Comparison To Soylent

Both Huel and Soylent provide complete meals for convenience, with minimal impact on the environment. We do, of course, have several differences, and we could go on about how much we prefer Huel, but we’d rather leave that up to you.

This is a fact-based comparison looking at categories such as nutrition and price. We haven’t compared subjective factors such as taste or texture, as they are personal to you.

Huel Powder compared

*Correct as of 07/29/19. Price calculated on subscription (if available) for a minimum order, not including shipping.

Macronutrients

Both Huel Powder and Soylent include protein above the Reference Intake (RI). This is because protein has several benefits such as being the most satiating macronutrient^[2]. However, Huel contains almost 50% more protein compared to Soylent. You can find out more about protein in our article Guide to Protein Quality, Digestion and Absorption.

Huel Powder contains flaxseed and sunflower oil to achieve a great omega-3:omega-6 ratio of less than 1:1^[3]. On the other hand, Soylent uses canola (rapeseed) oil. Huel Powder also contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) from coconut, which are not included in Soylent. MCTs are a type of saturated fat which are metabolized differently to the more common long-chain triglycerides and so have additional benefits such as being an immediate source of energy^[4].

Huel Powder doesn’t use maltodextrin or isomaltulose as carbohydrate sources. This is because oats and flaxseed have a low glycemic index and are naturally high in fiber. Fiber has several benefits including favorable effects on the gut microbiota and digestion^{[5, 6]}. Soylent meets its fiber content by adding ingredients such as soluble corn fiber and has a lower amount of fiber compared to Huel. Additionally, oats and flaxseed provide a significant source of micronutrients. As a result, a large proportion of the vitamins and minerals in Huel Powder are from the main ingredients or naturally occurring, rather than being added, for example, 100% of the zinc in Huel is naturally occurring, derived from the six main ingredients.

Vitamins & Minerals

Where vitamins and minerals have been added to Huel Powder, we ensure we pick the best form available taking into account factors such as bioavailability, interactions with other nutrients and additional health benefits. For example, it’s widely considered that the amount of vitamin C we’re recommended to consume is too low^[7], so we've reflected this in the Huel Powder formula. The benefits of consuming more vitamin C include a healthy immune system, healthy skin and antioxidant properties^[7].

L-methylfolate calcium is used as a source of folate in Huel Powder, while Soylent use folic acid. L-methylfolate calcium is 1000 times more expensive, but the bioavailability is higher^[8]. The vitamin E in Huel is provided by a natural source, d-alpha-tocopherol acetate which is considered to have a higher bioavailability and activity compared to dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate^[9].

Phytonutrients

Oats and flaxseed also provide several phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are substances that are found in certain plants and are beneficial to health. Additional phytonutrients such as lycopene (a substance that gives the red color to tomatoes) have been added to Huel Powder as they have been shown to reduce the risk of developing several diseases^[10]. Further information on the phytonutrients in Huel can be found here.

Huel Ready-to-drink compared

*Correct as of 07/29/19. Price calculated on subscription (if available) for a minimum order not including shipping.

Macronutrients

Huel Ready-to-drink and Soylent drink contain an equal amount of protein. Like the powders, the protein in Huel mainly comes from brown rice and pea protein while Soylent uses soy protein isolate. Both Huel and Soylent are complete protein sources.

Huel Ready-to-drink contains flaxseed while Soylent does not. The presence of flaxseed ensures an adequate source of omega-3 fatty acids and an almost ideal omega-3:omega-6 fatty acid ratio. Huel Ready-to-drink also contains MCTs providing a preferable saturated fatty acid source which again, Soylent doesn’t.

The carbohydrate sources in Huel Ready-to-drink results in a low glycemic index (GI) of 25 and creates a smooth mouthfeel. A high GI food is digested and absorbed rapidly resulting in a more dramatic change in a person’s blood glucose than a low GI food. There are also differences in sugar content as Huel Ready-to-drink contains approximately half the sugar content of Soylent.

Vitamins & Minerals

As with Huel Powder, the vitamins and minerals in Huel Ready-to-drink have been carefully considered. Along with L-methylfolate calcium being used over folic acid, the amount of vitamin D in Huel Ready-to-drink is higher than in Soylent to ensure adequate absorption of all 26 essential vitamins and minerals. Furthermore, the vitamin A in Huel Ready-to-drink is provided from retinol acetate to ensure the vitamin A doesn’t originate from palm oil.

Summary

Hopefully, this comparison has eased your decision-making process. We encourage you to try Huel as well as other complete foods so you can work out for yourself which is your preferred choice.

Ready to try Huel? Check out our product range.

References

1. Soylent. Meal Replacement Powder Original. Date Accessed: 07/29/19. [Available from: https://soylent.com/collections/powder/products/powder-original]
2. Hermsdorff HH, et al. [Macronutrient profile affects diet-induced thermogenesis and energy intake]. Arch Latinoam Nutr. 2007; 57(1):33-42.
3. Simopoulos AP. The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie. 2002; 56(8):365-79.
4. Schonfeld P, et al. Short- and medium-chain fatty acids in energy metabolism: the cellular perspective. J Lipid Res. 2016; 57(6):943-54.
5. Anderson JW, et al. Health benefits of dietary fiber. Nutr Rev. 2009; 67(4):188-205.
6. Kaczmarczyk MM, et al. The health benefits of dietary fiber: beyond the usual suspects of type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and colon cancer. Metabolism. 2012; 61(8):1058-66.
7. Frei B, et al. Authors' perspective: What is the optimum intake of vitamin C in humans? Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2012; 52(9):815-29.
8. Scaglione F, et al. Folate, folic acid and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate are not the same thing. Xenobiotica. 2014; 44(5):480-8.
9. Lodge JK. Vitamin E bioavailability in humans. J Plant Physiol. 2005; 162(7):790-6.
10. Zhang YJ, et al. Antioxidant Phytochemicals for the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases. Molecules. 2015; 20(12):21138-56.
11. Soylent. Meal Replacement Drink, Vanilla. Date Accessed: 07/29/19. [Available from: https://soylent.com/products/drink-vanilla]