READ THIS if you're considering Huel: First try, first report--Three weeks in

TL:DR at the bottom!

About me: Hey all. I’m a fit 22-year old who recently moved to Honolulu, HI. I just graduated from CU Boulder with a degree in Biochemistry and took a few nutrition-based classes (and had studies that crossed over with nutrition on a molecular level). With the expensive price of food on the island here, I was looking for some cheaper ways to save money and eat healthier than I was before.

How I used to eat: My old diet consisted of mac n cheese, ramen noodles, grilled cheese, eggs, toast, and plates of pasta pretty much all day every day.

Discovering Huel: When I found Huel (from an Instagram ad) I thought it would be too good to be true. Being a man of science, if there aren’t tons of reviews from reputable scientists or doctors, I don’t believe it. But after reading many nutritionists glowing reviews, I thought I’d take a look myself.

Deciding to buy: I was amazed. With everything I learned from my degree, I was truly surprised: nothing seemed to be missing in terms of nutrition. Normally I would think this was some kind of scam with no scientific basis, or that it would pose as a health risk. Instead, I was really hoping it would work for my lifestyle here.

My initial experience: The taste wasn’t bad. In fact, it’s exactly what I expected. It’s like flour, with a bit of a more earthy taste, and a perfect hint of vanilla. My girlfriend and roommates say it tastes like oaty-pancake-batter. The consistency, on the other hand, was not great. I didn’t like the chunks I was drinking, or the warmth. Here’s my process of discovering the best way to Huel:

  1. I started with putting the powder in the shaker, then water. It led to serious chunks, and was hard to drink. At four scoops, I could barely finish without feeling slightly sick, but only on a mental level.

  2. I switched to water first, then powder second. THIS IS KEY! It really helped it become easier to drink. Adding a few ice cubes helped reach the right temp. It felt like this was taking too long to prepare, and I’m all about efficiency. I needed something faster.

  3. I tried leaving it overnight, as some said the consistency is better. It does lose the graininess, but instead becomes syrup-like… almost gummy, or “slimy-er”. I could see why some people like that better, but I actually really hated it like this, so I went back to drinking it before the fridge.

  4. We have a Nutribullet, which I had never tried. I gave it a go, with 4 scoops and 16oz of water. WOW. It was a whole world of difference than shaking. In fact, it was downright tasty.

How I make my Huel now: I made this process as efficient as possible: I keep a shaker with the water level I need for 4 scoops in the fridge chilled at all times. I pour the water into the Nutribullet container, add my 4 scoops of powder, and a small pour of honey. Put 3 ice cubes on top, and blend with the Nutribullet. It takes about 30 seconds for the whole thing, then I wash off the blender’s blade-base with hot water (that’s all that’s needed to clean it), and drink the huel directly from the nutribullet shaker. I refill my water bottle to proper level, place it in the fridge to chill, and was the nutribullet “cup” when I’m done with hot water. The result? I get a full meal, with 30 seconds of prep and 30 seconds of cleanup, every morning for $2.

Side effects from 5 days to 3 weeks:

  1. The first 5 days, I replaced only breakfast with Huel. My stomach felt a little nauseous during these days, and the poops were not good. I was worried if I was going to get over this period, or if I had made a mistake dropping $56 on two big bags of bogus powder.

  2. At around 6 days, the stomach issues went away. I started to have Huel for breakfast and lunch. 4 scoops morning, 3 scoops midday. It really does fill you up. I rarely felt hungry during the day or at night. My stomach got better, but that’s when the farts started. Oh god, they’re bad. They’re easy to pass, but the smell is truly horrendous. It smells like bad eggs and peas… My girlfriend couldn’t believe how often I was farting and how bad it smelled. This is by far the worst side effect.

  3. After a week, I was doing Huel for breakfast and lunch every day, eating normal dinners. On days I was super busy, I would have Huel for dinner, too. My energy levels were fantastic. My skin cleared up (from the absence of sugar in my diet) and my mornings got really easy to handle. So much extra time before work!

  4. Huel became my routine. I work from home, and having lunch and breakfast already prepared (as in, no need to wonder about what I was going to eat) was saving me time and money for sure. My pantry has mostly stayed the same. In the month since I’ve moved here, I’ve only needed to shop once because of Huel, and I only shopped for dinners. Since I’m eating so cheap and healthy during the day ($4 of Huel per day? yes please!) I was BALLING OUT on nice dinners; making pasta, going out to eat, buying more beer, etc.

  5. This last week, my body has literally been craving Huel. I don’t look at normal meals the same. I haven’t felt this good in years… I wake up and head to the kitchen to make Huel as if I was addicted to coffee (which I don’t drink at all). When I’m hungry for a snack, I just blend up a scoop and a half of huel in the Nutribullet mini mixing cup, and it fills me up until the next meal. I love the taste, I don’t mind drinking it at all, and I feel fantastic.

Thanks for reading. I’ve summarized below for those that think this was Too Long, and Didn’t Read.

TL;DR

  1. Huel wasn’t super easy at the beginning, but cold water/ice and a blender (specifically the Nutribullet) helped immensely. The preparation and cleanup for Huel is ridiculously fast, especially with this method.
  1. I feel amazing. I am seriously addicted to the stuff, and it’s changed my life and my outlook on food and nutrition. My skin is clearer, my energy levels are good, and my mind’s at rest knowing I’m getting better nutrients this way than if I were to try with conventional food on my own.
  1. The farts are god awful. I hope they stop, but I definitely don’t care enough to quit. Just know… they’ll be there! :dash:
  1. As a skeptical man of science, I would usually never believe in something like Huel. After doing the research and experiencing it myself, I fully believe Huel will become commonplace in the future of food. I’m glad I’m getting on this train early.

Let me know if you have any questions!

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This is a great read man. I like the detail on it. Thank you

Great feedback!

I’m almost double your age (42) and have had very different eating habits so my regimen is different. I should also add that my exercise is just about non-existent but only weigh around 155lbs. I do want to lose a few pounds but more important is that I get all the nutrition I should be getting.

In the past my breakfast only consisted of black decaf coffee and a brownie crunch Think Thin bar. I did this for the last few years. Then a standard lunch and dinner. So I’m used to small breakfast. I now start my day with a 2 scoop Huel for breakfast which I sip between 9 and 11 AM. Then a lunch Huel with 3 scoops sipping between noon and 3. I did start with only breakfast for a couple days then added the lunch. I have no hunger issues but I have less of hunger issues than the typical person. I have no issue skipping meals.

My biggest reason for Huel is to make sure I’m getting the right nutrition. The Think Thin bar is pretty good (or less bad) than other bars on the market but it’s probably way off in getting the nutrients I should be getting. Now I’m pretty certain that I’m getting the nutrition and able to easily manage my calories.

Just wanted to leave a perspective from someone doing it similar as you. But different ages, weight, exercise level, etc…

As for the preparation, I’m super lazy and don’t want to even rinse off an extra item like a blender… so I just use the shaker now. Haven’t had much issue with chunks as long as I put water in first then add powder and shake hard. Let sit in the fridge is the best. If I forget to prepare ahead of time, ice cubes do the trick. But letting it sit for a bit, even a half hour or hour is much better than freshly prepared. I sip it over a long time so even if I freshly prepare it, it gets better as I sip…

I should probably give my gas experience. I only had a couple times where I had an issue. When I first started and when I increased the intake. Other than that I’ve been the same as before. I wonder if my faster adaptation is based on being a vegetarian/pescaterian. I have a thread discussing and your input would be greatly appreciated. Experiences of Vegetarian/Vegan vs Meat Eaters

Thanks again for your report!

2 Likes

Wow, thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! Looking forward to seeing you around the forum. Keep us updated!

I hope Huel is commonplace in the future. I recommend it to everyone. There is nothing negative about Huel. (once my body got used to it… :slight_smile: )

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Gas issues get better if you do 50/50 unsweetened/vanilla. Went away completely when I tried 100% unsweetened but I didn’t like the taste. 50/50 is fine. I think its the sucralose that causes that particular issue. I’m guessing based on my experience.

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Thanks for the advice, I’ve been using Huel for about 2 months now and a blender is an absolute MUST imo. The consistency is extremely lumpy otherwise. I have found this to be the case with other high-protein shakes, including whey; protein is often very dense and viscous.

I completely feel your pain regarding the excessive flatulence! The reason, which I have discovered from trial and error with different foods, is the super-healthy, cholesterol reducing oats, possibly in combination with the flaxseed (high-FODMAP when consumed in large amounts). I’m unsure of the % flaxseed in Huel’s nutritional profile though.

Oats are somewhat akin to beans in that they are high in soluble fibre. After doing a lot of reading on the subject it turns out that what I originally thought was the result of protein is actually a by-product of a type of soluble fibre called beta-glucan, of which oats and barley contain high levels. It’s brilliant at preventing uptake of cholesterol in the small intestine but has some unfortunate side-effects.

Unlike insoluble fibre, (the type found in higher quantities wheat, potatoes, many types of vegetables etc.) soluble fibre can be fermented by bacteria in the colon - the results of this are not pleasant, especially for those in your immediate vicinity.

In my experience a large bowl of porridge oats (dry weight of 50g and upwards) will produce the same smelly side-effects. Huel has about 40g oats per 100g serving, so having larger servings, or shakes too close together might overwhelm the bowels so to speak. A high ratio of soluble:insoluble fibre can also cause constipation, as while the insoluble variety draws water into the intestine, the soluble form absorbs water (hence it being soluble).

I find that a shake of 100g to be about right for breakfast. Anything greater and I may make myself very unpopular at work that day!

NB. I’ve heard a lot of people blaming gluten for the digestive issues. Huel has a gluten-free product if you are coeliac. Gluten is not present in oats but there can sometimes be cross-contamination with wheat or rye. If you are not coeliac then it is unlikely that small amounts of gluten will cause problems. By contrast, Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the body undergoes an allergic reaction to gluten and damage to the small intestine can result from consuming even 10-50mg gluten.

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Nice post! Here is a lifehack for using a bullet blender that’ll make you wish to use it that much more:

  1. Cleaning a bullet blender is a snap: after rinsing in hot water, leave about 1/2 cup hot water in the blender cup.
  2. Add a drop (just a drop!) of dishwashing soap to the cup.
  3. Pop the lid back on…and blend for a few seconds!
  4. Rinse the inside of the cup again with hot water until soap is gone.

A couple of rotations of soapy water (with the lid on) will not only wash the inside of the cup, but the blades as well. You’ll never have to put your fingers or hands inside the cup again and thorough washing takes less than 30 seconds.

4 Likes

Great summary. I’ve been using Huel for 2 meals a days for almost 2 months and couldn’t be happier. The key was, similar to you, the blender. I do 8 ounce of water and 8 ounces of unsweetened almond milk, 2 scoops of vanilla huel, a banana, and a few ice cubes. I add a teaspoon of instant coffee to the morning shake. Love the product.

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Enjoyed the reviews…I’ve only been using huel for barely 3 weeks ,noticed the gas for sure…To early to make judgement yet but I have been using juice instead of water and enjoy it a lot more… I’m sure I’m not the first to think about juice…