Update: Since this blog posted, Ketolent has been rebranded as Sated. You can still buy the Ketolent shake but it is now called Sated. In addition to the rebranding the company is working on a ready-to-drink keto shake. If you're interested, you are able to pre-order the ready-to-drink version of Sated.
I love food. I love to eat. Who doesn't? This love is part of the reason I have struggled with my weight and health for so long. It's why I started keto in the first place, which ultimately has saved my life. Okay ... that was a bit dramatic, but seriously, sitting down to a meal with friends and family and savoring the flavors and even the act of chewing is the best.
That being said, we've all had those moments when eating seems tedious, and we wish that we could just drink a thing and call it a day. In comes the meal replacements, smoothies, and juice crazes. If you're on keto, you can feel a bit left out. Juice is, for obvious reasons, a no no. All the sugar of fruit with none of the fiber and other goodies. Smoothies, while a little better, are rarely keto, and when they are, they are barely within proper macros. Even then, most consider keto smoothies a treat and not a daily or long term thing.
Which brings us to meal replacements. You can buy Atkins shakes which are around 3 net carbs (per keto standards), but personally, I think they taste like a chalky Yoo-hoo. Why can't there be a Soylent for people on keto?
Well, guess what, there is, and it's not made of people either. There are actually several versions. The ones I decided to try were Ketolent (chocolate and vanilla) and KetoOne (formerly Ketosoy).
Now if you're like me, you're really just reading this post to find out the consistency, what it tasted like, if it kept me full, if I lost weight, and just if it's worth it. So, let me tell you about my three days replacing my lunches with keto Soylent.
Day 1: Chocolate Ketolent
Taste First, I should point out, that I have no sweet tooth. Never have. Cookies, ice cream, really dessert of any kind does not tempt me. Now, put me in front of a mountain of nachos or some popcorn and I will be tempted to destroy it like nobody's business. I tell you this because the only keto soylent flavors out there are the usual chocolate and vanilla. So keep in mind that I do not really like sweets to begin with as you read on.
I had read online that some people mixed it with unsweetened almond milk instead of water. So, I decided to experiment. I made half of it with water and half with almond milk. Overall, it tasted like a cold hot chocolate. It actually wasn't bad. I imagine if you mixed in some PB Fit you'd have a delicious almost peanut butter cup drink on your hands. Of course, this would add 2 net carbs to your drink.
I had no problem drinking this for lunch. However, it was quite sweet. I'd only be able to drink it every other day - max - and only for one meal.
[UPDATE] A friend gave me the brilliant suggestion of adding a cup of cold black coffee to help dull the sweet taste. It. Was. Amazing. It was filling and enough chocolate taste to mask the strong black coffee and enough coffee to dull the sweetness of the chocolate. If you're going to try it, I recommend trying it this way. Even if it's only for your morning meal. I can see how drinking coffee with dinner may turn some people off.
Texture Both the water and almond milk versions were smooth and creamy. The almond milk version is a little more so.
Did it keep me full? It did ... until it didn't. I drank it during lunch, and surprisingly I didn't get any afternoon cravings. I didn't feel unsatisfied, or like I was starving, and had a surge of energy and focus. I did miss chewing a little, but that was more in my head than anything else.
However, around 4-5pm I was suddenly ravenous. I got off work, and on my way home my stomach started growling, and I was suddenly very aware that I needed to eat something and fast. I felt almost like I hadn't eaten since breakfast even though I knew I had the ketolent for lunch. That said, I felt light. I didn't feel like anything was sitting in my stomach and bogging me down like I usually do.
Day 2: Vanilla Ketolent
Taste I'm going to be honest. This tasted like straight up cake batter. I hated it. I couldn't even drink it all. I think I got a quarter of the way through and put it back in the fridge. No thank you - not my cup of tea. Although, Josh, loved it. I gave it to him when I got home from work, and he downed it. He thought it was delicious.
Texture Like the chocolate version, it was very smooth and creamy.
Did it keep me full? I only drank about a quarter of it, but it did curve any hunger pains I may have had and kept me going long enough to get a snack after work before rowing practice and then dinner after.
Day 3: Chocolate KetoOne
Taste KetoOne has a more natural than sweet taste. It reminded me of an oatmeal cookie. I actually really enjoyed the taste of this one. Throw in some PB Fit, and it's like a peanut butter no bake cookie in a drink.
Texture This is where the KetoOne lost me. The texture was too gritty for me. It was most likely a result of the chia seeds, but it was just enough to make me want to chew but not really need or be able to. It was a bit of a turn-off. I made it half way through this one and put it back in the fridge.
Did it keep me full? This one was a little interesting. Drinking only half, surprisingly, kept me quite full. It wasn't like a real full though. It was like that feeling after you eat when you are full, and then an hour later you're still full, but you're not quite full. You could eat, but you know you're full, so you don't eat. It was like that. It was weird. I didn't start to feel hungry again until 6 pm, and around 6:30 I NEEDED to eat dinner.
So ... did I lose weight? I did. I lost half a pound in three days. Keep in mind there are other factors. I had rowing practice and have started lifting weights for 20-30 minutes in the morning before work. My breakfast all three days consisted of cheesy scrambled eggs and bacon. My dinners were taco salad, wings, and then dry fried sliced beef with leaks from a Sichuan restaurant near by.
Is it worth it? If you like sweet things, then I'd say it's worth it. If you're a savory person, then you probably won't like this stuff. Also, if you're the kind of person that every now and then (or all the time) just wants something easy that you don't have to think about and you're okay with drinking a meal, then give this a go.
I went ahead and ordered the 35 meals of the chocolate Ketolent. I plan to drink it a couple of days a week for lunch or anytime I have a huge lunch and want something that feels light in my stomach for dinner.
I'll probably be adding PB Fit or coffee since it is a bit too sweet for me. However, of all of them, that was the one I could most handle, and I can't argue with the results or how it made me feel. Which was pretty good.
Of course, as I said, I'd only be able to handle it for one meal every other day or so. Personally, I wouldn't be able to handle it every day or for every meal.
So, this was my experience. I hope you found it helpful, and again, if you're interested in trying Ketolent, you can use this link for $10 off.