Jimmy Joy’s Plenny Shake Vs Soylent

Wednesday 6th March 2024

Which one to choose?

I have seen Soylent and Jimmy Joy’s Plenny shake (Formerly Joylent) selling on Amazon with their own product listing pages. My curiosity was sparked instantly considering there has been a lot of interest in how Plenny Shake stacks up to Soylent.

Today lets compare both Jimmy Joy Plenny Shake to the Soylent powder and liquid drink. We will look at ingredients, their ease of use, nutritional value, and what others have to say.

At the end of this article I hope to have helped you make the best decision. My final verdict is probably not what you would expect! 

How to prepare Soylent Powder and Soylent Drink?

Soylent is super easy to prepare. Soylent comes in two forms – powdered or as a liquid drink.

Non – US countries do not have the option to buy the powdered option but the liquid drink in case you live outside the states. 

To prepare Soylent drink, requires you to buy the meal replacement bottle and store in cool dry place.

Once opened, you need to drink within three days and refrigerate. However, if it remains closed, Soylent has a year long shelf life, which is great, as you don’t have to worry about Soylent going off and throwing away only after a couple days.

The powder form of soylent is slightly more complicated to prepare. The easy part is adding water and shaking away. However, the difficulty is working out the amount of servings to put into the water. Considering Soylent keep releasing new modifications (1.7,1.8,etc..) they also tend to change the serving recommendations frequently.

The general rule is that two scoops equates to one meal, whereas one scoop counts as a quick snack.

Soylent Flavours?

Soylent has a good selection of flavours namely, cacao, original flavour, nectar and cafe mocha. The original flavour is describe as a “sweet flavour with a velvety finish.”  

Good Intentions?

What I do like about Soylent is that they don’t aggressively push their product as weight loss program but more a substitute for a meal for those who don’t have the time for a meal. While some meal replacements actively are for weight loss, and encourage you to consume a minimum amount a day, Soylent, are more a convenient way to fit in a meal.

They can absolutely be used to help you with weight loss but I like the fact they don’t actively shove it in your face on their website.  

How to Prepare Jimmy Joy’s Plenny Shake?

Jimmy Joy’s Plenny Shake is super simple to prepare. Merely mix 96g of powder with 300 ml water and shake.

All the necessary ingredients, minerals, proteins, and fats are already in the mix. Can’t get much easier than that, now can it? You do need to keep it cold and shaking it up again after sitting is recommended.

Flavours of Plenny shake

Plenny Shake also comes in a variety of flavours, including the long-established shake flavours of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, plus some unique ones like banana and mango. And, for those who prefer no flavour – such as those with sensitivities or health concerns – there is also a neutral variety.

Let’s Look at the Ingredients

Plenny ShakeSoylent Powder (V1.8)Soylent Drink
Calories419 calories per 100g400 calories per serving (87g)400 calories per bottle (414ml)
Protein15g (Soy, Whey, Flaxseed)20g (Soy)20g (Soy)
Sugar5.8g15g9.4g
Total Fat14g20g21g
Saturated Fat2.11.51.7g
Monounsaturated FatNot labelled14gNot labelled
Polyunsaturated FatNot labelled3.5gNot labelled
Servings 100g87g1 bottle = 414ml
Fibre7.6g5g2.9g
PriceSee Price On Jimmy Joy WebsiteSee Latest Price On AmazonSee Latest Price On Amazon

While shakes may seem all the same, there is an incredible variation in what goes into making that special mix. For the Plenny Shake, the answer to what goes in it can be summed up in one word: everything! Plenny Shake was designed to replace ingredient shopping and recipes. In a nutshell, founder Joey van Koningsbruggen, wanted a shake as healthy as a full meal in a format as easy to drink as a glass of water.

Plenny Shake accomplishes this by having all the necessary ingredients for an optimum meal in the bag: oatmeal, soy flour, whey protein, ground flaxseed, freeze dried fruit, 27 essential vitamins and minerals, all sourced from sustainable sources and completely plant-based for all the vegans out there.

Although not gluten-free, the formula is based on scientific research from European Union’s Reference Daily Intake of nutrients (RDI), the European Food and Safety Authority and the World Health Organization. According to the packaging it is the ideal combination of proteins, carbs, fibers, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals with 400 calories, 15 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber.

It does, however, contain sweetener, sucralose and maltodextrin; all processed ingredients that have come under much scrutiny of late. Although the quantity might sound relatively low, providing 5.6 grams of sugar or just 6 percent of the daily recommendation for sugars per serving, I still believe the sugar content in Plenny Shake can be lower. 

soylent liquid drinksoylent powder

Soylent, on the other hand, is much the same, being a simple meal replacement that offers everything the body needs to stay healthy and feel satisfied. However, while it might be natural, the amount of sugar is very high at almost 15 grams per serving – almost three times the Plenny Shake totals.

Boasting the same protein source of Soy protein, Soylent also has slightly more protein with about 20 grams per serving, which they claim supports muscle mass. Again, according to the packaging, the Soylent shake is carefully formulated with all the essential vitamins, minerals and macronutrients to help you drop pounds and maintain a healthy body.

This mix includes vitamins B6 and B12 to energize healthy metabolism, along with vitamins A, K, C and E. Each of them make up about 20% of your daily value which is a good amount considering the different vitamins packed into the shake.

Besides this slight difference in protein numbers, Soylent weight loss shakes are also higher in fat, with 20 grams in total fat per serving (1 serving is ⅕ pouch of soylent) compared to Plenny Shakes 13g rams, and higher in fiber, with about 5g per serving.

Although Soylent is higher in fat, it’s important to note not all fat is bad fat. The majority of Soylent’s fat content (14g) is made up of monosaturated fat which is the healthiest form of fat. You normally find this type of fats in food oils and nuts and seeds.

Pros and Cons: Which Shake Comes Out on Top?

Both shakes both have their fair share of pros and cons. Unfortunately, I believe the cons outweigh the pros. When it comes to sugar content, protein sources and overall healthiness there are flaws (read below).

Weight loss

Both Plenny shake and Soylent can be used as a useful tool to help you lose weight.
Plenny Shake has slightly more calories at 419 per 100g while Soylent has 400 calories.

The difference though in calories is marginal and should not solely be used as determinant for deciding what shakes to buy. Sometimes less calories makes you feel hungrier quicker and can lead to over indulging in unhealthy snacks. Either way there is a decent amount of calories in both shakes.

Likewise weight loss always needs to be done in a sustainable and healthy way. Replacing all your meals with a shake is the wrong way to tackle weight loss. Two meals max is protocol, switching to one meal when you have shed the pounds.

Considering two meals is actually quite a lot of shakes you need to be sure your consuming healthy ingredients that are low in sugar and have ingredients that won’t harm the body.

Out of the two shakes, I would say Plenny shake is healthier, purely down to the fact it has less sugar. Nonetheless, I would still not touch Plenny shake due to what this sugar is made from.

Sugars

While Plenny Shake does have lower amounts of sugar (5.6 g per 100g), these are provided by artificial sweeteners, a definite turn off for those opposed to anything unnaturally sourced. Likewise for those with bad skin conditions or have immune systems very sensitive to sugar, 5.6 grams is too high.  

The sugar in Soylent on the other hand comes from sucralose. Although there are plenty of shakes that use sucralose, soylent contains way too much sucralose.

15 grams of sugar in the Soylent meal replacement powder comes from sucralose, which is a higher than necessary amount. Similarly, Soylent drink contains 9.4g of sucralose in one bottle.

This is not to mention that sucralose is considered an E-number in the more health conscious EU. So in actual fact, you are drinking 15g of an e-number.

Top meal replacement shakes like Vega One and Huel all contain under 2g of sugar. The sugar content in both Plenny Shake and Soylent can be lowered if other shakes on the market are lower.   

Gluten-intolerance

Because Plenny shake is made with oatmeal, those on gluten-free diets will need to avoid this choice. However, Soylents shakes have no oat product and are therefore great for the gluten-intolerant.

Lactose

Plenny shake does contain oat flour and whey protein which contain lactose. Soylent on the other hand does not contain any lactose. So if you are lactose intolerant or avoid milk I would stick to Soylent.   

Protein

Plenny shake is made up of Soy, Flaxseed, and whey protein. In comparison, Soylent gets its protein from purely soy.

soy_protein_plenny_shake_vs_soylent_

What I find weird is that Plenny shake decides to put both whey and soy in the same mix. This is because Soy is plant based while Whey is sourced from milk and contains lactose.

Normally people who avoid whey want a purely plant based shake. Consequently, if you want a purely plant based shake and are lactose intolerant Plenny shake will not be a good fit.

While soy is a normal choice for those looking for a plant-based, lactose-free protein, I still believe research into the benefits of soy is in its infant stages. Soy from natural food sources is healthy in sustainable amounts. However, obtaining soy in its powdered form leaves me with question marks.

For example, the extraction process to get purely soy protein can be questioned. Soy is extracted using hexane, which removes the oil from soybeans.

Likely that this will not harm you as the quantity is small and only trace residue might be found. Either way I still feel uncomfortable eating soy extracted this way.

In addition, soy does contain Phytoestrogens which act the same way as the hormone estrogen. Raising your estrogen levels in both men and women has been linked to fertility issues.

Just the thought of consuming powdered soy doesn’t put me at ease. This is why I normally avoid soy products.

Vegan

Considering Plenny shake contains whey protein which is derived from cows milk, Plenny shake is not a vegan option. Soylent on the other hand contains no animal derived products so is perfect for vegans.

Probiotics/Prebiotics

Probiotics and prebiotics are a necessary ingredient in daily nutrition intake. 

Although Plenny shake and Soylent contains vitamins and Omega’s. They do not contain any pro-and prebiotics. Some competitors like Vega One and garden of life all contain prebiotic’s (see on amazon).

The benefit of prebiotic’s is that prebiotics can help digestion, improve immune function, fight again pathogens (harmful bacteria), and help the absorption of vitamins.  

What About Other Uses?

Both shakes can serve as supplements to specific diets such as clean plant based diets, vegan, paleo and weight loss diets.

Those with limited mobility, who need to get their proper nutrition with as little effort as possible, such as seniors, can also benefit from consuming both shakes. The same goes to people recovering from an injury, illness, and surgery.

And, as a meal replacement, Plenny Shake and Soylent work well for those who require easy-to-consume meals because of swallowing difficulties, including stroke patients and those diagnosed with stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, Downs Syndrome and many other conditions.

Moreover, Plenny Shakes and Soylent allow people with a busy lifestyle to get the nutrition they need, on the run, without buying extensive lists of groceries and having to prepare detailed recipes.  

Good Will

There are plenty of meal replacement brands that have the wrong intentions at heart. Namely creating products that are low quality to jump on a rising health trend to make more money.

In other articles I have talked about some of the business strategies like network marketing that plenty of meal replacement shake companies operate under, which do not benefit you. 

Both Soylent and Jimmy Joy Plenny Shake don’t operate under such modules. They are independent owned companies who I believe do try their best to improve their products.  

Although Soylent is still not the best shake in my opinion, they make a conscious effort to listen to their customers and improve their shake composition as shown by their multiple versions of the shake. They started out at 1.1 and have gone to 1.9.

Jimmy Joy on the other hand share a corporate responsibility to the world. They have commitments like in-house production and delivery chain models that are as clean as possible. Planting trees in Bolivia to offset the emissions they cannot prevent, makes this a company you can feel good about supporting.

What Are Other People Saying?

Before committing to either shake, it can help to look at what others are saying. On Reddit, Amazon and other review sites like latestfuels.com or eatcomplete.co/review, there remains a general belief that such shakes are temporary quick fix schemes that don’t have any staying power. But there were customers who felt both shakes where very convenient.

Positive feedback

For example, running out the door most mornings, breakfast became unhealthy or non-existent. Choosing to switch to the Plenny Shake or Soylent Shake allowed some commenters to quickly and easily get the nutrients they need in the morning, while working towards their goals.

Reviews like those found at eatcomplete.com and Latestfuels.com clearly showed the majority found Plenny Shake a well-priced, good-tasting choice, especially for those who are less active and more cost conscious. The texture can be a bit gritty, with a definitely oat taste and the consistency requires personal tweaking; however, overall, they would recommend the product.

For others, the shakes allow them to feel satisfied until their first break of the day instead of running for the convenience foods that are so unhealthy.

Criticisms

An overwhelming majority did comment on how meal replacement shakes, in general, can be unsatisfying. Many people feel that left feeling insufficiently satisfied, and stuck behind a desk all day, shakes do not do enough to curb their appetite. In addition, there were concerns about consistency, taste and quality.

Summary of What Others Are Saying

In general, both products appear to have a fan base, and again, the overall sentiment of others in regard to these shakes really depends on honestly knowing what you are like and what you are hoping to achieve. Expecting to taste a milkshake that shaves weight off you overnight is likely to find you disappointed. However, for a quick, easy shake to replace all the required vitamins, minerals and nutrients of a meal, Plenny Shake and Plenny Shake do fit the bill nicely.

Where to Buy?

The below amazon listings is where you can buy Soylent or Jimmy Joys plenny shake and read customer reviews:

  1. Jimmy Joy’s Plenny (Review and price available on Jimmy Joy website)
  2. Solylent powder (Review and price available on Amazon)
  3. Soylent drink (Review and price available on Amazon)

Cost

When it comes to cost, Plenny Shake shows another advantage. Jimmy Joy sells a 25-meal pack for about $39 US (£ 30) or about $1.56 per serving plus shipping.

Soylent powder on the other hand works out to $64 for 35 servings. That works out to about $1.8 per serving. So soylent is the more expensive option but it will last longer considering there are 35 servings when you buy 1 pouch.  

 

Where Can I Find Coupons?

Costing less than many other meal replacement options out there, shakes still cost and none of us are afraid to make a good deal even better! If you are looking for coupons to help, check out the Jimmy Joy Reward Page at https://jimmyjoy.com/pages/rewards for a unique frequent shopper program that rewards you for purchases, reviews and referring friends.

Although I found it difficult to find coupons for Soylent you can check out prices on this listing page on Amazon.

Still Unsure? Alternatives?

For me there are better meal replacements than Jimmy Joy and Soylent. For example, I currently take Huel unsweetened as a meal replacement.

Top quality shakes like Vega One or Garden of Life are also other great options. 

All can these great shakes can be found on Amazon.

They are all packed full of protein but contain very low amounts of sugar. The protein sources are all natural too from plants other than soy.

FAQ

Are Meal Replacement Shakes Good for Weight Loss?

Absolutely! When used properly, weight loss can be achieved with meal replacement products. However this can only be done if you are eating fewer calories than you are using and still obtaining all the necessary minerals, nutrients and vitamins to sustain healthy body function.

Shakes can help you consume fewer calories than meals while helping curb hunger.

 Plus, likely due to their ease, fewer people following meal replacement weight loss plans drop out before achieving their goals.

Do I Need to Exercise While Drinking Soylent and Jimmy Joy?

Whether your goal is to lose weight or just get a good balance of nutrients while rushing out the door, exercise is always good for you, both physically and psychologically. If weight loss is the end goal, however, you will need to ensure you burn more calories than you take in, creating what is called a negative energy balance and exercise can help you achieve this. Getting your sweat on can also help you reach your weight loss goals faster, but keep in mind that maintaining a properly balanced and nutrient-rich minimum is also important to overall health.

Do Plenny Shake or Soylent Contain Caffeine and Can I Drink Coffee or Tea While Using Them?

While both products contain no caffeine, you can certainly enjoy tea or coffee while consuming both shakes. In fact, consuming enough liquids is essential for good health and recommended by both products.

Will My Meal Replacement Shake Interact with My Medication?

Meal replacements are not known to react with medicines, it is always best to talk to your doctor before starting any diet program.

Can People with Diabetes Take Meal Replacement Shakes?

Meal replacement products can be excellent methods for diabetics to ensure proper nutrition and to even lose weight; however, there are several factors to consider. Because each product has its own combination of sugars and proteins, it is important that you discuss your options and decisions with your doctor. Glycemic and electrolyte levels, as well as renal function and fluid retention, all need to be carefully considered and monitored before making any meal replacement choices for those with diabetes.

Can Children or Teens Use Meal Replacements?

Both Soylent and Plenny Shake were designed for the daily vitamin, mineral and nutrient needs of adults. The requirements for children and teens are much different, any such use should be done only with doctor consultation.

Are Meal Replacement Products Suitable for Women Who Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding?

Again, the needs of those pregnant or breastfeeding usually fall outside the average daily recommendations and thus, such women should always seek advice from their doctor before starting any diet.

Has Plenny Shake Changed from Its Original Formulation?

Yes, in the middle of 2018, Jimmy Joy made alterations to its formulas. While it has done away with the variety of products it once had, the shake has become smoother in texture as well as vegan.

Final Verdict

I believe Soylent and Plenny Shake are not the best shakes to buy as meal replacements, simply because they are not as healthy as a shake could be. 

One major turnoff was the sugar content in both Soylent and Plenny Shake. I have suffered with bad skin my whole life, so foods high in sugar wrec havoc on my gut and skin. It doesn’t help that Jimmy joy has un-natural sugar added while soylent has about 17g of sucralose which is really high!

In addition, I’m just not a fan of Soy protein. I feel safer consuming pea, brown rice, flax seed, or any other plant source other than soy, simple because soy’s health risk is unproven.

The shakes that I personally use and love are: 

They have ton of raving reviews and are much more healthy compared to Soylent and Plenny Shake.

Hope You got some education on these two shakes and good luck with your decision whatever you decide to do!

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