How does Huel stack up to the MyProtein BeNu range – a new selection of 'complete nutrition' shakes?

It would appear that MyProtein BeNu has been marketed and positioned in a very similar way to Huel. While we believe both are good products providing convenience meals with minimal impact on the environment. However, we'd say that Huel is superior in terms of overall nutrition and ingredient quality.

That outcome probably won't come as a surprise to you so, to prove that we've actually done our homework, we've collated a fact-based comparison between MyProtein BeNU vegan and Huel to show you why we've reached that conclusion.

Just a heads up – we haven’t compared subjective factors such as taste or texture, as we know that we've all got our preferences.

*Correct as of 01/05/22

Macronutrients 

One of the first things people tend to notice about MyProtein is that it’s cheaper and they often have a few discount codes flying around. There is, of course, a reason for this – the standard of the ingredients used across the board isn't quite comparable to Huel's.

The first point to note is that both Huel Powder and BeNu include protein above the reference intake. Huel’s sources are predominantly pea and brown rice protein, yet BeNu is pea protein and soy protein isolate. Soy is one of the main 14 allergens in the UK, and therefore many individuals are unable to consume it, which Huel has been mindful of and excluded.

On the face of it, both Huel and BeNu contain a high fibre content, providing several benefits including favourable effects on the gut microbiota and digestion ^[2,3]. However, when we peel back the numbers for you, you can see that the fibre in Huel is all naturally supplied from the ingredients, mainly oats and flaxseed, however, the fibre content in BeNu is bumped up by inulin and added fibres.

Huel Powder contains flaxseed and sunflower oil to achieve an optimal omega-3:omega-6 ratio of approximately 1:1. On the other hand, BeNu uses flaxseed oil powder and sunflower oil creamer. That ratio, however, was not listed on the MyProtein website so we cannot comment further, other than to highlight the ideal ratio of Huel.

It’s interesting to note that Huel contains a source of MCTs, while BeNu vegan does not, an additional benefit within Huel. MCTs are a type of saturated fat that are metabolized differently from most saturated fats and are an efficient source of energy^[4].

Vitamins & Minerals 

If we're taking a more in-depth look at the vitamin & mineral content, Huel has taken into consideration additional factors such as bioavailability, interactions with other nutrients and additional health benefits depending on the form.

For example, 100% of the zinc, magnesium and iron in Huel is naturally occurring, derived from the six main ingredients. In addition, it’s widely considered that the amount of vitamin C we’re recommended to consume is too low, therefore, we have added acerola cherries which are naturally high in vitamin C. The benefits of consuming more vitamin C include a healthy immune system, healthy skin and antioxidant properties^[5].

Based on the information provided by MyProtein, we can see that BeNu Vegan only contains vitamin D2 & K1, whereas Huel contains D2, D3, K1 & K2. D3 is more bioavailable than D2 and K2, and has been shown to have many positive attributes such as being anti-inflammatory^[6]. Also, 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 the dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate used by MyProtein^[7].

BeNu uses folic acid, however in Huel, the natural ingredients used supply most of the folate in Huel, and the additional amount we add is L-methylfolate calcium, a highly bioavailable form, more so than folic acid As you can see, the natural ingredients that make up the bulk of Huel (oats, pea, tapioca starch, brown rice, flaxseed, sunflower seed and MCTs from coconut) are packed full of naturally occurring vitamins and minerals. We are proud of our formula and have made sure that the additional vitamins and minerals are of the highest quality and in the most available format.

To highlight this, the details surrounding vitamins and minerals in Huel can be found on our website, whereas it is not available on MyProtein BeNu

Additional benefits

Huel also contains additional nutrients, such as phytonutrients – substances that are found in certain plants and probiotics which may exert extra health benefits, adding to an overall superior product. For example, lycopene (a substance that gives red tomatoes their color) has been added to Huel Powder as they have been shown to reduce the risk of developing several diseases ^[9].

Read on for more information on the phytonutrients in Huel, as well as their benefits. 

Summary 

Hopefully, this comparison has helped you make a decision on which vegan complete nutrition shake to go for. Naturally, we'd encourage you to try Huel for benefits far beyond nutrition, such as sustainability, but this may allow you to work out your preferences yourself. 

Ready to try Huel? Explore the full range of Huel products here or find the right Huel for you.

References

1. MyProtein. Benu Complete Nutrition Vegan Shake. Date Accessed: 01/05/2022. [Available from: https://www.myprotein.com/sports-nutrition/benu-complete-nutrition-vegan-shake/12919674.html]
2. Anderson JW, et al. Health benefits of dietary fiber. Nutr Rev. 2009; 67(4):188-205.
3. 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.
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. 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.
6. Sato T, et al. Comparison of menaquinone-4 and menaquinone-7 bioavailability in healthy women. Nutr J. 2012; 11:93.
7. Lodge JK. Vitamin E bioavailability in humans. J Plant Physiol. 2005; 162(7):790-6.
8. Scaglione F, et al. Folate, folic acid and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate are not the same thing. Xenobiotica. 2014; 44(5):480-8.
9. Zhang YJ, et al. Antioxidant Phytochemicals for the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases. Molecules. 2015; 20(12):21138-56.