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Our verdict: Soylent is worth checking out if you’re busy and want a quick and hassle-free meal option that still provides you with all the nutritional benefits you need.
Soylent is super convenient. Finding time to cook a healthy meal can be tricky, especially when we’re busy. Soylent comes pre-made, so it's a quick way to get a balanced meal without all the prep work of cooking and cleaning.
Soylent provides you with enough nutrients. Each serving is carefully assembled to provide the protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, and vitamins the body needs.
It's designed to keep you full and ensure you're getting good nutrition without the cravings, and it’s a great way to lose weight and eat healthy without the fuss.
Robert Rhine created Soylent to help the busy people of Silicon Valley save time while getting healthy meals. He started with one product called regular Soylent powder.
While they’ve experienced some problems at the start, like factory issues and trouble selling in Canada, they've improved a lot.
Today, Soylent offers a variety of flavors and options. These include powder, drinks, and “solid food” options.
Soylent has passed its third iteration of powder and manufactured drinks.
We read hundreds of Happy Head reviews and noticed these pros and cons were the most commonly shared by users:
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Soylent is a meal replacement brand that provides busy people a convenient way to get balanced nutrition.
The company makes powders, drinks, and “solid food” that can give the body the essential nutrients without the hassle of meal preparation and cooking. It comes in different flavors, so choosing one that suits your taste is possible.
Soylent offers the following products:
Soylent Powder is one of the most economical meal replacements you can buy. It comes in a bag that contains seven meals at 270 calories or four and two-thirds (4 ⅔) meals at 400 calories.
It has a fairly neutral taste but is grittier than a bottle of the flagship product.
You save money and space, but you have to add water and mix the drink yourself.
Soylent Ready-to-Drink comes in smooth, liquid form.
The drink version is personally my favorite form. I think the best flavors are Original, Mint Chocolate, and Cafe.
Soylent Cafe is a drink that contains coffee extract with caffeine.
If I liked coffee better, this would surely be my favorite flavor.
Each serving of Soylent Cafe contains about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of your morning coffee. This makes it a great breakfast drink. It also contains l-theanine to mellow out the caffeine rush.
Options include Cafe Chai, Cafe Latte, and Cafe Mocha.
Soylent Energy Drink is similar to Soylent Cafe and contains a boost of caffeine. The difference is Soylent Energy contains added nootropics and micronutrients to increase brain function.
Soylent Energy drink is augmented by B vitamins, caffeine, l-theanine, l-tyrosine, alpha-GPC, and 15g of plant-based protein and 39 essential nutrients.
Soylent Squares is the "solid food" option.
For people who don’t think liquid meal replacements are enough, Soylent squares are a good option. They’re similar to an energy or protein bar but with the calories and protein coming from Soylent's blend of vegan sources.
I was excited about the idea of solid Soylent, and the nutrition is solid as always. Unfortunately, I wasn't a big fan when I tried them a few years ago. They may have improved by now, however, since many people enjoy them.
If you've ever tasted nut milk like almond or soy, it's a bit like that, but thicker, more salty, and savory.
Depending on the flavor you buy, the Soylent taste may be a bit closer to "dessert" than savory, but Soylent products aren’t as sweet as other options in the market, in my opinion.
When I tried it the first time a few years back, I wasn't impressed. Soylent wasn’t a necessity, and I didn't enjoy drinking it.
However, when the Soylent bottle drink came out, everything changed. It tasted so much better than the older 1.0 and 2.0 Soylent powder.
Here is my top 10 ranking of Soylent flavors:
Your preferred flavor will always come down to your personal taste.
I'm a huge banana guy, so my favorite flavor of any meal replacement shake is usually banana. Soylent’s is great.
If you like coffee, I think you'll like Soylent Cafe. I don't even like coffee, and I find it pretty enjoyable. Many people like creamy chocolate, but I can't stand the artificial flavors.
If you're looking for something neutral and plan to drink many Soylent shakes, then the Original flavor is your best bet.
I’ve been trying different types of Soylent drinks for the last five years.
Say what you will about its other aspects like flavor, nutrition, and protein content for weight loss, it is one of the best meal replacement drinks on the market for consistency and drinkability.
Other brands range from overly gritty to too thin. This is just right.
Soylent is a meal replacement shake that aims to give you the nutrients you need.
It has healthy fats from sunflower and canola oil, providing omega-3s and omega-6s.1
The 20g of protein in Soylent comes from plant-based soybeans with all the important amino acids. The carbohydrates are slow to digest, so they don't cause energy crashes.
Instead of sugar, it uses a sweetener called sucralose, and they've recently added allulose for sweetness with fewer calories.
I wish it had more fiber and better carbs, but they've chosen these ingredients to make it easy to digest.
Here is the current nutrition label from the Soylent website:
Soylent has been around since 2014 and has undergone many changes. The first flavors added were Soylent Cafe, Berry, and Chocolate.
Note: Contrary to popular belief, consuming soy proteins is NOT shown to increase estrogen levels.
Soylent is a suitable meal replacement for everyday life, weight loss, and sports recovery. Compared to the average American diet in the U.S., it does an excellent job of addressing health concerns.
Soylent has a relatively low glycemic index thanks to its low-sugar and slow-digesting carbs. Instead of being sweetened by added sugars, it contains flavors and sucralose.
If you are skeeved out by the words "GMO" or "processed," then Soylent is probably not for you. Soylent is a convenient meal option that offers complete nutrition. There’s no evidence that GMOs are bad for health.
Some people have problems with the drinks because they’re "unnatural."
Think about something like protein powders or almond milk. Are they "natural"? No. But they are healthy, just like Soylent in the correct context. They can provide complete nutrition with convenience. For me, the most important ingredient is the one it leaves out—sugar.
Personally, Soylent helped me lose weight.
It eliminated unnecessary thinking around planning meals and keeping unhealthy food in the house.
A meal replacement drink is a great option to eliminate the guesswork of what to eat next while still making sure you’re getting a good balance of nutrients.
The average American diet contains far too much sugar and lacks important nutrients, including micronutrients, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein.
Soylent makes good nutrition easily accessible. Soylent shakes are also often an easy way to eat a vegan or vegetarian diet.
In my personal experience, replacing heavier foods in your diet with a Soylent drink makes a huge difference in your body's energy level for the rest of the day. The data shows that the carbs used in their drink didn’t spike blood sugar and cause crashes.
When I replace a meal with a shake, I don't need to nap like I usually do after a normal lunch.
Soylent keeps me about as full as a snack and protein shake.
For me, Soylent Powder tastes way better using a blender than it does coming from a shaker bottle.
The unfortunate truth is that even though it is one of the best in terms of consistency, it still clumps up sometimes.
For best results, use a blender and chill the product for a few hours.
With this drink, everything comes ready to go. All I do is make sure that it is cold enough.
The temperature really matters with any kind of meal replacement shake. Warm drinks sadly aren’t as good, and I've found that cold drinks may even help to increase satiety.
The best place to buy Soylent is on their website.
You may also find it in some stores like Walmart, Target, or 7-11 gas stations, but your mileage may vary. I used the online store finder tool with mixed results.
Stores often run out of stock, and their prices are often higher than online.
Soylent, like many other meal replacement shake companies, offers a subscription service to help lower costs. This is a better option than a one-time purchase.
When you factor in the savings from a subscription and use 20% off coupons, it ranks Soylent in the middle of the pack in terms of calories per dollar.
There are cheaper options, but theirs is a trusted product, and you can't go wrong.
Soylent was the first meal replacement service invented with the goal in mind of completely eliminating the need to eat "real" food. At the time of this publication, US competitors have also begun to rise in popularity.
The UK and Europe have a lot of options when it comes to the choice of meal replacement shakes. Huel is well-established, and many other smaller companies like Saturo, Feed, Queal, Jimmy Joy, and a few others are carving out their niche. You may not have access to Soylent if you live in Europe, but you are spoiled for choice.
Soylent has been lagging in high-protein, gluten-free meal replacements and keto meal shakes. For some reason, they haven't entered those markets yet. I guess they decided to stick to what they knew. For keto products, I recommend Keto Chow.
| Criteria | Soylent | Huel | Jimmy Joy | Ample | Keto Chow |
| Keto-Friendly | Limited | Limited | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Protein Source | Soy | Pea Protein | Soy, Oats | Pea Protein | N/A (Dairy Whey Protein) |
| Protein Content | 20g | 29g | 20g | 27g | 26g |
| Environmental Focus | Moderate | Strong Sustainability | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Starting Price | $3.09 | $2.35 | $1.30 | $7.50 | $3.67 |
| Availability | Limited worldwide | Worldwide | Worldwide | US | US |
Please note that specific details and offerings may vary. Check their respective websites for the most up-to-date and accurate information.
Our pick: Soylent tastes better, is smoother, and easier to mix. Huel has a grainier texture and flavor.
I'd recommend Soylent because it tastes better, is smoother, and easier to mix. However, I use Huel because it offers more protein at a lower price.
Huel has a different, grainier texture and flavor. It’s similar to the texture of oats and fruit smoothies. It's harder to mix, so it's less convenient.
If you don’t like Soylent's soy flavor, Huel could be an alternative worth trying.
Our pick: Soylent boasts a smooth and creamy texture, while Jimmy Joy has a lighter consistency.
Soylent's strengths include convenience, a variety of flavors, and customization. Jimmy Joy focuses on sustainability, affordability, plant-based ingredients, transparency, and a wide range of flavors.
Soylent tends to be a bit pricier than Jimmy Joy, but both brands have choices for different budgets.
Our pick: Soylent packs 20g of protein and is loaded with vitamins and minerals. Ample's serving has 27g of protein, but it's not as rich in vitamins and minerals as Soylent.
Soylent may be the better choice if you prioritize cost and a complete nutrient profile.
But if you're willing to invest a bit more for a better taste and gut health benefits, at $7.50 a pop, Ample could be the right option.
Our pick: Soylent offers a balanced meal replacement packed with nutrients. Keto Chow offers a low-carb option.
Soylent is a versatile meal replacement with various flavors and forms, but It's not explicitly designed for the keto diet and contains sugar as a sweetener.
Keto Chow is tailored for the keto diet. It offers the benefits of very low carbohydrate content and is suitable for those looking to manage their carb intake, achieve ketosis, and reduce hunger.
Some people, including myself, have used Soylent as a way to make calorie counting during weight loss easier. Keeping it in the house instead of snacks is an excellent way to avoid cheating on a diet.
Yes. Many common misconceptions exist about food. The myth that food that isn't natural or organic isn't healthy is just that—a myth.
All of the drink's calories come from food. Soylent is food, and the body will recognize it as such.
Soy protein is an excellent source of protein, but a myth has circulated that soy contains phytoestrogens that may contribute to your own hormone balance.
I did my own research and found that with normal consumption, products with soy protein have no effect on the body.3
Yes! Regarding meal replacements, Soylent drinks are some of the best you can find. In fact, I did a 100% Soylent diet for almost two months. A serving contains real foods, so you can get all your calories from it.
If you look around online, you’ll find tons of people who reaped the benefits of drinking just Soylent. It contains enough macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
Unfortunately, right now, Soylent is only available in the U.S. If you live in Europe, you'll find that Huel is probably the next best option for meal replacement shakes.
No. A few brands like Huel already have a line of savory meal replacements in the form of soup-like meals that offer a welcome alternative to the usual.
In 2021, Soylent presented an April Fool’s joke about the release of a bottled “Savory Curry” flavor. There are currently no plans to do so.
