Feed: "Huel's nutritionally complete meal is not complete"

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Just add some rum to your pineapple coconut flavour boost - problem solved :wink:

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I considered making a joke about that too, as in a way to reduce the protein %TE

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Wait, you guys don’t add alcohol to your Huel…?

me in most meetings with my Huel

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I always replace the water in my Huel with plenty of vodka :hugs::hugs:

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Interesting answer you got there.

From my experience with Feed. SM they tend to be very protective towards their products, and not very keen to criticism. By no means, I am suggesting this is always the case, though.

In the comparison they gave to you they bring up some valid points, but they are skewed towards their read of “healthy nutrition” and what they believe to be optimal intake of nutrients. For instance:

This statement while not completely false is masking facts to their advantage. Recommendations on macronutrient intake are given in acceptable macronutrient distribution RANGE (AMDR) -NOTE: terminology varies with countries and organization. This is, a span of values that are OK for the 97% of the population.

According to the European Food and Safety Agency (ESFA), the main food institution in the EU, the AMDR for the macronutrients are as follow (2010 summary):

  • The intake of total carbohydrates should range from 45 to 60% of the total energy intake for both adults and children.

  • A daily intake of 25 grams of dietary fibre is adequate for normal bowel function in adults. In addition evidence in adults shows there are health benefits associated with higher intakes of dietary fibre (e.g. reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and weight maintenance).

  • Intakes of fats should range between 20 to 35% of the total energy intake, with different values given for infants and young children taking into account their specific developmental needs.

Regarding protein, one of the most recentreports on Dietary Recommended Values by ESFA, stated the following:

  • The Panel considers that the value of 0.66 g/kg body weight per day can be accepted as the Average Requirement (AR)and the value of 0.83 g/kg body weight per day as the Population Reference Intake (PRI) .

This values are for the average adult in order to maintain muscle tissue.

This recommendations are not an exception, but follow the trend of most health organizations, including WHO and US Health department.

So, coming back to the original point, this figures are not set in stone.

Now, what I think the Feed. representative is trying to say is that Huel Powder’s macronutrient range is “off” the recommended. They are right, since it is below the recommended “carbohydrate” intake (45%). Another discussion would be whether this is good or bad, if it depends on the person or if it can be good to balance your diet out (since we tend to consume a lot of carbs otherwise).

One of the main issues it seems is the protein content in Huel. There have been some good points on why the protein recommendations might be “outdated” or should require more consideration by @Dan_Huel:

but here are some more articles:

There has also been some evidence showing that high protein diets cause no harm in healthy kidneys:

However, the opposite is true for “damaged” kidneys:

And some feel that more research about the whole topic is necessary:

One thing is clear, the ESFA guidelines are safe, but more active individuals will require higher protein content. For most (assuming healthy conditions), even up to 2g/kg of bodyweight seem safe. The “upper limit” of when high protein is too much is “unclear”.

As for this point:

The first (if its about protein) does not seem to match the literature. Up to 2.2g/kg or more (depending activity levels) seem “optimal” How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution | Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition | Full Text. Not sure about the fat, but I think similarly to protein it depends on goals and bodytype. I think for people with specific goals in mind with very high dietary restrictions (such as bodybuilding), Huel might not be optimal but good.

From their statement it seems that they believe all their products are nutritionally superior to Huel’s (hard task to do this judgement in most circumstances); but even Feed has products with “suboptimal” ingredients and nutritional values (such as “crunchy” or the chocolate spread).

Besides the nutritional argument where I agree with @JamesCollier

the point about the products

is very weak:

  • You can easily engineer a 600kcal meal, or a 300kcal meal or a 1000kcal shake just by adding more or less g of Huel. Same with Feed. Recommended servings are just that, guidelines. I personally enjoy a ~400kcal breakfast +coffee.
  • About the bars, it has been discussed in other threads (Huel Bar v3.0 now available - improved texture - #12 by ryanhellyer) that some would prefer a bigger bar (like Feed and other brand’s). It is personal preference whether you use the bars to snack or as a meal; or it will depend on your dietary requirements. Huel has made a bet for 250kcal bars. Whether you disagree or not is up to you. Must say, I enjoy the taste of Feed. bars. (opinion that others seem to share @ChristinaT
  • Also, as a side note, I feel like the bars (both brands and others) tend to be nutritionally weaker to powders due to limitations in manufacturing them.

This is one of Feed.'s main strengths; the variety on flavours, products and the taste.

To other points in this thread:

There are other brands with similar or higher protein % in some of their products:

  • Jake Light
  • Queal Athletic (slightly lower)
  • Powdermatter (v small company)
  • Anapur (slightly lower)
  • Athlete Fuel by SBF
    etc
    But, yes, Huel is the main brand with that much protein.

Overall, there must be said that

+1

Not sure if first rule or not, but I agree that Guerrila marketing can backfire, and personally I prefer to hype each other rather than undermine.

Market is big, there are different niches and people with different taste and needs. Similar to some people buy Nikes, others prefer Addidas trainers and the climbers might favour some specialist brands.

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Still feel like trying, just a little scared it’s gonna be disgusting :joy:

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It you make the Huel in about 200ml water and refridgerate (it becomes less grainy after soaking for 3/4hrs), then mix in a blender with plenty ice and a little coconut milk, then add the rum and a slice of fresh pineapple… it is truly delicious

Edit: definitely needs to be drunk through a straw tho for the authentic pina colada taste. I use reuseable silicon straws

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Hueluccinos* for the coming weather and rare UK sun, absolutely gorgeous!!
(*Huel Frappuccinos) image|499x500

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@jeffy89 What is that?

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My wife and I loved being on huel and had to stop after 2 months due to both of us with extreme flatulence. No matter what we tried peppermint, coconut spray everything unfortunately will not stop. Had to stop taking huel now. Such a shame.

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The only thing missing here is " :anguished::scream: "

Anyhow, Hueluccino’s sounds inspiring :smiley:
Trying Huel in soup, pasta sauce and such is an easy one but to successfully add Huel to
something that’s supposed to be a drink is interesting.

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Three things I really like about Feed are the 406kcal bars, 650kcal RTD’s, and savoury flavours alongside the usual sweet selection, really tasty as well.

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After reading this thread i noticed this article. Anyone from Huel care to comment.

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It’s the Daily Mail, therefore you can disregard everything in the article.

But seriously, if you actually look into the study, mice were fed double the recommended amounts of BCAAs, leading to obesity and reduced life expectancy.

Nothing new here. Take in more calories than you burn (wherever they come from) and you’ll get fat.

The conclusions from the study were to avoid excessive consumption of 3 specific amino acids that are prevalent in whey protein shakes as they could reduce serotonin uptake in the brain increasing appetite and leading to weight gain.

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The comment section is almost better than the article itself in terms of quality.

Having the article is a reference as a must, for instance. Furthermore, using a single article to draw conclusions is like using one game of football to decide whether the team is good of bad.

In order to draw any meaningful conclusions, you would also have to see how the experiments were performed and if there is any other science backing up their statements.

I do not have the full access to the article but one thing is clear; they are talking about the role of BCAAs and extreme supplementation of these.

Elevated branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are associated with obesity and insulin resistance. How long-term dietary BCAAs impact late-life health and lifespan is unknown. Here, we show that when dietary BCAAs are varied against a fixed, isocaloric macronutrient background, long-term exposure to high BCAA diets leads to hyperphagia, obesity and reduced lifespan. These effects are not due to elevated BCAA per se or hepatic mammalian target of rapamycin activation, but instead are due to a shift in the relative quantity of dietary BCAAs and other amino acids[…]

See that the focus is BCAAs. Also, this sentence is very important:

These effects are not due to elevated BCAA per se or hepatic mammalian target of rapamycin activation, but instead are due to a shift in the relative quantity of dietary BCAAs and other amino acids, notably tryptophan and threonine. Increasing the ratio of BCAAs to these amino acids results in hyperphagia and is associated with central serotonin depletion.

This is, the amino acid imbalance is a driving force on their conclusions. Luckily for you, Huel offers a full amino acid profile. The amount of BCAAs is not more than the rest of amino acids.

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This. LMAO

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Or one referendum to decide if Brexit is good or bad :wink:

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At least Scotland might get two.

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yes this is a real problem
i may quit huel because of this too

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@Latestfuels you seem to know your stuff.
I’m wondering if you could help me out?

I do full day mountain biking fairly regularly and really struggle with keeping my energy up during rides as there are plenty technical hills that really sap all my energy (I’m not as experienced as others in the group so have to work hard to keep up).

I find energy gels fairly effective to keep me going until we get a chance to stop for lunch.
But, gels work out expensive and also give me a bad stomach if I consume 2/3 in a day.
I can’t snack on Huel or Huel bars etc as I get pretty sick if I eat then get straight back on the bike.
So after some research I bought a bag of Cyclic-Dextrin Carbs, some electrolyte tabs, and a bag of BCAA 2:1:1
What I’ve been doing is taking my usual water supply in my camelbak rucksack for hydration, but also taking a large water bottle to which I add one serving of each of the above, to sip roughly every half hr, to keep my energy levels up.

It seems to be working fairly well, and I can keep cycling all day, have my Huel for lunch and another Huel shake at the end of the ride before heading home, and then a proper meal in the evening.

My question is: I have pre-diabetes and also intermittently suffer from (clinical) depression. Should I be concerned about the possible negative effects on insulin and / or serotonin of the BCAA?
This isn’t the first time someone has suggested BCAA is ‘bad’.

What’s your thoughts?
Am I better off just sticking with just the carb source in my water, then consuming protein at lunch and dinner (ie my Huel shake!)?

Anyone else that has scientific knowledge on the topic please free free to chip in.

Edit: gonna tag @JamesCollier too in case he has time to give me his opinion on the topic.

Any other mountain-bikers out there?
I’d be interested to hear how they keep their energy up on all-day rides.
I don’t have a problem with long road rides as it’s all aerobic and not so much strength training. All day hiking is also fine because I can just snack and keep walking.
I’m wondering what works for other people, doing MTB or similar sports to MTB

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