This is all an emotional appeal, there's nothing that actually rebuts anything here. Mentioning random family members throughout. Crazy one can be a personal trainer for 10 years and be this out of touch with macros and micros 😅
As someone who has either a Huel shake *(not the pre-bottled one)* at the start of the day followed by regular eating, or the hot&savory Huel at the end of the day after regular eating, it is a perfect way to get some balanced nutrition in that doesn't require much effort. Would I replace all my meals with it? I suppose I _could,_ but that's silly, I wouldn't recommend that. James seems to be lumping Huel in with the typical 'meal replacements' here and I believe there's a distinct difference - I'd really like to see him cover Huel specifically a bit more, because of just how well it can fit into a healthy and/or busy lifestyle. He's also gone after the bottled version specifically, which I remember as being distinctly worse for you than the bags of shake/hot&savory powder, and made no mention of the stuff you make up yourself. Anything designed to stay on a supermarket shelf pre-made ain't gonna be very good so that's skewed the review heavily.
For someone who preaches 'calorie deficit over everything', surely you wouldn't be against people who've found a product they enjoy that helps them achieve that in a healthy way? It would be a bit odd if someone only consumed meal replacement drinks but if it's just for lunchtime during a busy work day, I don't see the issue. Feels like this is polarising content for the sake of being polarising.
18 months ago I was quite heavily T2, my GP suggested lose 10KG+ with this meal replacement shake program. I agreed cos who really needs a stroke. I got home and realised this was a fate worse than death and thought I could do better, I just needed discipline. By the time they contacted me about the shake program I'd lost 8Kg, I tried it for a week and just got constipated so binned it off. I eat sensibly, I eat a ton of fruit/veg, lean meats, nuts and aim for 150g protein a day. I'm down from 103Kg to 72Kg+-. Just had lunch - supermarket mussels (25G protein), tenderstem brocolli and a small potato steamed. I feel better than I did 25 years ago. These are just restriction diets, a way of giving you discipline but it's hard to believe it's as healthy as fresh food.
These products aren’t for people who are trying to have the most healthy option. They are for people who either don’t want to, or don’t have the time to eat whole foods for every meal. You don’t have to replace your whole diet with it, you can just use it for lunch at work, or those days when you come home from work feeling too tired to cook anything. Of course cooked fresh meals are the healthiest option. But not everyone wants the effort of that every time. Some of us don’t want it at all. I use meal replacements for breakfast and lunch (and sometimes dinner too) not because I believe it’s healthier than whole food, not because I have fitness goals, but because I don’t want to meal prep or wash up. I’d rather play video games, go out for a bike ride, just generally enjoy other things. I still cook and eat sometimes. But I only cook when I actually want to, not out of necessity, so I actually enjoy it. I’m glad to see so many people in the comments are really passionate about their macros and stuff but I’m just personally not interested. It’s not a restriction diet, I maintain my weight well on shakes like this and honestly I love them. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea and that’s ok, a lot of people in the comments here aren’t the target audience for it and don’t understand it.
I generally have no passion for eating. But I know I need to eat to fuel my body right. So Huel has been a game changer for me. First thing in the morning, 2 scoops of Black Huel (40g protein) and water and I’m set for the first couple hours. Meaning I can start my work without any hindrance. I don’t see it as a meal replacement, rather a helpful addition to an already healthy diet. I have 2 more meals during the day. Lunch and dinner. And it helps me feel great.
Same, same. I dont get the hate some people have for it. It's basically just protein powder with calories and micronutriens, and still some people loose their shit when they just hear about it.
@@captainmorgan2530 From what I understand most of the negativity around these products is related to their marketing tactics. The product itself solves a niche problem for a subset of the population, but it's often marketed as a solution for the masses which it's not
Same huel black 3 scoops 60 grams of protein and 600 cals for my breakfast. Then I eat whole foods for my other meals. Also if I dash out to work and don’t have time to make some food I can just grab a huel black 2 scoops 40g of protein out the fridge and hit the road which keeps me going till I get home and eat something yummy. It serves a purpose of im day off I have eggs and bacon etc
Same, I use Jimmy Joy instead of huel because I prefer the taste. I’m really not interested in prepping food, eating, washing up all the time. But I also want to have something healthier than a bag of crisps or microwave meal. I still cook and eat when I feel like it, but I also love drinking my meal replacement sludge 🥤
My mom was on meal replacement and protein shakes because of her MS preventing her jaw from chewing food. I can understand from a medical perspective. My dad calls these "Extreme M.R.E."s because nobody is going to use these unless absolutely necessary, like you've had a camping/hiking incident, your primary food reserves are gone, and what's left is the meal replacement shakes.
Nobody, means 0 people. These companoes exist because people like me are to emotionaly invested in food. I dont eat meal replacement yet, but shorely should apreciate having an nutritious amd full meal that I dont need to spend a 3rd of the day spending on preparing and eating.
I tried a meal replacement from a company called Alphalab and I gotta say, I really enjoyed it. But I mixed things up a bit. On the tub it says to mix two scoops with water, and it's not amazing if you do it that way. It's just "okay" and beats being hungry. But swap one of those scoops out for your favourite protein powder, and mix with whole milk instead of water, and all of a sudden it's delicious and strangely satiating. After running out of meal replacement to mix with my protein shakes and going back to plain protein shakes, they just feel flat and are significantly less satisfying. idk maybe I'm just a weirdo but I did like it 🤷♂
@@JC_WT The problem isn't you liking and find a use for meal replacement, that's actually completely fine. The problem is it's unnecessary to use these to replace a real prep meal (Chicken, rice, & Broccoli with cheese and seasoning) and there's no real reason the Fitness industry needs meal replacement. Meal replacements can be tasty like you said though 😋
@@1MDA if you don't want to waste time preparing food, there are usually local places that cook and prep meals for you that you can pick up locally. Jeff Cavalier does this because he has no time to cook prep meals.
@@NobleHusky bit why try to put down other methods? And caling names for people who have such methods? When I said that i dont want to waste time eating either I meamt it, you think anyome in the places you mentioned prepared liquid meals?
Huel is, to my understanding, a complete protein source - it covers all of the BCAAs needed for hypertrophy. I use their protein powder regularly because whey makes me break out. I like using the black edition when I'm short of time for meals too, such as when I'm studying, though I don't use it too often. Rarer still, I occasionally use hot & savory with a protein shake if I'm tight for time. I also work in a hospital on 12 hour shifts, so it can be handy for me. Importantly, if there's not enough protein in a single serving - have two, it's easy I think it's a great product when the circumstances are appropriate
He clearly cherry picked huel bottle version which is inferior to black edition or even regular edition calorically and macro and micro nutrients. This video was about the man shake and all the other crappy store meal replacement powders that don't have enough protein and don't offer a complete nutritional profile etc . There's a reason why huel is the best selling in the world and it isn't cause it's a pyramid scheme, cause no other meal replacement powders cover everything and give you an excellent macro split .
@@BlackstoneJ Yeah I'm thinking of switching to Jimmy Joy, I've been using Huel 3.1 but I'm not a fan of the cost cutting measures they've used like removing probiotics, replacing some natural ingredients with artificial ones for providing nutrients (e.g. they've recently switched to using ascorbic acid for vitamin C instead of acerola cherries like they used to). They haven't done this for black edition yet but they are planning to.
As someone who's terrible for eating well, Huel has literally changed my life. I've lose weight, i feel better because my nutrition has improved, and i genuinely enjoy drinking them. It's not for everyone, but it definitely isn't a con, sorry James, i disagree on this one.
I tend to agree - I've also heard people say Huel has changed their habits for the better but I feel that it's the same old fact that a lot of finding healthy eating habits is around finding what works for the individual person. The opinion I got from James is that there are other alternatives that are cheaper and more nutritionally dense. Sure Huel can work but it should not brand itself as the ultimate replacement that works for a lot of people. It would probably incorporate pretty well in my diet but as James said, it's just more expensive and lacks protein. It's good to know that it's worked out for you though - so good work :)
yeah.. there's a guy who ate nothing but Twinkies for weeks and lost weight and felt amazing as a result. I'm sure he could say the same thing, "Twinkies literally changed my life." but that doesn't mean Twinkies are great. It just means that you were eating worse food than Twinkies/Huel.
I drank 2 scoops Huel black edition twice a day for 4 months for my lunch and then pre-workout, fasted for breakfast, had a small snack and a light dinner for 1500 calories total. With cardio I lost 35 pounds. It's not easy and your digestion will take a hammering the first two weeks but you get used to it. I found it helped me stick to a calorie controlled diet early on, but beyond that I wouldn't recommend them. Only as a supplement to a normal diet, perhaps as a pre/post workout shake.
Why wouldn’t you just make a whole foods organic protein shake? You can plug in the amounts into an app or my fitness pal and know exactly what your consuming as well as calories to track. It’s not that hard then you avoid ultra processed food, non organic produce that is likely sprayed with all sorts of poison and you’ve educated yourself in one go. How is this hard? For example… 1 scoop of protein, table spoon of hemp seeds, table spoon of chia seeds or flax, table spoon of cold pressed cocoa, half a cup of organic mixed berries and if bulking add a cup of organic oats. Now you have 8 whole foods of the highest quality no added sugar, no mono crops, no pesticides, no 60 ingredients in minimal Bs proportions and a tone of fibre with the right macros. Nutri bullet done ✅. Buy items organic and in bulk it becomes cheaper than Huel and far healthier. Prep time 3 mins. Not to mention it will sustain you longer than Huel. Then needing synthetic caffeine to go to the gym 🤮Shit I just realised I’m like James these replacement shakes piss me off 😂
@@mrmolloy this was a year ago, I needed to make a change with limited knowledge about dieting or exercise. I don't touch these anymore. Today I count calories on my fitness pal for calories and macros. I exercise 5/6 days a week focussing on resistance training since April, on track to bench 225 by end of the year for reps.
@@mrmolloy No pesticides? Sounds naive to me. You also have to source, store, make, measure etc etc which takes away the entire point of having a meal replacement. Its to make it quicker for people that dont want to or have the time to prepare that much food all the time. You seem to be talking as if these huel meal repalcements are some bs protein powder pre/post workout shenanigans. It's a meal replacement, just just eating a bowl of oats instead of a real full meal, your getting it mixed up with fitness junkie stuff as opposed to a meal for a normal person.
While I fully agree that huel doesn't have enough protein for your daily intake and it's less than ideal compared to a real meal. It's an amazing solution for people that have no time to eat at work. Personally I lost abt 30kg, just because I used huel at work. Not because it makes you lose weight, just because I didn't get hunger attacks when I was home anymore. Would it have been possible to do meal prep and get a similar result - likely. But I had no energy left. You are also right that nutrition was the least of my problems and I quit the job since these days. Still it was great to stop beeing obese with such a simple solution. I've also kept the weight since 3 years, despite having real food for now.
@@Stefanski3600Maybe get a real job, and then you'll forget all about things that waste time. You call it "lazy" because you're a narrow-minded buffoon, who clearly doesn't understand the concept of efficiency.
@@StardustLegacyFighter Back when I used it Huel Black didn't exist. The Black version is made with higher protein. If you're trying to get close to 1g to 1.5g per kg bodyweight even 40g isn't sufficient depending on the bodyweight. And I started with 130kg.
I don't know, man. I get what you're saying. I'm just not fully onboard with the idea that Huel is an outright con. As someone who has always struggled to put on the extra pounds, Huel has been a great addition to insert between my regular meals to help me hit my calorie count. Finally, after years of training, I have started to see serious gains that in the past I missed out on, mostly due to my diet and being in a caloric deficit. Unfortunately, the whole 'just eat more' suggestion was never as easy for someone like me, who would quickly fill up on regular meals. I do agree with the sentiment that it's not a healthy alternative to use it as a dieting approach and replace all solid meals with liquid. It sounds like the underlying message you're trying to portray here, but instead, it feels like you're just blasting it from every angle.
It's easy to make that's the main appeal for me,simple hot water and powder is enough to give me a 500 calorie meal with 26Grams of protein in like 5mins. This is in no way replacing my breakfast/lunch meals but it's a good addition if you want to catch up with your daily calorie goal and are in a hurry. No dishes,no cooking required too. Think of it kind like an altenative to a high calorie protein bar(not the quest bar,like those protein bars that have above 500 calories and can be taken as an entire meal) along with the added benefits of micronutrients and entirely plant based.
Funnily everyone in favour of huel seems to be arguing the opposite to James's point. James seems to be arguing it's horrible for weight loss, but everyone in favour of huel in the comments are saying it's been great for them to gain weight. Makes sense though, a common weight gain tip is to drink your calories since it's easier to drink them than eat them (though you could still make a weight gain shake yourself)
@matthewtipping2775 No one argues its meant to replace all your food. You'll here everywhere if you look into it that it can replace any meal but not every meal.
@@vladimirbathory1125James came across this way in the video though. It’s like he came at it as an all or nothing type argument, and I feel like it was never really intended to be used that way to begin with. For me, meal replacement shakes are a great way to get my morning calories, because with trying to get two kids out the door and be at the office on time a two minute shake is an absolute no-brainer for me.
You're vids are brill, love you're delivery !!! I've just turned 66 this week and have an extra 6 which is my 6 pack, not bad for a pensioner , I have 1 year to go before I can emigrate to Perth oz on an aged parent visa can't wait, you and my son made the right decision to leave this shit hole, keep up the good work!!!!
Completely disagree on this take. Meal replacement shakes are designed to fill the needs of an average person and replace things like stopping for fast food when you don't have time. The average person isn't Mr. Olympia needing 200g of protein an hour . . . The RDA is closer to 60g a day, which puts 20g perfectly in line with what a person would need per meal on a 3 meal schedule. You can put a scoop of whey protein in one of these shakes and suddenly it's a 45g shake that also doubles as a full serving of calories, has a good amount of minerals and vitamins. This will be vastly superior to almost any other fast and convenient choices.
I really enjoy your videos. I know this channel is mostly centred around fat loss. And I share the same opinions as you on fat loss shakes. However, huel is really something to be considered for convenient, balanced nutrition. For myself it has allowed me to continue progressing in the gym - improve my cardio with boxing and have the knowledge that I am getting at least a dose of the right vitamins and macros. I use huel black edition at my least favourite meal - breakfast. And it doesn't spike my blood sugar or make me reliant on carbs in the morning. I'm not brainwashed, or part of a pyramid scheme. I think James might have to reinvetigate this topic beyond "drinking meals is bad" as it really does work for me.
Yeah I fully agree, his points in this video assume that people using it are replacing all of their meals with Huel which is very very rarely the case. For most it's a single meal in a day that is being changed out. Personally I've been using their hot and savoury range instead of the shakes and have been able to lose weight at a healthy rate and it's massively convenient. James' points here are mostly opinionated and emotional rather than actual science. Rare L for him
I work in a location where there is no nutritious food around. Work situation also doesnt allow for proper food storage and reheating. ( i live in a warm climate). Huel shakes and savory is actually one of my more nutritious options when compared to the alternatives... 😂
This is not surprising, I only watched the first 1:22 mins of this video where he is saying Huel is not good because it doesn’t contain 30g of protein, most people’s diets are so bad, they would be lucky to get 20g
Completely disagree. I use huel black which has 40g per shake and have done so for 4 years as a vegan alternative to animal protein shakes. I’m jacked and have perfect blood work verifying my amino acid profile. Trying to put off people that want an affordable alternative to animal based products isn’t helpful. It might not be as effective in your opinion. And I have no issue with anybody that consumes animal products at all. Go for it. But unless you have a PHD in nutrition science and clinical data to back up your claims, then this video is just putting people off who might find Huel or similar products to be a really helpful tool in their fitness journey.
I use Huel Black edition, i think its 40g protein, for breakfast everyday and I love it. Not for weight loss or anything, I'm just super lazy first thing in the morning and it keeps me feeling full until way past lunch time, then I eat like a normal person!
I like Huel, personally. I don't use it as a meal replacement but rather as a quick way to get extra calories in addition to my regular meals when I'm training hard. Also every now and then if I don't have time to make a meal or snack I'll just have a Huel. Black edition Vanilla is my fave, especially in the blender with bananas and blueberries!
@@chrisczechurself2531the protein is cheap and not whey ….. when I was a kid they gave us milk , we have been drinking milk for thousands of years ….. your missing the point …. It’s total crap I blame veganism
@@tooguru7492 huel complete protein is excellent. It has some of the highest EAA content amongst protein supplements, easily comparable to top Whey protein brands. Full micronutrient dose which you do not see in other protein supplements. It mixes well, tastes great, is priced competitively and works great when mixed into food.
The crux of this video comes from the perspective that products like Huel are intended to be consumed 100% of the time (they're not). Huel is convenience food. You're comparing the most wonderful food moments of people's lives to Huel to get clicks. People aren't trading their home-cooked family meals for Huel, they're trading their expensive, shop bought crap sandwiches. Between a non-nutritious and expensive on-the-go option and balanced Huel there are hundreds of thousands of people who would prefer to get the best nutrition and save time with Huel. Then taking that saved time and energy for those great food moments at other points in their day and week.
For the last 12 month my first meal of the day has been a mango-banana shake with yoghurt, linseed oil and oats. Roughly 50g of Protein, good fats and complex carbohydrates. All in all solid macros. I love the fact that i can get up and drink my first meal immediately and have it out of the way. Or even drink while on the road so i can sleep longer. Every other meal is something i have to chew. Works great for me. Edit: because of your replies i checked the macros. This shake has 35g P, 18g F and 74g C. The don’t use Joghurt i use Skyr. Thats where the Protein comes from. Edit2: because of a comment saying this is not a meal replacement. I think my comment is on topic because my morning shake is literally a meal replacement. Im drinking instead of eating something. James says he personally dislikes that but i really enjoy it.
I train 5x a week for the last 5 months and transformed my diet and seen best results I’ve ever achieved. I have a protein shake for breakfast which l blend with 1 banana and soy milk. I have proper meals for lunch and dinner. The way I see it is you get in a lot of protein and your not bloated and lethargic. I see it is a form of a mini intermittent fasting rather than a meal replacement
I've been having Huel as lunch for the better part of 5-6 years (switched to hot & savory when that came out) and it's been great to cut down on the amount of food prep needing to be done. It frees up more mental bandwidth for me personally to make my dinners more interesting and satisfying too. If you're only having it for 1-2 meals a day there's still plenty of space in your day to hit whatever macro targets you have. To each their own, but it's far from a con.
Problem is all Huel products are ultra processed food containing several emulsifiers, extracts, artificial sweeteners and gums. There's scientific evidence showing that ultra processed food increases risk of inflammatory disease, metabolic disease, cancer, dysbiosis etc. Huel may be convenient and a cheaper option than Deliveroo, but it's not healthy in the long term.
@@James-616he cherry picked the bottled version cause it suits the narrative. Clearly the bottled version is no way good enough to be a meal replacement. But the regular powder and especially black edition powder , is
I get that Huel isn't for everyone but I can definitely see the benefits. And I understand why James personally thinks they're a backwards step and in an idea world we all would get break times, long lunches and not need to commute but we don't live in that ideal world. We're supposed to work 8+ hours a day, sleep 8+ hours a day and we still need time to train, do some cardio, prepare food, wash up, clean the house, talk to the cat, watch Ashoka etc. Huel to me is easy calorie control and time saving. I'm not tempted by breakfast bacon sandwiches and lunch time meal deals with cans of Coke and KitKats. Meals during the day are just food so I can get through the day. Then at night I can make a decent proper meal. I do find it a little contradictory to say protein shakes are ok but meal replacements aren't - if the argument is that you should get your nutrition from a decent diet then you shouldn't ever use protein shakes. I feel like once you open the door to one, you open it to the other... You could argue that I should find the time to be interested in cooking and washing up but I'd argue that I want a least some of my day where I can sit around and talk to my cat. Also this man wore a Whoop so 😵💫🤣
Instead of huel bullshit just add milk, protein, banana, frozen strawberries some oats blend that bitcz and you gonna save more mones than using shit fueled Huel
@@RAMPA63I have been on meal replacement products for around 12 years. I save a lot of time and money. I save time on cooking, shopping and doing the dishes. I save money on my food, my electricity and my water bill. I have my blood tested twice a year, and my levels of both vitamins and minerals are just perfect - according to my doctor. Please tell me how this is a con.
As someone who works on a ship and has limited access to supplementation, micronutrients etc, I can vouch for huel as being a viable supplementation source for all micronutrients and macros that one would not consume if they were in an environment where these are limited. This is the closest you can get to having a balanced diet. It’s not a replacement but they definitely can solve a lot of issues and can keep you satiated if you had limited access to nutritious food. Huel and meal replacement shakes have their place and are the future of food for certain. This is about efficiency, not the social aspect of nutrition
You are a very very tiny percent of the world that this might benefit, not many people go to work for weeks on end without access to fresh food, as most of us work on land, not water . But, saying this, do your ships not have fridges and freezers?! How many weeks do you sail for? I’m slightly interested to know if the salty air effect the freshness of food?
@@HughieMunrouk shipping companies typically do a 4 months on, 4 months off rotation. The food is typical canteen style. I did a few 4 month stints and took 4 months worth of tuna cans, bags of porridge oats and protein powder with me to keep my diet as clean as possible, and trained as hard as I could to maintain a reasonable physique. Most were boozing and eating fry ups every day
This is not the future of food bro. Becoming people who eat colored liquid? No. An additional supplement to actual meals sure, but def not the future of food. Also like he said, it’s important we chew, use our hands, etc when we eat for kids. On top of that, this way of eating sucks, it’s boring and sad and you’re not eating, you’re drinking😂
As a co ADHD’er I’m surprised you’re so against this! It definitely shouldn’t be your entire diet but it’s a quick and easy (and non mess inducing) option. Certainly better than peanut butter on toast I used to grab and go.
I used huel to lose the first stone. I used it to get my perfect macros. I also used it as a tool just to stop me over eating. Teach me just to control my eating and then move onto real food. But... now days I can't put huel to my mouth. It was a really great tool to kick start my lazy arse into getting back into shape. Now I'm fit and healthy and it's started with huel.
These products are good for a kickstart and convenience, I agree with you. I did the Cambridge Diet, which consisted of their products etc. and lost 4 stone. I wasn't once asked to sell, not that I would have. It got me out of certain habits and into better ones because I didn't have to think about every minute detail of my meals - I didn't want to at the time. I have since kept that weight off and I am far healthier (and been off their products for a long time). I have the occasional Huel if I'm in a rush, but I wouldn't rely on any of these products as a permanent replacement. I think once you lose weight, start maintaining and have 'real' food, it's so much easier, but most people need that initial kick up the arse first 😂😂
Right! firstly, I started drinking Huel 18 months ago, I have it every morning for breakfast. It has completely changed my life. I am more health concious than ever before, it has helped me change my habits. I have lost 17kg in the 18 months, with admittedly an increase in exercise and healthier lunches & dinners. I also travel a lot, I take 3 months off in the winter to travel and I can easily take it with me on road. It's a back up for long days out hiking, kayaking. I like the taste and have always liked drinks from coffee or cola to water and for me it just makes sense to drink my breakfast. It is ofcourse not as healthy as something fresh and I'm not saying live off the stuff, but it certainly has helped me and I'm not going back!
The thing i find daft about meal replacement shakes is that you’re consuming the amount of calories that are in some meals, but it’s not solid so you’re hungry again in an hour because there’s nothing for your stomach to break down. In most cases people will GAIN weight because they feel hungry again in an hour.
I would be really interested to hear James' take on the Huel 'Hot and Savoury' ones, though as they are not shakes and are something closely resembling the meal that they claim to be. I genuinely think those ones are different and, in fact, it has worked well for me.
Soup is a liquid and can be a meal, I have it for lunch sometimes. Huel is not bad, the hot and savoury range is better than the shakes and if you are vegetarian or vegan it's typically better than the quick options you find in supermarkets for lunch compared to a sad cheese or egg sandwich. Would I recommend it for an adult weightlifting male as a meal replacement? Nope. But for me as a small woman who can struggle to get the right amount of nutrients and protein with a much smaller calorie allowance it's fine, it's cheap and easy for lunches or when I just can't be arsed to make something more involved.
@@pecky88in our culture, soup is served at lunch, however, it is only a base, complimentary, before the main meal. Moreover, your body processes the soup faster and eating only soup will make quick raise and drop of blood sugar, making you hungry faster, snack more,.. That's a way towards diabetes imho. So a soup is better than nothing but it's only a starter..
@@whatplanetareweon2375 so is an orange juice but it's not the same as eating an orange.. And of course there's a difference between a creamy tomato soup and minestrone full of legumes etc
As someone who got out of the hospital and really had no appetite meal replacement helped me until I was able to fully get back into feeling able to eat.
James, I think you should speak with your community and get their opinion and first-hand experience on Huel and re-visit this. I feel amazing for taking Huel in the last 6 months, I've lost body-fat and people continually comment on my slimmer physique; my fiancé continually says how well I look and how my skin and hair - much like a pampered pooch - are so much better. General meal replacements do seem a bit shady, but Huel definitely doesn't feel that way both from a marketing standpoint or from first-person use. I'm an advocate of Huel and am grateful for their product.
Note: I fully appreciate that it wouldn't work for everyone, and I do understand the premise of your video. Of all of the meal replacements, I'd for sure pick Huel above the rest. Thanks for the great content, and insights, as always!
I'm 6'8 and train a lot and work for a busy media agency while trying to start my own business on the side. I don't have time or the money to make all the meals that I would need each day, even with meal prepping. I eat 3 meals a day plus snacks and fill the gaps with Huel (125g powdered Huel with water - not the ready mixed stuff you buy in shops). For me it works.
It worked for me imo, combination of swapping 1-2 meals per day for huel, going to the gym twice per week over 2 years i lost 15 stone in weight, learned a lot about nutrition and counted calories for a while until i knew intuitively what i was eating on a daily basis. Huel didn't make this happen but it did make it easier for me to do. Different strokes for different folkes i suppose.
So you drank 60 ingredients that are not organic or tested for contaminants and all likely mono crops sprayed to death with poisons and thought it healthy and did that for two years. Just because it was easy doesn’t mean it was healthy
I’m surprised by the amount of people that are supporting Huel as a balanced and good source of nutrition. It’s quick, easy and can be useful for weight loss yes, but the actual contents are garbage and the cheapest stuff that can be sourced. If your mindset is long term, which I think James is trying to get at in this video, you should look to make lifestyle changes that support your health which these shakes do not.
I completely disagree, because a "lifestyle change" simply isn't practical enough for those of us who work demanding office jobs and actually neglect our health when having to deal with preparing proper food.
Had a huel advert before the video began and another one at the end. Also get vshred ads between shorts of him getting called a scammer. RUclips is so thick.
I have to disagree with you on this one James. I started drinking Huel back at the start of the year and it helped tremendously. Since January I have lost 28KG I'm no longer using Huel and to be clear I don't believe it is sustainable as a long term solution. But as you always promote using ideologies as tools, I think Huel is a great tool for short term use. It gave me time to better understand what good nutrition is and how I can eat healthily and keep knocking the weight off.
@@Barbarian75 I don't agree that meal replacement shakes are useless and no one should be taking them. My goal was to lose weight and Huel aided me in doing that. I stuck to a calorie deficit and had Huel black to get 40g of protein per meal. I could have used Huel to stay at maintenance or gain weight but that was not my goal. Huel was a tool in my journey not a direct cause of my weight loss. Hope that clears things up for you
Working for myself from home with a tight schedule it got to the stage where either snacked on stuff and had a meal late at night or found a replacement and Huel did it. It's not everything and I also eat fruit and nuts but it's meant that I'm full and don't need to be eating at 10pm or whatever. And yes, Huel black fits this much better with it's higher protein content. It's not all things to everyone and being that I enjoy food and eating it will never be a replacement but fits my needs when time is short. Also my son loves it but he's also not shy in asking for pie and chips like his old man. Real food will always win but there are times when this is better.
@RealJamesSmith.... yep, in response to your reply which I now can’t seem to see, @dailyshit is right. I was far too quick to jump on the reply button and fight the good fight. In this case it is convenient but not better. I understand and accept that point entirely. However when the alternatives are to either eat late at 9-10pm and snack when I can in the meantime or just simply not work during what are for me prime time hours so that I can prepare and eat good quality food Huel does do it. I’ve had no negative repercussions from what I can see, I’m feeling great, becoming leaner (with regular exercise too) staying full so I’m struggling to see why it’s a bad thing. If it is so bad then perhaps you could do a more in depth video talking about the science behind made you feel this way because at the moment I’m not seeing any alternative that fits my needs. Keep up the great work too.
I get that hyperbole makes a more interesting video, but I think you are isolating one small group of people that use meal replacement shakes thoughtlessly or for a majority of their meals. I am eating at a deficit and counting calories. Using Huel powder (not the pre-made shakes) gives me a 30g of protein, 400 calories "meal" that takes one thing off my list. I can prep the other 3-4 (depends on if I train that day) meals with lean meat, fruits, veggies, and nuts - but getting 1 meal done with a meal replacement shake helps keep me on track easier.
No one would suggest giving meal replacement shakes to a child - that’s ridiculous. If you choose to consume meal replacements that’s a decision you should make not one put upon you by an adult. And obviously we shouldn’t be endorsing multi-level marketing companies. The people who are involved in them are usually victims too and will never make any money. Personally I love them as it allows me to consume calories when I don’t want to but need to in order to keep going - usually breakfast when solid food doesn’t appeal but I need something to get my brain in gear before work or lunch - same thing. The majority of people who use HUEL (40g of protein in HUEL black) use it for convenience and supplementing their diet and to help them easily track calories. It’s definitely not a con.
Hey James, Insightful video. I agree with some of the points made like: - Sadly, there are too many low quality brands promoting glorified protein shakes as meal replacement shakes. These often lack nutrients like omega-3, contain low quality ingredients, are not a complete source of vitamins and minerals, and mainly care about the flavor. - There are pyramid schemes in the industry, most noticeably Herbalife. - Having quality homecooked meals with plenty of vegetables, fruits, and variety of nutrient sources (grains, meat, fish, dairy) is probably the best way to go around it. Now, here is another way to see some of these points: - Not all companies are equal, and in this case Huel is definitely not a pyramid scheme -so putting the brand in the same conversation feels wrong. You can know this because they are not interested in selling you stock for you to sell or to sign in new ambassadors. Even in protein powders you have pyramid schemes. - "Only 20g of protein". Yes, 20g of protein in 400kcals, which is 20% of the energy comes from protein. If you check health guidelines (which arguably could be updated), this is within. In a 2,000kcal, this is 100g of protein - which for 65kg would be 1.53g/kg of bodyweight (arguably in the lower end). - "Only 20g of protein part 2". That said Huel also offers 2 other meals that have 30g and 40g of protein per 400kcal, respectively. Thus, if you want a higher protein meal, you have the option. - Use case. I agree that these should not be given to kids, and that the value of the meals should be taught to kids. That said, in our lives, not all meals are perfect or can be perfect. In occasions where you are on the go, you working without having good options around you, or you don't want to meal prep, meal replacements can have a place. For instance, you say that protein powders are OK after workout, but I could make the same argument. Instead, you should have food. Cook a meal with chicken, tuna or eggs. But it's just not convenient or possible, is it? I understand the pacing and keeping the video short, but it feels like a few points were too lightly threaded. I hope I showed the other side of the argument P.S. And yes, I'm a little biased towards MRPs myself.
Nice to see you here LF! In an ideal world I would be cooking wholefoods for every meal and I’m under no illusion that that’s the healthiest option. But the fact is most people just don’t do that, the majority of most peoples meals are not well thought out, home cooked, nourishing, perfect macros. I use meal replacements for most of my meals because I don’t want to plan, prep, cook, wash up. I’m happy for the people here who enjoy all of that but I just don’t.
@@lenaoxton8827 Great way to put what I wanted to say. They can also be a great tool to reduce mental stress as well as save time. It's about knowing how to identify the right tool and use it appropriately. Same goes for protein powders, imo.
Love Huel, used it for a couple years now, firstly as part of a method of controlling calories and now I'll generally have it for breakfast, and then a couple through the day if I'm in the office. Couple of points re the video, a standard huel shake has 30 grams of protein, but more importantly. 8 grams of fibre and 12 grams of fat, the rest being carbohydrates. It's incredibly satiating and I have absolutely no cravings following a shake. It's like when you have a big bowl of soup you just often feel fuller for longer despite the lower caloric value. Re the cost, in the office I can go to the sandwich shop and spend £4 or have a huel for £1.50 and know it's probably better nutrition. It's not even about time for me tbh, just ease and, enjoyment and feeling full while drinking something that I perceive as being healthy. P.s. I come from this from the point of view as being an endurance "athlete" training for mountain hundred milers rather than getting hella swole.
Healthier in terms of macros yes but when actually looking at what goes into it, in comparison to whole foods, it doesn’t even come close to being ‘healthy’
@@joshkalinowski7782It is also very healthy in terms of micros. I have been using a product called Jimmy Joy for around 12 years. Due to some health issues, I have my blood tested twice a year. According to my doctor, I am one of her most healthy patients. 🙂
I lost a shit ton of weight (60kg) on meal replacement shakes and hot and savoury meals, it's all about will power, and make sure the products of your choosing have vitamins and minerals and keep hydrated!
you dont get it m8. Huel is actually a fantastic product for normal people that arent so focused on the healthy lifestyle like you are. Loads of us eat like shit every day. i'm a postie and having a huel drink rather than a greggs has helped me out loads. we arent all min maxing! I love having a healthier option that i can just grab and drink and then a good home cooked meal in the evening. There is definitely a place for meal replacement drinks in todays society.
Lol all the comments here about having a ribeye steak for breakfast and cooking every meal. Who has time for that shit?? I’m happy for people if they enjoy it but there’s so many other things I’d rather be doing.
Yep, he is completely fine with a protein shake, but apparently drinking other vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients is a big no-no. Its far healthier (and cheaper) than most of the crap that people eat.
I use Huel but not as a meal replacement, just as extra protein and nutrition on top of a healthy diet. I use it 3/4 times a week when pushed for time. Definitely don’t skip a meal to use this. Use this as an add on to an already existing healthy eating routine. Can’t go wrong 💪🏼
Huel worked great for me for a time. I came from a different perspective that I loved the idea of meal replacement drinks. I don't drink it very often these days but I do think it is a great alternative to buying a meal deal at a supermarket. It was a great gateway into me improving my diet, and having a liquid food while my inflammatory bowel disease was flaring. Since then I have added real whole foods to my diet and improved my diet a lot now, but huel definitly got me out of a bad diet space. Most of the fast options for food in the supermarkets for lunch are filled with sugar and rapeseed oils, I appreciate huel as an option. I made some videos on huel becuase I loved the product at the time. My perspective since has changed from a daily user of Huel to a sporadic buyer of ready to drink when I am at work.
This is funny. Steven Bartlett is an investor and advocate for all things Huel. Ive listened to your podcast interviews with him on DOAC multiple times. Love the way you approach life. Interviews were such game changers.
Been having huel for several years, initially to lose weight as I had gone from being very active to completely sedentary, but hadn’t changed my eating habits. I lost 10kg, through very strict calorie deficit and then got back into fitness where over the next couple of years I built my size back up. At my peak I had put on 12kg in weight, to be 95kg and lean, training 6 times a week, with additional cardio sessions. Monday to Friday I would only have huel and then at the weekends eat what ever I wanted in addition to huel. It’s not for everyone, but for me it was easy, cheap and I didn’t have to think about food at all. I could just eat what ever I wanted Now though I have huel throughout the day and then normal food in the evening with my partner. Only one other friend I know has been able to stick with it as long as I have, others try it, have success in their weight loss and then go off of it after a few months, putting the weight back on.
If muscle size doesn't matter to you and you just want to drop weight then you can have it, but realise that 5 meals have 100g of protein for 2000 calories for most of their products, which is pretty low. So gaining muscle purely on that diet will not work
@@doraafelfedezoofisol powder form has more protein per serving and I had more than 2000 calories mon-Friday. These pre-made drinks are expensive and not worth it. Could I have been even more efficient with food, possibly? But this took zero effort or time to do and worked great for me
@@doraafelfedezoofisolNo one said you can only have 5 meals with 100 g of protein and 2000 calories. There are no rules as to how you should use meal replacement products. I have been using a product called Jimmy Joy for about 12 years and it works great for me.
As soon as a brand or those ‘endorsing’ it uses the ducking annoying words “game changer” or “this changes everything” I’m immediately out. Not least because it’s just a thing people say without considering its meaning these days but also because nothing changes everything and almost all products are rip offs of other products doing the same bloody thing.
As someone who has started using huel, i dont mind it. I use it for lunch only as im terrible with diets and making healthy meals. i would also skip lunch alot as im a delivery driver and would rather get finiahed esrlier than stop for lunch, so something is better than nothing, im also using this to help me feel better about my self which it is doing which in turn is making me get better at choosing healthier options for meals. Its not a long term thing, but if it helps me get into a routine of eating better and healthier then to me thats a good thing. (I was someone who would have multiple take aways a week which is now stopping because i am having huel for lunch)
You used to beautifully break down the science of why things do or dont work to us in layman's terms. Now were are the stage where your just shouting you wouldnt feed it to your nan/child.
I mean, I understand somewhat if you are replacing EVERY meal but I feel they can be very beneficial if you have an option of a “meal replacement” or McDonalds, the powder seems like a better option for that meal.
I don’t mind Huel Black as 40g of protein and handy to have in on days when you don’t have time to prepare a meal with that much protein. Sometimes I have a huel and go a longer walk on my lunch so that I don’t pull someones head off rather than spend time in the kitchen 😊. As long as only used as an alternative to grabbing something worse I think they have a place. Also it’s amusing the amount of flatulence it can produce, my missus said she’s staring a Huel partners support group.
I've tried Huel and I'm currently a subscriber of Jimmy Joy. While I understand this is a weird concept and not for everyone, I personally love it. I rarely have it as a meal replacement though, but more like a snack that I mix with yogurt, nuts, cereals and fruits. I have replaced a meal now and then and it's totally fine too, but find it boring
@@doraafelfedezoofisol black is 40g/400kcal which is comparable to greek yoghurt and cottage cheese. even the basic stuff (not pre-mixed) is 30g/400kcal which is still far superior to, e.g. breakfast cereal
I have been using Jimmy Joy since they started about 12 or 13 years ago. Back then it was called Joylent, derived from the original Soylent created by Rob Rhinehart.
I don't cook never have. Have always been too lazy and as such have eaten very poorly all my life. I have to say after having a black edition shake I feel satiated for a while. I have two of these a day. One in the morning and as such instead of going to the bakery and getting rolls with greasy food I have huel. Surely that's a good thing.
I'm the same. I don't care much for cooking, because I can't be bothered really. I try to eat somewhat healthy, but replacing a lot of unhealthy foods with Huel has been a game changer for me.
I mix half a scoop of Whey in my huel when Im running short on time, want a super quick brekkie or am hungry and have nothing in the house. YES, using huel as a meal replacement isnt a great idea, but as a replacement for crisps, snack and other Sh*t its incredible. It can be a tool.. keep your knickers on and keep up the great vids! 😊
As always, James, great video. I drink the Huel Black shakes. But, I don’t do it as a meal replacement. I add them on top of my breakfast. Which is usually some eggs, chopped potatoes and turkey sausage. I just started taking it and will likely bow out of the subscription due to it not being as good as a traditional protein shake. Keep up the great work man!
Honestly could not disagree any more I have been on huel not for 7 months and I love it. I'm training 4/5 days a week lifting weights and I've lost so much FAT I was 99kg and I'm now 84 and less than 15% body fat all thanks to huel. Nothing has changed for me in life I have always trained hard but as a fussy eater diets never worked until I found HUEL
Literally just ranting and repeating the same thing over. I started watching thinking/hoping there would be some valuable research explaining why Huel was no good but it was all down to 8min of your personal opinion you prefer to eat food rather than drink it 😂 well good for you! Maybe next video you share facts/science to help people understand why Huel (specific brand) might be no good. Also the Huel product you showed at the start is 1 product. Their normal (black) bags where you make it yourself are 40g of protein in a 90g serving I know that’s better in a morning than a bowl of cereal for me! Also in case you didn’t realise everybody is going to die, 100% of us, maybe rephrase the Q on the board 🙈
Point 1. I thoroughly enjoyed the Ricky Gervais reference. 3:09 Point 2. Molly Mae said the "We all have the same 24 hours in a day" comment on a podcast sponsored by Huel 😂5:24 Point 3. Everyone is going to die. 6:46 Point 4. Your content hits the nail on the head every time.
People like shortcuts thats why there are meal replacement shakes. Those people will actually think it works and the companies make money. I use a "meal replacement". I take a whey shake at about 10:00-10:30 as my first "meal" of the day then at lunch I eat a real meal. But i do this because i need to lose weight and if i fast the entire morning i go mental.
James dunno bout Huel Black, better split. I've been drinking it for 3 years and usually have one for breakfast. Energy, digestion and overalls⭐ wellbeing has been measurably better as a result. I still eat plenty of whole foods and a variety of protein sources, but Huel is happily part of my weekly diet. Still enjoyed this video James 👍
Agreed, huel isn’t the most fun thing, but Im 7 weeks in and 10kg down from having huel smoothies/ hot and savoury twice a day and a proper meal in the evening has made calorie counting more achievable. And for the kids.. if I can sort my fat ass out sooner and my kids get to see a healthier size me then that is more important to me. I don’t plan to stay on huel forever but whilst it’s working, I won’t stop it! Wonder if you read this James! 👍🏼
kkkkk, not hating anything you know, but you don't need huel specifically for what you're doing. on the other hand, the point of the video is when you take meal replacement shakes like huel, you're not actully replacing a meal, rather completely skipping it. that's why you're losing weight faster because you're most probably intaking less carbs than what you should have. Hopefully you're not just dependent on huel for losing weight and actually do some lifting too or it won't take longer for you to understand the point of this video.
It’s good but if we don’t address the route cause of weight gain in the first place, when we stop 9 times out of ten the weight comes back on. Personally I couldn’t drink these for the rest of my life
Here’s a scenario. Single person not have enough time to MAKE meal and don’t want to eat high sodium, glucose restaurant meals. Enjoy having proper meals on the weekend w/ fam and friends. But a 2~3 times a week, just want simple cost effective meal supplements. Is there a such product out there?
So the gist of this is it's not "proper" food and therefore isn't eating? That'll give you an eating disorder that you'll pass on to your kids and you miss out on the enjoyment of eating? I use a meal replacement once a day most days. I've never really enjoyed the act of eating, I eat for fuel. I don't have an eating disorder, I don't have kids. I hit my protein target everyday. (I think your protein protocol is a bit outdated). I had hoped this would break down the nutrition elements which is the bit I care about, but it didn't.
Very easy to give this advice to people, considering James doesn’t work regular hours. Lots of people don’t have time to haves regular meals. So supplements suffice in trying to fit in the ‘required’ daily amounts. If your happy with Huel or any other supplement drive on. Not everybody can have the vegetables, meat required. Big supporter of James’s videos but this is clutching at straws……starting to loose touch with reality me thinks.
It's not replacing a meal - its replacing eating fast food on the go. Its also for people who are short of time to eat. I travel a lot - and often at short notice. It's a huge help.
i think youre painting with a very broad brush here … as a psychology student, i sometimes spend 12 + hours in the library and the only thing that 1. keeps me satiated 2. has protein 3. is easy to take with me, 4. DOES NOT impair my cognitive performance after consumption and 5. does not make me broke (consider, i‘m a student), is huel black. if you got a better alternative, i‘m happy to switch …
You disregarded the nutritional properties, the ingredients, the sourcing, the price, the taste... There was zero analysis here, just a very long rant about how stupid it looks to get a meal from a drink. I am sure Huel isn't ideal, there are probably a lot of reasons to be at least a little bit wary of the product, but this video didn't explain any of those reasons. If the "information" presented here is all I had, I still wouldn't know whether Huel is the perfect nutrition source or distilled poison.
Anytime u have people that try things and says "it worked for me" and "it helped me lose weight" it justifies the product regardless of what the reality of the product is.
as someone who has always struggled with eating/doesn't really enjoy food I personally look forward to the development of the senzu bean. I've force fed myself to about 95kg 15-18% BF roughly but I absolutely hate eating and the ballache that is cooking. If the meal shakes were reasonably nutritious I'd happily depend on them tbh
For the record, DO NOT invite James over for a soup dinner.
Not a Huel ad appearing as the ad before the video 😂
didnt happen
Meal replacement shakes are about as appealing as a Hublot watch!
I know of a guy who had a hublot sticker added to his Ferrari Bonnet😅
@thehomezoouk that video was epic!
@@romeogolfbravo yes sir. I can confirm you have good RUclips taste 🙌
@@Discoveryjamie No one likes Hublots.
“Aye lovvat ya wee derdy hoor!”
You haven't demonstrated why it's a con, more expressed an emotive opinion about Huel.
huel is a loser drink
@@williamevans7593 How?
@@williamevans7593i’ve lost 4 lbs in a week. lmao you loser
Ya there was no based facts on why Huel is bad except emotional ones.
This is all an emotional appeal, there's nothing that actually rebuts anything here. Mentioning random family members throughout.
Crazy one can be a personal trainer for 10 years and be this out of touch with macros and micros 😅
As someone who has either a Huel shake *(not the pre-bottled one)* at the start of the day followed by regular eating, or the hot&savory Huel at the end of the day after regular eating, it is a perfect way to get some balanced nutrition in that doesn't require much effort. Would I replace all my meals with it? I suppose I _could,_ but that's silly, I wouldn't recommend that.
James seems to be lumping Huel in with the typical 'meal replacements' here and I believe there's a distinct difference - I'd really like to see him cover Huel specifically a bit more, because of just how well it can fit into a healthy and/or busy lifestyle. He's also gone after the bottled version specifically, which I remember as being distinctly worse for you than the bags of shake/hot&savory powder, and made no mention of the stuff you make up yourself. Anything designed to stay on a supermarket shelf pre-made ain't gonna be very good so that's skewed the review heavily.
For someone who preaches 'calorie deficit over everything', surely you wouldn't be against people who've found a product they enjoy that helps them achieve that in a healthy way?
It would be a bit odd if someone only consumed meal replacement drinks but if it's just for lunchtime during a busy work day, I don't see the issue. Feels like this is polarising content for the sake of being polarising.
18 months ago I was quite heavily T2, my GP suggested lose 10KG+ with this meal replacement shake program. I agreed cos who really needs a stroke.
I got home and realised this was a fate worse than death and thought I could do better, I just needed discipline. By the time they contacted me about the shake program I'd lost 8Kg, I tried it for a week and just got constipated so binned it off.
I eat sensibly, I eat a ton of fruit/veg, lean meats, nuts and aim for 150g protein a day. I'm down from 103Kg to 72Kg+-. Just had lunch - supermarket mussels (25G protein), tenderstem brocolli and a small potato steamed. I feel better than I did 25 years ago.
These are just restriction diets, a way of giving you discipline but it's hard to believe it's as healthy as fresh food.
💯
At the very least, it's not as unhealthy as junk food.
But yeah, I can't imagine these being better than fresh food.
These products aren’t for people who are trying to have the most healthy option. They are for people who either don’t want to, or don’t have the time to eat whole foods for every meal. You don’t have to replace your whole diet with it, you can just use it for lunch at work, or those days when you come home from work feeling too tired to cook anything.
Of course cooked fresh meals are the healthiest option. But not everyone wants the effort of that every time. Some of us don’t want it at all. I use meal replacements for breakfast and lunch (and sometimes dinner too) not because I believe it’s healthier than whole food, not because I have fitness goals, but because I don’t want to meal prep or wash up. I’d rather play video games, go out for a bike ride, just generally enjoy other things.
I still cook and eat sometimes. But I only cook when I actually want to, not out of necessity, so I actually enjoy it.
I’m glad to see so many people in the comments are really passionate about their macros and stuff but I’m just personally not interested.
It’s not a restriction diet, I maintain my weight well on shakes like this and honestly I love them. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea and that’s ok, a lot of people in the comments here aren’t the target audience for it and don’t understand it.
King shit right here
That GP needs to be retrained or something lmao, well done with the weight loss 💪🏻💪🏻
I generally have no passion for eating. But I know I need to eat to fuel my body right. So Huel has been a game changer for me. First thing in the morning, 2 scoops of Black Huel (40g protein) and water and I’m set for the first couple hours. Meaning I can start my work without any hindrance.
I don’t see it as a meal replacement, rather a helpful addition to an already healthy diet. I have 2 more meals during the day. Lunch and dinner. And it helps me feel great.
Same, same. I dont get the hate some people have for it. It's basically just protein powder with calories and micronutriens, and still some people loose their shit when they just hear about it.
@@captainmorgan2530 From what I understand most of the negativity around these products is related to their marketing tactics. The product itself solves a niche problem for a subset of the population, but it's often marketed as a solution for the masses which it's not
Same huel black 3 scoops 60 grams of protein and 600 cals for my breakfast. Then I eat whole foods for my other meals. Also if I dash out to work and don’t have time to make some food I can just grab a huel black 2 scoops 40g of protein out the fridge and hit the road which keeps me going till I get home and eat something yummy. It serves a purpose of im day off I have eggs and bacon etc
Same, I use Jimmy Joy instead of huel because I prefer the taste. I’m really not interested in prepping food, eating, washing up all the time. But I also want to have something healthier than a bag of crisps or microwave meal.
I still cook and eat when I feel like it, but I also love drinking my meal replacement sludge 🥤
Your are what you eat, and this is shit.
My mom was on meal replacement and protein shakes because of her MS preventing her jaw from chewing food. I can understand from a medical perspective.
My dad calls these "Extreme M.R.E."s because nobody is going to use these unless absolutely necessary, like you've had a camping/hiking incident, your primary food reserves are gone, and what's left is the meal replacement shakes.
Nobody, means 0 people. These companoes exist because people like me are to emotionaly invested in food.
I dont eat meal replacement yet, but shorely should apreciate having an nutritious amd full meal that I dont need to spend a 3rd of the day spending on preparing and eating.
I tried a meal replacement from a company called Alphalab and I gotta say, I really enjoyed it. But I mixed things up a bit. On the tub it says to mix two scoops with water, and it's not amazing if you do it that way. It's just "okay" and beats being hungry. But swap one of those scoops out for your favourite protein powder, and mix with whole milk instead of water, and all of a sudden it's delicious and strangely satiating. After running out of meal replacement to mix with my protein shakes and going back to plain protein shakes, they just feel flat and are significantly less satisfying.
idk maybe I'm just a weirdo but I did like it 🤷♂
@@JC_WT The problem isn't you liking and find a use for meal replacement, that's actually completely fine. The problem is it's unnecessary to use these to replace a real prep meal (Chicken, rice, & Broccoli with cheese and seasoning) and there's no real reason the Fitness industry needs meal replacement.
Meal replacements can be tasty like you said though 😋
@@1MDA if you don't want to waste time preparing food, there are usually local places that cook and prep meals for you that you can pick up locally. Jeff Cavalier does this because he has no time to cook prep meals.
@@NobleHusky bit why try to put down other methods? And caling names for people who have such methods?
When I said that i dont want to waste time eating either I meamt it, you think anyome in the places you mentioned prepared liquid meals?
Huel is, to my understanding, a complete protein source - it covers all of the BCAAs needed for hypertrophy. I use their protein powder regularly because whey makes me break out.
I like using the black edition when I'm short of time for meals too, such as when I'm studying, though I don't use it too often. Rarer still, I occasionally use hot & savory with a protein shake if I'm tight for time. I also work in a hospital on 12 hour shifts, so it can be handy for me.
Importantly, if there's not enough protein in a single serving - have two, it's easy
I think it's a great product when the circumstances are appropriate
He clearly cherry picked huel bottle version which is inferior to black edition or even regular edition calorically and macro and micro nutrients. This video was about the man shake and all the other crappy store meal replacement powders that don't have enough protein and don't offer a complete nutritional profile etc . There's a reason why huel is the best selling in the world and it isn't cause it's a pyramid scheme, cause no other meal replacement powders cover everything and give you an excellent macro split .
@@BlackstoneJ Completely agree, although there are also other companies that cover everything. The ones I know are Jimmy Joy and I think Soylent
@@Luke_ oh I see! Good to know I'll check em out and see if they offer anything more complete for the price . Right now huel black edition is my go to
@@BlackstoneJ Yeah I'm thinking of switching to Jimmy Joy, I've been using Huel 3.1 but I'm not a fan of the cost cutting measures they've used like removing probiotics, replacing some natural ingredients with artificial ones for providing nutrients (e.g. they've recently switched to using ascorbic acid for vitamin C instead of acerola cherries like they used to). They haven't done this for black edition yet but they are planning to.
As someone who's terrible for eating well, Huel has literally changed my life. I've lose weight, i feel better because my nutrition has improved, and i genuinely enjoy drinking them. It's not for everyone, but it definitely isn't a con, sorry James, i disagree on this one.
You’ve been 🧼
I tend to agree - I've also heard people say Huel has changed their habits for the better but I feel that it's the same old fact that a lot of finding healthy eating habits is around finding what works for the individual person. The opinion I got from James is that there are other alternatives that are cheaper and more nutritionally dense. Sure Huel can work but it should not brand itself as the ultimate replacement that works for a lot of people. It would probably incorporate pretty well in my diet but as James said, it's just more expensive and lacks protein.
It's good to know that it's worked out for you though - so good work :)
yeah.. there's a guy who ate nothing but Twinkies for weeks and lost weight and felt amazing as a result. I'm sure he could say the same thing, "Twinkies literally changed my life." but that doesn't mean Twinkies are great. It just means that you were eating worse food than Twinkies/Huel.
I tried it many years ago. Didn't like the taste but the principle was solid
🤣@@badoing7390
I drank 2 scoops Huel black edition twice a day for 4 months for my lunch and then pre-workout, fasted for breakfast, had a small snack and a light dinner for 1500 calories total. With cardio I lost 35 pounds. It's not easy and your digestion will take a hammering the first two weeks but you get used to it. I found it helped me stick to a calorie controlled diet early on, but beyond that I wouldn't recommend them. Only as a supplement to a normal diet, perhaps as a pre/post workout shake.
well, you're on about black edition which for a start is sweetened with stevia, instead of maltodextrin and other artificial sweeteners
Why wouldn’t you just make a whole foods organic protein shake? You can plug in the amounts into an app or my fitness pal and know exactly what your consuming as well as calories to track. It’s not that hard then you avoid ultra processed food, non organic produce that is likely sprayed with all sorts of poison and you’ve educated yourself in one go. How is this hard? For example… 1 scoop of protein, table spoon of hemp seeds, table spoon of chia seeds or flax, table spoon of cold pressed cocoa, half a cup of organic mixed berries and if bulking add a cup of organic oats. Now you have 8 whole foods of the highest quality no added sugar, no mono crops, no pesticides, no 60 ingredients in minimal Bs proportions and a tone of fibre with the right macros. Nutri bullet done ✅. Buy items organic and in bulk it becomes cheaper than Huel and far healthier. Prep time 3 mins. Not to mention it will sustain you longer than Huel. Then needing synthetic caffeine to go to the gym 🤮Shit I just realised I’m like James these replacement shakes piss me off 😂
@@mrmolloy this was a year ago, I needed to make a change with limited knowledge about dieting or exercise. I don't touch these anymore. Today I count calories on my fitness pal for calories and macros. I exercise 5/6 days a week focussing on resistance training since April, on track to bench 225 by end of the year for reps.
@@mrmolloy No pesticides? Sounds naive to me. You also have to source, store, make, measure etc etc which takes away the entire point of having a meal replacement. Its to make it quicker for people that dont want to or have the time to prepare that much food all the time. You seem to be talking as if these huel meal repalcements are some bs protein powder pre/post workout shenanigans. It's a meal replacement, just just eating a bowl of oats instead of a real full meal, your getting it mixed up with fitness junkie stuff as opposed to a meal for a normal person.
While I fully agree that huel doesn't have enough protein for your daily intake and it's less than ideal compared to a real meal. It's an amazing solution for people that have no time to eat at work. Personally I lost abt 30kg, just because I used huel at work. Not because it makes you lose weight, just because I didn't get hunger attacks when I was home anymore. Would it have been possible to do meal prep and get a similar result - likely. But I had no energy left.
You are also right that nutrition was the least of my problems and I quit the job since these days. Still it was great to stop beeing obese with such a simple solution. I've also kept the weight since 3 years, despite having real food for now.
How long does it take to peel a banana or eat a sandwich, This product is for the laziest of laziest human beings.
I assume you didn't read what I wrote, because this isn't related.
40g of protein in just one meal shake isn't enough?
@@Stefanski3600Maybe get a real job, and then you'll forget all about things that waste time.
You call it "lazy" because you're a narrow-minded buffoon, who clearly doesn't understand the concept of efficiency.
@@StardustLegacyFighter Back when I used it Huel Black didn't exist. The Black version is made with higher protein.
If you're trying to get close to 1g to 1.5g per kg bodyweight even 40g isn't sufficient depending on the bodyweight. And I started with 130kg.
I love the absolute frustration. Thank you always for your honesty and keeping it real
I don't know, man. I get what you're saying. I'm just not fully onboard with the idea that Huel is an outright con. As someone who has always struggled to put on the extra pounds, Huel has been a great addition to insert between my regular meals to help me hit my calorie count. Finally, after years of training, I have started to see serious gains that in the past I missed out on, mostly due to my diet and being in a caloric deficit. Unfortunately, the whole 'just eat more' suggestion was never as easy for someone like me, who would quickly fill up on regular meals.
I do agree with the sentiment that it's not a healthy alternative to use it as a dieting approach and replace all solid meals with liquid. It sounds like the underlying message you're trying to portray here, but instead, it feels like you're just blasting it from every angle.
It's easy to make that's the main appeal for me,simple hot water and powder is enough to give me a 500 calorie meal with 26Grams of protein in like 5mins.
This is in no way replacing my breakfast/lunch meals but it's a good addition if you want to catch up with your daily calorie goal and are in a hurry.
No dishes,no cooking required too.
Think of it kind like an altenative to a high calorie protein bar(not the quest bar,like those protein bars that have above 500 calories and can be taken as an entire meal) along with the added benefits of micronutrients and entirely plant based.
Funnily everyone in favour of huel seems to be arguing the opposite to James's point. James seems to be arguing it's horrible for weight loss, but everyone in favour of huel in the comments are saying it's been great for them to gain weight. Makes sense though, a common weight gain tip is to drink your calories since it's easier to drink them than eat them (though you could still make a weight gain shake yourself)
you said it yourself, "between my regular meals". James is talking about considering it as a meal replacement
@matthewtipping2775 No one argues its meant to replace all your food. You'll here everywhere if you look into it that it can replace any meal but not every meal.
@@vladimirbathory1125James came across this way in the video though. It’s like he came at it as an all or nothing type argument, and I feel like it was never really intended to be used that way to begin with. For me, meal replacement shakes are a great way to get my morning calories, because with trying to get two kids out the door and be at the office on time a two minute shake is an absolute no-brainer for me.
You're vids are brill, love you're delivery !!! I've just turned 66 this week and have an extra 6 which is my 6 pack, not bad for a pensioner , I have 1 year to go before I can emigrate to Perth oz on an aged parent visa can't wait, you and my son made the right decision to leave this shit hole, keep up the good work!!!!
Completely disagree on this take. Meal replacement shakes are designed to fill the needs of an average person and replace things like stopping for fast food when you don't have time. The average person isn't Mr. Olympia needing 200g of protein an hour . . . The RDA is closer to 60g a day, which puts 20g perfectly in line with what a person would need per meal on a 3 meal schedule.
You can put a scoop of whey protein in one of these shakes and suddenly it's a 45g shake that also doubles as a full serving of calories, has a good amount of minerals and vitamins. This will be vastly superior to almost any other fast and convenient choices.
I really enjoy your videos. I know this channel is mostly centred around fat loss. And I share the same opinions as you on fat loss shakes. However, huel is really something to be considered for convenient, balanced nutrition. For myself it has allowed me to continue progressing in the gym - improve my cardio with boxing and have the knowledge that I am getting at least a dose of the right vitamins and macros. I use huel black edition at my least favourite meal - breakfast. And it doesn't spike my blood sugar or make me reliant on carbs in the morning.
I'm not brainwashed, or part of a pyramid scheme. I think James might have to reinvetigate this topic beyond "drinking meals is bad" as it really does work for me.
Yeah I fully agree, his points in this video assume that people using it are replacing all of their meals with Huel which is very very rarely the case. For most it's a single meal in a day that is being changed out. Personally I've been using their hot and savoury range instead of the shakes and have been able to lose weight at a healthy rate and it's massively convenient. James' points here are mostly opinionated and emotional rather than actual science. Rare L for him
Huel shakes are full of sunflower oil. You have to be batshit crazy or stupid to drink that.
Huel is full of seed oil. Be by guest if you want to drink that….
@@simonwiltshire7089 proof?
Your problems is you believe the marketing www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6196963/
@@jamiemclachlan19
I work in a location where there is no nutritious food around. Work situation also doesnt allow for proper food storage and reheating. ( i live in a warm climate). Huel shakes and savory is actually one of my more nutritious options when compared to the alternatives... 😂
This is not surprising, I only watched the first 1:22 mins of this video where he is saying Huel is not good because it doesn’t contain 30g of protein, most people’s diets are so bad, they would be lucky to get 20g
@bobby8630 He's an idiot because the standard powder contains 30g of protein, and the black edition powder contains 40g of protein.
Completely disagree. I use huel black which has 40g per shake and have done so for 4 years as a vegan alternative to animal protein shakes. I’m jacked and have perfect blood work verifying my amino acid profile.
Trying to put off people that want an affordable alternative to animal based products isn’t helpful. It might not be as effective in your opinion. And I have no issue with anybody that consumes animal products at all. Go for it. But unless you have a PHD in nutrition science and clinical data to back up your claims, then this video is just putting people off who might find Huel or similar products to be a really helpful tool in their fitness journey.
I use Huel Black edition, i think its 40g protein, for breakfast everyday and I love it. Not for weight loss or anything, I'm just super lazy first thing in the morning and it keeps me feeling full until way past lunch time, then I eat like a normal person!
I’ve used it too but one thing I found is it contains trans fats which are bad
@@lewispittman9512this is incorrect. You can go to their website and look at the nutrition facts of Huel Black Edition.
Full of seed oil. Worst thing you can eat.
2 tins of sardines or mackerel, an avocado and overnight oats. Quick to make, nutritious and filling. Similar cost to the Huel.
This is what I needed to hear @@richardmiddleton7770
I like Huel, personally. I don't use it as a meal replacement but rather as a quick way to get extra calories in addition to my regular meals when I'm training hard. Also every now and then if I don't have time to make a meal or snack I'll just have a Huel. Black edition Vanilla is my fave, especially in the blender with bananas and blueberries!
I think most people who use huel are the same. This video misses that point
@@chrisczechurself2531the protein is cheap and not whey ….. when I was a kid they gave us milk , we have been drinking milk for thousands of years ….. your missing the point …. It’s total crap I blame veganism
@@tooguru7492 if only your point was clear
@@tooguru7492 humans were also sacrificed for thousands of years, until those bloody lefties brought in laws!! 😠
@@tooguru7492 huel complete protein is excellent. It has some of the highest EAA content amongst protein supplements, easily comparable to top Whey protein brands. Full micronutrient dose which you do not see in other protein supplements. It mixes well, tastes great, is priced competitively and works great when mixed into food.
As someone who viscerally hates eating, especially in he morning, these things are a godsend
Cool
If you hate eating in the morning
Don’t eat in the morning? No?
The crux of this video comes from the perspective that products like Huel are intended to be consumed 100% of the time (they're not). Huel is convenience food. You're comparing the most wonderful food moments of people's lives to Huel to get clicks.
People aren't trading their home-cooked family meals for Huel, they're trading their expensive, shop bought crap sandwiches. Between a non-nutritious and expensive on-the-go option and balanced Huel there are hundreds of thousands of people who would prefer to get the best nutrition and save time with Huel. Then taking that saved time and energy for those great food moments at other points in their day and week.
For the last 12 month my first meal of the day has been a mango-banana shake with yoghurt, linseed oil and oats. Roughly 50g of Protein, good fats and complex carbohydrates. All in all solid macros.
I love the fact that i can get up and drink my first meal immediately and have it out of the way. Or even drink while on the road so i can sleep longer.
Every other meal is something i have to chew.
Works great for me.
Edit: because of your replies i checked the macros. This shake has 35g P, 18g F and 74g C.
The don’t use Joghurt i use Skyr. Thats where the Protein comes from.
Edit2: because of a comment saying this is not a meal replacement. I think my comment is on topic because my morning shake is literally a meal replacement. Im drinking instead of eating something. James says he personally dislikes that but i really enjoy it.
get help bro, thats not normal.
Not a chance is that 50g protein loool
@@spaceman4330you’re brain damaged
50 grams! no way!
I train 5x a week for the last 5 months and transformed my diet and seen best results I’ve ever achieved. I have a protein shake for breakfast which l blend with 1 banana and soy milk. I have proper meals for lunch and dinner. The way I see it is you get in a lot of protein and your not bloated and lethargic. I see it is a form of a mini intermittent fasting rather than a meal replacement
I've been having Huel as lunch for the better part of 5-6 years (switched to hot & savory when that came out) and it's been great to cut down on the amount of food prep needing to be done. It frees up more mental bandwidth for me personally to make my dinners more interesting and satisfying too. If you're only having it for 1-2 meals a day there's still plenty of space in your day to hit whatever macro targets you have. To each their own, but it's far from a con.
Yeah I agree
He was a bit of a dick in this video and I feel like he could’ve done a bit more research into the range of products they offer
Problem is all Huel products are ultra processed food containing several emulsifiers, extracts, artificial sweeteners and gums. There's scientific evidence showing that ultra processed food increases risk of inflammatory disease, metabolic disease, cancer, dysbiosis etc. Huel may be convenient and a cheaper option than Deliveroo, but it's not healthy in the long term.
What’s mental bandwidth?
@@nomadicsouls3290 Pretentious bs term, he means that the does not want to think about it.
@@James-616he cherry picked the bottled version cause it suits the narrative. Clearly the bottled version is no way good enough to be a meal replacement. But the regular powder and especially black edition powder , is
I get that Huel isn't for everyone but I can definitely see the benefits. And I understand why James personally thinks they're a backwards step and in an idea world we all would get break times, long lunches and not need to commute but we don't live in that ideal world. We're supposed to work 8+ hours a day, sleep 8+ hours a day and we still need time to train, do some cardio, prepare food, wash up, clean the house, talk to the cat, watch Ashoka etc.
Huel to me is easy calorie control and time saving.
I'm not tempted by breakfast bacon sandwiches and lunch time meal deals with cans of Coke and KitKats. Meals during the day are just food so I can get through the day.
Then at night I can make a decent proper meal.
I do find it a little contradictory to say protein shakes are ok but meal replacements aren't - if the argument is that you should get your nutrition from a decent diet then you shouldn't ever use protein shakes. I feel like once you open the door to one, you open it to the other...
You could argue that I should find the time to be interested in cooking and washing up but I'd argue that I want a least some of my day where I can sit around and talk to my cat.
Also this man wore a Whoop so 😵💫🤣
Instead of huel bullshit just add milk, protein, banana, frozen strawberries some oats blend that bitcz and you gonna save more mones than using shit fueled Huel
You know it's a good con when you have people arguing for it 😂
@@RAMPA63 not sure I follow. I know what Huel is and it suits me. Where is the con here?
@@13twelve = 🐑
@@RAMPA63I have been on meal replacement products for around 12 years. I save a lot of time and money. I save time on cooking, shopping and doing the dishes. I save money on my food, my electricity and my water bill. I have my blood tested twice a year, and my levels of both vitamins and minerals are just perfect - according to my doctor. Please tell me how this is a con.
As someone who works on a ship and has limited access to supplementation, micronutrients etc, I can vouch for huel as being a viable supplementation source for all micronutrients and macros that one would not consume if they were in an environment where these are limited. This is the closest you can get to having a balanced diet. It’s not a replacement but they definitely can solve a lot of issues and can keep you satiated if you had limited access to nutritious food. Huel and meal replacement shakes have their place and are the future of food for certain. This is about efficiency, not the social aspect of nutrition
@Mr_Smith_Giveaway.. sorry, I don’t understand?
You are a very very tiny percent of the world that this might benefit, not many people go to work for weeks on end without access to fresh food, as most of us work on land, not water .
But, saying this, do your ships not have fridges and freezers?! How many weeks do you sail for? I’m slightly interested to know if the salty air effect the freshness of food?
@@HughieMunrouk shipping companies typically do a 4 months on, 4 months off rotation. The food is typical canteen style. I did a few 4 month stints and took 4 months worth of tuna cans, bags of porridge oats and protein powder with me to keep my diet as clean as possible, and trained as hard as I could to maintain a reasonable physique. Most were boozing and eating fry ups every day
This is not the future of food bro. Becoming people who eat colored liquid? No. An additional supplement to actual meals sure, but def not the future of food. Also like he said, it’s important we chew, use our hands, etc when we eat for kids. On top of that, this way of eating sucks, it’s boring and sad and you’re not eating, you’re drinking😂
@@jeanbean191 But why? you say it's boring and sad and not the future, but those aren't like actual arguments, they're just baseless assertions...
As a co ADHD’er I’m surprised you’re so against this! It definitely shouldn’t be your entire diet but it’s a quick and easy (and non mess inducing) option. Certainly better than peanut butter on toast I used to grab and go.
I used huel to lose the first stone. I used it to get my perfect macros. I also used it as a tool just to stop me over eating. Teach me just to control my eating and then move onto real food.
But... now days I can't put huel to my mouth. It was a really great tool to kick start my lazy arse into getting back into shape. Now I'm fit and healthy and it's started with huel.
These products are good for a kickstart and convenience, I agree with you. I did the Cambridge Diet, which consisted of their products etc. and lost 4 stone. I wasn't once asked to sell, not that I would have. It got me out of certain habits and into better ones because I didn't have to think about every minute detail of my meals - I didn't want to at the time. I have since kept that weight off and I am far healthier (and been off their products for a long time). I have the occasional Huel if I'm in a rush, but I wouldn't rely on any of these products as a permanent replacement.
I think once you lose weight, start maintaining and have 'real' food, it's so much easier, but most people need that initial kick up the arse first 😂😂
HAHA, the actual ad before this video was a meal replacement shake and then it almost instantly cuts to 00:15
Right! firstly, I started drinking Huel 18 months ago, I have it every morning for breakfast. It has completely changed my life. I am more health concious than ever before, it has helped me change my habits. I have lost 17kg in the 18 months, with admittedly an increase in exercise and healthier lunches & dinners. I also travel a lot, I take 3 months off in the winter to travel and I can easily take it with me on road. It's a back up for long days out hiking, kayaking. I like the taste and have always liked drinks from coffee or cola to water and for me it just makes sense to drink my breakfast. It is ofcourse not as healthy as something fresh and I'm not saying live off the stuff, but it certainly has helped me and I'm not going back!
😂 bollocks
You work for huel 😂
The thing i find daft about meal replacement shakes is that you’re consuming the amount of calories that are in some meals, but it’s not solid so you’re hungry again in an hour because there’s nothing for your stomach to break down. In most cases people will GAIN weight because they feel hungry again in an hour.
That is not true. With the right amounts of fibre, protein, and calories, you do not feel hungry after an hour.
I would be really interested to hear James' take on the Huel 'Hot and Savoury' ones, though as they are not shakes and are something closely resembling the meal that they claim to be. I genuinely think those ones are different and, in fact, it has worked well for me.
I agree; they’re great.
Is it not the same as a noodle pot
@@kezbanana8327 exactly the same, both are super processed foods
@@connorwood4034I’d rather a noodle pot on price 😅 and the tickle of soy
They are rank wasted my money on them
Bro spoke with Passion
Soup is a liquid and can be a meal, I have it for lunch sometimes. Huel is not bad, the hot and savoury range is better than the shakes and if you are vegetarian or vegan it's typically better than the quick options you find in supermarkets for lunch compared to a sad cheese or egg sandwich. Would I recommend it for an adult weightlifting male as a meal replacement? Nope. But for me as a small woman who can struggle to get the right amount of nutrients and protein with a much smaller calorie allowance it's fine, it's cheap and easy for lunches or when I just can't be arsed to make something more involved.
Even if you eat meat you can just add ham or something to it to up the protein :D
So many times during this video I kept having a mad urge to defend soup.
@@pecky88in our culture, soup is served at lunch, however, it is only a base, complimentary, before the main meal. Moreover, your body processes the soup faster and eating only soup will make quick raise and drop of blood sugar, making you hungry faster, snack more,.. That's a way towards diabetes imho. So a soup is better than nothing but it's only a starter..
Soup is made with real food.
@@whatplanetareweon2375 so is an orange juice but it's not the same as eating an orange.. And of course there's a difference between a creamy tomato soup and minestrone full of legumes etc
As someone who got out of the hospital and really had no appetite meal replacement helped me until I was able to fully get back into feeling able to eat.
James, I think you should speak with your community and get their opinion and first-hand experience on Huel and re-visit this. I feel amazing for taking Huel in the last 6 months, I've lost body-fat and people continually comment on my slimmer physique; my fiancé continually says how well I look and how my skin and hair - much like a pampered pooch - are so much better.
General meal replacements do seem a bit shady, but Huel definitely doesn't feel that way both from a marketing standpoint or from first-person use. I'm an advocate of Huel and am grateful for their product.
It’s his channel he’s giving his honest opinion. Don’t just be sold on marketing because it’s easy and you think it’s “cool”
Note: I fully appreciate that it wouldn't work for everyone, and I do understand the premise of your video. Of all of the meal replacements, I'd for sure pick Huel above the rest. Thanks for the great content, and insights, as always!
Obviously a post from a Huel salesman
This might be James most passionate video and I’m with you 100% brother!
I'm 6'8 and train a lot and work for a busy media agency while trying to start my own business on the side. I don't have time or the money to make all the meals that I would need each day, even with meal prepping. I eat 3 meals a day plus snacks and fill the gaps with Huel (125g powdered Huel with water - not the ready mixed stuff you buy in shops). For me it works.
Only just realised James sounds exactly like Chris Eubank Jr
It worked for me imo, combination of swapping 1-2 meals per day for huel, going to the gym twice per week over 2 years i lost 15 stone in weight, learned a lot about nutrition and counted calories for a while until i knew intuitively what i was eating on a daily basis. Huel didn't make this happen but it did make it easier for me to do. Different strokes for different folkes i suppose.
Gym twice per week? Lazy bastard...
Did you get the chronic dihorrea too?
So you drank 60 ingredients that are not organic or tested for contaminants and all likely mono crops sprayed to death with poisons and thought it healthy and did that for two years. Just because it was easy doesn’t mean it was healthy
I’m surprised by the amount of people that are supporting Huel as a balanced and good source of nutrition. It’s quick, easy and can be useful for weight loss yes, but the actual contents are garbage and the cheapest stuff that can be sourced.
If your mindset is long term, which I think James is trying to get at in this video, you should look to make lifestyle changes that support your health which these shakes do not.
Ok but how can i make a lifestyle change easy, using prepackaged food, and especially in shake form?
I completely disagree, because a "lifestyle change" simply isn't practical enough for those of us who work demanding office jobs and actually neglect our health when having to deal with preparing proper food.
“Smells kinda pyramidy around here”
Never change James 😂
Had a huel advert before the video began and another one at the end. Also get vshred ads between shorts of him getting called a scammer. RUclips is so thick.
I have to disagree with you on this one James. I started drinking Huel back at the start of the year and it helped tremendously. Since January I have lost 28KG
I'm no longer using Huel and to be clear I don't believe it is sustainable as a long term solution. But as you always promote using ideologies as tools, I think Huel is a great tool for short term use. It gave me time to better understand what good nutrition is and how I can eat healthily and keep knocking the weight off.
Which part you don't agree with then? You just confirmed that Huel is not a sufficient meal, considering a dramatic loss of weight.
@@Barbarian75 I don't agree that meal replacement shakes are useless and no one should be taking them.
My goal was to lose weight and Huel aided me in doing that. I stuck to a calorie deficit and had Huel black to get 40g of protein per meal. I could have used Huel to stay at maintenance or gain weight but that was not my goal. Huel was a tool in my journey not a direct cause of my weight loss.
Hope that clears things up for you
7:43 I don't know what James is talking about. I always shake a chicken breast at 2pm when I'm at work.
Working for myself from home with a tight schedule it got to the stage where either snacked on stuff and had a meal late at night or found a replacement and Huel did it. It's not everything and I also eat fruit and nuts but it's meant that I'm full and don't need to be eating at 10pm or whatever. And yes, Huel black fits this much better with it's higher protein content. It's not all things to everyone and being that I enjoy food and eating it will never be a replacement but fits my needs when time is short. Also my son loves it but he's also not shy in asking for pie and chips like his old man. Real food will always win but there are times when this is better.
No, there is not time where it is better. None. There is only time where it‘s convenient.
Wrong. Unless I can figure out a way to freeze time between clients so that I can prepare and eat a decent meal this will be better.
@RealJamesSmith.... yep, in response to your reply which I now can’t seem to see, @dailyshit is right. I was far too quick to jump on the reply button and fight the good fight. In this case it is convenient but not better. I understand and accept that point entirely. However when the alternatives are to either eat late at 9-10pm and snack when I can in the meantime or just simply not work during what are for me prime time hours so that I can prepare and eat good quality food Huel does do it. I’ve had no negative repercussions from what I can see, I’m feeling great, becoming leaner (with regular exercise too) staying full so I’m struggling to see why it’s a bad thing. If it is so bad then perhaps you could do a more in depth video talking about the science behind made you feel this way because at the moment I’m not seeing any alternative that fits my needs. Keep up the great work too.
@@jonathanvipond8299 change something
James being a smart ass as usual.
I get that hyperbole makes a more interesting video, but I think you are isolating one small group of people that use meal replacement shakes thoughtlessly or for a majority of their meals.
I am eating at a deficit and counting calories. Using Huel powder (not the pre-made shakes) gives me a 30g of protein, 400 calories "meal" that takes one thing off my list. I can prep the other 3-4 (depends on if I train that day) meals with lean meat, fruits, veggies, and nuts - but getting 1 meal done with a meal replacement shake helps keep me on track easier.
No one would suggest giving meal replacement shakes to a child - that’s ridiculous. If you choose to consume meal replacements that’s a decision you should make not one put upon you by an adult. And obviously we shouldn’t be endorsing multi-level marketing companies. The people who are involved in them are usually victims too and will never make any money. Personally I love them as it allows me to consume calories when I don’t want to but need to in order to keep going - usually breakfast when solid food doesn’t appeal but I need something to get my brain in gear before work or lunch - same thing. The majority of people who use HUEL (40g of protein in HUEL black) use it for convenience and supplementing their diet and to help them easily track calories. It’s definitely not a con.
Hey James,
Insightful video. I agree with some of the points made like:
- Sadly, there are too many low quality brands promoting glorified protein shakes as meal replacement shakes. These often lack nutrients like omega-3, contain low quality ingredients, are not a complete source of vitamins and minerals, and mainly care about the flavor.
- There are pyramid schemes in the industry, most noticeably Herbalife.
- Having quality homecooked meals with plenty of vegetables, fruits, and variety of nutrient sources (grains, meat, fish, dairy) is probably the best way to go around it.
Now, here is another way to see some of these points:
- Not all companies are equal, and in this case Huel is definitely not a pyramid scheme -so putting the brand in the same conversation feels wrong. You can know this because they are not interested in selling you stock for you to sell or to sign in new ambassadors. Even in protein powders you have pyramid schemes.
- "Only 20g of protein". Yes, 20g of protein in 400kcals, which is 20% of the energy comes from protein. If you check health guidelines (which arguably could be updated), this is within. In a 2,000kcal, this is 100g of protein - which for 65kg would be 1.53g/kg of bodyweight (arguably in the lower end).
- "Only 20g of protein part 2". That said Huel also offers 2 other meals that have 30g and 40g of protein per 400kcal, respectively. Thus, if you want a higher protein meal, you have the option.
- Use case. I agree that these should not be given to kids, and that the value of the meals should be taught to kids. That said, in our lives, not all meals are perfect or can be perfect. In occasions where you are on the go, you working without having good options around you, or you don't want to meal prep, meal replacements can have a place.
For instance, you say that protein powders are OK after workout, but I could make the same argument. Instead, you should have food. Cook a meal with chicken, tuna or eggs. But it's just not convenient or possible, is it?
I understand the pacing and keeping the video short, but it feels like a few points were too lightly threaded.
I hope I showed the other side of the argument
P.S. And yes, I'm a little biased towards MRPs myself.
Brilliant comment! I have been using a product called Jimmy Joy for around 12 years, and it works perfectly for me.
Thanks
Nice to see you here LF! In an ideal world I would be cooking wholefoods for every meal and I’m under no illusion that that’s the healthiest option.
But the fact is most people just don’t do that, the majority of most peoples meals are not well thought out, home cooked, nourishing, perfect macros.
I use meal replacements for most of my meals because I don’t want to plan, prep, cook, wash up. I’m happy for the people here who enjoy all of that but I just don’t.
@@lenaoxton8827 Great way to put what I wanted to say.
They can also be a great tool to reduce mental stress as well as save time. It's about knowing how to identify the right tool and use it appropriately.
Same goes for protein powders, imo.
Thank you for saying this. It is impossible to find people who don't keep flogging this stuff.
Love Huel, used it for a couple years now, firstly as part of a method of controlling calories and now I'll generally have it for breakfast, and then a couple through the day if I'm in the office. Couple of points re the video, a standard huel shake has 30 grams of protein, but more importantly. 8 grams of fibre and 12 grams of fat, the rest being carbohydrates. It's incredibly satiating and I have absolutely no cravings following a shake. It's like when you have a big bowl of soup you just often feel fuller for longer despite the lower caloric value. Re the cost, in the office I can go to the sandwich shop and spend £4 or have a huel for £1.50 and know it's probably better nutrition. It's not even about time for me tbh, just ease and, enjoyment and feeling full while drinking something that I perceive as being healthy. P.s. I come from this from the point of view as being an endurance "athlete" training for mountain hundred milers rather than getting hella swole.
Why not prepare proper food at home,
Make your own higher quality "meal replacement " at home 😢
@@pauldavies7251not everyone has the mental capacity to do that
@@pauldavies7251 Mainly because I really just don't enjoy doing it. I'd rather be playing with the kids or out running/cycling/lifting.
Healthier in terms of macros yes but when actually looking at what goes into it, in comparison to whole foods, it doesn’t even come close to being ‘healthy’
@@joshkalinowski7782It is also very healthy in terms of micros. I have been using a product called Jimmy Joy for around 12 years. Due to some health issues, I have my blood tested twice a year. According to my doctor, I am one of her most healthy patients. 🙂
I lost a shit ton of weight (60kg) on meal replacement shakes and hot and savoury meals, it's all about will power, and make sure the products of your choosing have vitamins and minerals and keep hydrated!
I have little to zero enjoyment in eating food. Severely underweight here. Drinking my calories is so much easier
Loving this guys content, refreshingly naturally funny
you dont get it m8. Huel is actually a fantastic product for normal people that arent so focused on the healthy lifestyle like you are. Loads of us eat like shit every day. i'm a postie and having a huel drink rather than a greggs has helped me out loads. we arent all min maxing! I love having a healthier option that i can just grab and drink and then a good home cooked meal in the evening. There is definitely a place for meal replacement drinks in todays society.
Lol all the comments here about having a ribeye steak for breakfast and cooking every meal. Who has time for that shit?? I’m happy for people if they enjoy it but there’s so many other things I’d rather be doing.
Yep, he is completely fine with a protein shake, but apparently drinking other vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients is a big no-no.
Its far healthier (and cheaper) than most of the crap that people eat.
I love that before this video played, Huel chose to place their advert on your video.
I use Huel but not as a meal replacement, just as extra protein and nutrition on top of a healthy diet. I use it 3/4 times a week when pushed for time. Definitely don’t skip a meal to use this. Use this as an add on to an already existing healthy eating routine. Can’t go wrong 💪🏼
Yh I use it as a 4th meal cos I cba to make four meals a day
I know a lot of people who do the same.
Huel worked great for me for a time. I came from a different perspective that I loved the idea of meal replacement drinks. I don't drink it very often these days but I do think it is a great alternative to buying a meal deal at a supermarket.
It was a great gateway into me improving my diet, and having a liquid food while my inflammatory bowel disease was flaring. Since then I have added real whole foods to my diet and improved my diet a lot now, but huel definitly got me out of a bad diet space. Most of the fast options for food in the supermarkets for lunch are filled with sugar and rapeseed oils, I appreciate huel as an option. I made some videos on huel becuase I loved the product at the time. My perspective since has changed from a daily user of Huel to a sporadic buyer of ready to drink when I am at work.
This is funny. Steven Bartlett is an investor and advocate for all things Huel. Ive listened to your podcast interviews with him on DOAC multiple times. Love the way you approach life. Interviews were such game changers.
Been having huel for several years, initially to lose weight as I had gone from being very active to completely sedentary, but hadn’t changed my eating habits. I lost 10kg, through very strict calorie deficit and then got back into fitness where over the next couple of years I built my size back up.
At my peak I had put on 12kg in weight, to be 95kg and lean, training 6 times a week, with additional cardio sessions. Monday to Friday I would only have huel and then at the weekends eat what ever I wanted in addition to huel.
It’s not for everyone, but for me it was easy, cheap and I didn’t have to think about food at all. I could just eat what ever I wanted
Now though I have huel throughout the day and then normal food in the evening with my partner.
Only one other friend I know has been able to stick with it as long as I have, others try it, have success in their weight loss and then go off of it after a few months, putting the weight back on.
If muscle size doesn't matter to you and you just want to drop weight then you can have it, but realise that 5 meals have 100g of protein for 2000 calories for most of their products, which is pretty low. So gaining muscle purely on that diet will not work
@@doraafelfedezoofisol powder form has more protein per serving and I had more than 2000 calories mon-Friday. These pre-made drinks are expensive and not worth it.
Could I have been even more efficient with food, possibly? But this took zero effort or time to do and worked great for me
@@doraafelfedezoofisolNo one said you can only have 5 meals with 100 g of protein and 2000 calories. There are no rules as to how you should use meal replacement products. I have been using a product called Jimmy Joy for about 12 years and it works great for me.
I lost weight starving
Trust me it works
As soon as a brand or those ‘endorsing’ it uses the ducking annoying words “game changer” or “this changes everything” I’m immediately out. Not least because it’s just a thing people say without considering its meaning these days but also because nothing changes everything and almost all products are rip offs of other products doing the same bloody thing.
My grandad, a doctor, was using slimfast for 20 years. He gained weight rather than lost it.
So he had reverse diarrhea which normally slim fast gives you.
You are literally the only one who tells it this way! Please, please keep it up
That is very kind, but, you are the only winner! Coms another way
What does this man have against soup?
As someone who has started using huel, i dont mind it.
I use it for lunch only as im terrible with diets and making healthy meals. i would also skip lunch alot as im a delivery driver and would rather get finiahed esrlier than stop for lunch, so something is better than nothing,
im also using this to help me feel better about my self which it is doing which in turn is making me get better at choosing healthier options for meals.
Its not a long term thing, but if it helps me get into a routine of eating better and healthier then to me thats a good thing.
(I was someone who would have multiple take aways a week which is now stopping because i am having huel for lunch)
You used to beautifully break down the science of why things do or dont work to us in layman's terms. Now were are the stage where your just shouting you wouldnt feed it to your nan/child.
I mean, I understand somewhat if you are replacing EVERY meal but I feel they can be very beneficial if you have an option of a “meal replacement” or McDonalds, the powder seems like a better option for that meal.
I don’t mind Huel Black as 40g of protein and handy to have in on days when you don’t have time to prepare a meal with that much protein. Sometimes I have a huel and go a longer walk on my lunch so that I don’t pull someones head off rather than spend time in the kitchen 😊. As long as only used as an alternative to grabbing something worse I think they have a place. Also it’s amusing the amount of flatulence it can produce, my missus said she’s staring a Huel partners support group.
Ah there we go 😆 commented asking for a vid on Huel and here it is, cheers man great timing
I've tried Huel and I'm currently a subscriber of Jimmy Joy. While I understand this is a weird concept and not for everyone, I personally love it. I rarely have it as a meal replacement though, but more like a snack that I mix with yogurt, nuts, cereals and fruits. I have replaced a meal now and then and it's totally fine too, but find it boring
My problem with huel is that it's low protein for all the calories you get. But as a snack I have it too
@@doraafelfedezoofisolcan’t you get the black version that is high protein?
@@doraafelfedezoofisol black is 40g/400kcal which is comparable to greek yoghurt and cottage cheese. even the basic stuff (not pre-mixed) is 30g/400kcal which is still far superior to, e.g. breakfast cereal
@@edwardblackburn492 I wasn't aware of those, thanks for the info
I have been using Jimmy Joy since they started about 12 or 13 years ago. Back then it was called Joylent, derived from the original Soylent created by Rob Rhinehart.
I don't cook never have. Have always been too lazy and as such have eaten very poorly all my life. I have to say after having a black edition shake I feel satiated for a while. I have two of these a day. One in the morning and as such instead of going to the bakery and getting rolls with greasy food I have huel. Surely that's a good thing.
I'm the same. I don't care much for cooking, because I can't be bothered really. I try to eat somewhat healthy, but replacing a lot of unhealthy foods with Huel has been a game changer for me.
I'm not even lazy, but I don't have time to cook properly and to also work full time, especially for my lunches.
I mix half a scoop of Whey in my huel when Im running short on time, want a super quick brekkie or am hungry and have nothing in the house. YES, using huel as a meal replacement isnt a great idea, but as a replacement for crisps, snack and other Sh*t its incredible. It can be a tool.. keep your knickers on and keep up the great vids! 😊
Spot on James.. people always looking for the easy quick fix… trying to avoid the hard work..
As always, James, great video. I drink the Huel Black shakes. But, I don’t do it as a meal replacement. I add them on top of my breakfast. Which is usually some eggs, chopped potatoes and turkey sausage. I just started taking it and will likely bow out of the subscription due to it not being as good as a traditional protein shake. Keep up the great work man!
I just drink them as drinks and eat all meals normally on top, Just some easy calories I can just drink down and replaces a multivitamin, I love them
Honestly could not disagree any more I have been on huel not for 7 months and I love it. I'm training 4/5 days a week lifting weights and I've lost so much FAT I was 99kg and I'm now 84 and less than 15% body fat all thanks to huel.
Nothing has changed for me in life I have always trained hard but as a fussy eater diets never worked until I found HUEL
Literally just ranting and repeating the same thing over. I started watching thinking/hoping there would be some valuable research explaining why Huel was no good but it was all down to 8min of your personal opinion you prefer to eat food rather than drink it 😂 well good for you! Maybe next video you share facts/science to help people understand why Huel (specific brand) might be no good. Also the Huel product you showed at the start is 1 product. Their normal (black) bags where you make it yourself are 40g of protein in a 90g serving I know that’s better in a morning than a bowl of cereal for me!
Also in case you didn’t realise everybody is going to die, 100% of us, maybe rephrase the Q on the board 🙈
Clear message from a well informed & caring place… but most of all f’ing hilarious watching 😂
Keep up the great work 😊
Honestly, I can't stop watching your videos! So informative yet entertaining, keep doing what you're doing mate love it!
I wouldn't go anywhere near their products and the Adverts are really Naff and Annoying - Great video James.
Point 1. I thoroughly enjoyed the Ricky Gervais reference. 3:09
Point 2. Molly Mae said the "We all have the same 24 hours in a day" comment on a podcast sponsored by Huel 😂5:24
Point 3. Everyone is going to die. 6:46
Point 4. Your content hits the nail on the head every time.
People like shortcuts thats why there are meal replacement shakes. Those people will actually think it works and the companies make money.
I use a "meal replacement". I take a whey shake at about 10:00-10:30 as my first "meal" of the day then at lunch I eat a real meal. But i do this because i need to lose weight and if i fast the entire morning i go mental.
James dunno bout Huel Black, better split. I've been drinking it for 3 years and usually have one for breakfast. Energy, digestion and overalls⭐ wellbeing has been measurably better as a result. I still eat plenty of whole foods and a variety of protein sources, but Huel is happily part of my weekly diet. Still enjoyed this video James 👍
Good point, well made!
Anyone else ironically get served a Huel advert at the end of this video?!
Agreed, huel isn’t the most fun thing, but Im 7 weeks in and 10kg down from having huel smoothies/ hot and savoury twice a day and a proper meal in the evening has made calorie counting more achievable. And for the kids.. if I can sort my fat ass out sooner and my kids get to see a healthier size me then that is more important to me. I don’t plan to stay on huel forever but whilst it’s working, I won’t stop it!
Wonder if you read this James! 👍🏼
kkkkk, not hating anything you know, but you don't need huel specifically for what you're doing. on the other hand, the point of the video is when you take meal replacement shakes like huel, you're not actully replacing a meal, rather completely skipping it. that's why you're losing weight faster because you're most probably intaking less carbs than what you should have. Hopefully you're not just dependent on huel for losing weight and actually do some lifting too or it won't take longer for you to understand the point of this video.
It’s good but if we don’t address the route cause of weight gain in the first place, when we stop 9 times out of ten the weight comes back on. Personally I couldn’t drink these for the rest of my life
Here’s a scenario. Single person not have enough time to MAKE meal and don’t want to eat high sodium, glucose restaurant meals. Enjoy having proper meals on the weekend w/ fam and friends. But a 2~3 times a week, just want simple cost effective meal supplements. Is there a such product out there?
I have huel shakes with 40g of protein from 2 scoops mainly as a snack, not a meal.
So the gist of this is it's not "proper" food and therefore isn't eating? That'll give you an eating disorder that you'll pass on to your kids and you miss out on the enjoyment of eating?
I use a meal replacement once a day most days. I've never really enjoyed the act of eating, I eat for fuel. I don't have an eating disorder, I don't have kids. I hit my protein target everyday. (I think your protein protocol is a bit outdated).
I had hoped this would break down the nutrition elements which is the bit I care about, but it didn't.
Exactly the same, I expected nutrition breakdown all I got were pointless, weak arguments
Very easy to give this advice to people, considering James doesn’t work regular hours. Lots of people don’t have time to haves regular meals. So supplements suffice in trying to fit in the ‘required’ daily amounts. If your happy with Huel or any other supplement drive on. Not everybody can have the vegetables, meat required. Big supporter of James’s videos but this is clutching at straws……starting to loose touch with reality me thinks.
It's not replacing a meal - its replacing eating fast food on the go. Its also for people who are short of time to eat. I travel a lot - and often at short notice. It's a huge help.
i think youre painting with a very broad brush here …
as a psychology student, i sometimes spend 12 + hours in the library and the only thing that 1. keeps me satiated 2. has protein 3. is easy to take with me, 4. DOES NOT impair my cognitive performance after consumption and 5. does not make me broke (consider, i‘m a student), is huel black. if you got a better alternative, i‘m happy to switch …
Haha.. Legendary James!! 😂
This was fantastically constructed.. A clear, Solid, not B.S message! 💪
You disregarded the nutritional properties, the ingredients, the sourcing, the price, the taste... There was zero analysis here, just a very long rant about how stupid it looks to get a meal from a drink.
I am sure Huel isn't ideal, there are probably a lot of reasons to be at least a little bit wary of the product, but this video didn't explain any of those reasons. If the "information" presented here is all I had, I still wouldn't know whether Huel is the perfect nutrition source or distilled poison.
Anytime u have people that try things and says "it worked for me" and "it helped me lose weight" it justifies the product regardless of what the reality of the product is.
as someone who has always struggled with eating/doesn't really enjoy food I personally look forward to the development of the senzu bean. I've force fed myself to about 95kg 15-18% BF roughly but I absolutely hate eating and the ballache that is cooking. If the meal shakes were reasonably nutritious I'd happily depend on them tbh
Don't forget to train in 100x gravity!
what a first world problem to have lol
This is very subjective on how you balance out your multiple meals. But it’s better than nothing when you are on a time crunch.
What about soup? That’s a Meal that you can drink that’s good.
Soup is made with real food.
@@whatplanetareweon2375 true
Man, you are just too brutal and way too honest... but, do remember - people don't like that!!! You got new sub here! Respect, mate!