I’ve noticed that my latest order of Huel is the new slightly less sweet update of the sweetened version. To be honest, I actually preferred how it tasted originally. This is still perfectly drinkable, and I’m still happy buying it and drinking it…but if it were up to me I would choose the original version.
Hi Marcus,
Thank you for the feedback, we did extensive taste testing and it’s tricky as people do have different taste buds.
The less sweet version did win by quite some margin, and we thought that if someone does have a really sweet tooth they could add a tiny bit of extra sweetener, whereas it’s impossible to take out if it’s too sweet. But like you I liked the original but I do like the newer version too.
Thank you for the reply, Julian. I understand it is very difficult trying to please everybody, and as you say, it is easy for someone to add extra sweetness. I will probably get used to it anyway.
I received yesterday my new order.
My opinion. I cannot taste any vanilla flavour. And I miss a bit more of sucralose.
I am adding now a bit of stevia. To be honest, I would prefer to buy the unsweetened version and adding flavor and sweetener that buying this new version. It is boring to eat it.
I think the best version would be a mid point between this one and the previous one. I am talking about vanilla and sucralose.
@PacoA I hear you. It’s a bit different but I now prefer the less sweet version, it is more mellow but also more flexible. I.e. you can customise with different flavours more easily. However, I do like my straight up. Give it a day or two and I have a feeling you will v soon get to like it.
A word of warning with the unflavoured and unsweetened, I don’t like it at all, it has a chalky and earthy taste. I much, much preference the vanilla. I think the UU does require a sweetener and flavour to be added which is extra hassle for me, but it does give the option to add savoury flavours which is new for Huel.
Guys, just be like me: have polyp in your sinus, and NEVER smell nor taste anything!
Free yourself from these awful flavours!
For me, the less sweetened and the spicier, the better!
@Raymondcal sorry to hear that. I’m interested to know how no taste effects your eating habits, does it result in you eating less, due to less food cravings?
I was going to write up a post soon and mention this, but I guess similar to Raymondcal I’ve had anosmia (no sense of smell) since birth. It doesn’t effect my apetite, but I guess it would affect cravings in that I wouldn’t smell something when walking past and then want to eat it, but I’ve been out with friends who do smell stuff when walking past shops and drag me in to eat, so I don’t escape all the traps
Personally I think it makes me go much more on texture than taste in food and so my diet is pretty much dairy/meat/bread/rice/potatoes. I was worried about the texture/sweetness of huel but I find the normal vanilla mix is pretty good so far.
I think Julian’s probably right. Although I did like the sweeter version, sometimes I felt conscious that it seemed like I was drinking melted ice cream. The way it is now, I think I barely even notice it. I don’t notice the flavour much, but I also don’t notice an absence of flavour. It’s just pleasantly neutral. I think the idea is it’s not meant to be super tasty anyway, to avoid craving it too much. Also, the more flavour something has, the more chance of eventually getting sick of it, like if you were to spend an entire week eating nothing but custard cream biscuits, you would be sick of eating them eventually.
@marcus Totally agree, the aim for Huel is to be pleasant to consume but not so tasty that it generates over eating. Also neutral enough that it’s easy to customise to prevent boredom.
My personal Huel consumption has been…Huel vanilla for a month (all day, then traditional family meal in the evening), got a little bored so started experimenting with flavours, I’ve tried a LOT, then stuck with toffee for a couple weeks, then coffee, then rhubarb and custard. But after a couple of months of customising Huel I now rarely add any flavour. I now like it super simple.
Having said that the new unflavoured and unsweetened does open the whole world of savoury flavours to experiment with.
@Julian Can you give us an update on when we might see those flavour packs hitting the store?
Regards.
@Julian And will you ever do a banana flavour?
We tried the a couple of banana flavours and there were average, so we are still on hunt. But I’m aware that banana is a popular flavour.
@2958302 tomorrow
@Julian No, I am not eating less, but I have totally lost the feeling like cooking.
I have noticed that I like to eat fat things (peanut butter, sausage, cheese…) more than before, so I have to be careful with that, and I simply buy them only once per month.
And I need more and more pepper, red chili, tabasco and things like that, and every dishes, as replacement for the lost taste. Which doesn’t work, obviously: I only that it’s burning my mouth, but I can’t find any difference between low-cost pepper and red chili “from Espelette” (one off the best red chili in the world).
And I like only sparkling-water, too, now.
And I never crave for food. I eat because it’s time to eat, period.
By the way, do you plan to realease sleep in powder, too?
Here’s my feedback on this slightly less sweet version of Huel (version 1.1): I have to say that, given the option, I prefer the sweeter version of before. Without that extra sweetness, I find that I don’t look forward to drinking Huel. The new version is definitely drinkable, though, and for those wanting a very neutral taste profile, you’ve done an admirable job! It’s almost like drinking water, with the earthiness of the unsweetened-and-unflavoured Huel being almost exactly cancelled out by the sweetness. I however detect a slight hint of that earthiness lingering in the mouth as an aftertaste a couple of minutes (to hours) after drinking Huel; with 1.0, I had this lovely cereal aftertaste.
I’ve also noticed less water is needed to reach the same consistency as with Huel 1.0; that doesn’t bother me, though. The loss of that creamy texture is missed, however.
I am looking into buying some sucralose drops to get back to that previous level of sweetness.
Thank you for the feedback. It certainly is a tricky balance with the flavour and sweetness, some people like more, some less. I’m sorry you like version 1.1 less. But as you say it should be pretty simple to add a little bit of extra sweetener.
I actually find there is less of an aftertaste with this version.
@Julian Yes, as you’ve mentioned before, it’s easier to add sweetness to Huel than it is to remove it, so wiser to go with the lowest possible sweetness–as you have done.
I marvel at the diversity of taste on display in these forums, as expressed by people on here finding the unsweetened-and-unflavoured perfectly palatable to consume ‘as is’! It’s pretty amazing.
@Marcus I wouldn’t be able to comment on the intensity of the aftertaste, but for me it’s less appealing in 1.1.
One other thing I’ve noticed is that the new version is great straight from the blender, whereas the original version tasted better when it had been sat in the fridge overnight. I think the flavour becomes duller when it is left to sit in the fridge and get chilled. So perhaps the original version was in fact too sweet straight from the blender.