99.99% Huel

I started using huel way back in the early days, somewhere between 2012 and 2014 I think. Due to working long hours in a job that provides me free food (very difficult to choose a salad over lobster or a gourmet burger!) I decided this might be for me. So I did around a month of 100% Huel. I felt the benefits as well! In the ensuing years I’ve returned to huel, but never stuck to it. In part, because the winter months weren’t catered for.

Fast forward to the present day and Huel have graciously provided a full spectrum of options! As of last week I am a fully qualified bus driver. And as I’ll be mostly warming a seat and working from a location that I’ll have to drive to, I think it’s time to take my diet and well-being in hand. I’m going full huel again!

So, the plan - I’ll be in changing shifts (but no over night shifts) so breakfast lunch and dinner will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd meals respectively, regardless of time.

RTD for breakfast - love the banana RTD and am hoping the berry is just as good.

Lunch - I’ll just have a huel bar. I’ve ordered peanut butter and coffee caramel for some variety. These bars were ok, but a little dry. However, coupled with a nice hot coffee I’m hoping they’ll be fine! (No sugar - going to try and reduce this to a bare minimum, after all 38 is my age and not my waist size and I’d like it to stay that way!)

Dinner - Hot and Savoury. I tried this a couple of months ago and the sweet and sour seemed ok but a bit too gloopy (EDIT:- the company actually tell you to add nearly increased water to this recipe on the packaging, as the texture is somewhat different to the other varieties, so this was entirely my fault!). I’ve ordered Thai green curry (already tasted and loved), tomato and basil, korma and mac’n’cheese! Dear lord, I cannot put into words how much I hope I fall in love with the latter!

My order leaves me with 4 days without RTD (I’ve subscribed with a delivery pattern of 4 weeks, as I get paid weekly) but 2 extra bars. So either this will result in 2 or 4 ‘cheat days’ where I may mix up the order and grab a takeaway as a treat. (It may be less than 99.99%, I’m a driver, not a MENSA candidate !)

Hopefully I get a route with double deckers so I have a stair case to run up and down between journeys for some exercise, but failing that, my new waterways licence and kayak will hopefully help. (Not much on exercise, until now my jobs have always provided me with more than enough!)

The nice thing about Huel is that they really care! I posted this on their forums and immediately I was informed that my choice has only 1000 calories, far less than I should be on boarding to maintain a healthy body. However, the other nice thing about huel is that it is easily adjustable. You can add a scoop, remove a scoop and tailor your selection to exactly what you need. Also, our coffee machines are free, so there will likely be a higher calorific intake through coffee alone, especially through the colder months trying to squeeze a double decker through the narrow streets of London!

I’ll keep this updated as and when, in case anyone is interested. Let the healthy begin…

As this is below the required 600 minimum word count, I shall tell you all of the story so far, post delivery.

First off, after numerous back and forth with the lovely nutritionists and fellow hueligans, my order came with an extra tub of protein powder. Now this appears to be useable as a standalone snack replacement when prepared on its own. My above plan was pointed out to be a round 1500cals a day short of ideal. I wonder if perhaps the guys at huel worried and sent me this to help too that up. It could’ve been a mistake, it could’ve been a promotion. Either way, it brought a smile to my face! I’ll probably add this to the end of the month story and tell you about how it all worked out.

Secondly, the (relatively) new Hot and Savoury huel range - much like the original powder, but in pre-ground form and prepared in boiling water - now has a new flavour. Mac’n’cheese is now a huel thing! And though it contains no dairy or animal products, it somehow still tastes (again, relatively) amazing! So now I can enjoy my favourite comfort food minus the guilt and bigger belt size! Seriously, if you only take one thing from this piece, take the mac’n’cheese!

So, I’m yet to have a full day as everyone seems to be throwing food at me! But my (£160) order arrived with a good selection of items to get me through the next 4 weeks, so from tomorrow I am hitting it hard. I genuinely do not foresee this being difficult!

The hard part was always feeling the need for a substantial meal, especially during the colder months. This is now filled by the afore mentioned ‘hot and savoury’ range. In fact, let’s do a run down of the products I’m using! As I said, the ‘hot’n’savoury range is a little more substantial. Unlike its powdered counterpart, the ingredients have been left whole and are ‘cooked’ in a covered container (Huel sell/provide a container for this purpose that is perfect, but any cup and cover would work), much in the fashion of a pot noodle. There are multiple flavours and they are all delicious.

Then we have the original powder. Now this isn’t on my list, as for me, I keep forgetting to make it up in advance, or I do so and forget I have and end up wasting more than I consume! The powder is added to water and shaken, again, in any container suitable although huel sell/provide you with the ideal shakers! There are many flavours and it’s very easy to add ingredients to increase/tweak/tailor the taste to your individual needs. But honestly, it tastes so much better after a night in the fridge, which means I have to be planning ahead or I end up wasting it!

RTD - nearly identical to the prepared powder shakes, but without any effort on your part! Currently available in Berry, banana, vanilla and chocolate, you grab a bottle from the fridge and pour it down your throat- simple! The main difference is that the texture is thicker than I can ever get my shakes to be and as such they can appear more satisfying, despite being virtually identical to the powder shakes. The only downside here is that with convenience comes cost - but in all honesty, it’s still way less than I spend on takeaway over the course of a month!

Finally there is the huel snack bars. Now these also come in various flavours. But, in all honesty, the flavour is not strong. It’s tasty, it’s accurate, but like a lot of ambient temperature extremely healthy foods, the flavour is natural and that can put people off if they are used to the super sugary hits of candy bars! But they do fill a hole and allow you to snack in confidence!

I’ll keep this updated as and when, in case anyone is interested. Let the healthy begin…