This is the internet. It’s no different anywhere.
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The great ‘Huel Original’ vs the new ‘Huel Smooth’.
I’m just trying to plant a seed.
One thing that has disappointed me is that the headaches issue has not been adequately addressed. A significant number of people have complained that Huel gives them headaches, but the Huel team seem quite dismissive of this, saying it’s unlikely to be Huel.
I’ve been experimenting with various combinations lately - flavoured, unflavoured, with extra salt, etc. I’m still not totally certain what the causal factor is. The confusing thing is, adding extra salt does seem to help, but not completely eliminate the headaches, so maybe there is more than one factor at play here. It could be the lack of salt PLUS the sucralose.
I mean, you only have to search “sucralose headaches” in Google to see that it has a history of causing headaches in some people. Unfortunately, it’s a similar story with stevia.
But it is causing me to now start looking at alternatives, and speaking as a very long-time user of Huel that’s a great shame.
I love the taste and convenience of Huel, I love the concept and the philosophy, and the Huel team are great (apart from their handling of this particular issue). The headaches are not bad, only mild, but time has come for me to properly address this for myself. If I find an alternative product that provides something similar to Huel but without the headaches, I’ll be switching, sorry.
There is a version without sucralose so how would they address it other than adding salt? If they added salt I would be looking for another product. The rest of the food world is high enough in salt I don’t need more and it seems a simple thing to add.
I agree about the salt thing. It’s good that they removed the extra salt because it’s easy enough to add extra salt if needed. However, the unflavoured version without sucralose tastes horrible by itself, but I think the stevia in the flavour packs may also be a headache trigger. So it would be nice if they looked into other sweetening options rather than just saying that the headaches are probably not caused by Huel.
I think the point is you won’t find that sweetener. The word sweetener is so clouded by opinion that some people will take against any sweetener. The very fact that something tastes sweet but has no sugar is argued as being unhealthy by some. But that is the definition of a sweetener. You have said you think Stevia may cause a head ache. Aspartame,
Saccharin, Sorbitol? Someone won’t like it. If the bar is finding a sweetener that nobody thinks may do something then that might be impossible.
So the UU exists and you can sweeten it with what you, personally, have most confidence in. I don’t think there is any other sensible solution. Maybe see it as a challenge or a personal quest to find your own secret sauce?
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Man you could have easily tested your guesses about salt, sucralose, stevia etc.
Not really “slight”, as many of us have found, it renders the product unpalatable
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I was surprised and disappointed when huel added stuff to thicken it. I didn’t understand why people couldn’t just add less water.
For me the less added un-necessities the better.
Alas I cancelled my subscription.
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Been using 2.2 for about three weeks having been a 1.2 lover since the beginning and 2.1 putterupperwither for a few months. For a couple of weeks I actually has all three. I’d say 1.2 had the best taste but was a little thin unless you left a couple of hours. 2.1 tasted of nothing and was way too thick. 2.2 some of the taste is back and with another 25% water added isn’t too thick but mixing it is just impossible. Rather than come on and moan I had my 11 year old time me for five minutes while I shook furiously - at the end of five minutes apart from being in agony I still had some lumps in the mix. I tried the same without the ice guard and there were more lumps.
So I’d still have 1.2 back but 2.2 is better in the most important regards than 2.1. I had been using Huel 3 meals a day 6 days a week, I find now that’s dropped to maybe once or twice a day 5 days a week. Perhaps it’s fatigue but I also think I just don’t enjoy it as much, become hard work making it and a messy business consuming it (fishing lumps out of the bottom with a spoon).
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Well, I’ve finally been able to try Unflavoured 2.2. I’m sorry, but it’s disgusting. Bland jelly water with lots of small lumps in. 3 scoops to 400ml water, shaken (with ‘ice barrier’), added another 100ml, shaken again. I can barely swallow the stuff. Awful, just awful. What on Earth are Huel thinking?!
Please make v1.2 available again. I’d even consider paying a premium price for it.
That’s not going to happen.
Your best bet is making your own mix. Start with milled oats for the carbohydrates, a protein powder for the protein, oil (like coconut oil) for the fat, omega-3 capsules to balance out the omega3-omega6 ratio, vitamin & mineral mix with good bioavailablity, some electrolytes if needed to balance the sodium/potassium/magnesium, and isomaltooligosaccharide & inulin for the fiber. Calculate whichever ratio you want, add water and you’re done. No need for any additional thickener, smoother than Huel v1.2 and no lumps.
I have been eating this mix when Huel v2.0 came out, and started eating Huel again when v2.1 came out. It works, but is more expensive and less convenient that Huel. I came back to Huel for the convenience compared to having to mix everything myself.
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Your best bet is making your own mix. Start with milled oats for the carbohydrates, a protein powder for the protein, oil (like coconut oil) for the fat, omega-3 capsules to balance out the omega3-omega6 ratio, vitamin & mineral mix with good bioavailablity, some electrolytes if needed to balance the sodium/potassium/magnesium, and isomaltooligosaccharide & inulin for the fiber. Calculate whichever ratio you want, add water and you’re done. No need for any additional thickener, smoother than Huel v1.2 and no lumps.
Interesting, although as it’s more expensive I might be better off going to one of Huel’s more expensive competitors. Something to bear in mind.
Huel’s competitors do so many things wrong in terms of nutritional value. Unflavored & Unsweetened Huel is the best non-ketogenic product on the market currently, in terms of nutritional value.
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It’s true that some do, but not all.
But not much use to me if I’m struggling to swallow the stuff.
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Where do they fall short and which ones come closest? There are so many of them out there now, it’s hard to keep track.
Generally they’ll use pretty poor forms of vitamins and minerals that aren’t absorbed too well (e.g. magnesium oxide in Joylent/JimmyJoy which has a bioavailability (the amount that is absorbed) of as low as 4% according to some studies). Further to that, whilst Huel has extra of some micronutrients where such can be beneficial (i.e. vitamin C, vitamin D etc) other brands just aim for 100% RDA, which whilst preventing deficiency, does not promote optimal health. Also you’ll frequently see maltodextrin high up on ingredients lists, which gives blood sugar spikes and crashes just as severe (sometimes moreso) than pure glucose, but doesn’t need to be labelled as a sugar on nutritional labels. Huel in particular also includes a small but beneficial amount of MCTs, a special type of saturated fat which are extremely healthy for you, along with some added phytonutrients such as lutein and zeaxanthin which, whilst not required, can provide some beneficial health effects such as decreasing risk of macular degeneration, or promoting antioxidant activity. MCTs are a Huel exclusive currently, and the addition of some phytonutrients is pretty much just Huel and one other option in Canada called Hol Food.
A lot of the ketogenic options worldwide, including my own in the EU, have attempted to optimise their micronutrient mix more than most non-keto brands, aiming for higher than RDA quantities of most micronutrients (where a benefit from such an intake level is present) along with the most absorbable form of those micronutrients. I also use the same mix in a new, non-ketogenic product I offer (which also has MCTs, though no added phytonutrients as we’ll make a separate mix eventually), but it’s still in a pre-order period, so thus far no one has tried it other than our testers.
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Hi @Marcus - further to your comment here. I haven’t actually come across many people who mention the headaches (only on the forum), but we’re certainly not dismissive of this. However, this is not something that can be addressed easily at all. For a start, there are so many factors that could be linked to headaches these would have to be excluded before it could be linked to Huel. Is there something every person who is getting headaches is doing that they have in common, as well as consuming Huel? How much Huel is each consuming? What else are they eating and drinking? What time do they consume Huel and other foods? What about exercise?
There are search results for ‘sucrlaose headaches’, but I question the reliability from a scientifc viewpoint of these anecdotes.
Looking at your own case, if you previously we’ren’t getting the headaches, but are now and the sucralose hasn’t changed, then is it linked to sucralose?
I realise that you may feel I’m being dismissive again; I’m not (in fact, that’s why I am replying), I’m just illustrating that it’s not simple to look at these things when so few people report them.
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I see Huel as evolving and developing. A lot of complaints I read are about the taste but that’s not the aim. If you want taste, eat cake. The formula has been refined, added to, better nutritionally. It tweaked and it will be again. I hope so as research develops, I want Huel or any product to be on the forefront of technology and nutrition.
Long live changes to Huel. Keep adding/removing to make it the best, most complete nutritional product around.
P.S.
Those flavour pouches are a life saver if you want taste.
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I’m not sure what’s up with all the complaints to be honest. I’ve been using Huel since it’s first iteration, and every subsequent version of Huel has been a direct upgrade!
Of course, for me this stops with 2.2. Whilst I have no problem with the taste/thickness like a lot of others have here, mine does now clump a lot, and requires me to let it settle for a bit before I can drink it.
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