This week is proving to be a challenge as I found myself out of product a week before my next sub ships – there wasn’t really the time or point to order another bag with only a week left as I had already expanded the next delivery with more granola.
I foolishly thought I could find some sort of stop gap measure in order to keep the diet regime on track. Calling in at their store I picked up a 1kg tub of GNC’s Pure Edge Complete Vegan Protein in Natural Vanilla flavour. Like Huel, its pea protein based so I figured ‘how bad can it be ?’.
The answer was very.
Really sour tasting and really puts your gag reflex to the test. Felt uncomfortably ill immediately after drinking it but this subsides. I never got how some people really rail into how bad Huel tastes and what a challenge it is to have it. Personally I have never thought that and really enjoy it. This gunk though – wow – roll on the next subscription delivery.
I used to drink vegan protein powders, and I never found one that didn’t taste gritty, sandy, and some really set my gag reflex off like you said.
For those that find the Berry flavour Huel grim, they should really taste the Good Hemp strawberry shake or vega berry flavour…wow they were undrinkable. They remind me of something called Pripsen I was forced to drink as a kid…still I never got worms. Maybe it is the Pripsen that put me off berry, dunno if anyone else remembers it.
It was the possible awful taste that made me reluctant to try Huel initially and that is a shame. It has never invoked a gag reflex in me…even if some of the stories on the forum occasionally have.
I’ve used just about every vegan protein powder on the market…all awful and would make me gag trying to swallow most times. I haven’t tried all Huel flavours but I do enjoy the taste, especially chocolate premix. I like the smooth consistency also.
it doesn’t actually describe itself as nutritionally complete (and it’s not).
It’s a vegan complete protein source. Not complete nutrition.
The official description:
Made with Real Plant-Based Food Ingredients
We beelive in putting good in to get good out. That’s why we’ve packed Vega One All-in-One Shake with far more than just protein. Full of real, organic, plant-based ingredients, Vega One harnesses the power of plants to help you supercharge your day, deliciously.
So - it’s ‘all-in-one’ as in complete protein, plus some fibre and other supplements.
It’s not complete nutrition - only a complete protein source.
That’s not the same product but yes, same disingenuous description applies - lets just say advertising standards rules are probably a little more ‘fluid’ in Malaysia than they are in the UK
Just to add on - I only found out about it as I am already a GNC customer and received a survey from them looking into suggestions for expanding the product lines they offer in store. I suggested they look into meal replacement products like Huel. They replied in a couple of days saying that they would but already had a comparable product of their own - the one that I eventually tried out.
