Making Huel taste good

Recipes
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Hello :slight_smile:

So first of all: I know this is not a really new topic. I know that there are people here that seem to like or even love the taste of Huel how it is (and I don’t mean to offend any of you).
Still there is a reason for this post as my question is still unanswered after reading 7 different similar topics here and searching the web.

Whats unarguably a fact I guess: Huel has a flour like taste at the end. And…I really hate it.
I showed Huel to a few friends (counting 4 who tried it) and they all hated the taste of Vanilla 2.3 and Original (unsweetened etc.). So…I guess I am not alone with that subjective issue.

As I can’t stand the Original by any means I only have like 15 packs of Vanilla 2.3 here for the month to come.
You might have guessed it: my dream would be to live 100% on Huel as time saving and other benefits are so huge. Thats why it is a real deal for me to find a way to make it taste to me.

What I tried:

  • instant coffee (doesn’t really taste any different)
  • instant cappucchino (any will do. pretty okay and great with a bit Huel mocha-flavour; but still flour-taste)
  • instant ice tea (doesn’t really taste any different)
  • cold tea
  • hot tea (hot Huel is awful to me)
  • chocolate powder (well…alright. Worse to me than an ordinary cold chocolate but worth a try)
  • vanilla sirup (nope; simply doesn’t go well with the consistency and the taste bites with that of vanilla Huel)
  • caramel sirup (same as above and…hard to taste until you put a lot in and that it tastes aweful like a coffee with way too much of this)
  • chai tiger spice (well…the chai itself is awesome; recommenden without Huel :wink: )
  • chai coconut (waste of money; taste so weak that it tastes like ordinary Huel)
  • milk (doesn’t change the taste really and leaving Huel over night gives the same consistency in my eyes so…)
  • almond milk
  • wildberry sirup (even called friends to import a specific brand from the netherlands for me as I thought it might have a strong enough taste to win over Huel…nope. simply does not go well with Huel in my opinion and flour-taste still there as always…)
  • Huel flavour powders (makes Huel fun because the flavours are all pretty alright; except my problem with the flour-taste of course)
  • mango in a blender (taste was too weak…maybe add stevia or sugar?)
  • strawberrys in a blender (I think my strawberrys sucked…)
  • wildberrys in a blender (pretty alright. Will try this mixed with a bit berry sirup maybe to give it some sweetness and more intense taste)
  • sugar (well…pointless in Vanilla Huel I guess)
  • cinnamon (surprisingly easy and good; even though the flour-issue isn’t solved the taste is pretty alright)
  • all huel flavour packs including limited editions (winter and the sevenup like thingy)

And all of these tries, if they even worked (sirup was hell), had the same big problem: in the beginning it tastes pretty okay; in the end it is awful to me as soon as the strong flour-taste of Huel kicks in.

So am I just asking for recipes? Why a new thread then?
Answer to the first question: yes and no.

Besides all the other important advantages my main reasons for Huel are simplicity and (stress free) speed.
Also the price. I think it’s a dream to know what you will spend in a month for food right at the beginning and that helps so incredible in daily calculations.
Also I can drop grocery stores (running there in short breaks at work; waiting nervously why people in the row still count their coins; favorite product of course sold out;…)

Thats why I don’t want to use complex (meaning more than 3 ingredients) recipes. These ingredients often seem to be more expensive as they are a little bit special to get (e.g. almond milk is at least 3€ and often sold out here while normal milk is around 0,5€).

So: what can I put into Huel to get the flour-flavour out of it?
And what simple powder-thingy or spice might just be enough on its own to do this without messing around with mixing different stuff?

Vanilla 2.3 blended with a berry mix was pretty good in my opinion (except the flour-taste of course) and the Huel strawberry flavour seems to be my best choice right now.

Thanks for any ideas or just sharing your favorites (whatever you love, not only mixed with Vanilla Huel) in advance.

Best Regards and have a wonderful week,
Paul

Edit: edited my opinions to the stuff I tried; maybe someone who is okay with the flour-taste is interested in trying any of these :slight_smile:

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That’s a pretty comprehensive list!

By flour like taste, are you also referring to the texture? I suspect it may be a combination you’re referring to. Huel sure does have a bit of a ‘sawdust’ feel to it. If you eat dry oats, it’s a similar effect. Somewhat floury with powder and dry in the mouth. I actually got used to that pretty quickly and don’t mind it at all now, but obviously that doesn’t help if you haven’t.

There’s two things which have helped, for me, and neither is ideal. One is cooking it, making Huel pancakes. That’s not great as it can impact the nutritional value.

The second is chugging it, drinking very fast - down in a minute or two. It doesn’t change the texture but it gets it over quicker!

Sorry I can’t be more help, but thanks for the topic - I hope someone else has some good advice as I’d be interested too.

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Hello Kay,

thanks for your fast, nice, and detailed reply :slight_smile:

Actually…I don’t really mind the texture. I feel like I can swallow the powdery-parts without tasting them quite well and blending Huel seems to eliminate these “powder-bubbles” for me anyway.

Sadly I really don’t seem to get used to it. Well…I somehow do but…it’s like “Huel is a good habit” and “junk food is a bad habit”. And as soon if I have to eat “real” food once for some reason (not just junk food) and “anything” tastes better to me than Huel it breaks the habit for me…maybe I am just not disciplined enough but it really throws me out of Huel and I “eat” normally for 2-3 days. Just with junk food as I am still in the “but I have so much Huel here so no reason and no time to cook something good” mindset.

Cooking just doesn’t work for me.
As I am living in an expensive city I have to share a flat with other people (who are not so interested in living in an somewhat clean environment as I am it seems…). And…to sum it up: the kitchen is a hell of a mess every day. If I have to cook that means I have to clean up their mess for at least an hour (watching time get burned…) just to be able to do scrambled eggs at least. Thats why I also get Huel to avoid the kitchen :stuck_out_tongue: .

Whats your experience with drinking fast?
I am pretty “nervous” about that because I feel like my body doesn’t recognize how much food a Huel really is in the beginning. And if one 3 scoop shake really equals an subway sandwich…I would feel bad eating an entire subway sandwich in 2 minutes so I am scared Huel might just “knock out” my stomach :wink:

Best Regards and thanks for your interest :slight_smile:

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I’ve house shared, I feel your pain with regards to the kitchen!

I almost always make up my Huel the night before (breakfast and lunch) and leave it chilling in the fridge overnight, in the shaker, so it’s ready to go. It does make it smoother and gets rid of the lumps. I use an electric whisk as I’m puny and my arms aren’t up to all that shaking!

I also hate waste, so having it there and ready in the fridge helps me avoid junk food - my own psychology leads me to turn to the Huel first as I know it’ll go to waste otherwise.

As for chugging it, if I down it in one, it can feel pretty heavy on my stomach for the first half hour or so. Drinking half, then the other half 10 mins later I’ve found helps. It doesn’t bother me too much though - since it’s not as if I’m eating so quickly I’m in danger of overeating, as it’s already portion controlled. Plus, getting lunch over with in 2 minutes means I have more time for other things!

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After your long list of attempts at changing the flavour the following question is probably a waste of time but just to be doubly sure, you have tried soaking Huel before consumption haven’t you? A couple of hours to overnight in a fridge does wonders at reducing the bitter aftertaste of raw oats.

You might well also find that, if you get into Huel, after a few weeks of consuming it on a regular basis you come to like the natural taste as your body learns the food is doing you good.

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Thanks for your reply; apparently it’s not so much a waste of time :wink:

I have a really unhealthy lifestyle; full time studying and 2-3 jobs on the side. Every morning when I go out I simply don’t know when I will be home. Maybe at 4 pm because I just studied; maybe at 8 pm because there is more work to do; maybe just the next day because I worked in office until 2 am or so.

That’s why I just can’t prep Huel as I don’t know how much I will need when I go out (24 hours durability when cooled is pretty short for me :frowning: ).
So I am just leaving a bag in every office, at home, and close to university to grab a few spoons as soon as I need it; wherever I might be.
That’s some more reasons why I demand simple recipes.

But overall my “first shake” of the day was left in the fridge the night before. And you are totally right: that makes it better. Especially the consistency.
But…sure the taste is improved; can’t argue that. But not so much that I would really stand up and say “wow thats tasty”. Have to admit though that I didn’t let most of the things on my list soak in over night; maybe one of it would be awesome if left over night.

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Seconding the soaking overnight! Makes a world of a difference :slight_smile: it also gives time for the other flavours (like coffee) truly meld with the Huel. I hated Huel the first time I tried it actually!

Tbh the 24h thing is just a rough guideline (like “best before”), I’ve found that there’s isn’t much of a difference so long as you consume it the next day. Don’t leave it over two nights though, that’s when it starts to get funky.

I’m also always on the go like you, so I’ve taken to decanting the overnight Huel into an insulated flask so I always have a (non-floury) Huel with me at any point in time! :slight_smile: I was literally drinking my dinner Huel during orchestra last night because I didn’t have time to have dinner haha. Hope it gets more palatable for you, because Huel really is a lifesaver time, health, and money-wise!

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So true :heart_eyes: !

Now that’s a good thing! I was pretty sticky to the 24 hours as…Huel ist just…so different x) I am probably overly scared because I can’t really tell “is it still good, is it already bad” or “is it enough for my hunger right now” or “do I need more, or less, or…”. Guess I have to go a little bit more nuts on Huel.

Drinking Huel while being at orchestra is a sure sign for too much work :stuck_out_tongue: but I guess that’s why we are in Huel forums and not reading books about fancy cooking x)

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You’ll know when it goes off. If you’re the anxious type it might even help to experiment & intentionally leave some made up in a warm place, for a couple of days, just to reassure yourself that it is easy to notice.

In your situation I’d be inclined to premix & soak overnight then before setting off decant into an insulated flask & add ice. You should get longer than 24 hours though it will obviously depend on ambient temperature.

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This. I make it up the night before, pour into thermos and leave in fridge overnight - when I’m ready I give it a quick shake and drink.

That said, the flask either sits under a desk or on a worksurface until needed - I don’t actually have to carry it for hours. If that were the case I might think differently!

Pro tip: Make sure it’s cold before adding to thermos. Don’t make up your Huel with warm water (tea, in my case) and add to thermos before putting in the fridge. As the flask will do what it’s designed to do and insulate it, creating a lovely warm environment for your Huel to gently ferment for hours and then explode all over your office when you shake and open it for lunch the next day.

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Have you calculated how many calories you need? Once the math is done, I’ve found, there’s little need to worry about it! For example, I need 3x 112.5g Huel shakes to lose weight.

So technically if I were on the go I could just sip on Huel the whole day as and when I get hungry for a total of 3 shaker-fuls!

HAHA too real :stuck_out_tongue:

Specifically, spoilt Huel smells and tastes sour. You’ll know. #truestory

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My current favourite is:
500 ml chilled Alpro Hazelnut milk (Long Life)
100 g Huel (2.3 new Vanilla)
2 g chocolate flavour system

Blend in a nutri ninja for about half a minute.
Leave in fridge over night (keep chilled until you are ready to drink it)

Be prepared to need to drink it with a straw though. It gets really thick with the hazelnut milk.

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Well…I only saw Huel when it was really beyond it’s date and never actually drank it when it was over but…I’ll probably figure that taste out soon as well :stuck_out_tongue:

Thanks, just put it in a fridge :wink: I am excited x)

So…do you drink like 1-2 Huel a day? Or do you have like 3 or more thermos up to get through the day?
I have currently 4 Shakers and always feel like I am short on them.

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I usually have two Huel meals a day, breakfast and lunch. One shaker for breakfast, which I either drink before I leave the house or on the way to work (then leave the shaker in the car and clean when I get home), and a Huel in a thermos ready for lunch. That goes in my bag.

It does mean that I have to carry a couple of shakers with me. For me, that’s preferable to making it up on the go, although if I had to lug a rucksack around all day I might think differently - right now I have a desk job so pretty easy.

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I make my own chai mix in a container, then just take a spoonful of it and it to add to my huel. I make a lot in advance since I really like it. I mix 1 tbsp of ginger, 1 tbsp of nutmeg, 1 tbsp of clove, 1 tbsp of allspice, 1 tbsp of cardamom with 3 tbsp of cinnamon. All that flavor just makes any flavor disappear. I add instant coffee sometimes if I want caffeine. Honestly, I don’t really measure and you can add or reduce flavors you like or don’t like.

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Thanks for that; sounds like it works :stuck_out_tongue: I will surely give it a shot when I have time to go to an grocery store again ;D

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This chai mix sounds tasty, I might give it a go for lunch today. I think I’ve got all those spices in the cupboard.

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I’ve grown to like the Coffee Huel on it’s own. I’m not a coffee drinker either.

All Huel shakes seem to have a better texture - less powdery - after a blend with a stick blender + an overnight spell in the fridge.

I use water to blend with. Milk might be better for consistency, but it adds to the calories and may also increase fartability.