My wife has a protein powder she uses. In a blender with almond milk, vanilla extract and a lot of ice. When she pours it out it looks like a milk shake for real.
The day I mixed my first Huel my wife tried it and she did not like it. We both thought “oatmeal” … but she said there is an aftertaste that she associates with artificial sweeteners and she didn’t like that. I get none of this taste but I drink diet coke (much, much less than I used to) so maybe I’m used to it.
Maybe your “chalky” is what she is calling “aftertaste”?
It probably is, most likely. Taste and texture I’ve never had to deal with before cause I’ve never done protein powders or meal replacements.
(Update - just finished my first full Huel shaker. I really want to eat something but only for the sensation of eating, I’m not actually hungry. FORWARD progress! :D)
I’ve only ever drank diet coke because of my parents (they thought regular was too sweet and now, I do as well), so that taste I’m plenty used to and I don’t get any of that. The chalky taste is significantly muted with the dark chocolate though so it’s definitely more manageable and the oaty taste I’m fine with. It’s either that or try to sweeten it with more chocolate and more extract which I don’t feel it needs.
DEFINITELY I need it cold though. Will start freezing the shaker in the evenings.
I love it when people find THE THING! It is like magic and often is the start of better … so good for you!!!
When I mix in the shaker I always put 4-5 ice “wedges” in the cup and only rarely do I get any ice “bits”. I assume I either shake hard enough to break them up or they melt.
Curious thought … I make a “3 scoop” batch that is 450 calories (weight 112g of power on a scale) and drink it rather quickly (5-10 minutes max). I’m not sure I could stretch one out for hours.
Lastly … everyone who asks what I’m doing always asks if I miss the chewing. It seems chewing must not be my thing because I don’t. I do three Huels a day … 450cal/300cal/300cal … plus another 150 'ish of veg or nuts that I am actually trying to cut out.
There are a lot of micro nutrients in nuts, and its “good” fat.
On another note, asking about missing the chewing while eating makes me think of missing the wringing or scrubbing while washing. Why use a car or a bike, wouldn’t you miss the walking? Use a food processor and miss the slicing and chopping? shrug
I am using Huel right now with two goals … (a) detach from “eating” because I clearly do a crappy job when I choose what to eat and (b) lose weight.
I have been working on this for 28 days today and I have to say I am still PISSED about my health, weight, meds, etc. … I think of a quote from Dave Ramsey (financial health guy) … I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired!
So I’m think about eliminating the last snack more because it is a snack, although a healthy one.
I figure that at some point I am going to move back towards “food”, although I see Huel as a thing in my life long term. I have time to figure this out and after a crazy amount of reading I think Paleo/Whole30 is my way forward. With some Keto and Fasting on occasion because early studies suggest there is some magic happening there.
If I had to recommend a book to someone feeling like I feel it would be Wired To Eat by Robb Wolf. Gave me a lot to think about.
@ClemsonDad - I’m sure the chewing thing will pass. I’m so happy I found the Thing personally As soon as I get used to one meal a day I’m gonna bump it up cause I eventually do want to be on three Huels a day.
@miked - When you’ve done something every day, multiple times a day for 30 years… you’re going to miss it a little bit. Your body is going to miss it. It’s not wringing or scrubbing while washing, it’s chewing, a bodily process designed to send signals to the brain that food is entering the body and to begin the components to extract energy and nutrients from that stomach. The two are not comparable. At all.
Sure, but the context was skeptics dismissing Huel because they expect to “miss the chewing”
And i agree with you about the habit of eating is an important psychological part of life.
That said, meat eaters tend to dismiss a vegetarian or vegan food plan because they assume it’s not healthy (or just weird) to not eat animals every day. I eat whatever I want, so I respect others’ choice to do the same. Honestly, if we ever have the ability to plug into recharge batteries that’s better than all that drinking nutrients and whatnot. until then, I’ll keep eating the omnivorous way nature suggests.
My wife has their caramel sauce which I put a few drops on apples sometimes when I eat them. She uses it for her coffee. But I had no idea that company made a dark chocolate sauce. I may have to try a small bit since it’s potent.
Personally, I found that the 1 or 2 tablespoons of unsweetened applesauce removes a lot of the chalkiness.
On a complete side note, it seems we’ve all been having productive, civil, and informative discussions on the boards these last few weeks. The trolls seem to be hibernating lately. I’m just waiting for the next triggered post. (Oh, they are fun, though.)
I have no doubt the caramel sauce would be just as satisfying, except I’m personally a chocolate lover. I will also say that just by nature of settling liquids, the second half of the huel shaker is WAY more chocolatey than the first.
… oh no. Oh dears. The bottom where the chalkiness tends to build up is overpowered by dark chocolate. Whatever shall I do.
Day 4 of Huel - Yesterday I realized that the 3 scoop thing, while really good (can’t stress that enough), may not have been enough food for me to lose weight. The most paradoxical thing about weight loss is that you have to eat ENOUGH to lose weight and avoid starvation mode.
So I bumped up this morning’s mix to 4 scoops and a little more chocolate for calories… and this was a HUUUUUUGE mistake. What I ended up with was too thick to drink and too offputting of texture to get through.
Going forward, I’m sticking with what works and I’ll throw in some fruit or something. Or more water. Oh that was such a mistake >.<
Spoonful of natural peanut butter would do the trick. No added sugars. Would bump up the calories to what you need. And probably tastes great with chocolate flavor.
No kidding, that was a thought I had after the fact. I have not only peanut butter but chocolate flavored PB2 powder. I’m trying a Reese’s inspired Huel tomorrow
I didn’t try it yet, mostly because I didn’t want to burn myself out on another Huel attempt that didn’t work so soon, lest I give up on the product entirely. Which I don’t want to do, but this much work to make something edible makes me think it doesn’t want to be food, lol. (kidding)
I will try it soon, likely tomorrow as I’m looking for a change up to my usual food, so I will definitely give feedback when I do.
Day 5 of Huel - So I decided to go with my gut. Not the wisest choice previously but oh well.
Usual water. Today I did 2.5 scoops of Huel instead of 3. I did .5 scoops of PB2 chocolate peanut butter powder. I ALSO did two (maybe three, I eyeballed it) tablespoons of peanut butter and two tablespoons of chocolate sauce. I added three ice cubes and pulverized.
Change - Did NOT immediately pour into the chilled shaker. I went and got the rest of the way ready and let the flavors mingle - came out and mixed again when there was a little froth on the top. Came out and mixed one more time. Added 3 MORE ice cubes to shaker before pouring.
I could smell the peanut butter in the car.
Sip - HOLY COW THAT IS SWEET! I don’t have natural peanut butter so I had to use creamy and my mouth is getting exploded with peanut butter flavor. It mutes the chalky oat taste (but also the chocolate!) but the mix is less thick and easier to drink, even with the cubes in the bottle.
Okay, this is DEFINITELY promising. Tomorrow I’m cutting way back on the peanut butter (1 tablespoon TOPS) and continuing the 2.5 scoops Huel, .5 scoop PB2 and 2 tablespoons chocolate sauce.
Total calories (surprisingly) - Around 800. Adjusted amounts tomorrow will be 642.
Day 6 of Huel- I made my shake the exact way I described it yesterday:
It’s. PERFECT. No overpowering sweetness. No chalky oatness. There’s a lot of peanut butter (I may add another tablespoon of chocolate in the future), but never overpowering. You can sense the chocolate notes but it mutes out the chalky aftertaste. It just tastes like I had a Reese’s in my mouth I just swallowed.
Cannot recommend enough. I poured over about 8 ice cubes and they lasted long enough for me to get a fully cold shake. <3
Excellent combo. I’ve used various different additives to the Huel and I find that peanut butter is consistently good. Peanut Butter makes lots of things better. Although lately, I’ve found that applesauce is also an excellent additive.
My new secret formula I discovered by randomness yesterday.
500 ml water
2 scoops regular Huel
Half banana
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon of Althletic Greens greens powder
1 tablespoon of walnut oil
sprinkle cinnamon on top
My fav so far is:
2 scoops huel
400ml of water
1/2 cup organic orange juice
1/2 cup pineapple
I blend the huel/water in one cup & my fruit mixer in another. Then I pour 1/2 of each in a glass over ice. yummm! Makes 2 shakes for me.
As soon as I get used to one meal a day I’m gonna bump it up cause I eventually do want to be on three Huels a day.
yummm! Makes 2 shakes for me.