When it comes to fitness and becoming a dench beast we are looking for foods with high protein, low GI carbs, healthy fats etc.

 

The foods which come to mind are lean chicken breast, rice, avocado and other similar healthy foods.

 

However, although these foods are healthy I would not class them as the best all round fitness foods, as most of them suck in terms of price, preparation and cleaning time. This is why chicken breast is not on my list of the best foods to bulk on a budget – it is just so expensive.

 

So what could be the best fitness food out there? Well, recently I came across an interesting one:

 

Huel

 

I was scrolling through my IG when I saw this post by a company called Huel. The post boasted that in one shake you can get a perfect mix of carbs, protein and fats at a 40/30/30 ratio (pretty impressive).

 

Of course this caught my eye and I went on to visit the site and see what they’re about: essentially, it is a protein shake which is an actual meal replacement, and not your ‘mass gainer shake’ which is just protein + sugar – it is made out of fancy healthy fitness food such as powdered oats, flaxseed, sunflower, and coconut… Honestly, it did not sound too appetising, however, the idea that I could get such a good macro and micronutrient profile in one shake was too tempting – I ordered the sample vanilla packet straight away.

 

 

The sample 100g packet came the next day. It contained 410 calories, boasted an impressive 30.7g of protein and a preparation time of less than a minute – it basically sounded like an upgraded protein shake, which would be perfect for all you university students who want to get eat healthier but can’t be bothered to cook and clean and do all the boring shit which comes along with trying to be healthy…

 

So was Huel the perfect fitness food that I expected it to be? Let’s analyse it…

 

Speed

 

It is exactly like a protein shake: throw some water in, add your powder, shake, boom, DONE. Took about 2 minutes. When you’re done just slap it in the dishwasher or hand wash it in a minute. Not really much else to say…

 

Fitness Food Speed: 10/10

 

Taste

 

Surprisingly good: it had a grittier texture than a protein shake and an oaty-vanilla taste. It was interesting, but I actually kinda liked it. I reckon after a few more shakes I will start to like it more – similar to when I first bought a protein shake.

 

However, I will have to score it a bit lower as I do have to compare it to the likes of succulent chicken breast or burgers, which for me the taste tops any shake any day.

 

Fitness Food Taste: 7/10

 

Fullness

 

To put it simply, it felt like I was drinking a meal – in a good way. It took me quite a while to finish it as it was extremely filling; I was full for quite a while afterwards – I had that fullness that you get after eating a bowl of oats, which for 500 calories is excellent if you are trying to shred down and get that summer six-pack.

 

Fitness Food Fullness: 9/10

 

Price

 

A standard purchase of 28 500-calorie meals will set you back £45, this averages out to £1.61 per meal.

 

For me this will come in at a fairly slap-bang in the middle in terms of price ranges: compared to home prepared meals it is on the pricier side, however, compared to a £3 meal deal Huel is so much better in terms of price and what you get out of it: with £3 of Huel you can rack up a solid 70g of protein, whilst with a £3 meal deal you will be lucky to get 40g…

 

It all comes down to your personal budget, and how much the convenience of not having to cook or clean is worth to you. I value my time quite a bit, so it is definitely quite good value for money.

 

Fitness Food Price: 7/10

 

Verdict?

 

Total Fitness Food Score: 33/40 = 8/10

 

Huel impressed me. Fast, efficient, and gets the job done.

 

Of course it is no burger or chicken, but then again who can be bothered to constantly walk to the shop, buy some fairly expensive chicken and rice, go home, cut up the chicken, let it cook for 20 mins, then boil and cook rice oh my god it is just the worst…

 

If you want a quick and easy way to get the nutrients you need quickly then I would definitely recommend Huel: bring it to your lecture, use it as a post workout, use it for forearm curls, heck, even use it as a shake-weight (#versatility).

 

So yeah, if you’re interested go ahead and get the sample back here, or if you feel like a hardcore alpha just go ahead and buy 28 servings right now.

 

-Mike