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What is Huel?
Huel markets themselves as fast, cost-effective, nutritionally complete food. They make a range of products such as bars, shakes and hot food. For the purpose of this review, I chose to try out a range of their products so I could give a well-rounded picture of the brand. For transparency, I purchased my first order with my own money but was later gifted more from the range to allow me to form a more complete opinion on their products.
Why Huel?
For the last 12 months or so, I’ve found myself increasingly busy to the point where I could tell my choices were being built around convenience as opposed to nutrition and health. Between wedding planning, trying to keep up with friends and family as well as needing to work more, trying to think up meal plans for both lunch and dinner every day was becoming a chore. I’d say the worst days for healthy choices were those where appointments would come into the mix, meaning I’d be home significantly less and therefore lack the ability to prepare sensible meals. All of this led me to a place where I’d either prepare more convenient options that lacked nutritional value or, when away from home, pick up meal deals (which quickly got both boring and expensive).
I first heard about Huel powder many years ago but, for some reason, assumed that it was flavourless and would taste similar to hay or birdseed. To be completely honest here, I also had my reservations about shakes due to popular culture grouping them alongside ‘weight loss shakes’ and associated potential disordered eating habits. Due to this association, I’d put Huel to the back of my mind as not the right choice for me until deciding to give it a chance.
For the last few years, I’ve been using various different types of protein shakes to supplement my workouts so I’m no stranger to mix-at-home powdered supplements of this nature. However, Huel would be my first time trying a nutritionally complete meal option.
Huel Product Reviews
Huel V2 Shake Review – Powder and Pre-Made Bottles
I ordered both chocolate and banana flavour to share with Mike. We also purchased the premade bottled drinks (iced coffee caramel, salted caramel, strawberries and cream and cinnamon swirl came in the box). I personally really enjoy the chocolate powdered shake – it reminds me of eating a chocolate-flavoured, oat-based cereal when the milk has made it all soggy. I appreciate that this probably doesn’t sound appetising to read but it’s honesty really flavourful with the ‘right’ kind of texture. It isn’t chunky or overly grainy (you can still tell it has oats in it, so not completely smooth but still appealing) and, when mixed and allowed to stand for 5 minutes, it produces a thick texture, approximately like McDonalds or Frijj milkshakes. My personal favourite thing to do when making the shake is to mix half milk and half water. This gives a creamier result.
On trying the banana, I can honestly admit that it isn’t my favourite – I would have liked a stronger, more fake taste but that’s just personal preference. In all fairness, Huel do advertise it as a ‘natural’ taste but I’m very much in the camp of loving ‘foam banana sweet’ flavoured proteins in the past.
As for the premade bottles, they definitely have a creamier, smoother taste compared to the mix-at-home powdered options. The oat texture is notably less also. My favourite of these was the iced coffee caramel as I felt like it was both flavourful and gave me a nice boost for the rest of my day. It’s not an overly strong coffee flavour so I would advise not expecting it to be like an iced coffee from a coffee shop but more like a coffee-hinted ice cream type of experience.
In terms of the overall experience of using Huel to replace a whole meal, I was pleasantly surprised. Huel is 400 calories for two scoops and, considering I tend not to have large lunches, this amount is fairly similar to the things I’d normally eat. However, I noticed a stark increase in my energy levels, less of a tendency to crash in the afternoon and far less desire to reach for extra snacks. With Huel, I remained at a steady energy level for most of the afternoon and honestly didn’t feel hungry until dinner time was approaching. I’m pleased to say that I found myself able to carry on with my work day in peace, without being haunted by the idea of afternoon boredom snacking. I also found I was able to complete workouts following consuming Huel with ease whereas other foods haven’t fuelled me very well in the past.
Huel Hot and Savoury Review
We also picked up pouches of Huel’s Hot and Savoury meals to see if we preferred having the option of a hot meal vs just the shakes. For these, you simply add two scoops to a bowl then the correct measure of hot water. After leaving it stand, the meal is ready. You can also microwave them after adding cold water if you prefer.
We chose Mac and Cheeze, Mexican Chilli, Korma and Thai Green Curry. My personal favourite of these is the Thai Green Curry as it has the most similar taste to the real thing. Overall, I did not enjoy the Chilli as I found it incredibly spicy and I think I’m generally the type of person who appreciates homemade chilli more than prepackaged. I’m also unsure of my opinion of the texture of the hot Huel meals – they all have a very grainy texture due to their usage of ingredients like quinoa, but it’s honestly to be expected given the nutritional profile of the products. Something that pleasantly surprised me was the smell of each of the meals – they each smell almost identical to the ‘normal’ version of the food they imitate.
For the most part, I like having access to the hot meal option but, if I could only purchase one type of Huel, it would be the shakes simply because the texture was more favourable. To add an extra note here, I tend to be quite fussy on food textures regardless so this opinion may be limited to just me.
Huel Instant Meal Pots
Further to the above, these are the even more portable versions of Huel’s hot food range. They are extremely similar to any other ‘just add water’ pot you might find in the supermarket but personally, I would argue that the taste of these is far superior. Both myself and Mike really love the Katsu flavour option and will definitely be repurchasing given how much more nutritionally dense they are vs other pot options on the market. As an added comment, I find these pots easier to create the right texture/mix when it comes to the finished meal vs hoping I’ve shaken the bagged meals up properly before scooping out my servings (sometimes it’s easy to accidentally scoop more or less of the flavoured powder in relation to the pasta elements for example).
Huel Daily Greens Review
Huel Daily Greens is a ‘blend of 91 vitamins, minerals and wholefood-sourced ingredients’, according to their website. It is designed to be used once per day, first thing in the morning alongside breakfast to provide the body with a boost of nutrition.
Having only ever tried one ‘greens’ powder before in the past (one that I found on discount and didn’t really put much thought into), I was really looking forward to trying this product from Huel. I really like the bottle they provide to mix the product inside – the measurements make it easy to see how much water you’re adding and the rubbery lid is really helpful to open/close the bottle. The powder mixes easily and without excessive shaking.
In terms of taste, I personally think I would enjoy the flavour to be slightly stronger (Huel quote that the flavour as ‘crisp apple and pineapple’ with a ‘subtle freshness from lime and mint that you’ll catch toward the end’) but it’s generally enjoyable to drink. I think my biggest personal challenge was disassociating from the idea that it should taste like a smoothie which is simply not the case considering it is a completely different product. Once past this, I would say it reminds me of a still version of some subtly flavoured water products out there with a slightly more earthy element. There is a slight grittiness, but not as intense as some juice products where the pulp is left in. It took me by surprise at first, but I quickly got used to it and grew to enjoy it after several days.
I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who is particularly interested in adding nutrition to their diet in a convenient way. I would say that you would already need to be the kind of person who enjoys green juices or health drinks that are not overly sweet to get the full enjoyment from the flavour of Huel Daily Greens. If you do have a particularly sweet tooth however, I can definitely point you in the direction of Huel’s A-Z drinks as they are very comparable to other soft drinks/energy drinks in terms of taste.
Huel Daily A-Z Vitamins Review
Personally, I would place this offering from Huel in the same category as energy drinks, however, they have marked differences vs most conventional brands. For example, the Huel website boasts that these drinks feature low sugar, made with real fruit, 925mg electrolytes and a boost from natural caffeine. They are carbonated and come in a can so not too dissimilar to other drinks you might find in stores.
Mike and I decided to share the can for this review – he is a self-described energy drink connoisseur while I find myself extremely sensitive to the caffeine in some mainstream brands. I chose the pineapple and mango flavour which was definitely a good choice. The taste was natural but like what you would expect from a regular soft drink. The carbonation was a good level – not intensely fizzy but also not too still. We also both agreed that the sweetness level was just right for the type of product it is. I also personally noticed that, despite consuming half of the can, I did not experience the shakes/anxiety I would normally get from a similar amount of other brands.
I also find it impressive that Huel have managed to fit 26 vitamins and minerals as well as 3.5g of fibre into the product without compromising on the overall taste.
I will personally be picking up this product again as I really enjoyed it, especially for those times where I’d normally want to reach for an energy drink but don’t want the side effects I tend to get from the caffeine in other options out there (Huel utilises natural caffeine, other brands I’ve consumed in the past do not so I believe the difference lies here). I also like that, given the nutritional profile, I’d be doing something beneficial for my body in the process.
Huel Complete Nutrition Bars Review
Huel’s Complete Nutrition Bars are probably up there with my favourite products from the brand. They feature high protein and fibre content as well as 26 vitamins and minerals. They are also under 200 calories, yet satisfying, which is helpful if you’re currently tracking intake.
As I touched on above, I really love these bars. The first flavour I tried was the dark chocolate and raspberry which was full of flavour but not too sweet. I’ve also tried the Chocolate Caramel flavour which was also good and reminded me much more of a traditional protein bar in terms of its texture. Overall, they keep me full for a long time and satisfy any cravings for chocolate bars which would not have anywhere near the same nutritional profile as the Huel bars.
I will definitely be stocking up on these bars, specifically for times where I’m travelling or have long working days where the temptation to snack on convenience food might be stronger.
Overall Pros of Huel Products
- Nutritional profile – I love that I can get a healthy meal or snack that satisfies me in something as convenient as a shake or by just adding water after putting the food into a bowl. I also enjoy the fact that the brand produces an A-Z drink option that has more benefits to it compared with many others I’ve tried.
- Speed – during crazy days, I don’t think it would be possible to make something with the nutritional background of Huel without spending significantly longer in the kitchen or by meal prepping in advance. I also love that they have portable options like bars and the pre-made bottles.
- Feeling good – I really enjoy the fact I feel good after consuming Huel. I’m not entirely sure how poor my diet must have been before trying the products but I’ve noticed a decrease in digestive upsets, more energy and my skin looks brighter since swapping out unhealthy snacks or convenience meals for Huel products.
- Dietary needs in mind – I personally have never been fully vegan and do not have dietary restrictions but I love that Huel is plant-based and that they are transparent about which of their products are gluten-free to ensure it is suitable for a wider audience.
Overall Cons of Huel Products
- Price – despite Huel marketing themselves as affordable, I still feel as though I could put together healthy meals/snacks for less of a cost. However, this would involve significantly more time in the kitchen, potentially more packaging/food waste and would defeat the purpose of getting Huel in the first place – convenience.
- Texture – for those especially fussy about texture, Huel might be a challenge. The texture does vary between products with the hot meals being the most prominent in graininess, followed by the mix-at-home shakes, then the premade shakes being the smoothest. If you’re looking for something with the texture of a traditional milkshake or identical in look and feel to the food option it is imitating, Huel isn’t right for you in my opinion.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I think I’ll be continuing to use Huel products to ensure I’m getting proper nutrition when extremely busy. I think I’ll mainly be gravitating towards the powered shake kind as opposed to the meals or premade bottles, just from the perspective that I’m still on the fence about the texture of the meals and would rather not pay the higher cost as well as produce the extra plastic waste from using the bottles. Given that the shake Huel tastes good mixed with just water (even though I love my 50/50 milk mix!), I find it equally as convenient to bring it on the move with me vs the premade bottles, as it’s easy to find fresh water when out and about or at work.
I also think I’ll pick up a pack of the bars for convenient snacks while travelling and the A-Z drinks just to have on hand for when I need that boost. I’m happy to have been able to try these products as I now feel that they are good options for me in the future. As for the Daily Greens, I’m not 100% sure they have a permanent place in my lifestyle for the moment but I can definitely see how some people would love a product of this nature.
If you’re curious about Huel, you can use my Huel discount code TEAMSARAH10A on their website.
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