Soylent has had a huge impact on our existence. I (Harsh Batra, founder of Happy Ratio) came to know of them when Tim Ferriss, a person who has influenced me more than anyone else, tweeted about Soylent in 2013. That one tweet made me realize that someone had finally managed to simplify the nutrition code.
The logic behind what Soylent was doing was simple - We know what nutrition we should be consuming every day through the RDAs. Let us implement the science by creating a drink that follows the RDA’s precisely so that we all can be healthy. “RDA’s or Recommended Dietary Allowances are the levels of intake of essential nutrients that, on the basis of scientific knowledge, are judged by the Food and Nutrition Board to be adequate to meet the known nutrient needs of practically all healthy persons.”
I tried to get a hold of Soylent in India but I was unable to because they were focused on the United States. In the years which followed many Soylent replacements flooded the market. In the UK, Huel raised a ton of money to become a prominent Soylent competitor. Huel has now become so big that they are even competing with Soylent in their home turf of the United States. I heard of other companies like Joylent, Satislent and Aussilent cropping up in different parts of the world. Ample, Ambronite and Queal put their hands up as Soylent replacement brands as well. I kept on looking for a Soylent alternative in India but found none that matched what Soylent and Soylent replacement brands like Huel were doing around the world so I decided to do something about it by launching an Indian Soylent replacement.
Soylent has come a long way since they started. Almost ten years later, Soylent can be found in every nook and corner of the United States. They have flavor variants, coffee variants, protein-focused variants and come in powder, ready-to-drink and eatable formats. The basic logic behind what they do across all their products has remained consistent - provide Complete Nutrition by implementing the RDAs so that we all can be healthy. We have also come a long way since we started. Our first formula was branded “The Perfect Meal” which became SupermealX which then became Happy Ratio. For those who wanted a Soylent replacement in India, Happy Ratio became the right alternative. While Soylent is marketed as a “meal replacement”, Happy Ratio is more of an “All-in-One” health supplement that acts like nutrition insurance to fill gaps in diets. People consume Happy Ratio as a snack, as a meal and in some cases as a tasty morning coffee beverage. The logic behind what we do is similar to what Soylent also does - implement the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) on the basis of scientific knowledge as judged by the Food and Safety Standards Authority of India, to meet the known nutrient needs of practically all healthy Indians.
In 2013, I was living alone, building a SaaS business, swinging kettlebells, consuming protein shakes, popping Vitamin pills and eating boneless chicken with canned black beans and frozen mixed vegetables. In 2022, I still do a lot of what I did back then, except I am not buying different products from multiple brands to meet my RDA requirements anymore. Now, a Happy Ratio health drink every day suffices. My objectives for my diet remain the same as they were ten years ago:
- Maintain a lean physique,
- Avoid the dreaded belly,
- Feed my brain the right stuff so that I can do deep work with focus, and
- Play without burning out (my 4-hour long cricket games happen in 45-degree heat in the summers).
If I had not seen that tweet from Tim Ferriss, followed Soylent’s rise and pursued my interest then chances are that Happy Ratio may never have come to life as a Soylent replacement in India. Soylent started a movement. They have made a dent in the health and nutrition space globally. The ripple effect of their pursuit can be felt through our pursuit in India. We hope to follow in their footsteps and do for Indians what they have been able to do for Americans.
That is me consuming Soylent in Singapore. I did it for a stretch of three months. I quite liked the original formula!
