Huel vs. Soylent: Which Meal Replacement Comes On Top?

May 3, 2020 by

Paige Bremner in Health, Meal Replacements

When it comes to meal replacements, we want a product that can get the job done with the most benefits possible. Just because we are dealing with meal replacements doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be held to higher standards.

In this article, we will go into detail about the two of the top meal replacements on the market: Huel vs soylent.

Hopefully, you will gain enough insight throughout this article to be able to make a knowledgeable decision between the two products. You may even learn a bit more about meal replacement products then you thought you would and feel enlightened.

Lets start off with Soylent.

What is Soylent?

Soylent is a popular meal replacement product that has been advertised as a way to avoid the time and energy that goes into making and eating healthy foods. The co-founders of Soylent came up with the idea when struggling with the reality that they just didn’t have time to make nutritious foods kept eating quick unhealthy alternatives instead. They wanted something that would take minimal effort to prepare and consume, but also provides us with all the nutrients we may need.

Soylent is specially made for those people who want a food option that is quick and easy but also full of healthy nutrients and macros. Soylent offers five distinct meal replacement products such as:

Soylent drink: Ready-to-drink meal replacement shake. Comes in flavors original, strawberry, & cacao
Soylent Cafe: Ready-to-drink meal replacement shake that contains caffeine. Comes in flavors cafe vanilla, cafe chai, & cafe mocha
Soylent Squared: On-the-go mini nutrition bar. Comes in flavors chocolate brownie, citrus berry, & salted caramel
Soylent Powder: A meal replacement powder. Comes in flavors original and cacao.
Soylent Bridge: An on-the-go in-between meals nutrition drink. Comes in the flavor chocolate.

All of the Soylent products are very similar in terms of nutrition and only the mini bar strays slightly from the main ingredients. All of Soylent’s products are vegan and plant friendly, and while they don’t claim to be gluten-free, their products do not contain any gluten.

When it comes into terms of Huel vs Soylent, we are going to stick to reviewing only Soylent’s primary meal replacement shake and powder.

Most Used For Soylent Weight Loss

Original Soylent Drink

Rating:

★★★★★ 4/5

Contains Caffeine for Weight Loss

Soylent Cafe Meal Replacement

Rating:

★★★★★ 4/5

Most Cost-Effective Soylent Weight Loss

Soylent Powder

Rating:

★★★★★ 4/5

What Are the Ingredients In Soylent?

The ingredients in Soylent are, for the most part, considered relatively healthy and contain the needed nutrients to get you through the day. Although many of these primary ingredients aren’t very recognizable such as: Soy Protein, Isomatluose, High oleic sunflower oil, and various vitamins and minerals.

Lets briefly go over these ingredients in this Soylent review so we can see where they compare.

Isomaltulose. Is a carbohydrate made up of two sugars: glucose and fructose.

It is used a lot in the food industry because it is a better replacement for table sugar since it causes our blood sugar to rise much more slowly.

Soy Protein. Soy protein is a plant protein derived from soybeans, which is where Soylent derives most of its protein from. The main worry about soy protein is that it contains phytoestrogens which imitate estrogen in your body, which can end up causing adverse effects.

There has been some fear over soy protein lowering testosterone but with many studies being done on the topic we can rule it a myth. Within the many studies done there has been zero indications that soy protein lowers testosterone.

Vitamins and Minerals. In being a meal replacement product, Soylent packs a ton of vitamins and minerals to last you throughout the day.

Most people use Soylent products to replace full meals daily, so a wide variety of vitamins and minerals are much needed to keep you healthy.

High Oleic Sunflower Oil. The primary fat source in Soylent drinks which is high in polyunsaturated fats. This means that Soylent is made up of mostly healthy fats which are better for our bodies and free of trans fats.

Nutrition Breakdown

The macronutrient breakdown of the primary Soylent products is usually 20% protein, 35% carbohydrates, 45% fats ratio. This may not be the best macros for weight loss specifically but when used correctly it can be used as such or even as a muscle builder.

The Calories. There are 400 calories in each Soylent meal replacement drink and each serving of the Soylent powder.

This is seen as pretty good on the scale of meal replacement products since it is a well-rounded amount to drink in a sitting. Many people claim to be successful in using Soylent weight loss as a product as well, even though Soylent is not advertised to help aid in weight loss.

Carbohydrates and Protein. There are 36 grams of carbs and 20 grams of protein per Soylent drink and per serving of Soylent powder. This is a decent macro amount for the 400 calories provided in the Soylent products, especially the protein amount. The protein content is particularly high which is very beneficial to gaining muscle mass and feeling fuller and more satisfied through the day

Fat. The amount of fat per Soylent bottle and powder serving size is 21 grams, which seems to be the most worrisome problem with the Soylent product. Now high-fat content should not always be seen as a bad thing, especially since Soylent is made of mostly healthy fats.

But the people consuming Soylent should be aware that they will be consuming over the recommended amount of daily fat if they consume more then once a day.

People should also be mindful to consume low-fat foods for their other meals and snacks when consuming Soylent even for just one meal a day.

Although some people thrive off of high fat diets, so recognizing how your body reacts is very important.

All Soylent products are designed to provide 20% of the daily requirements of various micronutrients. This works well with the calorie count of 400 per bottle in providing an adequate amount of nutrients to help you perform at your best.

Vitamins and minerals. The list of vitamins and minerals provided in Soylent products is long but is much needed for replacing meals.

Overall Soylents micronutrient list is very adequate and nicely calculated which looks very good and provides a lot of benefits for their customers.

The Taste

The flavoring in Soylent drinks comes from Sucralose, which is kept under 25mg per serving and other natural flavors.

The taste of Soylent is usually regarded as decent and tolerable to drink and mix in with smoothies. Soylent powder, in particular, is considered to taste pretty neutral and similar to half and half. This neutral taste makes it easier to mix into shakes and smoothies, but for some people, it may not be flavorful enough.

The Soylent drinks are said to taste better and have been described to taste like a milkshake in according to the flavors. On the other hand, some people have stated that the product has a gritty or chalky texture and that the original flavor is much blander than the others. The quality of taste varies from person to person, but for the most part, it is tolerable for a meal replacement drink.

The Cost

The Soylent Meal replacement drink comes in a pack of 12 bottles, and you can buy a box of one flavor of your choosing or a variety box of flavors.

Here we’ll break it down in cost per serving for the Soylent drink and the Soylent Powder.

Soylent Drink – $3.25 per serving (one bottle)
Soylent Powder – $2.26 per serving (two scoops)

What Is Huel?

The meal replacement product Huel has acknowledged early in its debut that it is a competitor with Soylent and advertizes to the same demographic. The main difference between the two products is that Huel is based in the UK, and it only offers powder, flavor boosts, and their new ready-to-go drink.

Huel is short for “human fuel” and is designed to fulfill all of your macronutrients and vitamin minerals needs throughout hectic days. Much like Soylent people use Huel for when they need a quick healthy alternative for the busier days of life. Huel can also be used as a healthy alternative for when people are tempted to get fast food or prepare freezer foods.

Soylent used to be one of the main meal replacement products that provided ready-to-go drinks, but now that Huel has provided their very own version, they are more comparable. Let’s go over the three products Huel has to offer:

Huel Ready-to-drink: A complete nutritional meal in a handy bottle. Comes in the flavors Chocolate, Vanilla, & Berry.
Huel Powder: A meal replacement powder. Comes in flavors Chocolate, Vanilla, Berry, & Unflavored.
Flavor Boosts: Sweetening packets to customize your Huel. Comes in flavors chocolate, banana, strawberry, mocha, chocolate mint, apple cinnamon, caramel, chai.

All of the Huel products are advertised as vegan, lactose-free, soy-free, and GMO-free. The two main Huel products, Huel ready-to-go drink and Huel powder, are different when it comes to the nutrients in the products. There is also a gluten-free version of Huel powder, but the ready-to-drink products do not have a gluten-free alternative and aren’t advertised as such.

When it comes to the purpose of Huel vs Soylent, we are only going to review Huel ready-to-drink and Huel Powder, which are comparable to the Soylent products.

Most Used For Huel Weight Loss

Huel Powder

Rating:

★★★★★ 4.3/5

What Are The Ingredients In Huel?

For the most part, Huel has clean ingredients that haven’t sparked much concern for customers or seem offputting. Huel can even be seen as favorable for the simple reason that they don’t use soy protein in their products like Soylent and many other meal replacements. Like most ingredients in meal replacement products, they aren’t as recognizable so we’ll briefly go over them for you in this Huel review.

Pea protein and Brown rice protein. Pea protein and brown rice protein is the primary protein source of Huel meal replacement products. It is said to be one of the best combinations of vegan protein sources because it addresses the problem of vegan proteins having a low amino acid profile. They are also very clean ingredients and do not contain the controversial ingredient soy, which has attracted many people.

Fine-powdered oats. Gluten free-oat powder, Brown rice powder, and flaxseed are the primary carbohydrate sources in Huel products. These products help the fiber content rise, so Huel has a more satisfying and filling sensation. These are all clean, healthy ingredients, and when especially looking at flaxseed, we can expect to receive more health benefits.

MCT powder. MCT powder is the main fat source along with sunflower oil and flaxseed. MCT has been a very popular supplement lately, claiming their short term increases in metabolic rate, but they are not always well-liked. The ingredient has been shown to cause digestive issues, and it is a saturated fat, which can cause some concern.

Nutrition Breakdown

Huel’s ready-to-drink and powder are both different when it comes to their nutrition breakdown so we will discuss them accordingly.

Product	Fat %	Carb %	Protein %
Huel Powder	30% / 12g	40% / 42g	30% / 29g
Huel Read-To-Drink	42% / 19g	38% / 37g	20% / 20g

As we can see from the graph above, Huel Powder seems to be the more health efficient product having less fat and higher protein content. Huel powder can even be advertised as a protein powder or meal replacement for someone looking to gain muscle mass but get all the nutrients they need. Let’s break down the nutrients of both the products:

Huel Powder

Calories. The calories of the Huel Powder are 400 per serving, which is very good for a meal replacement product. 400 calories is best for not being too overly filling, but not leaving you hungry afterward.

Fat. The fat content of the powder is seen as superior to the Soylent powder because its fat content is low compared to its protein and calorie content. Huel powder isn’t the type of meal replacement product where you will have to watch your fat intake or worry about it. Although the saturated fat content is slightly higher, which for some people may be concerning.

Carbs & Protein. Huel powder contains more carbs then Soylent or other meal replacement products, but more fiber and less sugar as a result. Huel is obviously the winner in protein, containing 29 grams, which is 9 grams more than Soylent. This is very beneficial for people wanting to gain more muscle mass or feel more satisfied after consuming to avoid overeating.

Huel Ready-to-drink

Calories. The calorie content of Huel ready-to-drink is 400 calories like its powder product and Soylent.

Fat. The fat content of Huel ready-to-drink, 20 grams, is very similar to Soylent drinks being 21 grams. The high-fat content again is the most worrisome factor of the product, especially if you drink more then one a day. You may, as a result, have to oversee your fat content throughout the day after consuming Huel. Although some people tend to thrive off of high-fat diets, so it is up to you to decide what your body reacts best to when consuming meal replacement products.

Carbs & Proteins. Again the carb and protein amount is the same as Soylent being at 37 grams of carbohydrates and 20 grams of protein. This is an adequate amount of both macronutrients, and the protein content is perfect for feeling more satisfied after consuming.

When it comes to the micronutrients in both Huel powder and Huel ready-to-drink, the product will at least give you 20% of all the vitamins and minerals that you need daily. The two products are especially rich in:

Vitamin D2
Vitamin C
Phosphorus
Iron
Molybdenum

While most of these are considered higher, there should be no severe adverse effects because of this and may even be more beneficial to be people who exercise more frequently.

The Taste

The taste of Huel Powder is a bit lackluster but still decent and tolerable to consume. Whether its the unsweetened or regular flavors, it doesn’t make much a difference in taste and texture. Some people who have shown positive feelings towards the taste have described it as a nutty/oatmeal taste combined with whatever flavor you purchase.

The people who show a lot of disdain for the taste describes it as tasting bland at first then progressively getting worse and harder to keep down with an artificial sugar taste. Although Huel, realizing the taste was not well-liked, put out the flavor packets which has made the powder more tolerable.

The Huel ready-to-drink product has a nice texture and consistency to it being smooth and well blended. The taste isn’t described as delicious by any means, but it is decent and easy to get used to, unlike its counterpart powder. The taste can be described as quite bland and better when chilled in your refrigerator.

The Cost

When purchasing Huel Powder, it comes as 34 meals(servings)/14000 calories for each purchase. Huel Ready-to-drink comes in a package of 24 bottles/9600 calories, and both can only be chosen in one flavor at a time.

Here we will break down the cost per serving:

Huel Powder – $1.75 per serving
Huel ready-to-drink– $3.75 per bottle

Product	Cost Per Package	Cost Per Serving
Soylent Powder	$27.20	$2.26
Soylent Drink	$39.00	$3.25
Huel Powder	$66.00	$1.75
Huel Ready-to-drink	$99.00	$3.75

What's The Verdict: Huel vs Soylent?

When looking at both products of Huel vs Soylent, Huel seems to be the clear winner, especially when it comes to the powder. The ingredients list is superior for an equal price, which is very evident when looking at the protein and micronutrient content.

Huel contains far more protein compared to Soylent, but when consuming Huel people looking to build muscle may want to take an amino acid supplement. Soylent’s fat content is also less superior to Huels powder, but their ready-to-drink product is very comparable in all of the macronutrients. When it comes to the drinkable versions of the products, they are very similar in what you are going to get in nutrients, but the ingredients are where Huel wins in this category.

When it comes to micronutrients, Huel goes above and beyond on many of the vitamins and minerals and has added phytonutrients, unlike Soylent. Although when it comes to vitamins and minerals, it is not always as essential to get more then you need, and Soylent may be a very decent option for you. When you are bodybuilding or exercising consistently, then consuming more nutrients will probably be the better option.

One area where Soylent has seemed to receive praise over Huel is the taste and texture. Taste is critical because without the taste being tolerable, nobody will be able to continue the use of your product.

Overall, Huel seems to be the winner in Huel vs Soylent when it comes to nutrients and macronutrients, which is very important when it comes to a beneficial meal replacement.

Can you live off of Soylent?

Technically, yes you could live off of Soylent meal replacement drinks, but we don’t advise you to do so. Many people try and live off of Soylent when they start to see weight loss results and get used to the ease of just grabbing a drink for each meal. However, only drinking Soylent for every meal is not optimal for health, everyday living, and the fact that is just not sustainable. We recommend you only drink Soylent at the utmost of one meal per day.

Is HUEL a good meal replacement?

Yes, Huel is a good meal replacement for people looking to lose weight, gain muscle, or looking to ditch unhealthy eating patterns. Huel is not meant to be abused, as in consuming it for every single one of your meals. However, it is great when used in moderation (replacing one meal per day) along with a healthy diet and consistent exercise routine.

Does HUEL help you lose weight?

Yes, Huel does help you lose weight if used correctly. When you are using Huel meal replacement Powder to help in your weight loss efforts then you will need to put in some work as well. Having a healthy diet around consuming Huel and a consistent exercise routine is very important when wanting to lose weight with Huel. As well as choosing Huel over eating unhealthy fast foods or overeating on late night snacks.

Is HUEL good for muscle building?

Yes, Huel is good for muscle building considering its high protein content. Huel has a protein content of 29 grams per serving which is very impressive when it comes to other meal replacements on the market. As well as a lower fat content and sugar content to go along with the needed macros that come along with muscle building.