Introduction
Powdered food shakes seem to be all the rage these days, especially as we become more and more health-conscious. With it becoming harder and harder to eating healthily, Huel has brought a meal replacement shake to the market that is apparently both easy-to-make and healthy – sounds too good to be true?
In this Huel review, we took an in-depth look at these popular meal replacement shakes to establish what consumers can and cannot expect from them.
Readers please note that statements on this page are fair comment based on observation. This content is produced on a matter of public interest. Statements on this page are our honest opinion.
What Is Huel?
Huel is a meal replacement shake (sometimes referred to as “powdered food” by purists) that is produced by a UK-based company of the same name.
This product comes in multiple flavors and is only available directly from the official Huel website.
Unlike most other meal replacement shakes that are typically based on whey protein, Huel is made using a complex of real foodstuffs such as brown rice, peas, flax seeds, oats and sunflower seeds.
Huel is targeted towards those who are looking for an easy means of replacing their daily meals with a healthier, more nutritionally-complete option. While it is not directly marketed as a “weight loss shake” Huel can also be used in conjunction with a VLCD for those looking to lose weight; consumers would simply have to ensure they consumed the correct amount of shakes per day to cause weight loss.
Many people use Huel as a convenient way of ensuring they’re consuming all their required daily vitamins, minerals and macronutrients, but others treat it simply as a cheap way to eat (using Huel for your three daily meals is reasonably inexpensive, working out at around $2.36 USD per meal).
One 100g serving contains 390 calories, 25g of protein and 50% of your daily required vitamins and minerals. One pouch of Huel will cost you $66.00 and contains 28 meals.
Does Huel Work?
Based on our research into this product, we believe that it’s a good product for those who are looking for a nutritionally-complete shake. The formula is based on powdered “real food” meaning it will likely be filling. It is also suitable for vegetarians and vegans and is gluten-free.
For those who are planning on using this shake for the purposes of weight loss, we believe that it can be useful if you’re able to count your calories and plan exactly how many shakes per day you’ll need to see gradual weight loss over a sustained period. The best thing to do would be using Huel as a meal replacement shake while you stick to a very low calorie diet (VLCD), as based on the nutritional content of Huel, it’s not suitable for those looking to stick to a low-carb diet. For faster results, you may want to consider using a fat burner pill along side the product.
The Pros & Cons Of Huel
Below we have listed what we believe are the main positives and negatives of Huel:
The Pros
- Nutritionally-complete formulation.
- Ideal for anyone looking to replace their meals.
- Useful for the purposes of weight loss.
- Lots of vitamins and minerals per serving.
The Cons
- Shake-only diets are unlikely to be suitable for everyone.
- Powdered food shakes typically don’t taste amazing.
What Are The Huel Ingredients?
We have found the following nutritional information via the official website:
Ingredients: Oats, Flax Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Pea Protein Isolate, Brown Rice Protein, Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, Vitamin A, E, C, B6, B12, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folic Acid, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc And Iodine.
Is Huel Suitable For Everyone?
For the most part, the vast majority of people will be able to use Huel without issue; it is suitable for vegetarians and vegans and free from lactose and soy.
Those who are intolerant to gluten will need to purchase the gluten-free version – the original version will not be suitable.
What Are The Huel Side Effects?
We have compiled the following list of potential side effects based on the ingredients inside Huel:
- Flatulence
- Minor stomach discomfort
- Bloating
- Diarrhea
Note: these side effects are possible but may not be the typical user experience.
Are There Any Huel Reviews From Customers?
We have found the following Huel review testimonials via customers online:
Huel has been a great convenient meal for me. This is as I live a somewhat busy lifestyle trying to juggle my university studies along with my work. Incorporating Huel into my diet allows me to stay on track to reach my fitness goals by not having to worry about cooking meals to bring to work and university. It also tastes great and mixes well.
After getting tired of endlessly preparing meals to bring to 12 hour work shifts I begun to look for an alternative. A colleague of mine recommended Huel and I decided to pick some up. Since then I have been bringing 2 servings of Huel to work each day and it leaves me feeling full and satisfied. It tastes good and mixes very well and definitely is exactly what I needed.
Note: as we have found these reviews on the manufacturer website we are unable to fully guarantee their authenticity.
Our Final Verdict On Huel
To conclude our Huel review, it seems like a genuinely decent product and is certainly comparable to the other powdered-food brands out there like MANA and Soylent. The formula isn’t rocket science, Huel have simply taken 5 organic foods and blended them into a nutritionally-dense meal powder – simple, but it works.
There aren’t any fully-dedication “fat burning” ingredients inside Huel, however it can be a useful shake to use for the purposes of losing fat if you’re able to monitor your daily caloric intake (based on our calculations, consuming 250-300g of the formula per day should cause weight loss provided you do not eat anything else).