‘I tried and tested 6 Huel products – this one is by far my favourite’
Huel was made for someone like me. Full disclaimer: I don't have the most nuanced of palates. Artificial flavours, equation-long E-numbers, trans fats, and colours that span more shades than a prism separating white light (but are definitely far less natural), are all on regular rotation in my menu. So what I count as a ‘decent lunch’ should probably be viewed with some reservation.
That said, I also like to think of myself as nutritionally conscious, keen to get the requisite vitamins and minerals to keep myself in optimum health (whatever that means) and functioning well. However, when it comes to cooking, I get lost in the vegetable aisle and my peeler is, sadly, gathering dust in my cupboard.
Not to mention the fact that, like everyone else, I'm also time-poor, so I'm all about convenience. So when I was offered the chance to review processed (but nutritionally dense) food that requires no cooking, I jumped at the opportunity.
I felt Huel's range of ready-to-consume or minimal-prep foods would convert me into a Hueligan in no time.
From Huel Daily Greens to Black Edition shakes and Hot and Savoury instant meals, I taste-tested some of Huel's best-loved products and investigated whether Huel is really healthy and good for weight loss.
What is Huel?
Huel is a portmanteau of 'human' and 'fuel'. Started in 2015, the British company produces a range of either ready-to-consume or minimal-prep, plant-based, nutritionally complete foods, in the form of drinks, instant meals, protein powders, or bars, at an affordable price.
The Huel range
Huel's range covers 10 products, with those reviewed here in bold:
Powder - Huel's first product, a complete meal in powder form
Huel Black Edition - a high-protein version of the original Powder
Complete Protein - vegan protein powder
Daily Greens powder
Ready-to-Drink - a bottled, on-the-go meal
Black Edition Ready-to-Drink - a high-protein version of Ready-to-Drink
Daily A-Z Vitamins - sparkling drink
Hot and Savoury Pouches - instant meals
Hot and Savoury Pots - single-serve portions of the instant meals, cup-noodle style
Complete Nutrition Bar
Some Huel products can only be bought on the Huel site. Of the products reviewed here, Huel Hot and Savoury Pouches must be purchased on uk.huel.com, but the other five can be bought in supermarkets and health shops. You can search which Huel products are available to buy locally on Huel's store locator.
The clear and easy-to-remember nutrition information – the Ready-to-Drink and Hot and Savoury add up to a nice round 400 calories per portion each, while the former contains 20g of protein – make the range of products great for anyone who wants to track or monitor their food intake to hit specific goals.
Huel's products are sometimes seen as a complement for those who lead an active lifestyle, especially considering they release blog posts on fitness. However, IMHO, they can be a good option for anyone who's just looking to supplement their diet with some convenient nutrients.
How I tested
I tested Huel over a couple of months, trying products as a substitute for a junk-food snack (no judgment, though) or to top up a smaller meal; before, during, or after a workout; and when exhausted, in lieu of cooking. Here’s how I got on...
1. Huel Daily Greens
For better or worse, I love me a greens powder, and Huel Daily Greens ticks all the boxes. It claims to be a blend of 91 vitamins, minerals, fruits and vegetables, including spirulina, broccoli, carrots, spinach, kale, adaptogens (substances like herbs or mushrooms that are believed to help the body adapt to stress - ashwagandha is an example) and gut-friendly probiotics.
In terms of packaging, it comes with a clear shaker, while the powder itself is contained in a dark-to-light-green gradient pouch. Initially, I was a little sceptical because the powder wasn't green, but an earthy, soil-brown colour, though I did enjoy that it smelt a bit like green tea.
In terms of preparation, you simply add a level scoop (8.5g/23 kcal) to 250-300ml of cold water in your bottle. I found I had to shake quite vigorously and not all the product dissolved totally (there was a bit of residue left at the bottom and I had to give it a little stir with a spoon, and even then it was a little gloopy).
From the first sip, it tasted delicious. Smooth, light and zingy, with a subtle, sweet, green apple and lemon kick and aftertaste. My other - big - issue is the price: at £45, it's on the steep side.
2. Huel Ready-To-Drink
Huel Ready-To-Drink, an 'on-the-go meal in a bottle' supposedly includes benefits like: 22g of plant-based protein, low-GI for slow-release energy, all 26 essential vitamins and minerals, and 172 health benefits. These are based on the UK and EU Reference Nutrient Intakes (RNI), Reference Intakes (RI) and Nutrient Reference Values (NRV) for all macro- and micronutrients
For reference, the 'essential' micronutrients refer to about 30 vitamins and minerals that your body cannot manufacture in sufficient amounts on its own, including Vitamins C, E, K, B vitamins, calcium and phosphorus. (This is in contrast to the macronutrients - carbohydrates, protein and fat - which your body needs in comparatively larger quantities)
Ready-To-Drink also has Nutri-score grade A. Nutri-Score is a five-colour A-E nutritional-rating system used in some EU countries (including France, Belgium and Germany), with A being the highest. However, some have criticised the system, saying it oversimplifies products, while others say it is negatively biased toward certain products, such as regional foods.
All flavours I've tried taste like a delicious milkshake and are pretty filling - as a snack. Though the site recommends you take them as a grab-and-go breakfast or lunch, and while I'm sure it'd fill me up in the morning, I don't know whether I fancy drinking my midday meal. However, as an accompaniment to my lunch or as a mid-workout pick-me-up, they're always a solid choice IMHO. Occasionally, I've even taken two when I've been feeling especially peckish.
Do they taste a bit artificial? Yes, but no more than many protein shakes I've had. They're also a better option than a less nutritionally dense milkshake, soft drink, or takeaway meal, or, I don't know, a bag of Haribo.
Huel Ready-To-Drink flavours:
Banana Ready-To-Drink Huel
I'd say this tastes like a thick, liquid, chilled version of foam banana chews or banana sweets - goes down easily and is refreshing without being too saccharine. Yum!
Berry Ready-To-Drink Huel
A milder taste than the banana, this has a sweet, fruity, blueberry-and-strawberry flavour. Nice smooth texture that goes down really easily. Would buy again.
Chocolate Ready-To-Drink Huel
A bit bitter for chocolate, but still has that nice cocoa taste and satisfyingly thick texture.
Vanilla Ready-to-Drink Huel
Again, tasted very pleasant, with a high-quality vanilla flavour that only tasted ever-so-slightly synthetic and mildly gritty.
Iced Coffee Caramel Ready-To-Drink Huel
Your favourite Starbucks treat in a bottle, this had that earthy base and just the right lashings of syrupy sweetness.
3. Huel Black Edition Ready-To-Drink
With the Huel Black Edition Ready-To-Drink, the main selling point is that they're 75% higher in protein than their standard ready-to-drink sister, containing 35g of plant-based protein per bottle. They still have the same 26 essential vitamins and minerals, 6g of fibre, and health benefits including improved cognitive function and immune support.
As someone who tries to get a decent amount of protein in their diet (1 gram per kg of body weight daily, though I don't think I've hit that more than a handful of times), I love the convenience of biting off (slurping down) a decent chunk of that in 500ml. Black Edition also has 28% fewer carbs than the ready-to-drink.
Chocolate Black Edition Ready-to-Drink
As for taste, I opted for the chocolate one, whose flavour was essentially the same as its ready-to-drink counterpart, except a little thicker - and I hate to say it - a bit more chalky and grainy. But it still had that mild and slightly delicate cocoa flavour, which made for an overall pleasant experience.
4. Huel Hot and Savoury Pouches
Huel Hot and Savoury Pouches instant meals market themselves as 'nutritionally complete food that’s high in protein, fibre and essential fats, phytonutrients and all 26 essential vitamins and minerals.' Overall, I've been pretty impressed by most of the Huel Hot and Savoury flavours I've tried because of how closely they resemble their respective flavours.
Macro split
According to the site, the Hot and Savoury range distributes its macronutrients 'in the ratio of 38%: 30%: 25%: 7% respectively for carbs, fats, proteins and fibre'.
Chosen for their slow-releasing energy, the carbs are mainly provided by brown rice, quinoa, noodles and corn starch.
The fats are principally provided by flaxseed and sunflower oil to ensure that essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are in optimum amounts. Some of the meals also use medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) from coconut, which one study showed improved atherosclerosis (build-up of fat and cholesterol on artery walls) in mice, suggesting MCTs have the potential to prevent cardiovascular disease.
The protein comes from pea protein (powder and nuggets), pulses, brown rice, quinoa and flaxseed, while the fibre, a mixture of soluble and insoluble forms, comes from the same sources as the protein, but from vegetables instead of flaxseed.
How to make Huel Hot and Savoury
According to the back of the pouch, follow these steps to prepare:
Mix: Give the pouch a good shake and stir contents from top to bottom to mix
Scoop: Add Huel to your mixer or bowl. 1 scoop = 200 kcal, 2 scoops = 400 kcal
Water: Add 100ml of boiling water to your Huel pot per scoop (2 scoops = 200ml).
Stir thoroughly and cover loosely for 5 minutes.
You can also microwave Huel.
Huel Hot and Savoury Pouches flavours:
Mac & Cheeze Huel Hot and Savoury
One of Huel's best-selling flavours, and it's easy to see why - this isn't far off the creamy, dairy-rich, smoky flavour of the beloved favourite. I just wish the macaroni was slightly larger - the size stopped it from feeling as hearty, robust or abundant as the real thing and a bit like an elevated camping meal.
Chick'n & Mushroom Pasta Huel Hot and Savoury
As with the mac and cheese, the pasta looks like mini penne, and doesn't swell to regular size after 'cooking' or standing. When first examined in its pouch, it looks like small raw pasta in a powder. Texture-wise, it was impressive though, with the tender 'chicken' piercing through the chunky succulence of the mushrooms and savoury sauce.
Spaghetti Carbonara Huel Hot and Savoury
Similar to the Chick'n & Mushroom, the pasta seemed a little limp, in that rather than having long, luxurious lengths of spaghetti, you're met with pasta chopped into very short pieces - think 1-2 cm - that are, again, slightly on the thin side, even after cooking. However, I really enjoyed the bacon 'bits' and appreciated the extent to which the sauce mimicked that creamy, cheesy, eggy, salty quality.
5. Huel Daily A-Z Vitamins
Huel's sparkling vitamin energy drink comes in three fruit flavours, and, once again, is packed with 26 vitamins and minerals. It also contains 925mg of electrolytes, making it suitable for those who sweat a lot while exercising, and who therefore need to replenish supplies of - among others - sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium, and sustain blood volume to the heart.
I thought it tasted a little like Nocco, or a lighter Lucozade with more of a carbonated kick. The three flavours were refreshing, though very sweet and - apart from the pineapple and mango - quite artificial and sickly (cherry and raspberry, I'm looking at you).
As I'm quite caffeine-intolerant and haven't had anything stronger than a decaf for several years, I only took little sips, and even those were enough to make me feel more alert and even a bit dizzy. If you're not off the caffeine, though, consider these an alternative option to Red Bull or other sports energy drinks - for reference, Red Bull has 80mg of caffeine compared to Huel's 100mg, and Nocco contains 180mg.
6. Huel Complete Nutrition Bar
These high-protein snack bars are a revamp of the old iteration, with the obligatory 26 vitamins and minerals. I had the chocolate caramel version after a workout and found it to be a moderately filling snack that belied its diminutive packaging. With other protein bars coming in at larger sizes (Grenade at 60g, Fulfil at 55g), I like that Huel's 51g offers a smaller alternative.
Its texture was stodgy, with a satisfying amount of bite and mouthfeel. However, that made it quite dry and it could definitely have done with a thicker top caramel layer (which all the bars have) or some other softness or gooeyness to offset the chewy chomp. As for the flavour, it didn't taste too synthetic and was still recognisable, and the caramel went well with the vegan chocolate coating without being overly sweet.
Is Huel healthy?
All the Huel products claim to have health benefits including:
Reduced fatigue
Increased immune support
Improved hair, skin and nails, muscle and cognitive function
Digestion support.
Yet while Huel can be 'a convenient option, it's not necessarily the healthiest option for a meal as it's largely made from processed ingredients and synthetic vitamins,' says registered nutritionist Jenna Hope.
When it comes to nutrition, it's often about weighing up your options, and 'if you're likely to be skipping a meal or opting for a coffee and a croissant', then Huel would be a better option, she advises.
'Consuming Huel's complete meal replacements as your main source of fuel can also limit diversity, which can have a negative effect on gut health', Hope continues. Additionally, it can take out the enjoyment of eating, which is a huge component of diet as a whole.
Is Huel good for you?
It appears that Huel can supplement or be an addition to a healthy diet, but should not be what it consists entirely of.
Hope says that a meal filled with 'real whole foods', such as 'good-quality meats and fish, dairy, eggs, beans, pulses, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fruits and vegetables' would be a more nutritious option. Obtaining a nutritionally complete diet is also possible following a more plant-based or vegan diet, too.
All Huel products are vegan, GMO-free, lactose-free and gluten-free. The standard Powder (not tried in this review) isn’t gluten-free but Huel offers a gluten-free version.
Is Huel good for weight loss?
Using Huel for weight loss or as a method for calorie control and restriction may be effective for a short period of time, notes Hope. 'However, if you're relying on just Huel drinks and products, you're likely to get bored and the diet is unlikely to be sustainable. Therefore, you're best to ensure you're consuming a diet of whole foods.' Where possible, try to avoid ultra-processed foods containing artificial sweeteners, additives, bulking agents and flavourings.
Where can I buy Huel?
Some of Huel's best-selling products are only available on the Huel site. However, you can buy:
Ready-to-Drink
Black Edition Ready-to-Drink
Daily A-Z Vitamins sparkling drink
Complete Nutrition Bar
Daily Greens
in supermarkets and other health shops:
You can search which Huel products are available to buy locally on Huel's store locator.
WH Verdict
In my eternal struggle to eat well while still being partial to all things synthetic, processed and instant, Huel provides a notable solution.
Sometimes nothing quite does the job like a cookie, but on the occasions where cravings haven't been overpowering but I don't have the willpower to chop up lots of veg, Huel Ready-to-Drink duo and Hot and Savoury have hit a very specific in-between spot.
I also don't have the patience to wait for food to cook, so I like that Huel is ready almost immediately. I'll be returning to the drinks for sure, especially Black Edition for the higher protein. As for Hot & Savoury Pouches, I'll keep them in my cupboard as a 'just in case'.
If it weren't for the price, I'd definitely make the Daily Greens a staple – the taste has really grown on me – and I'd occasionally pick up a Complete Nutrition Bar for the variety. Sadly, though, the Daily A-Z Vitamins sparkling drink wasn't for me. Now I've just got to give one of the Powders a go to have sampled all the categories!
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