Is Huel Keto Friendly?
Do you struggle to find keto-friendly meals, foods, and supplements that are tasty, convenient, and actually satisfy your hunger? We hear you!
There are many products on the market that promise to tick all of these boxes, such as Huel which promises to provide all the essential nutrients you need in one convenient shake.
But, Is Huel keto-friendly? And how safe is it?
Is this the keto diet correct diet for you in the long term? What are the side effects and risks of following ketogenic diet?
In this post, we'll explore Huel's macronutrient breakdown and see if it fits into the keto diet, so you can decide for yourself if it's the perfect keto meal replacement for you.
What Is The Keto Diet?
The Keto diet has increased in popularity over the years and has been branded as super easy to follow.
Lose weight while eating bacon and sausages? What's not to love!?
The diet itself is made up of high-fat content with a moderate amount of protein and low carbohydrates.
The Keto diet is successful as the body uses glucose as a source of energy first, followed by anything that can be converted to glucose which is when the body produced Ketones.
Producing ketones is more likely during low carbohydrate intake or when your body goes into a starvation phase.
Stored body fat or acids from fat are then combined with an enzyme followed by a series of chemical reactions that occur which create ketones, switching from burning glucose to fat.
One of the biggest misconceptions about the keto diet is that it's 'high fat, high protein'.
Keto Macro Split
A general macronutrient split of a ketogenic diet is;
- 70% fat
- 20% protein
- 10% carbohydrates
An average amount of protein is needed for a keto diet as some amino acids can be converted to glucose, however, if a higher amount of protein is consumed this may take the individual out of ketosis.
The level at which a person goes into ketosis can vary, for some over a week whereas some people can enter ketosis after a couple of days.
In general, the average person will need to go under 50 grams per day to reach ketosis.
What Is Huel?
Huel provides a variety of ready-to-eat meal replacements and snacks that provide you with the vitamins and minerals that your body needs.
Ready-To-Drink Huel is designed to fulfil all of the body’s nutritional needs if you were to switch to a diet exclusively based on the drink product.
All Huel products are nutritionally balanced and rich in plant-based protein, fibre, and healthy fats. They’re also vegan and free of lactose, soy, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Huel is considered one of the most nutritionally complete and healthiest meal replacements on the market.
Key ingredients in the drink include powdered oats, sunflower, flaxseed, coconut, rice and dietary supplements of vitamins and minerals. Amino acids are also naturally derived from the ingredients.
Does Huel Contain Carbohydrates?
Huel provides a balanced macro split of 35:20:42:3 (carbohydrate, protein, fat, fibre) and provides 400 kcal per bottle.
One bottle of Huel Ready-To-Drink includes 37g of carbohydrates which means that it may not be the best option to use on a keto diet due to the high amount, leaving not many carbs for consumption for the rest of the day.
Is Huel Too High In Carbs?
One Huel Ready-To-Drink bottle would take you over your recommended carbs on a keto diet, as it includes a high amount of carbs per serving.
Is Huel Keto Friendly?
Huel’s website states, ‘Huel products, on the whole, are not compatible with a ketogenic diet. This is because carbohydrates provide around 35-40% of the total calories of Huel products, except Huel Black Edition.’
Due to the high carb content, Huel Ready-To-Drink would not be suitable on a keto diet. The products include this high amount as they are most commonly used for meal replacement.
A general keto diet will include anywhere between 25-60g of carbohydrates per day, which differs depending on the amount of movement and overall weight of the person, as well as how long they have been using the diet.
Is Huel Good For Losing Weight?
When used as part of a calorie-controlled healthy diet, Huel can be very effective for losing weight.
Most Huel meal replacements contain 20-30 grams of protein per serving, along with a balanced macro and micro nutrient profile.
Swapping a more calorie-dense, less satiating snack for a Huel meal replacement can help you feel fuller for longer, with fewer calories being consumed.
Huel can also prevent further snacking on ‘empty calories’ that could cause you to enter a calorie surplus.
For more information, visit Using Huel For Weight Loss - Everything You Need To Know.
Should You Use Meal Replacement Shakes In a Keto Diet?
Meal replacement shakes that include low carbohydrate content would be best to be used as part of a Keto diet so that you can consume these alongside other food groups and remain under the recommended amount of carbs to achieve ketosis.
Is Huel Black Edition Keto Friendly
Huel projects aren’t generally suitable for a keto diet, apart from Huel Black Edition.
Huel Black Edition can be adapted to create a meal replacement suitable for the keto diet. If you blended 50g of Huel Black Edition with 50g of desiccated coconut, a meal is provided where 70% of the calories are provided by fat, 18% by protein and 12% by carbs, creating a meal with only 16g of carbohydrates which would be more suitable for a ketogenic diet.
Is the Keto Diet Good for Weight Loss?
In comparison to other diets, the ketogenic diet is effective for weight loss, but not more so than other options such as meal replacements and calorie-controlled diets.
The keto diet is used to reduce the amount of carbohydrates but heightens the amount of fat, sugar and processed foods being consumed.
A lot of people that have used the diet, have reported that they have the feeling of fullness for longer due to the high protein content so it reduces the need to consume more calories.
Healthline reported, ‘Some studies have suggested that a ketogenic diet may be more effective than a low fat diet for weight loss, even after matching the total calorie intake (11Trusted Source).
In one older study, people on a ketogenic diet lost 2.2 times more weight than those on a low calorie, low fat diet. Triglyceride and HDL (good) cholesterol levels also improved.
However, both groups reduced calorie consumption by a comparable amount, and this may have increased weight loss.’
However, results can be missed and although a ketogenic diet can increase energy levels this may not increase fat loss. At the beginning of the Keto diet is usually when most people see the most benefits, getting rid of the extra weight quite quickly, however, this is most likely to be water weight initially.
Is the Keto Diet Healthy?
The keto diet could cause many issues as well as benefits. As the diet is extremely high in saturated fats this could increase your cholesterol.
Heathline said, ‘McManus recommends that you keep saturated fats to no more than 7% of your daily calories because of the link to heart disease. And indeed, the keto diet is associated with an increase in "bad" LDL cholesterol, which is also linked to heart disease.’
Other potential risks can include nutritional deficiency as you aren’t eating a wide amount of fruit, vegetables, or other food groups, liver and kidney problems, constipation and a fuzzy head as healthy carbs are needed to increase brain activity.
If you have any experience of the above risks, it is best to consult a doctor before starting a ketogenic diet.
How Does Your Body Get In Ketosis?
Producing ketones is more likely during a decreased carbohydrate intake or when your body is starving.
Body fat and acids stored are then combined with an enzyme followed by a series of chemical reactions that occur which create ketones, switching from burning glucose to fat.
The amount of protein consumed during ketosis needs to be monitored and not to go over an average level, as a higher amount of protein could cause the individual to come out of ketosis.
The level at which a person goes into ketosis can vary, depending on many factors, some can achieve this in days whereas others can take weeks.
Depending on weight and other factors will affect how each individual reacts to ketosis.
The Verdict - Should You Use Huel On a Keto Diet?
Huel products, with their high carbohydrate content, are not designed to be used as part of a keto diet and are best used as a meal replacement or as part of a calorie-controlled diet.
A ketogenic diet can have many benefits, however, can also come with its risks. The keto diet can be beneficial for weight loss but not more so than other diet options that include a range of food groups and are better for you nutritionally.
There are many other products on the market that are designed for those on a low carb diet. These keto snacks can be stored in the cupboard and are perfect to grab and go as part of a busy lifestyle.
However if you would like to use a meal replacement shake alongside a balanced or calorie-controlled diet, Huel ready-to-drink would be a great option, perfect for busy people who are always on the go.
With all 26 essential vitamins and minerals, as well as carbohydrates, protein, fat, fibre, and phytonutrients, Huel Ready-to-Drink is a nutritious and convenient way to fuel your body.
Browse our entire range of Huel Read-to-Drink flavours.