Buzz
This might be one of my most embarrassing confessions to share online: I recently subscribed to Huel. (Not anymore, but I still have a few boxes lingering in my kitchen.) Huel is the powdered shake that promises to replace any meal you might typically need to—what’s the term?—“eat” or “chew”?
Personally, I opt for the higher-protein version of Huel called Huel Black, which offers 40 grams of protein per 400-calorie serving. Recently, a PR representative contacted me to offer samples of Soylent’s ready-to-drink alternative to Huel Black, called Complete Protein. (The email was to celebrate Soylent’s new vanilla flavor; they’ve had chocolate for a while.) Since I already consider myself a quirky individual who sometimes prefers drinking strange shakes over actual meals, I decided to give it a shot.
Here’s what I think after comparing both drinks and whether either is worth trying out at all.
So, what exactly are Huel and Soylent?
Both brands offer plant-based nutritional drinks that are suitable for vegans. They both subtly suggest that these drinks could replace meals (although the term 'meal replacement' is heavily regulated in certain areas and often linked to weight loss, which is why Huel avoids using the term, while Soylent applies it only to some of their products).
Huel and Soylent both have regular and high-protein versions of their beverages. Since I follow the protein guidelines for athletes, I usually go for the higher-protein options. (I’ve never tried the original, lower-protein versions of either.)
Who exactly drinks this stuff?
Mytour first covered Soylent in 2014. The idea of a shake that could replace meals was thrilling and groundbreaking for a certain tech-bro-adjacent crowd. Why bother with ‘cooking’ or ‘thinking about food’ when you could just skip those tasks entirely? Back then, Soylent wasn’t available as a product yet, but there was a website (soylent.me, now gone but archived) where you could find recipes and make your own. Rob Rhinehart, the founder of Soylent, claimed a range of health benefits from consuming only this 'pseudo-food' instead of the real meals that us 'normies' eat (which he called 'leisure food'). Again, thanks to the Wayback Machine, you can dive into a fascinating rabbit hole—check out one of Rhinehart’s blog posts, written during his third month of experimentation, for an intriguing read.
Before all of this, there was the 2006 story of a man living on monkey chow for a week. And back in the 1940s, a Cornell food scientist developed a bread recipe fortified with protein, calcium, and riboflavin, hinting that this bread could potentially provide near-complete nutrition by itself.
For some people, Huel and Soylent are just a convenient option when they don’t feel like eating a proper meal. They’re not necessarily a weight-loss solution like Slim-Fast shakes, nor do they fully resemble traditional protein shakes. Instead, they aim to serve as a fairly standard meal in liquid form. Personally, when I have Huel, it’s typically for breakfast or as a snack, with real meals for the rest of the day.
(Fun fact: the name “Soylent” comes from a sci-fi novel where future humans survive on a mix of soybeans and lentils. The book was later turned into a Charlton Heston movie, where the mystery beverage is revealed to be made of people. Regardless, Rhinehart thought “Soylent” was a fun name for his product. Huel, which came about a year later, is short for “human fuel.” At my house, it’s kept in a container marked “gruel.”)
What are the nutritional breakdowns (macros) of Huel and Soylent’s high-protein versions, and how much do they cost?
Health benefits aside, if I’m buying something to replace a meal, it better have solid macros and be affordable. Here’s how they measure up:
Huel Black
Each serving contains 400 calories
Provides 40 grams of protein
If you subscribe, it’s $2.50 per serving; purchasing a bag on Amazon will cost you about $3.
Soylent Complete Protein
Each serving has 250 calories
Delivers 30 grams of protein
If you subscribe, it’s $2.63 per bottle; if you buy it once, it’s currently $2.50.
If both options are priced at $2.50, Huel provides more calories and protein per serving. To hit 2,000 calories a day, you'd need five servings of Huel ($12.50) or eight servings of Soylent ($20). Both choices deliver a lot of protein: 200 grams for Huel and 240 grams for Soylent. High-protein diets aren’t bad for you or anything, but if you’re living off these shakes, you’d probably want a mix of both the high-protein and the regular version. Or maybe, just maybe, you’d eat a real meal every now and then.
If you're interested in giving it a try, feel free to go ahead:
Huel Black, vanilla flavor
Soylent Complete Protein, chocolate flavor
What is the flavor of Huel like?
When I first tried Huel, I explored a variety of flavors. The company recommends using vanilla as a base flavor, since they also offer flavor packets that can be added. The flavoring packets work fine, but I found that the shake powder tends to form clumps. I also tried the coffee caramel flavor, which was quite tasty, but the clumping issue was even worse with it. I can’t say for sure whether the clumping was just a problem with those specific batches or if it's a recurring issue. However, I’ve never had clumping issues with the banana flavor, so it’s now my go-to choice.
I would describe the banana flavor of Huel Black as “decent.” The powder thickens enough to give it a milkshake-like consistency. While it doesn’t satisfy your milkshake cravings, it’s still easy to drink without any struggle. It’s a fairly neutral flavor overall.
What does Soylent taste like?
Soylent's vanilla protein falls somewhere in the middle of the great-to-terrible scale. My teenage son tried one of the vanilla bottles, and his reaction was, “wow, it really tastes like soy.” Well, he’s not wrong. If you enjoy vanilla-flavored soy milk, think of this as a thicker version. It's neither outstanding nor awful, just somewhere in between.
The Soylent product I tried came as a pre-mixed drink, so there was no issue with clumping. Soylent's original product is also available in powder form, but it seems like the high-protein version hasn’t made it to that form yet.
How bad is it to substitute shakes for actual meals?
Look, I believe food is a vital and meaningful part of life. If you’re so hooked on shakes that you feel guilty or fear cognitive decline from eating something like pizza, you might be overdoing it on the shakes.
I wouldn’t advise anyone to switch to a full shake diet, even if technically, it’s not life-threatening. Eating a variety of foods serves as an insurance policy against missing some nutrients here and there. But more importantly, eating is part of adulthood, and it’s not that difficult to start learning how to work it into your busy routine. Try Mytour's guide to how to feed yourself when you have more important shit to do. You could begin with eggs, grab some pre-cut veggies, or even experiment with ramen as a base.
If you’re interested in living off shakes for a week just to see how it goes—sure, go for it. People have done stranger things. But take your time getting used to it, as the fiber in both drinks can cause digestive issues if you switch too suddenly. A better approach would be to substitute a shake for breakfast occasionally, and in the meantime, figure out some lazy meal prep so grabbing a meal from the fridge becomes easier than grabbing a shake.
