Just to compare, I wanted to try Joylent to see what it’s like. I ordered 3 different bags of Joylent Vegan: vanilla, banana and strawberry. They threw in a free banana flavoured Tennybar too.
Here’s what I think of them:
Banana Twennybar - nice texture, okay flavour. It had a milder flavour than I was expecting, but had this mild milky flavour to it. I haven’t had milk in years, so that’s probably why I was sensitive to that flavour.
Vanilla Joylent - absolutely disgusting, like Nano. Had to throw it away.
Banana Joylent - better than vanilla, but not great. Drinkable.
Strawberry Joylent - the best of the three, but I still prefer vanilla Huel with added strawberry flavouring.
Once again, it just makes me appreciate Huel more.
I also tried Joylent, and I found it to be too chalky by far. It did feed me though, same as Huel does, it is just that Huel tastes so very much better, for me anyway.
Joylent indeed tastes better but has much more sugar inside and is not gluten and lactose free.
The taste difference must come from the protein source: whey vs peas.
I wish vanilla huel was less bitter, it’s great mixed with fruit though.
We are primitively attracted to fat or slightly thick, complete and full of nutrition, sweet fluids; mother milk was such. That’s why, I believe, joylent and similar are so addictive. Huel is actually a better product on many aspects, it just does not win by far the fight of addictive taste.
I like a few Joylent flavours, the boring vanilla, strawberry, and banana. Flavours I’ve been eating my whole life and dominate milkshake and ice cream flavours. I do think it’s a bit too sweet. I’ve also tried Queal and I haven’t had all of their flavours yet, but they tested better than, ahem, “Jimmy Joy”, aka Joylent aka Plennyshake, to me. But Joylent is cheaper. And Huel is to be superior to them (and most if not all other meal shakes) when it comes to nutrition. I don’t drink only 1 brand, that would become too boring. I do believe that people will always go for convenience, and even though it’s a small inconvenience, other brands that have premixed flavours will convince a lot of people to order from them I suspect. My point is, this might save Huel in the short run, in the long run this might cost then more than it saves perhaps. The market wants premixed flavours without having to use tiny scoops and mix it themselves. At least that’s what i think.
Ages ago I tried Slim Fast shakes. I managed to tolerate it for a very short time before even tasting it made me feel sick. Ended up ordering far too many and chucking them away.
I think Huel is more tolerable as not so strong tasting.