Soylent: A Registered Dietitian’s Honest Review

Sometimes, life gets in the way of proper nutrition. You get busy, meal times get pushed back, and you can feel like you don’t have time to cook or meal prep. There’s no shame in relying on high-quality, convenient products when you need them — and that’s why we love Soylent!

Great as a placeholder for meals, a quick, high-protein snack, or nutrition when you’re on the go, Soylent’s product line has an option for every situation. Choose from their complete meal shakes, protein shakes, protein powders, or nutrition bars to suit your personal needs.

Registered dietitian Melissa Mitri, MS, RD tells us why her clients like Soylent. “It is super convenient and portable for busy people, more affordable than many other meal replacements, and is available in most retail stores. It is high in protein and fiber, offers a good source of vitamins and minerals, and the Soylent complete drink only contains 1 gram of added sugar,” she says.

Soy protein

Soy is unique as it is one of the only plant-based complete proteins we have. A complete protein means that it contains all nine essential amino acids in the food itself. Typically, plant-based protein products have to combine several foods to get complete proteins. Often, you’ll see rice and pea protein paired together to make a complete protein.

Related: 10 Simple Ways to Add Protein to Your Diet

Soylent also offers a wonderful option for folks with food allergies or people who can’t tolerate foods like dairy, nuts, or eggs. Soy protein is highly digestible and according to the Protein-Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS), one of the World Health Organization’s main tools for assessing complete protein, soy protein ranks highly as a complete, digestible protein source.

Heart healthy omegas

Soylent has crafted products with a blend of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to support heart health. Omega-3s are a wonderful source of heart-healthy fat that has been shown to improve cardiovascular health, cholesterol, and lipid levels.

If you don’t love fish, it might be hard for you to consistently get a good source of omega-3s in your diet. Soylent contains 500 milligrams of omega-3s per serving, and also contains high-oleic sunflower oil for a balance of omega-6s and omega-9s.

Low glycemic index

Soylent’s products are low in added sugars, low on the glycemic index, and balanced with a blend of carbohydrates and proteins to keep your energy levels stable after eating or drinking.

Their complete protein drink is low in added sugar with only 1 gram of total added sugar. Whether you are managing your blood sugar or just want a lower-sugar alternative, you can feel good about what you’re eating with Soylent.

Immune-supporting nutrients

Even if you are grabbing this as a meal replacement, you can rest assured that you’re not missing out on nutrition. Soylent products contain a whopping 28 vitamins and minerals to make sure all your bases are covered when it comes to nutrition.

This has been especially comforting to my clients who have severe food restrictions, nutrition malabsorption issues, or simply are unable to eat regular, balanced meals. Knowing that you have immune-supporting nutrients every day can give you the peace of mind you need when other parts of your diet are limited.

Read next: The Best 19 Sources of Plant Protein & Why You Should Be Eating Them

The contents of this article are an honest, unbiased review of the product. Results may vary by person.