Is A Liquid Diet Healthy?

For a busy adult trying to stay healthy, conserve the environment, and drop a few pounds, a liquid diet provides a quick, easy and convenient solution. 

But is a liquid meal replacement really good for you?

What Is A Liquid Diet?

A liquid diet is made up of only liquids instead of solid foods. You can replace all your meals and snacks with a partial or total liquid meal.

Doctors often prescribe a clear liquid diet (water, broth, gelatin, etc.) to their patients if they have digestive problems or are going to undergo a medical procedure shortly. 

While clear liquid diet foods often contain little nutrition, liquid meals are designed to function as true meal replacements. These offer equivalent or even improved nutritional value compared to solid foods and the added convenience of being in liquid form.

The most common liquid diets include homemade protein shakes, homemade or store-bought juices, store-bought liquid meal replacements, and protein shakes.

What Is A Partial Liquid Diet?

At Soylent, we celebrate a partial liquid or semi-liquid diet.

Rather than replacing your entire solid food diet with liquids, a partial liquid diet often means replacing a meal and snack with a shake or two of a complete nutrition shake like Soylent.

Meal replacement drinks can be a great way to reap the benefits of a liquid diet while promoting a more sustainable lifestyle.

5 Reasons To Switch To A Partial Liquid Diet

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of diets on the market that promise impressive results, but going on a liquid diet is only beneficial if done safely and responsibly. If you’re still on the fence about it, here are five reasons to switch to the best partial liquid diet on the market.

1. Promotes Food Sustainability

The world’s population is expected to reach about 10 billion by 2050. That’s a lot more people to feed. 

To meet the rising demand for calories and more well-rounded nutrition, food production must increase by about 60%. With 34 million people already struggling with food insecurity in the U.S, finding alternative solutions is crucial. A healthy meal replacement drink is one viable solution that can reduce the over-dependence on unsustainable meat-based diets.

A plant-based meal replacement drink is a better option because it takes fewer resources to produce than animal-based proteins. It can also be more nutritious, delicious, affordable, and environmentally friendly.

2. It’s Easier To Stick To Your Nutritional Goals

Sticking to a proper meal plan takes a great deal of time, effort, and frankly, luck.

Life happens. Crises arise, often in twos and threes, making it nearly impossible to stick to your planned lunch of lean protein and veggies. Once hunger becomes pressing, even the most healthy-minded among us can be swayed by simple carbohydrates, fast food, and other empty calories.

Once you’re on a partial liquid diet, nutritious eating becomes genuinely practical. If you find your schedule fills up with hardly a minute to breathe, you can still access a protein-rich, nutritious meal with our Chocolate Protein Nutrition Shake.

3. Encourages Healthy Weight

Over 73.6% of American adults above 20 years old are either overweight or obese. Weight loss is, therefore, a major concern for most people. 

A partial liquid diet can significantly reduce your caloric intake and creates a calorie deficiency in the body. This means more calories will be burned than consumed and forms the perfect foundation for weight management.

4. Keeps You Fuller For Longer

New research from the University of Nottingham in the UK illustrates that blended foods such as smoothies, shakes, and meal replacements can keep you feeling fuller for longer than a comparable amount of solid food.

How? The answer lies in newly discovered sorting systems in the stomach. 

Our guts are incredibly efficient at categorizing foods. For instance, if you drink a glass of dairy milk, the liquid might separate into three distinct layers in the stomach — thick cream, thinner liquid, and whey protein. The same occurs when eating solid food.

By sorting the food into distinct layers, your stomach can roughly gauge the amount of energy and triggers a hunger response if it feels the amount isn’t enough. And remember, it can take your stomach up to twenty or thirty minutes to feel full after you’re full.

In meals that are truly blended, like our meal replacement shakes, the stomach cannot separate the food into layers — because no layers exist. This means the digestive system cannot gauge the energy accurately and reduces the onset of hunger. 

Researchers found that this promoted increased satiety. The blended food group felt hungry up to an hour later than the solid food group, reducing their excess calorie intake and promoting a healthier weight.

This effect works in tandem with Soylent’s satiety-promoting healthy fats, keeping you fuller for longer and with all the energy you need to tackle the day ahead. 

5. Hydrates The Body

Since a partial liquid diet contains a lot of fluids, it hydrates the body. Dehydration can cause serious health concerns, such as headaches, seizures, constipation, and hypovolemic shock. Fluids also supply the body with much-needed electrolytes, like potassium and sodium.

Fill Out Your Liquid Diet Foods With Soylent

At Soylent, we’re firm believers that complete nutrition shouldn’t require hours of planning or meal prep. 

Most people genuinely desire to maintain a healthy weight, conserve the environment, promote food sustainability, and get the right nutrients. Unfortunately, long commutes, work hours, and other obligations often get in the way. 

That’s exactly why we set out to create a meal replacement with the optimal balance of macro and micronutrients that you can grab and go, so you don’t have to worry about getting what you need. It’s delicious, designed for your busiest days, and built around the most complete plant protein on planet Earth.

If you need a nutritional and balanced diet, there’s no better option than a partial liquid diet with Soylent’s meal replacement drinks. Start building your eating plan today by testing out our classic Original, Vanilla, and Creamy Chocolate.

Most people genuinely desire to maintain a healthy weight, conserve the environment, promote food sustainability, and get the right nutrients. Unfortunately, long commutes, work hours, and other obligations often get in the way. 

That’s exactly why we set out to create a meal replacement with the optimal balance of macro and micronutrients that you can grab and go, so you don’t have to worry about getting what you need. It’s delicious, designed for your busiest days, and built around the most complete plant protein on planet Earth.

If you need a nutritional and balanced diet, there’s no better option than a partial liquid diet with Soylent’s meal replacement drinks. Start building your eating plan today by testing out our classic Original, Strawberry, and creamy Chocolate.