Comparison To Soylent

Despite Huel and Soylent both offering convenient, complete meals with minimal environmental impact, several differences exist between their products and ours. We could talk all day about how much we prefer Huel, but we’d rather leave that up to you.

Read on for a fact-based comparison of Soylent and Huel, considering categories such as nutrition and price.

*Please note, that we've not compared subjective factors such as taste or texture, as we know they're personal to you.

Contents

• Comparing Soylent and Huel Powder v3.1
• Comparing Soylent and Huel Ready-to-drink

Huel Powder v3.1 compared

*Correct as of 01/23/2024. Price calculated on subscription (if available) for a minimum order, not including shipping.

What is the Macro Split?

Both Huel Powder and Soylent include protein above the Daily Value (DV %). Protein has several benefits, such as being the most satiating macronutrient[2]. However, Huel contains almost 50% more protein than 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 and a total fat of 13g per serving[3]. On the other hand, Soylent contains 19g of fat per serving and does not provide information about the amounts of omega-3 or omega-6 present in the product.

Huel Powder also contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) from coconut, which are not included in Soylent. MCTs are a type of saturated fat metabolized differently from 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. 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.

Vitamins & Minerals in both

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 by including more than the Daily Value of vitamin C. 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 uses folic acid. L-methylfolate calcium is 1000 times more expensive, but its 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].

Any Additional Nutrients?

Oats and flaxseed also provide several phytonutrients, which are substances found in certain plants and are beneficial to health. Further information on the phytonutrients in Huel can be found here.

Shop Huel Powder v3.1

Huel Ready-to-drink compared

*Correct as of 01/23/24. Price calculated on subscription (if available) for a minimum order not including shipping.

What is the Macro Split?

Huel Ready-to-drink and Soylent drinks 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, which means they include all the essential amino acids.

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.

Vitamins & Minerals in both

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 27 essential vitamins and minerals. Furthermore, vitamin A is provided from retinol acetate to ensure that vitamin A doesn’t originate from palm oil.

Shop Huel Ready-to-drink

Summary

Hopefully, this comparison has eased your decision-making process. We encourage you to try Huel and other complete foods so you can decide 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: 03/10/22.
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, Cacao. Date Accessed: 31/10/19.