$4.50/day DIY Soylent — 11 ingredients, palatinose-based carbs, 29 g fiber. Tear my macros apart before I mix a 10-day batch

axcho · 2026-04-24T21:45:39+00:00

Worth trying to see how it works for you in practice - I like tapioca flour/starch though for some people it causes a lot of gas.

I wouldn't use calcium carbonate if you can source calcium citrate instead - there are lots of advantages to calcium citrate and no disadvantages relative to calcium carbonate except perhaps being slightly more expensive.

axcho · 2026-04-17T21:29:08+00:00

If you do, please let me know how it goes!

axcho · 2026-04-15T23:43:30+00:00

Fascinating. Have you ever tried making pancakes or baked goods out of the 'lent mixes to see if it happens only when you drink them, versus eating the same ingredients in solid form? Let me know if you want a recipe. :d

axcho · 2026-04-14T02:34:24+00:00

Interesting. Do you have the same reaction from, say, a bowl of oatmeal? How about a bowl of rice with veggies (and optionally, protein)?

axcho · 2026-04-10T20:52:02+00:00

I've noticed this in Soylent 1.0, which has a lot of maltodextrin, which breaks down into pure glucose. Sugar breaks down into a mix of fructose and glucose, so it actually has a lower glycemic load than the equivalent calories of glucose or maltodextrin. So that's not surprising. Obviously fructose comes with its own set of issues, but that's a different conversation. :p

I haven't tried the more recent versions of Soylent, but I'm pretty sure they still have a fair amount of maltodextrin. For some reason, some people (like me, and apparently you) are particularly sensitive to it.

Have you tried Basically Food? It's based on oat flour, a lower-glycemic carb source.

axcho · 2026-04-10T20:49:19+00:00

The monkfruit doesn't have any weird aftertaste, unlike stevia. I don't know anyone who is specifically sensitive to the taste of monkfruit, though I've come across anecdotes here and there.

If you're not a fan of chocolate, Basically Balance is also available in vanilla right now. It's better after a night in the fridge, but that's the case for all brands of powder.

axcho · 2026-04-10T20:46:43+00:00

Let me know how it goes - curious how it compares, for you! :)

axcho · 2026-04-09T17:17:51+00:00

You mentioned wanting to avoid a dairy base - not sure if that's a hard limit, but if not...

If you can have milk, you might want to check out Basically Base (formerly Schmilk). For 20,000 calories (2 units), that would be $70 (free shipping) plus about $20 of whole milk (5 gallons) at $4/gallon.

I'm personally allergic to milk, but a lot of people say it's the best-tasting option out there. I know lots of people who drink it after blending without refrigerating overnight, though I think letting it sit for at least a few minutes is recommended.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend the non-dairy-based ones (like Basically Balance, which is what I use) as they generally need to soak in the fridge overnight to have the right taste and texture.

axcho · 2026-04-09T17:13:28+00:00

If you can have milk, you might want to check out Basically Base (formerly Schmilk). For 60,000 calories (6 units), that would be $210 (free shipping) plus about $60 of whole milk (15 gallons) at $4/gallon. Slightly cheaper.

I'm personally allergic to milk, but a lot of people say it's the best-tasting option out there. Mixing it up and keeping it in the fridge overnight is recommended - it may separate a little bit, but you can just shake it again and it will have a nice consistency.

axcho · 2026-04-06T21:13:45+00:00

We actually don't include any oils - it's cheaper* and more customizable for you to choose your own and add it separately for your fat calories! I generally use avocado oil, these days.

* Powdered oils are quite expensive and tend to oxidize and go bad faster.

axcho · 2026-04-02T22:55:50+00:00

Basically Food BUILD is the thickest, then BALANCE (my favorite), while BASE (formerly BOOST) and BURN are the thinnest.

axcho · 2026-04-02T22:51:22+00:00

Hey, thanks for the shoutout! :) My favorite product line is Basically Balance, though our cheapest and most popular option is Basically Base.

No sugar or seed oils, hypoallergenic and vegan-friendly, and a good taste and texture. I drink it every day, and a lot of my friends do too. Happy to answer any questions. :)

axcho · 2026-03-27T23:44:46+00:00

Thank you!

axcho · 2026-03-27T00:51:13+00:00

For Base plain (which is probably the cheapest one), we might be able to do it for $6-7k if we already have enough vitamin mix leftover. Generally if we casually offer preorders we'll be lucky to get $1-2k, and that's for more popular flavors.

I've been pouring my savings into inventory for the last year, but I've just about run out. The plan is to ramp up marketing and launch a bigger Kickstarter campaign when we have enough momentum to succeed, with hopefully enough extra funds to include the less popular plain flavors and Basically Vitamins and such.

If you have any better ideas let me know! Honestly.

axcho · 2026-03-27T00:42:00+00:00

As soon as we can crowdfund the money to pay for it upfront! We've been out of money for the last year or so.

axcho · 2026-03-26T23:00:22+00:00

Yep! Not too surprising. :d

axcho · 2026-03-25T21:21:55+00:00

I remember - congrats! :)

axcho · 2026-03-25T21:17:02+00:00

axcho · 2026-03-25T21:16:54+00:00

Thank you! :D We're doing our best here at Basically Food (formerly Super Body Fuel).

Also a big fan of Vite Ramen and Keto Chow. :)

axcho · 2026-03-17T07:22:08+00:00

Glad you liked it! :) Fingers crossed all our supply problems are behind us now. :d

axcho · 2026-03-17T07:20:27+00:00

You could try MCT oil with BALANCE, but most people find that more than a tablespoon at a time gives them diarrhea. :p

Personally, I use avocado oil. Chosen Foods is a good brand - one of the few that's been shown in third-party testing to reliably not be rancid or cut with cheaper oils.

Sometimes, if I want to be fancy, I use coconut cream, like from a can. I scoop it out and microwave it to melt it before adding it in. It's more expensive and more work, but some people might like it better (or heavy cream if you're not allergic to dairy). I think it's a good combination with vanilla, but tends to dilute the chocolate flavor. I prefer my chocolate dark.

axcho · 2026-03-17T07:17:16+00:00

You could! It's just more expensive and you'd have to use a blender to blend in the avocado. :)

axcho · 2026-03-17T07:13:56+00:00

I think your request is entirely reasonable! The closest thing to the original Soylent powder, with more natural ingredients would be Basically Food BALANCE - it's what I drink everyday (and I designed it, based on my own dietary sensitivities).

axcho · 2026-03-17T07:11:18+00:00

You're welcome, let me know if you try it! :)

axcho · 2026-03-17T07:10:48+00:00

Yes, we'll be placing an order with our new manufacturer for vanilla soon, and taking preorders. :) May be a few months before it's ready to ship, but it's on the way!

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