I tried the startup that wants to replace your lunch with futuristic nutrition 'squares' - and they actually tasted good

If you are intrigued by the idea of an efficient, quantified meal, but are a bit weirded out by drinking Soylent, you might find Mealsquares more palatable.

Mealsquares is a "beta" stage startup that bills itself as a "solid, whole-food Soylent alternative."

But wait, a food version of Soylent, you ask. Wouldn't that just be regular food? Sort of.

The answer lies in what meal-replacement products like Soylent or Ambronite are actually giving you. For fans of Soylent, it doesn't fundamentally matter that it's drinkable, or that it tastes a certain way. The promise is that it gives you regimented, cheap, healthy, and easily consumable "food."

It's nutrition you don't have to think about, and that doesn't interfere with your day. And okay, it doesn't taste as good as filet mignon, but that's not the point.

Mealsquares is going for that same promise. Instead of a shake, Mealsquares come in small, dense cakes that look a bit like banana bread. Each square is 400 calories, with a carefully-selected mixture of ingredients meant to give you a balanced meal free of "wheat, soy, corn, peanuts, high fructose corn syrup, artificial preservatives, and flavoring agents."

A pack of 30 Mealsquares currently costs $90, so three dollars a square.

I tried eating Mealsquares for lunch for a few days, and here is what the experience was like: