Amount | Volume | Ingredient | $ / day | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
709 | ml | 3 | cups | Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D | $0.72 | WalMart |
144 | g | 4 | scoop | Carnation Instant Breakfast | $1.80 | WalMart |
114 | g | 1 | cup | Masa harina | $0.11 | WalMart |
80 | g | 5 | tbsp | Peanut butter, smooth style, without salt | $0.52 | WalMart |
50 | g | 5 | tbsp | Seeds, chia seeds, dried | $0.55 | WalMart |
4 | g | ½ | tsp | Iodized Salt | $0.01 | WalMart |
Amounts for: Total Daily Cost: | $3.72 | Add Ingredients to Amazon Cart |
So I set out to make something that anyone could walk into a WalMart and walk out with everything you need to make a DIY Soylent. I also wanted it to be even measurements, and possible to find at any grocery store. I wanted multiple sources of protein, no pills, and as few ingredients as possible. It's got some problems, I'll admit, but it's a meal replacement, not a never eat muggle food again. It's also a little expensive, but we're excluding shipping costs because WalMart, and we're not buying in bulk. You could reduce the cost by swapping the Carnation for a Multivitamin, but you would lose out on flavor, or you could buy Carnation in bulk. All that said, it's stupid easy. Everything is an even measurement. I imagine it will taste like Reese's Puffs cereal.
Issues:
- Choline - You'll need to supplement. Brewer's yeast is a good source. I would imagine it would be present in Marmite, but the site doesn't list it. Brewers yeast is also not listed. Also, what are the repercussions of adding yeast to this product? Ultimately, supplementation seems like the easiest course of action.
- Chromium and Molybdenum - You're on your own. I think that these are not listed by the USDA so they're not added for regular food items. Lintels, for example, should have high levels of molybdenum, but they show 0 in the ingredient listing. Grape Juice should have 8ug/cup. It is also listed at 0. Let me know if you have feedback on this.
- Sugar - Theres about as much sugar in these as 2 cans of coke.
Problems:
- Higher fat - The polyunsaturated fat is at the upper limit of RDI. The overall balance of fat is good, however, and is probably much healthier than most diets.
- High sodium - It's a little high. Compared to the average intake, however, I'm sure it's quite low. Plus, with the extremely low cholesterol, I think your heart can handle it.
This is an untested work in progress. If you have any suggestions, I'd like to hear them. This is iteration 2. Click here for Suel v1
Special thanks to /u/OpenLibram over at /r/Soylent for the peanut butter idea. It allowed me to cut a large portion of the masa, which will give a huge texture improvement, I'm sure.
Here's a shopping list. This is supplies for 18 days, presumes salt is free.
==================================
Item | Cost per | Days | Multiplier | Total days | Each trip |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Milk | $3.86 | 5 | 4 | 20 | $15.44 |
Carnation | $6.28 | 3 | 6 | 18 | $37.68 |
Masa | $1.99 | 18 | 1 | 18 | $1.99 |
Peanut Butter | $4.77 | 9 | 2 | 18 | $9.54 |
Chia Seeds | $3.77 | 7 | 3 | 21 | $11.31 |
Subtotal | $75.96 |
==================================
I was up all night and all the next day slaving over this recipe, so you're going to eat it and you're going to like it.