One of the things that I love about the Hot & Savory line is how little (work) time and effort it takes to prepare a satisfying lunch. However, I don’t agree with the cooking directions on the label. After some trial and error I believe I’ve found the optimal way to prepare Hot and Savory packs.
I recommend against using a microwave for multiple reasons. Microwaving food in plastic containers, even those designated microwave-safe and BPA-free, presents health hazards by leeching plastic and chemical compounds into the food. It damages the nutritional value of the food, doesn’t heat the food evenly, and, if you’re not careful, spatters all over the place. Avoid the microwave if you can. If you can’t, use it strictly to boil water in a microwave-safe mug or Pyrex measuring cup.
I recommend using the Huel cup with boiling water, mixing the contents thoroughly, sealing the cup tightly, and allowing it to sit for a longer period (25-30 minutes) before eating. The dry ingredients (especially pasta) will soak up the moisture and be plump and tender, and the meal remains plenty hot.
Here are my precise steps:
Empty pouch contents into Huel cup.
Boil water to 212 F (100 C).
Pour about 3/8 c water over the pouch contents and stir thoroughly until no powder remains.
Add water to the fill line inside the cup (3/4 c total) and stir thoroughly.
Seal the lid tightly and allow to stand for 25-30 minutes.
Add seasoning if desired (e.g., red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to chili or Pasta Bolognese), stir, and enjoy.
I’ve been doing this for weeks and I’ve had great results with no messes. It works particularly well with the Pasta Bolognese. I really wish that Huel would reconsider canceling that flavor. It’s so good!
I’ve been experimenting with different ways to cook h&s meals as well. Especially anything with noodles or pasta. I think I tried using the microwave with the reusable pot once back when h&s first came out. Otherwise I always use hot water from the kettle or the tap on the coffee maker at work. After the cups came out I moved to using reusable mylar mre bags for all if my h&s meals. Pour hot water in, seal and wait.
I haven’t tried the new meal packs yet as I still have a decent stock pile of the old 7 meals packs, but I will be looking into these soon enough.
Also really bummed about pasta Bolognese. Its one of my 3 favs besides Mac and cheeze and chickn alfredo. I’m stocking up on these as well. Hoping someday they will bring them to the cups or meal packs.
We eat 4-6 hot and savory cups a day in our household, so both microwaving and boiling water become kinda tedious. Instead, we use a countertop water boiler / hot water dispenser (like the Japanese kinds, or the they have in-sink versions too.
Just push a button and add hot water (195 degrees F works well for us), wait about 5-7 minutes and it’s ready to eat. Works really well! Especially when I want to have one for breakfast but am too lazy to boil a pot of water.
Doesn’t really address the health concerns, but it sure is a lot more convenient. And personally, I figure if I’m eating this much hyperprocessed food, my lifespan won’t be long anyway, lol.
It doesn’t work as well when dumped into a glass or ceramic bowl beforehand, though, because the bowl itself will suck away some of the heat from the noodles and it ends up needing some additional microwaving again before eating. For the hot and savory packs, we just empty them into one of those black reusable Huel cups first (which is still plastic) and then add the hot water directly into that. Still probably leaches some degree of microplastics, but that’s modern life for ya…