Those who know me probably aren’t a stranger to the fact that I don’t really enjoy eating all that much. There are a lot of foods I like, and sometimes even crave, but if I could just not eat during the day and get those hours of my life back, then I probably would.

So when I heard about this new meal replacement stuff called Huel, I thought this was too good to be true! I ordered some, thinking this was a perfect thing to take on my bike trip. After all, it seemed I could have a nutritionally complete, easy to prepare meal with minimal fuss. It even comes with a special bottle that I could use to mix it up on the go – perfect for a bike tour!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been experimenting with various recipes. I’ve added some bananas, cocoa powder, and other flavorings that they recommend. I’ve blended it with water, milk, and just shaken it up in the bottle. And after lots of servings, I’ve had mixed results.

Overall it’s very gritty. Unless you blend it for a really long time in a blender, there is definitely a lot of grit in it which is a little nasty.  The flavor isn’t great, but it’s definitely not bad. Adding the cocoa flavoring really helps.

PROS:

  • Easy to prepare
  • Easy to carry/store on the bike
  • Super cheap (less than $2/serving)
  • Nutritionally complete

CONS:

  • Flavor isn’t great – almost gross
  • My bowels apparently don’t appreciate it (not good for biking!)
  • I’m not convinced it could replace a meal
  • Need to bring additional ingredients to make it palatable

So the jury is still out on  whether I will be bringing it along on the the bike. Part of me still really thinks it’s a great idea, but I’m still not convinced I could rely on this instead of a meal.