It’s been a while since I played around with my diet. I used to try all sorts of shenanigans, from trying the keto diet and intermittent fasting to stopping drinking two litres of water a day. I always enjoyed seeing the effect of diet changes on my body and mind, which is why I jumped on the opportunity when Huel asked if I would be willing to swap my breakfast Black Edition Ready-to-drink for a couple of weeks.
It’s not the first time I tried Huel. I used to cover nutrition on T3 (now mostly done by my colleague, Bryony) and have tried many protein powders and mass gainer varieties. As a matter of fact, I reviewed the Huel Black Edition a couple of years ago, during the pandemic, when many of us were looking for alternative ways to consume our daily nutrition (with the shops emptied due to panic-buying).
Even though I’ve always been a bigger fan of whey-based products, I appreciate the environmental consequences of using milk-based supplements. Vegan foodstuffs, such as Huel, are better for the planet – that’s for sure. My biggest grief with them was the somewhat gritty taste and the fact they often repeat on you.
The Ready-to-drink Huel is a little different. It’s pre-mixed and has a smooth consistency. Plus, it comes in a bottle, so you can take it anywhere with you, adding to the already well-rounded convenience factor of the Huel RTD. I certainly appreciated this aspect, although I couldn’t help but feel that those bottles, albeit recyclable, probably aren’t as sustainable as reusing your own mixer bottle.
On a more positive note, I loved the nutritionally complete nature of the drink. It’s bang-on 400 calories per bottle and contains 35g of protein as well as all 27 essential vitamins and minerals. The brand claims the mix has 151 proven health benefits, from improved muscle function to better cognitive performance.
Of course, those benefits relate to Huel's ingredients. For example, vitamin C is beneficial for collagen production, and the Huel RTD contains it; therefore, the argument is that the drink itself helps boost collagen levels. I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that the product contains these ingredients, but equally, the Huel RTD isn’t a magic potion that turns you into the healthiest human being overnight.
That said, drinking Huel in the morning trumps a lot of other ‘breakfast’ options, including most cereals, toast, or anything you can get from Greggs (although I’m sure you can buy healthier stuff from them these days). Drinking Huel RTD will deliver vitamins and, most importantly, protein to your system in the morning.
I was sent the Iced Coffee flavour, which I thought was only coffee-flavoured. Turns out, it contains a healthy dose of caffeine (around 100 mg), which did make a bit hyper in the morning. You see, I gave up regular caffeine earlier this year; I only drink coffee occasionally. When I started drinking Huel RTD, I could definitely feel the caffeine in my system!
You can choose other flavours that don’t contain caffeine, of course. I think the Iced Coffee option is an interesting choice. I don’t see people who drink coffee swap their morning hot beverage for the Huel RTD, but then they would drink an extra cup’s worth of caffeine every morning. Or, if you’re not a coffee drinker, you introduce a regular source of caffeine to your diet, which might not be optimal for most people.
Other than that, I got used to drinking Huel RTD pretty quickly. I was initially concerned about how well it would fill me, but I didn’t feel more hungry than I did with any other type of breakfast I had in the past. I love the convenience factor – I often chucked one in my bag when I had to commute to the office or catch a flight.
The taste isn’t too bad, either. It comes in a few different flavours, which is excellent and makes it less likely to get boring, as you can always cycle through the different flavours. All flavours have a distinct Huel taste, but the different options help make it feel fresh.
Would I continue having Huel every morning? It wouldn’t be the worst idea, but I think the Ready-to-Drink version is best suited as an occasional option due to plastic bottle buildup. A more sustainable option would be to mix your own and use RTD when taking water and the powder separately isn’t an option.
You can buy Ready-to-Drink bottles at Huel UK and Huel US (the brand doesn’t seem to have an Australian website). A box of 12 costs £45.50/ $72.50 (approx. AU$83). You can save 10% in the UK (or 20% in the US) if you subscribe, with the shortest delivery frequency being two weeks and going up to eight weeks.
