeds in), but definitely drinkable.

Now that I can eat real food again (dairy, gluten, corn), I prefer eating whole foods, but sometimes I just get super busy at work (and/or lazy, lol) & it's nice to have an emergency backup available, for convenience, especially with the different ways you can fortify it with things like protein powder, powdered peanut butter, kencko powder, and different flavorings. tbh, if I didn't have an interest in cooking, I would probably live off soylent for breakfast & lunch and then just get take-out for dinner. Soylent has a funny effect of making real food taste like twice as good at the end of the day. Like when you've been working outside all day or exercising & then go to drink an ice-cold Dasani or Aquafina bottled water, it's kind of like that, but for food lol.

 

[destrekor]

I've also been experimenting with other mix-ins. Lately I've been using Kencko, which is fruit/veggie/seed powder: (freeze-dried, dehydrated, then pulverized)

Hey I got in on that as well! Because I felt like gambling, and wanted the best overall deal in the end, I subscribed to the largest pack with the permanent discount. I tried a couple but the box got out of sight out of mind, so it went largely unused and now I have another box because I couldn't pause/cancel the subscription in time! lol
That's one thing that bothers me is the subscription management is woefully subpar, it's so easy to pause and un-pause Soylent subscription, for example, but it requires email with Kenkco and my god are they slow at everything! And hot damn they really need to get a drop-ship system setup here Stateside, because they are sending express international and that has got to be ridiculously expensive over the long haul.

But I love the idea, and as someone who is exceptionally picky and cannot stand just about anything that is called a vegetable (I think I'm a super taster - and no it's not super at all, it sucks! I want to eat healthy, but I won't suffer through awful tasting food!) this product screams "made for me."

I just need to make it a habit. I desperately need to be consuming these daily, and I'll accept that as a cost over buying fresh produce and somehow making them palatable with effort every single day. At least this is just cut open packet, pour, shake, wait, chug. No I don't find these disgusting, but they are also not enjoyable. But oh well, it's kind of like a can of V8 in that regard (and I've been meaning to try mixing up a couple of the powder flavors with V8 juice to see how that comes together) -- it's something I am not drinking because I enjoy the taste, I'm pounding it back to get it over with, and then chasing it with something more tasty. I've grown to appreciate V8 in a way though, that it isn't off-putting anymore. But still I'm not cracking it into a glass of ice and sipping it for hours (or making bloody mary's - god no WTF was wrong with whoever invented that?!), I just pretty much chug down a 12oz can in a few gulps, and then chase with a tasty beverage.

 

[Kaido]

I think I'm a super taster - and no it's not super at all, it sucks! I want to eat healthy, but I won't suffer through awful tasting food!) this product screams "made for me.".

Yes, I'm a non-taster & my wife is a super-taster, which makes cooking...interesting. lol. We did the PTC strips a number of years ago. I actually did it as kind of a team project, we got the strips & also did a Miracle Berry tasting party. A 100-pack of taster strips is like five bucks on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001D7FF5E/

The Miracle Berries aren't cheap, unfortunately, but they are pretty fun for a one-time try. My review here:

https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/flavor-tripping-with-miracle-fruit.181613/page-2#post-38077859

Lemon juice, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, and grapes were the best for me (non-taster). Anyway, it's good to know what type of taster you are because it explains why you like certain things, like a lot of sugar or a lot of spices or flavorings in foods. The strip tasted like nothing to me, but my wife almost threw up immediately lol.

 

[Kaido]

Hey I got in on that as well! Because I felt like gambling, and wanted the best overall deal in the end, I subscribed to the largest pack with the permanent discount. I tried a couple but the box got out of sight out of mind, so it went largely unused and now I have another box because I couldn't pause/cancel the subscription in time! lol
That's one thing that bothers me is the subscription management is woefully subpar, it's so easy to pause and un-pause Soylent subscription, for example, but it requires email with Kenkco and my god are they slow at everything! And hot dang they really need to get a drop-ship system setup here Stateside, because they are sending express international and that has got to be ridiculously expensive over the long haul.

But I love the idea, and as someone who is exceptionally picky and cannot stand just about anything that is called a vegetable (I think I'm a super taster - and no it's not super at all, it sucks! I want to eat healthy, but I won't suffer through awful tasting food!) this product screams "made for me."

I just need to make it a habit. I desperately need to be consuming these daily, and I'll accept that as a cost over buying fresh produce and somehow making them palatable with effort every single day. At least this is just cut open packet, pour, shake, wait, chug. No I don't find these disgusting, but they are also not enjoyable. But oh well, it's kind of like a can of V8 in that regard (and I've been meaning to try mixing up a couple of the powder flavors with V8 juice to see how that comes together) -- it's something I am not drinking because I enjoy the taste, I'm pounding it back to get it over with, and then chasing it with something more tasty. I've grown to appreciate V8 in a way though, that it isn't off-putting anymore. But still I'm not cracking it into a glass of ice and sipping it for hours (or making bloody mary's - god no WTF was wrong with whoever invented that?!), I just pretty much chug down a 12oz can in a few gulps, and then chase with a tasty beverage.

Yeah, I really like the idea, because I do have picky eaters in my family, and this is a super-easy way to add bonus nutrition into foods. I'm baking some pumpkin bread tomorrow & I'm going to throw a black-pack in there (acai, banana, strawberry, mango, cinnamon...probably better in banana bread, come to think of it...). I also like that it's whole-foods-based vitamins & minerals, rather than being like many vitamins on the market, which are simply made from corn (EVERYTHING is made from corn, it's insane!).

What you said about "not enjoyable" - yeah, I don't care for the gritty texture of the Kencko powder. I'm thinking of maybe trying to mix it into like an energy bite or some kind of protein truffle or something that would mask the texture. I'll see how it does being baked first, because maybe it'll just get absorbed & work great, I dunno.

I think so far, the best Soylent flavor has been cocoa bottled soylent + the vanilla protein powder & mixed with the electric blender bottle (super-smooth). It's not fantastic, but it's very drinkable (I'm stuck working late on a project & just had one, lol).

If you want to eat healthy but are struggling, check out IIFYM...it's a lot more flexible in terms of what you can eat to get good results (aesthetics, weight control, blood measurements, etc.)

 

[destrekor]

Yes, I'm a non-taster & my wife is a super-taster, which makes cooking...interesting. lol. We did the PTC strips a number of years ago. I actually did it as kind of a team project, we got the strips & also did a Miracle Berry tasting party. A 100-pack of taster strips is like five bucks on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001D7FF5E/

The Miracle Berries aren't cheap, unfortunately, but they are pretty fun for a one-time try. My review here:

https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/flavor-tripping-with-miracle-fruit.181613/page-2#post-38077859

Lemon juice, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, and grapes were the best for me (non-taster). Anyway, it's good to know what type of taster you are because it explains why you like certain things, like a lot of sugar or a lot of spices or flavorings in foods. The strip tasted like nothing to me, but my wife almost threw up immediately lol.

I've been meaning to get a couple different types of test strips. I wouldn't be particularly shocked to find out I'm 100% normal and I'm just a super picky dude, but I'd love to find out I have some weird taste issue going on and just throw it in my parents' faces, like, see! I told you I wasn't normal... oh y'all knew that... I mean I told you those foods taste terrible! lol

 

[Kaido]

I've been meaning to get a couple different types of test strips. I wouldn't be particularly shocked to find out I'm 100% normal and I'm just a super picky dude, but I'd love to find out I have some weird taste issue going on and just throw it in my parents' faces, like, see! I told you I wasn't normal... oh y'all knew that... I mean I told you those foods taste terrible! lol

Yeah, I was super picky as a kid. It wasn't until after high school that my tastebuds changed, iirc...tuna, tomatoes, and pickles suddenly tasted good instead of awful.

Food is weird.

 

[lxskllr]

Looking through the old posts. I think @Crono got mad and left the forum. I'd like to see him back.

 

[Kaido]

Just got the new Vanilla flavor in & drank one at room temperature. Definitely the best room-temperature flavor available, and imo, the best stock soylent flavor overall. Got another one chilling in the fridge; I'd imagine it'll be even better-tasting cold! It's not quite like a vanilla milk you'd buy from say Nestle (like from their strawberry or chocolate milk lines), but more like either a protein vanilla milk or like a vanilla milk knockoff or store brand...not super-sugary, but enough vanilla flavor & sweetness to effectively mask the underlying core soylent flavor & also not taste bland. Low-key sweet is how I'd describe it...I actually like the flavor a lot!

TBH I don't see myself ever ordering the unflavored soylent again...I think vanilla will be my new base. Tastes fine at room temperature, and since I use it as emergency food (i.e. stuck on a late work project, only brought lunch & snacks with me, don't have time to go out for dinner, I can just chug one of these & be good to go), I prefer this flavor over all of the others. I like the new bottles too, they don't feel so dystopian-future now, lol. Available on Amazon if you want to go the Prime route: (currently sold on on Soylent.com, so I don't know what the subscription price discount is at the moment)

https://www.amazon.com/Soylent-Replacement-Shake-Vanilla-Bottles/dp/B07FRSS1HT

$39 shipped for twelve 14oz bottles (non-dairy, plant-based, vegan-friendly, 26 vitamins & minerals, 20g soy protein isolate, 37g slow-burning carbs, 21g fat). That works out to $3.25 per bottle (without a subscription), which is the cheaper than a Tall-sized drink from Starbucks, so you're getting hydration plus nutrition for the money, with zero grocery shopping, zero meal planning, zero cooking, zero cleanup, and zero dishes to deal with. Just chug & throw it away. If I didn't love "muggle" food so much, I'd just live off this stuff out of sheer convenience (and laziness) lol.

 

[Kaido]

That reminds me, I need to get some other protein powder flavors to try mixing with the Vanilla soylent. I wonder if a good-quality chocolate protein powder would have an improved flavor over the Cocoa Soylent, for example. I also have some Torani flavorings that I think would go well with the vanilla soylent flavor, like salted caramel. Experiments, experiments!

 

[destrekor]

Oh I see they have finally expanded their flavor offerings in powder form!
I can't justify the bulk and cost of the ready to drink variety. Super convenient, sure, but I haven't had much interest in them.

But sadly no Vanilla flavor. I'd agree that a slight vanilla would make for a much better "plain" mix and still complement any flavor add-ins you choose. But it is nice to see how they have a v1.9 powder, with a Cacao flavor, and also a caffeinated Cafe Latte flavor. I wish they had a non-caffeinated cafe latte flavor, I'd like to have my own control over caffeine intake.

 

[Kaido]

Oh I see they have finally expanded their flavor offerings in powder form!
I can't justify the bulk and cost of the ready to drink variety. Super convenient, sure, but I haven't had much interest in them.

But sadly no Vanilla flavor. I'd agree that a slight vanilla would make for a much better "plain" mix and still complement any flavor add-ins you choose. But it is nice to see how they have a v1.9 powder, with a Cacao flavor, and also a caffeinated Cafe Latte flavor. I wish they had a non-caffeinated cafe latte flavor, I'd like to have my own control over caffeine intake.

Yes, they have 3 product offerings now:

1. Soylent Drink
2. Soylent Cafe
3. Soylent Powder

Soylent Drink has 4 options:

1. Original
2. Vanilla
3. Strawberry
4. Cacao

Soylent Cafe is caffeinated and has 3 options:

1. Mocha
2. Vanilla
3. Chai

Soylent Powder has 3 options:

1. Cacoa (pouch or tub)
2. Original (pouch or tub)
3. Cafe Mocha (with added caffeine & L-theanine, an amino acid from green tea, plus 36 nutrients)

If you don't mind mixing it yourself, you can purchase whatever extra powders you want from Amazon to doctor up the base Soylent a bit. I haven't had Soylent powder in awhile, but if I do pick up a pack, I'll try adding some higher-quality cocoa powder to the mix to see how it affects the flavor. I use a motorized blender bottle for mixing these days; this is the one I use right now: (note: there's usually a $10 off coupon available)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HCM92SV/

Charges up via USB & has an extra insert for your powder. So what I'll do is pour in a bottled Soylent, then pour in my protein powder, and then I have like a 46g protein whole-meal drink. Easy way to hit your macros for the day too, if you're into that!

 

[destrekor]

Hmmm, never thought of a motorized blender bottle. Nice idea, that!

 

[Kaido]

Hmmm, never thought of a motorized blender bottle. Nice idea, that!

It's kind of stupid, but it works remarkably well. I used blender bottles before (mesh ball inside), which worked way better than just a shaker bottle with a plastic grid trap under the lid. With the latest versions of whey powder, it blends up completely smoothly (zero grit) with the motorized version, plus it's super easy to clean as you just put a drop of liquid dish soap in, fill it with water, and let it spin for a minute.

I still prefer real food, of course, but it's nice having convenient alternative options for emergencies sometimes!

 

[thedarkwolf]

Just got my first shipment of Cafe Mocha powder in and it is a lot more coffee flavored than I expected. I guess I was expecting a more of a Cacoa with a bit of coffee flavor but it is a whole lot of coffee. My second go I tried a 50/50 mix with Cacoa and still couldn't taste the Cacoa lol. I'm not saying it was a bad flavor or anything, kind of like it but it won't be replacing Cacoa as my regular choice. When I finish my 50/50 mix I'll try a 25/75 mix.

 

[MrSquished]

Just trying the Cafe Mocha and it's pretty good. Just having it as a meal supplement once a day mixed in with some raw unfiltered honey from Costco and it's delicious.

 

[Kaido]

New Soylent product:

https://soylent.com/products/bridge-chocolate

"Bridge" - basically a ready-to-drink between-meals snack:

• 180 calories
• 15 grams Protein
• 10 grams Carbs
• 10 grams Fat
• 36 essential

I'll give it a shot & see how it goes...seems like it's only available in chocolate, for now.