No matter how thoroughly mixed, the texture is like sand watter. It is a heterogeneous mixture in which watered down juice runs down your throat leaving you to swallow a lump of watered down sand.
I almost vomited from the texture…
Taste
It tastes like the bad part of a protein bar.
With everyone on here claiming this was rainbows and unicorns were shooting out of their butt after they ate this, I’m disappointed.
Just leaving an honest review because there wasn’t one on here when I bought it.
I AM a fan of many protein bars and shakes. I love them. However, this encounters both the taste of a cheap and bad tasting protein bar of a cheap and non mixable protein shake.
Reviewing something based on flavor is always tricky, what you find disgusting some others may find tasty. I know in my case the vanilla flavor is the best part of my day. Have you try mixing it with Coffee?
I’m sorry you’re having issues with it @Emmanuelle.
I don’t like pulling out my blender every time, but that seems to make it blend smoother. Tbh even freshly mixed the texture doesn’t bother me at all, but the balance I’ve found that I like best is to mix it in my shaker really well and then let it sit for awhile before I drink it. I think the oats absorb the fluid and it’s better this way. I’ve also read overnight is good, but I haven’t tried that yet. I’m still new to this too.
I like the Vanilla very much just as is, but I’ve also experimented with simple changes such as cinnamon or extracts or using almond/coconut milk. Yesterday I added a few extra drops of vanilla along with coconut milk and the juice of a fresh orange and a little zest. It ended up being a little bit like a dreamsicle. Nom!
I encourage you to keep experimenting until hopefully you find a blend that’s more palatable for you personally. There are lots of flavor ideas on this forum. Good luck!
When I first tried Huel, Soylent and Joylent/JimmyJoy, I liked the flavor/texture of Huel the least of the three and described the flavor as utilitarian. I ended up sticking with Huel and discontinuing use of the other two since Huel is much healthier than the others and has a lower glycemic index (Huel keep me fuller longer).
But, as time as passed, my opinion of the flavor/texture has improved from “meh” to “it’s actually pretty good.” I only order the unflavored kind now, but I tried the vanilla at first. With either kind, I think the flavor (or lack thereof) is actually an asset for those of us that rely on Huel for a large chunk of our calories each day.
If Huel had a more distinctive or “tasty” taste, at first it would seem more appealing, but then we would tire of the taste sooner due to tastebud fatigue. But, since Huel has such a bland, basic taste, the flavor slowly grows on you and never gets old.
Basically, Huel isn’t the crazy supermodel that you date when you’re looking for a short-term fling; Huel is the cute, reliable person that you marry and who gets better with each year/decade, but you’ll never know that unless you tie the knot and commit to Huel for at least a little while.
I agree that it is a bit gritty, particularly when you’re near the bottom. And I’m not a fan of the unflavored by itself, although I find it quite good with some instant coffee, a bit of the vanilla (I usually do one scoop vanilla and two unflavored because the vanilla is too sweet), or both. Lastly, when I was starting out, I made my shakes at about half strength, using a half cup of the powder to a shaker, because it was more palatable that way. It also helps if you’re one of the people who finds the vanilla too sweet.
That’s my fault. I was walking around saying those exact words. I even made it my latest Facebook update and wore a “Huel : it’ll shoot unicorns from your butt” shirt around town, taking selfies. So I take responsibility for this one, guys. My bad.
Listen, if you go from eating a lot of fast food to just eating this, it will be a shock. It’s gonna taste much different from McDonalds. If you discipline yourself and wait a few days to see if you can adjust, your opinion might change. I got news for you: any healthy food is gonna taste bland at first.
My wife didn’t like me the first time she met me years ago. She found me obnoxious. (Can you imagine? Me?!!!) But after she kept interacting with me daily, she changed her mind about me. (No I didn’t stalk her.)
This is how I make all my shakes:
3 scoops of the vanilla Huel. (don’t use the unflavored stuff.)
500 ml of water and a few ice cubes.
1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter (no added sugar)
Put in a blender. Never shake this stuff. It’s oat powder. You need a blender. I then keep it chilled till ready to drink at work.
Now you got me singing: "Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows
Everything that’s wonderful is what I feel when we’re together "
I also just ordered some and it was “dispatched” today. I will also review honestly and since I have no expectations going into this, I will have a less… emotional review. No offense to OP. With taste being subjective, I don’t expect you to care about my review, but I find OPs claim that it is inedible to be far fetched.
I’ve been on Huel for two weeks yesterday. The first two days, I replaced breakfast and dinner, and it was rough. I didn’t like it, but decided to stick it out for my two weeks. I did order strawberry, chocolate, and jamoca. With those flavors it is a little more tolerable. Blending it and storing it in the fridge for a few hours also makes it more tolerable. I fill the shaker up halfway with water, add my flavors with a pinch of salt, add my 3 scoops, blend, then fill it the rest of the way to the rim. At this point, I look forward to it. It isn’t a milk shake, but it is pretty good. The cravings are still awful, but I don’t get hungry very often. My advice, give it a few days.
As many people have said on here, I don’t think anyone is being dishonest. I think it is about what you are looking for. For me, I wanted something that was inexpensive (eating out for lunch every day adds up), saves me time, and, ideally, helps me lose weight. Huel did all of those things exceptionally well. Would I go as far as to say i really enjoy drinking it? Probably not. But I don’t mind it, and I love the benefits it provides me. Would I rather have a slice of pizza? Sure. But to me, it is nowhere near inedible. Again, just my subjective opinion. Everyone has different preferences. Some people like to have it refrigerated. For me, I don’t like it as much that way. Some people think the vanilla is too sweet, I personally thoroughly enjoy it. My recipe is a simple 400ml water, 2-3 scoops depending on the time of day, instant coffee granules, then ice to the top. Keep experimenting, and maybe you will find a method that works for you. Or maybe Huel isn’t your cup of tea, and that’s fine too.
I don’t know if you would find it for better or worse, but if you give it time to hydrate after mixing and before consumption, the texture does change somewhat significantly.
This. Letting it sit, especially in refrigerator or cold pack, makes it less gritty and more creamy. Prepping it several hours ahead of when eating it really does the trick.
Good work! I’ve eaten military food, so perhaps my perception is skewed a bit. I’ve loved Huel from day one. I appreciate it because I’m getting the nutrition my body needs. It makes me feel good. I know what I’m putting in my body and my body likes it.
I don’t do anything fancy with Huel. 400ml of water, three scoops, shake, add water to 700ml or a tad more, shake, let sit for about 10 minutes or sometimes longer, shake, consume. Simple and efficient.
The longer the mix has to absorb the water, the smoother it becomes.
Unfortunate you feel this way. I thought I was going to hate the taste, but I ended up liking it. I am using the plain vanilla stuff. However, I have been eating healthy in spurts such as whole grains, veggies, fish, no sugar, etc for about a year now. I love bad food but my body is accustomed to eating healthy now. And I truly WANT to.
I work 50-60 hrs a week in management. Food prep was so time consuming. Being on my feet all day also made it hard to eat to fuel my body after work outs. And working out 8 hrs a week.
You either want to get healthy or you don’t. It’s a mind set. No one here grew up in our first-world environment preferring salmon over pizza. Or oatmeal (no sugar) compared to Frosted Flakes for breakfast. You have to change your mind set.
I have to say, it sounds more to me like you’re the one being dishonest, either that or you have some seriously warped ideas about how things should taste/feel.
To me, as long as you actually mix it properly (i.e. don’t fill the container to the top with liquid before shaking it, fill it half way and add more liquid after shaking) then the texture ain’t half bad.
If I bother to blend it, it’s incredibly smooth.
The taste is fine, nothing to rave about in it’s vanilla form or u/u, but it tastes pretty good to me with a bit of one of the flavour pouches in it.
This is all coming from a 27 year old slightly lard-arse teacher who occasionally hits the gym, but generally eats too much chocolate, so I’m far from a health nut.
I really don’t like your implication that all of the other reviews on the site are dishonest, that stinks to me of someone who thinks that their opinion is the only correct one in the world.
When I first had it I tried it with cold water and the shaker and it was, well, disgusting. The taste was off, the mouth feel was abhorrent and I just couldn’t deal with how thick it was.
I put it in my vitamix with some frozen veggies and it isn’t even a problem anymore. Working my way to doing two meals with Huel (breakfast and dinner). I actually like it.
Mix it and then leave it in the fridge for several hours and it’ll be a lot creamier and different. You’re eating a super healthy vegan meal without any dressings. Something so healthy that you’d never eat in solid form. So suck it up buttercup.
Here’s to hoping I like it better than you!