If there are non-diet meal replacements, I don't know if any, which clearly seems like an opportunity for a product such as Soylent.
Millions.
The fact that at least 4 people in this thread have mentioned "meal replacements" but not a single one has named a specific product I would know by name (non dieting!) seems to me a pretty clear indictment that this category is not as established as you are suggesting.
I agree, though, that Soylent's unique strength is in marketing to middle-class to upper-middle class Millennials that arent seeking any particular goal other than replacing the bother of food; not through unique product features, just pure marketing focus.
And as for specific products...
- https://www.bodybuilding.com/store/vega/one.html
- https://www.bodybuilding.com/store/garden-of-life/raw-organi...
- https://www.iherb.com/pr/Madre-Labs-Zenbu-Shake-Meal-Replace...
- https://www.iherb.com/pr/Now-Foods-Tru-Food-Vegan-Natural-Be...
- https://www.iherb.com/pr/Nature-s-Plus-Source-of-Life-Vitami...
- https://www.iherb.com/pr/Orgain-Organic-Meal-All-In-One-Nutr...
- https://www.iherb.com/pr/PlantFusion-Phood-100-Whole-Food-Me...
- https://www.iherb.com/pr/MRM-Veggie-Meal-Replacement-Chocola...
- https://www.iherb.com/pr/Pure-Advantage-MRP-Meal-Replacement...
- https://www.iherb.com/pr/Vibrant-Health-Maximum-Vibrance-Ver...
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0038B1EOY/
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00KS6WUUE/
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0184DGHHO/
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004VRGS7W/
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0088YQ8MO/
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N2M3RK0/
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N3Y7R1S/
And those are just a few results from a quick search for "meal replacement" across 3 different stores.
Now, I'm not against Soylent, and I'm definitely pro meal replacement products, but let's at least be honest here and call a spade a spade. Soylent's main differentiating factor is it's marketing pitch and that's ok, it doesn't have to be totally revolutionary to succeed.
