Huel is branded as “Nutritionally complete food, simply delivered”, “the perfect meal when time is short and you’re away from the kitchen”. Essentially it is a powder, which once blended with water becomes a liquid meal.

What is this magic food powder?

A mysterious mix

A balanced blend of carbohydrate, protein and fats (macronutrients). Plus small quantities of vitamins and minerals (micronutrients). In real food terms, you’re left with a bag containing ground oats, nuts and seeds, and vegan protein powder. The full list of ingredients can be found here.

What’s wrong with food?

Nothing. In fact fresh whole-food is no doubt superior to packaged food. But a powdered drink does not spoil, and is portable – unlike most meals. Additionally, there is the convenience factor of Huel. If you are a busy professional cooking can take up valuable time; mixing up a Huel takes a matter of seconds.

For me Huel has several appeals:

Cost. It can save me money on food when out of the house i.e. in town or travelling. Speed. It is convenient when pushed for time, or simply too tired to cook Versatility. Portable and stores better than real food.

Cost

Huel costs £1.61 per meal, although becomes cheaper when bought in bulk. Gluten-free or Informed Sport batch tested varieties cost marginally more.

This is not particularly cheap for a meal; I try to get the cost of my home-cooked meals to around 65p. If I were to start living entirely off Huel my food bill would over double. Yet, when caught hangry out of my kitchen, buying a meal can cost nearly a fiver. Often convenience food choices are less healthy too. Huel can mean saving money when eating away from home.

Speed

Preparing food, especially healthy food can take up valuable time. Often people order takeaways just out of convenience. They may be too tired from a long day at work to cook, or buy lunch out instead of making sandwhiches themselves. Mixing up a Huel takes about 30 seconds, making it quicker to make than even a sandwich.

Versatility

If you return from travelling to an empty fridge, Huel is a complete meal sitting in the cupboard to tie you over until your next food shop. Likewise having an emergency stash of powder in the bottom of a bag or in a car glovebox can provide nourishment whenever hunger strikes.

My experience with Huel

My first Huel delivery

When my first delivery arrived, I mixed up a small portion out of boredom and curiosity. The batch-tested variety comes in one flavour – vanilla. I stirred up a glass with water and created a heavy sludge-like liquid. This may sound rather unappealing but I was pleasantly surprised with an oaty, malty taste which wasn’t too sweet.

Mixing up a 3-scoop “meal”-sized portion of Huel is more of a physical undertaking, as I was soon to discover a few days later. To mix a larger amount of powder with liquid required serious shaking. I pre-mixed a bottle of the elixir to drink as I drove over lunchtime from London to Lancaster. Usually I’d have to stop for a bite to eat (even if I’d made a packed lunch) but with Huel I was able to drink and drive (you know what I mean) to great success. The larger portion kept me full for five hours until dinner time and I had good energy levels throughout the afternoon.

Food for thought

One thing I did notice was that when drinking Huel, you exit from the previous three moments of pause in your day. Huel is suited to a person who is alone, and in a rush. But a Huel consumed is a meal missed. Cooking can be a therapeutic and creative outlet, and meal times are valuable social occasions. I have doubts about replacing all meals with Huel as some people have apparently done.

Hypothetically one could became reliant on the routine of mixing up powdered food. Dependence on the “perfect” nutritional profile of Huel could make it hard to eat “normal” food again. Although this may only be true for certain personalities, I have to question the consequences of taking Huel in anything other than moderation. Moreover, it is simply worth remembering that food has a larger purpose than sustenance. It is a social and sensory experience that should not be replaced with a powder or pill. It can be frustrating we are not robotic in nature, but removing the “unnecessary” chore of cooking is not an inefficiency that should be despised.

Aftertaste

Huel still has a place in my diet; in some of the situations mentioned in this article but I won’t be throwing out my herbs and spices any time soon.