Huel - premade banana - new years resolution in a bottle (@NLi10)

 It's that time of year again folks - when I remember the original function for the pot I use to eat crisps at work was to make Huel lunches and wonder if I should start again.

For those that haven't come across the brand/cult yet it's pretty decent meal replacement drinks and grains, that are full of a lot of things that bodies crave.  And they are usually pretty good value too.

This is one of the pre-made bottles that is more expensive but better mixed so a perfect example of 'do I like this' before you buy the big bags.

Not sure i'd ever bothered with the banana so I figured I'd try it out ahead of potentially ordering some of the new flavours for work.

They really do contain everything in one bottle.

And the ingredients do give decent sources - it's not all just sprayed on like with cereal.

It does look like goop.

But - as always the texture is fine, and the smell and taste are pretty good.  I'd stick to the red flavours (and vanilla) but as a one off this was quite a nice banana variant.

I'm still convinced the milkshakes are not the star and want them to sell the grain pots in smaller portions (but as it's warm it's a bit harder to justify).  Guess I'll just have to place an order soon.

Huel Bar - Peanut Butter (@NLi10)

I'm a big fan of Huel.  It's my default lunch now it's got colder (the grain works well as I don't have to leave the office), and I'll even sneak in a shake now and then.

So last time I reordered I added a couple of bars as a treat.

These are an approved snack for the meal plan, and I guess more towards the fitness and weight-loss side of the cult, rather than the not having to eat hospital sandwiches or go out in a cold pandemic side which I am more interested in.

Really doesn't look that appetising.  Reminds me of the original protein bars before people figured out that drinking whey was much more pleasing.

And it's just as dry and unexciting as I remember those being.  I'd have thought technology would have moved on, but it's still just designed for power-lifters who need all food to taste like a punishment.

So disappointing I've never even considered eating the 2nd bar, I'll save it for a long walk when I'm desperate for sustenance - and have access to water to offset the dryness.

Not one I can recommend at all!

 

Huel Savoury - Thai Green Curry (@NLi10) @gethuel

 I've been putting this one off for a few weeks so have decided to split the two flavours into two reviews.  This is the 2nd - the first is here

Huel is basically science porridge - it's a lunch that you can make with just water and powder, and once you get over the fact that it's not that special, it's actually very filling and satisfying, and seems to be really good for me in terms of vitamins and minerals.  I actually miss it at the weekends (I leave it at work). 

People get twitchy when you include your referral link for this stuff in the reviews (due to the fact that most of the cost of it pays for the adverts) and so I'm not using them this time - and I'm also not submitting this to their creepy brand based influencer app that I signed up for.

All the 'cult of huel' stuff aside I actually like it, so while restocking on magic dust I decided to get the soupy savoury version.

This is the exciting flavour of the two.  As it also had the most potential to go wrong so I only got one bag of this, and two of the other.

Here is the exciting list of ingredients - including that well known Thai food - Sweetcorn?!  Apparently it is popular there, although I don't remember ever seeing it in curries.

And again - like in the first review - I'd shaken the bag to mix the ingredients which just resulted in all the light things floating to the top - sweetcorn disappointment city....

Here is a pic from the other review of what it looks like if you use a little more powder, stir the bag, and maybe a touch less water.  It's a lovely cereal mix.

Where as the tomato version is just tomato soup this one actually has tangyness and tastes like green curry should.  I don't add anything to this one to make it more exciting, but frankly if you had a few fresh greens floating around you could turn this into a real meal.  But it still goes cold too fast in the silly little pot.

I have three bags of this which means I have about 21 meals worth.  And since I popped these open I've not even touched the milkshakes.  This makes me think that I should make those warm somehow, as I have two bags of that to eat too (it'll keep to summer).  I'll likely buy more of this but they really could do with a third flavour, something more earthy, just to make the weeks a little more varied.

Huel Savoury - Tomato & Herb (@NLi10) @gethuel

I've been putting this one off for a few weeks so have decided to split the two flavours into two reviews.

Huel is basically science porridge - it's a lunch that you can make with just water and powder, and once you get over the fact that it's not that special, it's actually very filling and satisfying, and seems to be really good for me in terms of vitamins and minerals.  I actually miss it at the weekends (I leave it at work). 

People get twitchy when you include your referral link for this stuff in the reviews (due to the fact that most of the cost of it pays for the adverts) and so I'm not using them this time - and I'm also not submitting this to their creepy brand based influencer app that I signed up for.

All the 'cult of huel' stuff aside I actually like it, so while restocking on magic dust I decided to get the soupy savoury version.

Turns out it's basically a bag of grain - like a lunch time hot breakfast cereal - bachelor chow for the win!

It's a bit hard to read here but it's all on their website.  It's mostly seeds and grains but with the magic powder added to make you get all those missing extras.

Your first order comes with a stylish black cup.  I also ordered another for the normal shaker as I dropped mine pretty much immediately and it's had a crack in it ever since.  Expensive hobby as these pots are about £4 each, but as the meal powder itself is about £2.50 a day that's cheaper than walking out of my office and finding a sandwich, and it's nicer too.

Paying £50 for dust seems mad.

I thought I gave it a good stir, but this looks in hindsight like mostly the veg on the top of the bag AND it's not a full scoop.

I'm making the world's most expensive Pot Noodle aren't I...?

And goodness it looks wrong?!!  I ate it, but it was watery and the consistency was all weird.  It was mostly beans.  Like with the Huel cereal (which they still owe me for missing one out of my original order!) unless you physically mix the contents of the bag around then you are just going to separate it out more by shaking the bag.  This seems to be a massive flaw in the big bag design.

Give the bag a big old stir first and you end up with this - an appetising bowl of somewhere between cereal and paella - which is great indeed.  Not only is this a lot more satisfying to eat than the milkshake, the heat is also a welcome bonus in the cold days.  If only they sold some kind of insulated bowl that kept it warm while the phone rings and your colleagues interrupt you...

This was the tomato and herb flavour - it's still pretty basic stuff, but it happily takes a shot of balsamic to the top to liven it up (and that's basically fat and calorie free so doesn't ruin the healthiness of it all).

I'll write up the Thai version next.