If you've been Soylent-curious, here's a coupon code to get 50% off your first case of 12 bottles (bringing it down...

If you've been Soylent-curious, here's a coupon code to get 50% off your first case of 12 bottles (bringing it down to just $1.62 per bottle): http://r.soy.lt/iwvvm

Still really enjoying Cacao 2.0 in the handy 400-kcal bottles.
http://r.soy.lt/iwvvm

For those interested, Soylent is having a sampler sale.

For those interested, Soylent is having a sampler sale.

https://www.soylent.com/earthweek-sampler/
https://www.soylent.com/earthweek-sampler/

Update: I have now tried the 50/50 mix of Chai and Original and, IMO, it tastes better than either the Chai or the...

Update: I have now tried the 50/50 mix of Chai and Original and, IMO, it tastes better than either the Chai or the Original straight out of the bottle. It adds some flavor to the otherwise painfully bland Original while diluting the painfully aromatic Chai. It's a really decent compromise. I still don't love the chai flavor, but a hint of it isn't a bad thing. The prospect of drinking a whole case of Chai is no longer filling me with mild dread. That said, going forward, I will only be buying the Cacao flavor...I sincerely enjoy that stuff. Or maybe Soylent will continue to come out with other flavors. Could I suggest Oatmeal & Cinnamon Apple, guys?

I bought a case of Cafe Chai 2.0 to add some variety to my work stash.

I bought a case of Cafe Chai 2.0 to add some variety to my work stash. It's OK. I've not ever drunk chai before, but this is QUITE flavorful, with the tastes of spices (e.g., cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, etc.) just bursting into your mouth. If you like a lot of flavor and you like this chai's combination, you're in for a treat. Otherwise, I think I'll keep these just to break up the monotony of Cacao, but I'll try a 50/50 mix of Chai and Original. That could be interesting.

One side benefit of the Cafe series: caffeine. Since I don't drink coffee or tea and I swore off soda pop nearly a decade ago, the only caffeine I get is the trace amounts in chocolate. So this was a nice pick-me-up today.

Now that is quite good.

Now that is quite good. Yummy, actually, and I'm not being the slightest bit sarcastic (I know!). The regular Soylent 2.0 makes an acceptable, adequate lunch. It's not something I look forward to, but not something I dread, either. But this Cacao flavor...well...it tastes like thick chocolate milk made with semi-sweet cocoa. I may have to only bring in one bottle at a time to work because I might just drink it because it's enjoyable.

I just cracked open my first bottle of Soylent 2.0, the prepackaged, premixed version of Soylent that their website...

I just cracked open my first bottle of Soylent 2.0, the prepackaged, premixed version of Soylent that their website describes as "Delicious Soylent in convenient ready-to-drink 400 kcal. bottles." Well, I don't doubt at all that it's convenient. And it is indeed ready-to-drink. And I fully accept that it is nutritious. But I disagree that it is "delicious."

When I think of "delicious" foods, the things that come to mind are pizza, sushi, ice cream, warm chocolate-chip cookies, and a good steak. After half a bottle of Soylent 2.0, I can safely state that it is not nearly as delicious as any of those.

So what does it taste like? Imagine really, really weak chocolate milk if you made it with unsweetened cocoa powder and skim milk. Now, back off the flavor about 75%. That's pretty close. There's also a very mild oat (?) flavor in the background, but it's tough to notice. It's certainly not "delicious," but it's not yucky, either. It's just kind of blah.

The taste (or lack thereof) isn't the most surprising characteristic of Soylent 2.0, though, it's the texture: There isn't any. The texture is like a very thin paint. There is absolutely nothing to chew or to provide any sort of mouth feel whatsoever. Water wets. Milkshakes have frozen granules and a variety of textures. This is neither. It more coats the mouth, but uniformly and without any sort of foodiness to it. It's a bit off-putting initially, but only because it's odd...not because it's totally unpleasant.

I'm drinking this at room temperature. I've read other people's opinions who enjoy it more when it's chilled. I'll try that next time. Maybe. If I remember to chill it first. And actually, that's the real attraction of Soylent 2.0 for me: zero prep. If I'm crammed at work and just don't have time to go get food, I can break open a bottle and have something akin to a lunch while I'm working. Clean-up consists of tossing the empty bottle into the recycling bin. Nice.

More as I know it...

Joe Conte is long-time customer with apparently no few regrets about his Soylent-heavy diet.

Joe Conte is long-time customer with apparently no few regrets about his Soylent-heavy diet.

via Lars DeRuntz 
http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/05/06/soylent-diet

#Soylent update: Last Thursday, I tried a batch blended with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and a little chocolate...

#Soylent  update: Last Thursday, I tried a batch blended with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and a little chocolate syrup. Not bad...has a hint of Reece Cup about it. Still prefer a banana as my flavor & texture hack, though.

I went the past three days without drinking any Soylent. Wanted to see if I noticed a difference in some way. Well, the difference is that I ate a ton more calories because, well, food is delicious. Come tomorrow, I'm going to try and go Soylent for 3 out of every 4 meals until I run out of my supply (4 pouches remaining). More as I know it...

#Soylent update: Tossing in a handful of blackberries and blueberries makes for a very colorful meal, but it's not...

#Soylent update: Tossing in a handful of blackberries and blueberries makes for a very colorful meal, but it's not as effective as using a banana for improving the taste. Plain Soylent = meh. Soylent with berries = not bad. Soylent with banana = yum.

So I've concluded that blending a banana into 16oz.

So I've concluded that blending a banana into 16oz. of #Soylent  makes for an easy, enjoyable (yes, I really did enjoy it) lunch of about 580 calories that keeps me full, non-hungry, and non-sleepy for far longer than my typical restaurant lunch of something super carb-y or sugar-laden. Maybe it's a placebo effect or maybe the ingredients in Soylent really  do lessen a blood sugar spike -- whatever the case, I like it.

#Soylent update: Just added a smallish banana to about 15 oz.

#Soylent update: Just added a smallish banana to about 15 oz. of Soylent 1.4 for a 550-calorie breakfast and it was really enjoyable. No caveats....it was tasty and filling. Leaving mixed Soylent overnight in the fridge definitely improves the texture...its much more milkshake-like the next day.

#Soylent update: Three conclusions so far...

#Soylent update: Three conclusions so far...

1. Mixing in a little chocolate syrup makes it reasonably yummy.

2. Giving a new batch a few hours in the fridge to fully dissolve all the mix's components makes it smoother. Not perfectly smooth, like a milkshake, but the solids are less prominent.

3. It's really filling. 15 ounces, which is about 450 calories, makes me feel quite full and I don't seem to get hungry again nearly as quickly as I normally do.

Just "ate" my lunch of ~16 oz.

Just "ate" my lunch of ~16 oz. of Soylent 1.4, which equates to about 500 calories. It's strange...I go through the same thought process every sip: First, I smell it and it smells almost woody...not a smell I usually associate with food. Then, I start sipping and my mouth (tongue) thinks "this is weird." The mouth-feel is not like another food I know. Then the "flavor" hits and I think, "oh, that's not bad." Then I sit the bottle down and the "flavor" slowly fades from my mouth. Repeat.

Now that I'm done, I feel reasonably full. It's almost like if I had a medium-sized milkshake for lunch. As someone who really enjoys milkshakes, I have to admit that I know what that's like first-hand. 

The big test will be whether or not I start getting the head-nods around 2:30pm. The sugar release in Soylent is such that I'm hoping to not experience that (which I often do when just eating whatever I want for lunch). I brought a baggie of carrot and celery sticks, just in case I feel a need to chew on something.

More as I know it...

The new Soylent is here! The new Soylent is here!

The new Soylent is here! The new Soylent is here!
Apologies if the movie reference escaped you, but it seemed like a fitting announcement. Just three days after placing my order for a 7-day supply of Soylent 1.4, it arrived. In this album are photos of the unboxing and me trying my first glassful.

My thoughts so far:
1. The packaging is as unpretentious as the entire product concept. Everything is quite functional. You definitely get the feeling that Rosa Labs is run by engineers, not designers or marketers.
2. The product itself is interesting. Opening the first pack, you're hit with a smell that's cakey, grain-y, slightly sweet, and a bit musty all at the same time. It's a complex smell. Not bad, but not good...it just is what it is.
3. Documentation is good...very useful with lots of anticipated questions fully answered.
4. Mixing the Soylent powder with water is easy. It dissolves (I guess it doesn't all actually dissolve, as it's mostly a suspension) easily and quickly using room-temperature water (as recommended). Shaking up a bunch in the provided pitcher is straightforward. Also, since the water is mostly for consistency, you don't have to worry about getting it exactly right...you can adjust to taste or just approximate and still be fine.
5. The taste and texture: I was hoping I'd really like it. I was hoping it would be like a vanilla diet shake. It's definitely not like that. There's no vanilla flavor at all. The flavor is like the smell...very bread-y or oat-y, but not really sweet. There's a flavor that seems familiar, but I can't figure out what it is. The texture is interesting. It's about the thickness of buttermilk, but a little more watery with an obvious residue suspended in the liquid. The solids aren't big enough to make you want to chew or use your teeth -- they aren't as significant as, say, oatmeal cereal -- but they are definitely noticeable on the tongue. It's not gritty, either...the solids aren't unpleasant...they're just there. All told, I think the taste and texture is fine. It's a little disappointing, but I think I had my expectations set too high. I do think that tarting it up with berries or honey or some other minimal additions will make it more palatable. But, in a pinch, I could easily see me drinking a glass of this straight up. I wouldn't look forward to it, but I wouldn't hate it while I was doing it.

Going to try having some as my lunch tomorrow at work. We'll see how I feel later in the day.

After reading about the changes made in Soylent v1.4, including a more palatable texture, less GI distress, and no...

After reading about the changes made in Soylent v1.4, including a more palatable texture, less GI distress, and no messy oils to add, I decided I will give it a try. Carefully controlling my caloric intake while saving time and ensuring a nutritious diet are my goals. After I receive the 1-week supply I just ordered, I will continue to post updates and reactions to what is sure to be an interesting experiment. More later.
http://blog.soylent.me/post/112067551237/soylent-1-4-begins-shipping-today