I made my first batch of Huel ever on Saturday morning (I’m using Huel Black). Maybe because expectations were so low, I was actually pleasantly surprised by the taste (I’ve tried both flavors now). My plan is to just use it in the late morning, as breakfast.
One of my biggest concerns before starting Huel is that I’d always feel kind of hungry. I’m trying to cut back on calories anyway, and since Huel is consumed as a drink (at least by default), I was sort of expecting to never feel full in the morning. But I actually couldn’t finish the first mix in one sitting. I figured it was just because I’d had an uncommonly big dinner the night before, but I felt the same way the next morning. The routine now is to drink maybe half of it right away and then come back a little later to finish it off.
Maybe it’s because it’s a higher protein meal than I’m used to? For full context, I’ve never tried any other version of Huel or any other meal replacement or protein shake. I prepare it in the most basic way, just as described on the bag. The only difference is that I shake it longer (10 seconds does not seem to be long enough to get it to dissolve) and add more water part-way through. I can’t imagine that the extra maybe 8oz of water makes that much difference. Has this been anyone else’s experience?
I drink Black as well and only black at the moment. It’s much more filling than the ready to drink version and it’s likely because of the increased protein content.
I do IF 16/8, start my day with 1/2 a serving followed by 2 cups of mixed berries as a snack. My second meal is a full serving of Huel and that’ll hold me until dinner. All in I’m doing no more than 1650 calories a day, on average. Getting this much protein and nutrients with so few calories is awesome!
Protein is the most filling macronutrient (macronutrients are carbs, fats and proteins).
One of the most surprising things for new Huelers is actually how filling they find Huel products; it really fills you up! Both v3.0 and Black Edition are high in protein and fibre. v3.0 also uses oats as the primary source of carbohydrates, these release energy slowly.
Fat is more filling per gram than carbs (but only because it’s more calorie-dense), but per calorie carbohydrates tend to be more filling.