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VSU's Director of Sports Nutrition weighs in.

Refuel with Huel?

Huel is a brand that wishes to offer students in the United States an alternative way to get their daily nutrition through meal replacement.

Based in the United Kingdom, Huel started in 2016 with the idea to help people get their nutrition in a way that is both easy and tasty.

Leila Hughel-Deeds, Director of Sports Nutrition for VSU, spoke about what makes a product like this a good option for students, calling it a “very well-balanced meal replacement shake.”

According to the Huel website, the shake is high in protein and low in sugar and salt, while also providing the necessary vitamins and minerals a person needs daily.

Huel offers students a discount when buying a subscription, making the products affordable at only $1.22 per meal.

However, there is a drawback to offering the option of drinking meals instead of eating them. Hughel-Deeds talked about how the body reacts differently to eating meals versus drinking meals.

“Your mind doesn’t take into account that the drink was a meal so often you won’t feel as full,” said Hughel-Deeds.

Since one of Huel’s goal is to make nutrients tasty, the flavors that are in the drinks are often high in sugar. Hughel-Deeds said that people will often pair products like this with their meal, which can sometimes add unwanted calories and unwanted results.

Hughel-Deeds said that having a meal-replacement drink is not a bad thing to have every once in a while. However, having a diet based solely on meal-replacement drinks will actually decrease the nutritional value of what students could be getting from actually eating food instead of drinking it.

Huel’s products are a personal preference for each student. Hughel-Deeds says it depends on a student’s schedule, level of activity and whether it will keep a student’s body full.

It is important to be educated on what will work for your body as well as remembering that there is a difference between a meal-replacement drink and a snack.

Having a product like Huel would be great to offer to students here on campus as it would be a different healthy option available. Hughel-Deeds would like students to remember that there are already healthy options available to students on campus.

“It’s just a matter of choosing the right things,” said Deeds.

Students can better their eating habits at VSU by trying to get more colorful foods to eat and to have a plan in mind when going to somewhere like Palms Dining Hall to actively already know what they’re going to eat.

Huel is something students should consider as an option but just make sure to get educated to see if the product would be the right fit for them. This product can help make students feel healthier and more energized, but only if used correctly.

Written by Isabella Schneider, staff writer. Photo courtesy of Huel.

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