“Soylent.” It sounds like some sort of alien life-form or supplement your hypochondriac friend would take. If you think this too, then you are not far off. Soylent got its name from the 1966 science fiction novel, "Make Room!" by Harry Harrison in which aliens live on a food by the same name. It was further made popular by the 1973 film version, "Soylent Green" (in which the soylent is actually crafted from human remains, luckily not the case for the real-world version). And it just might make you live forever. Well, not really, but it is the new superfood that’s taking efficiency to a whole new level.

So, what is it?

Dubbed the “food of the future,” Soylent is a meal replacement drink that allegedly contains all daily nutrients needed for a balanced adult human diet. Its website claims the drink is, “engineered to deliver all essential nutrients and provide an even release of energy.” Also available in a powder form, Soylent’s ingredients include soy protein, which improves digestion and gives the drink its smooth texture, algal oil that provides energy and beneficial fatty acids, isomaltulose, a disaccharide from beets that also contains energy without added sugar and plenty of vitamins and minerals.

A brief history.

Software engineer Rob Rhinehart, being recently out of college, quickly realized that maintaining a balanced, healthy diet was near impossible without breaking the bank. He wondered if he could create a cheap and efficient way to consume all the essential nutrients in one concoction. Consequently, "Soylent" was born. Tracking all his progress on his personal blog, Rhinehart set off to create the perfectly balanced diet, adding and subtracting ingredients as needed. The popularity of his blog led to a crowdfunding campaign that raised millions of dollars and it skyrocketed from there. The formula constantly changed and shifted until they produced the first ready-to-drink Soylent 2.0 option in the fall of 2015.

Nutrition information at a glance.

Each bottle is 400 calories (20 percent daily value), which consists of 33 percent carbohydrates (37 g), 47 percent lipids (21 g), and 20 percent protein (20 g). It also contains 25 micro-nutrients (20 percent daily value), 0 g cholesterol, 0 g trans-fat, 300 mg sodium (13 percent daily value) and 3 g fiber (12 percent daily value). You can find all information on their nutrition PDF.

Pros:

1. It is extremely efficient.

If you are a busy person and always seem to skip breakfast because you’re running out the door, then Soylent is a portable, non-messy, prep-free alternative.

2. Affordable.

If you’re a poor recent college-grad (like me), then you quickly realize that cheap foods are usually terrible for you (think microwave-ready meals, ramen noodles and easy-mac). If you want to eat completely clean and healthy, then it’s way more expensive (looking at you, Whole Foods). Soylent’s website advertises a case of 12 bottles for $32.30 – that’s only $2.69 per bottle. This means it is $2.69 per meal, which is probably the least amount of money you will pay for a meal in your life (at least a nutritious meal).

3. It contains essential nutrients you may not be getting from your usual diet (see above).

4. Increase in energy.

The website claims it will fill you up and boost your energy – just as if you ate a whole, balanced meal with coffee, without having to do any work.

5. It lasts forever.

That’s an exaggeration, but it has a year-long shelf life, which is pretty good.

6. It’s low waste.

The new and improved bottle (cleverly named Soylent 2.0) has a low environmental impact, produced in a recyclable bottle.

7. Bonus benefits: it’s vegan, lactose-free, nut-free, FDA approved and made locally (in the U.S.).

Cons:

1. Side effects.

There aren’t any serious known side-effects, but people who have lived off of Soylent for a long time (we're talking 30-plus days) report excessive gas. No bueno.

2. It’s not actual food.

Although you are getting the nutrients you need, it is just not the same as real food. It’s not as satisfying to consume, and if you like to cook and prep meals, then definitely not as fun.

3. Taste.

Personally, I don’t mind the taste. It tastes like liquid Cheerios. Or like how the milk tastes after you’ve had a bowl of Cheerios. Not bad at all, but not particularly flavorful. But I also don’t have a huge sweet-tooth. People have reported it being bland, tasteless and even in-consumable without gagging. This one depends on your taste buds.

4. Loss of quality time.

The biggest con people seem to point out is not nutrition-related, but rather the social aspect of a liquid diet. The feasibility of Soylent takes away quality family time spent eating meals together, and the large social aspect that surrounds the crafting and consuming of a meal our culture values. This only applies if you are going full-fledged into the Soylent / non-food lifestyle.

5. Other things that are not life-threatening, but still worth considering, is that it is not organic, not kosher, not GMO free, not allergen-free and not gluten-free.

Personal test.

I tested it so you don't have too (although you should). My dad, my brother and I all tried it out. My brother couldn’t get through one bottle; he hated the taste so much. He described it as, “The cereal part of Lucky Charms,” "wheaty," and resembling "watered down pancake batter" (which is a quote he actually read about, but found terribly accurate). My dad and I have been drinking it for a week – only as a replacement for one meal a day, usually breakfast. My dad has previously been in the habit of skipping the most important meal of the day, and since I started work, I’ve been hitting snooze until the last minute and running out the door with a banana and coffee. Soylent is incredibly efficient if you live life like this. I’ve been grabbing it on my way out and drinking it at work. I’ve found that it immediately satisfies my hunger and lasts four hours until my stomach is ready for lunch. In the first two days, I noticed an increase in energy and productivity – I didn’t even feel the need for my usual morning coffee. The third day I felt sluggish, but that may have been my sleep pattern from the night before, as I felt energized again on the following days. Of course, it's hard to tell the real benefits from only one week and one bottle a day. I recommend reading accounts of real-life, dedicated Soylent-ers (you heard it here first) like this one.

The take away.

Soylent has positively effected my mood and energy. And supposedly it helps me maintain a balanced diet -- I believe it. I definitely plan on continuing with it, but I’m not ready to give up all food entirely. Is Soylent the food of the future? We'll soon see.