Humans require a balanced diet with a variety of nutrients to survive and thrive in the long term. There is no single food that contains all the nutrients we need, so relying on only one type of food forever would eventually lead to malnutrition and health issues. However, there are some foods that come close to providing all the essential macronutrients, vitamins and minerals, and could theoretically be eaten exclusively for extended periods with the aid of supplements.
What are the basic nutritional requirements for humans?
The essential nutrients humans need to survive can be broken down into macronutrients and micronutrients.
The macronutrients are:
- Protein – Provides amino acids that are used to build and repair tissues and cells. Important for muscle mass and strength.
- Fat – Provides energy, aids in the absorption of vitamins, and supports cell membranes and hormone production. Essential fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6 cannot be synthesized by the body and must come from food.
- Carbohydrates – The main source of energy for the body. Carbs are broken down into glucose which powers cells and fuels the brain and nervous system.
The micronutrients are:
- Vitamins – Organic compounds needed in small amounts to support various bodily functions. Examples are vitamins A, C, B vitamins, etc.
- Minerals – Inorganic compounds like calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, etc. that are used for structure, signaling, enzyme function, and more.
- Phytonutrients – Compounds produced by plants that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
- Electrolytes – Minerals like sodium, potassium and chloride that are needed for hydration, muscle and nerve function.
A balanced diet should provide adequate quantities of all these nutrients. Deficiencies in any of them can lead to illness and poor health over time.
Could potatoes sustain humans forever?
Potatoes are nutritious tubers that provide a substantial amount of key nutrients. Here is an overview of the nutritional profile of potatoes:
- Carbohydrates – Potatoes are a high carb food, with a medium-sized baked potato providing around 30g of carbs.
- Protein – Potatoes contain all 9 essential amino acids needed to form complete proteins. A medium potato has around 4g of protein.
- Fat – Potatoes are very low in fat, with only 0.1g per medium potato.
- Fiber – The skin of potatoes contains decent fiber. A medium potato with skin provides 3g of fiber.
- Vitamins – Potatoes offer a variety of vitamins. High amounts of vitamin C, plus vitamins B1, B3, B6, folate and more.
- Minerals – Potatoes provide minerals like potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron.
- Antioxidants – Colored potatoes are high in antioxidants like carotenoids and anthocyanins.
Overall, potatoes offer a lot of the essential vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein needed in the human diet. The nutrients they lack are calcium, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and the essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6. By adding a dairy source like milk to provide calcium and vitamin A, and taking a vitamin B12 supplement, someone could potentially survive on just potatoes and milk.
However, there are some downsides to living solely on potatoes:
- High glycemic index – Potatoes cause quick spikes in blood sugar. This could lead to energy crashes, cravings and overeating.
- Not enough healthy fats – Lack of fatty acids from fish, nuts, seeds, etc. could lead to inflammation and other issues.
- Micronutrient deficiencies – Relying just on potatoes’ vitamin and mineral content long-term may lead to deficiencies without sufficient diversity.
- Lack of phytonutrients – Potatoes alone would deprive someone of the wide variety of beneficial plant compounds found in fruits, vegetables, herbs, etc.
- Gut health issues – A low diversity diet lacks prebiotic fibers that feed healthy gut bacteria.
- Monotony – Potatoes every single day would get boring quickly!
So in summary, potatoes and dairy alone could technically provide enough calories, protein, carbs, vitamins and minerals to survive. But for optimal health, disease protection and satisfaction, a more varied diet is recommended.
Could whey protein sustain humans forever?
Whey protein is a high-quality source of protein derived from milk. Here is an overview of whey protein’s nutritional attributes:
- Protein – Whey is a complete protein containing all 9 essential amino acids. Typically 80-90% protein by weight.
- Fat – Whey contains minimal fat, around 2% or less.
- Carbs – Very low in carbs, usually less than 5%.
- Vitamins and minerals – Whey provides some B vitamins, calcium and phosphorus.
While whey protein is an excellent source of protein, it lacks many other essential nutrients required for long term health:
- No fiber
- No beneficial fats like omega-3s
- Minimal micronutrients and phytonutrients
- No antioxidants or anti-inflammatory compounds
- Would not support gut health without prebiotic fiber
Some of whey protein’s drawbacks include:
- Insufficient fat intake can impact hormone levels
- May experience blood sugar spikes and crashes without carbs
- Could experience calcium issues without adequate vitamin D and magnesium
- May experience mood issues and mental fogginess without tryptophan and choline.
Whey protein powder on its own would be unable to sustain human life for a prolonged period. Its lack of carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals would lead to severe nutritional deficiencies. At most, it could be used short term for a protein boost alongside a diet of nutrient-dense whole foods.
Could soylent sustain humans forever?
Soylent is a meal replacement drink designed to provide complete nutrition in a simple powder. Here are its main nutritional attributes:
- Protein – Contains soy or vegan proteins sources.
- Fat – Added oils provide essential fatty acids.
- Carbs – Typically uses maltodextrin or other carbohydrate sources.
- Vitamins and minerals – Fortified with a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals.
- Fiber – Contains added fiber from sources like isomaltooligosaccharides.
- Phytonutrients – May add some compounds found in plants.
In theory, Soylent could provide enough protein, carbs, good fats, vitamins and minerals to meet basic nutritional requirements. However, there are still some potential downsides:
- Synthetic vitamins may not be fully bioavailable
- Fortification can’t replace all beneficial compounds found in whole foods
- Fiber is added instead of coming from whole food sources
- Phytonutrient content would still be lower than eating plants directly
- Choline content may not be optimal for brain health
- Might negatively impact gut microbiome without plant diversity
Overall, Soylent could potentially meet minimum nutrient needs to survive, though long term health effects of living solely on Soylent have not been robustly studied. For optimal wellbeing, a varied whole foods diet would still be recommended over solely drinking Soylent.
What about meal replacement shakes?
Meal replacement shakes like Ensure, Boost, Orgain, etc. are designed to provide balanced nutrition in a drink. They typically contain:
- 20-30g high quality protein
- Some healthy fats like canola or olive oil
- Carbs from maltodextrin, sucrose or milk
- Vitamins and minerals from fortification
- Some added fiber
Meal replacement shakes are designed for supplemental nutrition between meals or boosting intake. They could help provide balanced nourishment in the short-term but are not intended as full meal substitutes.
Some potential issues with living solely on meal replacements long term include:
- Boredom and lack of food enjoyment
- Synthetic fortification inferior to real food nutrients
- May not support ideal gut microbiome
- Lower phytonutrient diversity
- Blood sugar control issues
- Insufficient choline for cognitive health
For lasting survival, variety and whole foods are key. Meal replacements can help meet needs temporarily but should be paired with real foods for ideal health.
Can nutritionally complete meal bars sustain you?
Nutritionally complete meal bars like Twennybars, Huel bars or Feed bars are designed to provide a complete macro and micronutrient profile:
- Protein – Include 20g or more from sources like whey, soy or rice protein.
- Fat – Contain healthy fats from nuts, seeds or oils.
- Carbs – Use oats, rice or tapioca for slower digesting carbs.
- Vitamins/minerals – Fortified to provide 100% or more of the RDI.
- Fiber – Added fibers like inulin or acacia fiber.
Meal bars could potentially provide complete nutrition. But there are still some considerations for long term survival on only bars:
- Bars are expensive compared to whole food.
- Fortification may not equal real food nutrients.
- Limited phytonutrient diversity.
- Highly processed and less satiating.
- Boredom from lack of variety.
- Gut health issues without diverse plant foods.
In the short term, meal bars can fill gaps and provide balanced nutrition. For lifelong health, a varied diet of minimally processed whole foods would be better than solely relying on engineered bars.
Could MREs provide complete long term nutrition?
MREs or “Meals Ready to Eat” are designed to provide military personnel with adequate nutrition from shelf-stable rations. Here is how MREs could theoretically meet nutritional needs:
- Protein – MRE entrees contain around 13g protein from sources like meat, eggs or beans.
- Fats – Entrees, sides and snacks provide around 25-35% calories from fats.
- Carbs – Crackers, grains, desserts provide carbohydrate calories.
- Micronutrients – Fortified with at least 100% RDI of vitamins and minerals.
- Fiber – Grain products provide some fiber content.
- Phytonutrients – Some fruit-based snacks contain polyphenols and carotenoids.
However, there are also downsides to surviving long-term solely on MREs:
- Lack of fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices.
- Very low dietary fiber compared to whole foods.
- Heavy processing removes some nutrient value.
- High in preservatives like sodium nitrite.
- Higher refined carb content.
- Micronutrient absorption may not be optimal.
- Gut microbiome imbalance likely.
While MREs are designed to meet basic nutrient needs for short term use, the lack of fresh and minimally processed foods would make long term survival sub-optimal compared to a more varied whole foods diet.
Can formulated complete food powders sustain you?
Formulated food powders like Huel, Plenny Shake or Soylent aim to provide complete nutrition in a drinkable shake. Here is how they may meet nutrient needs:
- Protein – Added vegan based proteins like soy, rice or pea.
- Fats – Oils provide essential fatty acids.
- Carbs – Oats, tapioca, rice flour for carbohydrates.
- Vitamins/minerals – Fortified to meet or exceed daily needs.
- Fiber and prebiotics – Added acacia fiber, inulin etc.
- Phytonutrients – May contain some compounds from plant extracts.
While these products can theoretically provide complete nutrition, there are potential concerns with solely relying on them long term:
- Synthetic nutrients may have reduced bioavailability.
- Micronutrient levels difficult to optimize.
- Fiber sources differ from whole foods.
- Gut microbiome would be less diverse.
- Phytonutrient content still low compared to plants.
- Unnatural and less satisfying than real foods.
In the short-to-medium term, formulated powders can fill gaps in an unbalanced diet. But for lifelong health, a varied whole food diet would still be superior to synthetic shake powders alone.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while there are some foods and nutritional products like potatoes, whey, meal replacements, MREs and formulated powders that could theoretically provide enough nutrients to survive if supplemented properly, there is no single food that contains every essential nutrient in ideal forms and proportions.
The most healthful lifelong approach is eating a wide variety of colorful vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, whole grains, herbs, and pasture-raised animal foods. This provides the best forms of protein, fats, carbs, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and prebiotics for optimal functioning and disease prevention.
Relying on any single processed food or engineered product long term could lead to deficiency, imbalance, and increased disease risk over a lifetime compared to a more varied whole foods diet. For ideal sustainable nutrition, diversity is key.