Huel and Soylent meal replacement shakes have taken over the market. In fact, these two popular brands make up for over half of the United States meal replacement shake sales. The winner of the Huel vs Soylent challenge? Keep reading!
Both seem like very popular and effective options, right? Here we are asking the question, is one better than the other? Even though these are both plant-based meal replacement shakes, they each possess some key differences from the other.
Who are Meal Replacement Shakes Best for?
Meal replacement shakes are often interpreted as a diet or weight loss aid a lot of the time. However, companies like Soylent and Huel are trying to create a product that allows many busy people to actually get enough calories and nutrients during their busy days.
Oftentimes, those of us constantly on the go put nutrition on the back burner, claiming to not have time to cook, prep, or afford a healthier diet. Huel and Soylent made their powders to make sure that people can still get those nutrition-packed meals in when people need them most, on the go.
If you find yourself constantly running from place to place and working nonstop which leads you to skip meals or grabbing some quick fast-food item while you are out and about, meal replacement shakes such as Huel or Soylent might be just what you need to stay healthy and energized during your busy day.
Is Huel Better than Soylent?
It looks like Huel packs more of a nutritional punch even though they both contain the same types of nutrients and the same calories per serving.
The most important question when choosing the best meal replacement shake should focus on finding the most nutritionally dense option. When we compare Huel and Soylent powders, we find only a few similarities and an array of differences:
- 100 grams of both equal to 400 calories. No winner of Huel vs Soylent
- Huel contains 4 grams more carbs than Soylent
- Huel has 10 grams more protein than Soylent
- Huel pulls its protein sources from pea and rice protein while Soylent utilizes soy
- Huel has 6 grams less fat than Soylent
- Huel contains 15 grams less sugar than Soylent
- Huel has almost 3200 grams of Omega 3’s while Soylent has around 500 grams
Is Huel Good for Losing Weight?
Both Huel and Soylent are widely used for weight-loss purposes. They are good options for maintaining or gaining weight as well because they are considered a nutritionally complete food. Even if you don’t have any goals about your weight, you can use them for improving your diet only.
Is Huel Better than Soylent for Weight Loss?
A serving size for both Huel and Soylent equals the same number of calories, around 400. Therefore, if you are looking for weight loss and safely setting yourself in a calorie deficit, the choice is yours between the two.
Huel appears to be the more nutrient-packed option, but when observing the two strictly from a calorie perspective, you would be fine consuming either.
Which One has Less Sugar: Huel vs Soylent
Added sugars always seem to sneak up on us as we are diving into a healthier way of living. When finding the best meal replacement shake options, there are many out there that are loaded with sugar, making them junk food hiding in a healthy food’s packaging.
When we zero in on Huel and Soylent specifically, both are still good options in regard to sugar count but there are small differences:
- Huel has significantly less sugar than Soylent. Huel only contains 1 gram of added sugars while Soylent contains 16 grams of added sugar. The sugar amount determines the winner of Huel vs Soylent for many people
- While 16 grams of added sugar is not obscene, the fact that Huel has managed to only add 1 gram makes it more appealing when coming at it from a health perspective
- If you prefer the taste of Soylent shakes and they make you full, satisfied, and energized for your chaotic day, those extra grams of sugar won’t bother you
Flavor Options of Huel and Soylent
A lot of meal replacement shakes, and even protein powders get a bad rap for never tasting good or needing to be masked in a fruit-packed smoothie. Needing to take the time to cover up the bad taste of your shake defeats the purpose of it being a fast and on-the-go option. However, not all meal replacement shakes need to taste bad.
Both Huel and Soylent have a nice spread of flavor options as well because everyone has a different preference.
- Huel has more variety in flavors offering: Vanilla, Chocolate, Berry (Sweet strawberry, raspberry, and blueberry mix), Peanut Butter, Salted Caramel, Pumpkin Spice, Caffe Latte
- Soylent decided to stick to solely the classics such as Vanilla and Chocolate
Everything in a Nutshell
In case the differences are still not very clear, the summary table below should help you make a decision.
| HUEL (Vanilla – 100g) | SOYLENT (Vanilla – 100g) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 34 meals = $65 ($1.91 per meal) | 35 meals = $52.50 ($1.82 per meal) |
| Calories | 400 | 400 |
| Carbs | 46g | 42g |
| Protein | 30g | 20g |
| Protein Sources | Peas and Rice | Soy |
| Sodium | 330 mg | 320mg |
| Total Fat | 13g | 19g |
| Sugars | 1g | 16g |
| Flavor Options | 7 flavors | 2 flavors |
Still Undecided?
While the two products are neck and neck in regards to which one is “better”, there are a few more things worth noting. The consumption of processed soy, which is where Soylent retrieves its protein from, is still up for debate in the nutritional community in regard to whether it is harmful to consume. Soy allergies are also fairly common as well, making Huel a better option in that regard.
Huel also offers gluten-free powders which is a great addition for those suffering from Celiac and other gluten intolerances.
Lastly, pricing for both varies a bit. Soylent’s prices per pouch are more affordable, however, Huel offers good bulk deals.
Conclusion
From the above comparisons, it shows that ultimately, the choice is left up to the individual between Huel and Soylent meal replacement shakes. The competition between these two is very close.
If boiled down, it does look like Huel is a slightly better option due to its use of pea and rice protein versus soy and its lower sugar count, but the increased sugar in Soylent is not a bad thing.
While Huel does offer a wider variety of flavors, Soylent’s flavor options still contain the classics that so many people love.
At the end of the day, they are still very similar products and you should just give them both a try and see which one tastes and feel better.
After choosing the healthy meal replacement powder, make sure to keep up with your workout routine. If you haven’t set up your home gym yet, check out, Gold’s Gym XRS 20 Workout Bench. We reviewed this affordable option inside and out.