QuidNYC's Overly Faithful DIY Rendition of the "Official" Soylent

Last updated January 28, 2014 Copy
AmountIngredient$ / daySource
160gMaltodextrin$0.43Amazon
125gBrown Rice Protein Isolate$4.39Amazon
110gOat Flour$0.26Amazon
15.75gPotassium Gluconate$0.41Amazon (S)
6gSoy Lecithin$0.11Amazon (S)
4.5gGum Arabic$0.22Amazon
2.1gSodium Chloride$0.01Amazon
2.5gCalcium Carbonate$0.06Amazon
1.8gVanillin$0.95Amazon
1.375gCholine Bitartrate$0.06Amazon
0.09gAscorbic Acid$0.01Amazon
0.06gSucralose$0.02Amazon
0.016gNiacin$0.00Amazon
2portionAlpha-Tocopherol$0.05Amazon (S)
0.028gZinc Sulfate$0.00Amazon
0.005gCalcium D-Pantothenate$0.00Amazon
0.006gManganese Sulfate$0.00Amazon
0.001gRiboflavin$0.00Amazon
0.001gPyridoxine HCL$0.00Amazon
0.001gThiamine HCL$0.00Amazon
0.2pillRetinyl Palmitate$0.01Amazon (S)
0.006gCopper Gluconate$0.00PureBulk.com
0gFolic Acid$0.00PureBulk.com
0gPotassium Iodide$0.00PureBulk.com
0gPhytonadione (K1)$0.00
0gSodium Selenite$0.00The Lab Depot, Inc.
0gSodium Molybdate$0.00Amazon
0gChromium Chloride$0.01Sigma-Aldrich
0.003gBiotin$0.00Amazon
0.6pillErgocalciferol$0.03Amazon (S)
0gCyanocobalamin$0.00Amazon
60.87mlCanola Oil (not recommended - see notes)$0.20Amazon (S)
5.33pillFish Oil$0.20Amazon (S)
Amounts for:
Total Daily Cost:
$7.44Add Ingredients
to Amazon Cart

This is an attempt to create a DIY recipe that approximates the "official" Soylent as specified here, here, and here.

For the sake of "authenticity," I have not attempted to group together or otherwise optimize the ingredients -- steps such as using a pre-combined vitamin supplement would make this significantly more suitable for assembly in a DIY context.

To be clear, I'm putting this together for "fun," and I do not recommend that anyone actually use this recipe. You'd have to be nuts to try to measure out fractions of micrograms of individual vitamins at home.

For a more realistic DIY recipe that still hews close to the "official" Soylent, please see: https://www.completefoods.co/diy/recipes/quidnycs-significantly-more-realistic-diy-rendition-of-the-official-soylent

That said, I don't actually think it's a good idea for people to consume canola oil on purpose. For my recommended "Superfood" DIY formula, please see: https://www.completefoods.co/diy/recipes/quidnycs-superfood-for-him

If you're particularly concerned about costs, you might want to take a look at my "Cheaperfood" recipe, which cuts some corners without crossing any nutritional red lines: https://www.completefoods.co/diy/recipes/quidnycs-cheaperfood


Change Log:

  • January 28, 2014: I'm dropping the xanthan gum, since it seems to have mysteriously disappeared from the Applications Overview blog post.
  • January 13, 2014: I have updated the formula according to the "Applications Overview" posted today with details on soy lecithin, xanthan gum, gum arabic, vanillin, and sucralose.
  • January 10, 2014: The values for oat flour, maltodextrin, rice protein, and canola oil have been updated per Rob's recent post in the Soylent Discourse forums.

On "Vegetable" Oils and Oxidative Stress:

My primary concerns about soybean oil and canola oil have to do with the role of oxidative stress, which may be particularly acute in circumstances where degraded polyunsaturated fats represent a large proportion of one's total lipid intake: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3215974/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3126710/

I have chosen to substitute olive oil in particular in my own recipes since there is evidence that it actually has a protective role in terms of oxidative stress: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22236145

If I had to sum up the basic organizing principle of my "Superfood" recipe, it is to ensure that all sources of polyunsaturated fat have been degraded as little as possible -- i.e., that they are fresh, minimally processed, and carefully stored. I believe industrially processed seed oils like soybean and canola are highly suspect in that regard.

I see a number of red flags when it comes to the production of canola oil (and of other seed / "vegetable" oils). The GMO seeds are heated and crushed to extract the oil, a process which immediately turns it rancid (due to oxidative damage to the polyunsaturated fats). The oil is then "refined" with hexane, bleached, and deodorized. Then, bon appétit. It's unclear to me how much that process is truly mitigating the oxidative damage that is done to the lipids, or how much it is simply covering it up. Either way, it seems prudent to get your lipids from a source where none of that is even part of the equation.

In the end, it's your call. Maybe canola isn't that bad. But personally, I'd rather consume something that has been demonstrated as safe -- and even beneficial in terms of human health -- over a period of thousands of years (i.e., extra-virgin olive oil).

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Day
43% Carb, 24% Protein, 33% Fat
Calories2199
% Daily Values*
82%
Total Carbohydrate234g
41%
Dietary Fiber 16g
105%
Protein130g
94%
Total Fat82g
Saturated Fat9g
Monounsaturated Fat43g
Polyunsaturated Fat25g
487%
Omega-3 Fatty Acids8g
96%
Omega-6 Fatty Acids16g
Cholesterol67mg
Calcium
108%
Vitamin A
100%
Chloride
55%
Vitamin B6
1011%
Chromium
100%
Vitamin B12
100%
Copper
153%
Vitamin C
100%
Iodine
100%
Vitamin D
100%
Iron
126%
Vitamin E
210%
Magnesium
38%
Vitamin K
144%
Manganese
292%
Thiamin
1063%
Molybdenum
100%
Riboflavin
111%
Phosphorus
71%
Niacin
110%
Potassium
81%
Folate
109%
Selenium
168%
Pantothenic Acid
104%
Sodium
56%
Biotin
100%
Sulfur
290%
Choline
140%
Zinc
132%
 
* Percent Daily Values are based on "U.S. government DRI, male 19-50, 2400 calories". You may use the Nutrient Calculator to personalise your own profile, then select it from the list on the Recipe Editor tab.
Nutrient Profile: U.S. government DRI, male 19-50, 2400 caloriesChange

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