TLDR: Nothing wrong with consuming Huel every now and then, but there are probably downsides to replacing every meal with it.
I have historically been against having Huel as food. For people who don’t know, Huel is a meal replacement shake. It started in the UK, but now it has a global presence. The company sells itself on healthy, nutritious food with low carbon footprint and minimum packaging.
I enjoy my food and I believe as an adult you should be able to find 30 minutes in your day to cook 2 or 3 basic meals for yourself.
This changed when I broke my femur back in January 2022. I became completely dependent on my partner and my family. I could not even go down the stairs in our house to make myself a coffee.
I went from being fairly active, to lying down 24 hours a day.
That’s when Huel started to make sense to me. It takes pressure off my family and makes me feel less guilty about depending on them 24/7.
I had a little look around and ended up ordering a couple of packs of Huel Black Edition. Black edition has more protein and less carbs compared to the standard version. My thinking being that I already get enough carbs from eating no so healthily most of the time, so this will probably balance the scale a bit more.
Moreover, I have been experimenting with Vegan and Low FODMAP diets, and Huel claimed to be compatible with both.
Perfect.
Vegan and Low FODMAP compatible. High protein, low in carbs. Easy to make. What did I actually do? How did it go?
I started having huel 6 or 7 times a week, so basically replacing one meal a day with Huel.
For the first couple of weeks, my stomach was not happy. I went from being reasonably happy with my tummy to feeling bloated, and having very irregular bowl movements.
I mean, don’t get me wrong, I have always had some stomach problems, but the Huel Black Edition put me on a fast track to feeling ill.
I actually heard something similar from a friend of mine who had also experimented with Huel in the past, so I was starting to think it was just not going to work out for me.
But here is the good part
The stomach problems went away after a few weeks. Maybe the bacteria in my gut started figuring out how to deal with it? Maybe I needed time to get used to the coconut/MCT oil? I am not sure how long it took, but as of April 2022, I don’t find myself having stomach issues the day or two after I have consumed Huel.
Great!
So reasonably healthy food that I can easily make, instead of having to resort to junk food, such as crisps and sweets, which are my go to’s!
I also found that it had no negative impact on my HRV or sleep. I generally felt great having it - I found it a bit too sweet, and my partner who tried it found it a bit too “papery” and “grainy”, but I didn’t really mind that.
Now the downside
It’s just not as tasty or filling as proper food. Sometimes I just want something to bite into! Sometimes I want something salty, sometimes I want something sweeter. Huel, unsurprisingly, does not fulfil any of those desires.
Moreover, I do eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, and I just cannot imagine Huel having a similar “benefit” (or can it?) - quick search throws up a bunch of articles - e.g. this one.
In addition, having read Breath by James Nestor recently, I am now convinced that you need to chew and that drinking all your calories is terrible for your well-being (you can also see similar ideas discussed here.)
Summary
I cannot imagine a downside to replacing a handful of meals a week with Huel. It’s easy to make, and healthier than junk food alternatives that a lot of us reach for these days.
Huel really should not replace a healthy diet of fresh, colourful vegetables, leafy greens, fruits, and so on. Moreover, chewing and its impact on good breathing and long-term health should not be forgotten.
My second delivery of Huel arrived last week. I will continue to enjoy my Huel when I am in a rush or on the road, but I'll stick to proper food the rest of the time. Thank you very much.