Soylent and Queal Compared
Philosophy, Products, Variation, Pricing
Complete Food that does more than replace a meal
Soylent was introduced in 2014 and is marketed as a staple meal. The mission of the company is to take the hassle out of food. The founder, Rob Rhinehart, even experimented on himself by not eating anything else than his powdered meals for 30 days. Soylent now offers a wide variety of products and provides functional food to many who are busy.
Queal makes complete food with a slightly different philosophy. For every moment of the day, they want to be your complete choice of food. Next to powders the company sells bars and a nootropic. They want to be your one-stop-shop for everything related to complete food. To make this possible they provide nutritional information and a personalised dashboard for every customer.
Three types of meals
'soylent' has become the defacto name for the products that the Complete Food companies sell. But that doesn't mean there is only one type of complete meal out there. Even Soylent (the company) offers two different versions of their meals. The first (and original) is a powdered meal. Just add some water and you have yourself a meal. This is also the type of product that Queal offers.
Since its inception, Soylent has kept on innovating and also offers a ready-to-drink (RTD) product (at a slightly higher price). You can compare the RTD to a milky drink, but one which is also rich in vitamins and minerals. Queal has branched out to meals in a bar, which adds another level of convenience to Complete Foods (not yet available in the US).
Because it's silly to compare bars and RTDs, we've summarised the similarities, differences and unique characteristics of the powders of Queal and Soylent.
| # | Soylent | Queal |
|---|---|---|
| Flavors | Neutral & Cacao | Chocolate, Strawberry, Forest Fruit, Banana, Choco Hazelnut, Apple Pie, Vanilla |
| Nutrition | 35% carbs, 45% lipids, 20% protein | 46% carbs, 25% fats, 29% protein |
| Ingredients | Soy protein, Canola oil, Isomaltulose, Vitamins & Minerals | Whole Grain Oats, Maltodextrin, Whey Protein, Soy Flour, Vegetable Oils, Vitamins & Minerals |
| Animals? | Vegan | Vegetarian (whey protein) |
| Price per 400kcal | from $1.54 ($1.74 for Cacao) | from $1.52 (all flavors) |
Sugar
Queal contains fewer sugars than Soylent. Our main sources of carbs are evenly balanced between the complex carbohydrate Maltodextrin (made from corn) and finely cut Scottish Oats. The Maltodextrin has a high Glycemic Index (GI, how fast carbs are processed), and the Oats a low GI. This balance ensures a quick release of energy, but also a sustained continuous release of energy for several hours, resulting in a balanced energy level.
Soylent’s main source of energy, on the other hand, is Isomaltulose. This is a carbohydrate that is partially classified as a sugar. Although it's classified as sugar, it is a slow- and sustained-release carbohydrate.
Fiber
Queal is a lot higher in fibre than Soylent, giving the recommended daily allotment of dietary fibre for the average adult (40g), highly beneficial for gut health. Soylent, on the other hand, has just 12g, which more closely resembles the average intake in American diets.
Lipids
The balance between lipids and protein is also noticeably different between Soylent and Queal. Where Queal has gone for a higher level of protein, Soylent has gone for a higher lipid content. Although the lipids in Soylent are of the “good” variety, it does not meet the guideline for <35% percentage energy as total lipid but instead providing a significantly substantial 45% of calories as lipid.
Both Queal and Soylent provide the recommended daily amount of all “good” lipids and fatty acids such as Omega-3 and Omega-6.
Protein
With a protein content of just 20g per serving (400kcal), Soylent is quite low in their protein content. Furthermore, their protein comes mostly from soy protein, which has a lower nutritional value than for instance pea protein or whey protein.
In comparison, Queal has 27g of protein per serving (400kcal), which is actually on the high side. The protein used is Whey protein, which offers a wider spectrum of amino acids. Whey protein is not suitable for vegans.
The high level of protein makes Queal more geared towards active people, though perfectly fine to use for “desk-workers” too.
Original or Flavored?
Both Queal and Soylent are two great options for when you need a complete meal. The powders remain the most price-conscious way of getting a Complete Food. And with hundreds of thousands going before you, there is already a growing movement of people who eat this every day.
Soylent can proudly call itself the father of this movement. The first experiments from Rhinehart made it possible for people to have a quick meal. Queal has added their own flavor and twist to the idea and expands on it with other products (and a dashboard) for customers. Products from both companies are available in America and we urge you to check them both out.
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