"Soylent" Liquid Meals Will Save the World

Rob Rhinehart has found a way to stop eating. Tired of spending time, money and energy on preparing meals, this young American decided to find a new way to survive without actual food. He created a unique mixture called "Soylent", which contains nothing but the elements the body needs: iron, vitamins, fat, calcium and dozens of other nutrients. This is minimalism in eating: Nothing in this beige milkshake-like beverage can be identified as coming from any recognizable food.

Rhinehart followed a strict Soylent diet for several weeks and was amazed by the results of the experiment. He felt and looked healthier, and saved money and time. You can read the whole story on his website, and even find the recipe to make your own Soylent shake.

Rhinehart describes food as the "fossil fuel of human energy", a geopolitical issue that rules the world, dividing North and South, the starving and the obese. After water, we all need food. So will this invention solve the world's food problems?

Rhinehart might forget something here. First, abandoning traditional meals would be to lose a huge part of our culture. Most, if not all people enjoy eating traditional food too much to stop. But Rhinehart objects that with the money you save with Soylent, you will be able to eat a fewer but better meals in the week, and to go out to restaurants more often too. To add to these cultural problems, this liquid diet might lack some essential elements, such as certain microbes or minerals, that can only be gained by eating a diversity of food.

It may be that a mixture of Soylent and traditional food could solve these nutritional issues. If you are interested in the experiment and would like to try it, you can subscribe on http://soylent.me/. And of course tell us about your experience!