Composition of Meals and Label Nutritional Information:
Food Label Comparison Data
| Nutrient | Huel Powder (400kcal) | Porridge, banana and honey (426kcal) | Chicken and bacon sandwich (417kcal) | Cheeseburger (292kcal) | Omnivore home-cooked meal (471kcal) | Vegan home-cooked meal (531kcal) |
|---|
| Fat (g) | 13.0 | 7.6 | 14.5 | 12.0 | 9.7 | 4.4 |
| Saturated Fat (g) | 2.3 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 5.8 | 1.5 | 0.6 |
| Sugars (g) | 0.9 | 38.6 | 3.9 | 6.6 | 33.3 | 16.4 |
| Fibre (g) | 7.0 | 6.6 | 4.0 | 2.1 | 11.3 | 15.3 |
| Protein (g) | 29 | 14.4 | 28.30 | 16 | 45.7 | 21.8 |
| Salt (g) | 0.71 | 0.35 | 1.70 | 1.60 | 0.54 | 0.97 |
| Nutrient | Huel Powder v3.0 Vanilla |
|---|
| Energy (kcal) | 400 |
| Fat (g) | 13 |
| Saturates (g) | 2.3 |
| Sugars (g) | 0.9 |
| Fibre (g) | 7.0 |
| Protein (g) | 29 |
| Salt (g) | 0.71 |
Porridge, banana and honey
| Nutrient | Oats (40g) | Semi-skimmed milk (250ml) | Medium banana | Honey (1 tbsp) | Total |
|---|
| Energy (kcal) | 147 | 125 | 105 | 49 | 426 |
| Fat (g) | 3.1 | 4.5 | 0 | 0 | 7.6 |
| Saturates (g) | 0.5 | 2.8 | 0 | 0 | 3.3 |
| Sugars (g) | 0.4 | 12.0 | 14.0 | 12.2 | 38.6 |
| Fibre (g) | 3.6 | 0 | 3.0 | 0 | 6.6 |
| Protein (g) | 4.3 | 9.0 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 14.4 |
| Salt (g) | 0 | 0.25 | 0 | 0.10 | 0.35 |
Prepackaged chicken and bacon sandwich
| Nutrient | Tesco | Asda | Sainsbury’s | Morrisons | Average |
|---|
| Energy (kcal) | 355 | 425 | 474 | 414 | 417 |
| Fat (g) | 13.9 | 13.0 | 17.6 | 13.3 | 14.5 |
| Saturates (g) | 2.2 | 3.4 | 5.9 | 2.2 | 3.4 |
| Sugars (g) | 3.8 | 3.4 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
| Fibre (g) | 3.0 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 4.0 |
| Protein (g) | 21.8 | 32.0 | 28.7 | 30.5 | 28.3 |
| Salt (g) | 1.10 | 1.70 | 2.01 | 1.80 | 1.70 |
*Correct as of 09/02/21
Fast-food cheeseburger
| Nutrient | McDonald's | Burger King | Average |
|---|
| Energy (kcal) | 301 | 282 | 292 |
| Fat (g) | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Saturates (g) | 6.0 | 5.6 | 5.8 |
| Sugars (g) | 7.3 | 5.8 | 6.6 |
| Fibre (g) | 2.4 | 1.8 | 2.1 |
| Protein (g) | 16.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Salt (g) | 1.60 | 1.60 | 1.60 |
*Correct as of 09/02/21
Omnivore home-cooked meal
| Nutrient | Grilled Chicken Breast (120g) | Baked sweet potato wedges (175g) | Broccoli (80g) | Lemon Juice (22g - half a lemon) | Total |
|---|
| Energy (kcal) | 176 | 264 | 29 | 2 | 471 |
| Fat (g) | 2.6 | 6.8 | 0.3 | 0 | 9.7 |
| Saturates (g) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 |
| Sugars (g) | 0 | 31.5 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 33.3 |
| Fibre (g) | 0 | 9.1 | 2.1 | 0.1 | 11.3 |
| Protein (g) | 38.3 | 5.1 | 2.2 | 0.1 | 45.7 |
| Salt (g) | 0.17 | 0.30 | 0.07 | 0 | 0.54 |
Vegan home-cooked meal
| Nutrient | Uncooked brown rice (75g) | Tinned pinto beans (80g) | Tinned red kidney beans (80g) | Tinned chopped tomatoes (200g) | Onion (80g) | Spinach (30g) | Lemon Juice (22g/half a lemon) | Total |
|---|
| Energy (kcal) | 269 | 85 | 93 | 44 | 33 | 2 | 6 | 532 |
| Fat (g) | 2.4 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.2 | 4.4 |
| Saturates (g) | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 |
| Sugars (g) | 0.5 | 0.4 | 3.0 | 7.2 | 4.9 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fibre (g) | 2.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 15.3 |
| Protein (g) | 5.9 | 5.6 | 6.4 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 21.8 |
| Salt (g) | 0 | 0.48 | 0.46 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.97 |
Vitamin Comparison Data
| Vitamin | Huel Powder (400kcal) | Porridge, banana and honey (426kcal) | Chicken and bacon sandwich (417kcal) | Cheeseburger (292kcal) | Omnivore home-cooked meal (471kcal) | Vegan home-cooked meal (531kcal) |
|---|
| Vitamin C (mg) | 60 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 88 | 41 |
| Vitamin D (μg) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vitamin B12 (μg) | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0 |
Mineral Comparison Data
| Mineral | Huel Powder (400kcal) | Porridge, banana and honey (426kcal) | Chicken and bacon sandwich (417kcal) | Cheeseburger (292kcal) | Omnivore home-cooked meal (471kcal) | Vegan home-cooked meal (531kcal) |
|---|
| Iron (mg) | 8 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 5.2 |
| Calcium (mg) | 260 | 311 | 128 | 101 | 100 | 186 |
| Magnesium (mg) | 90 | 128 | 43 | 24 | 128 | 183 |
| Potassium (mg) | 700 | 931 | 499 | 196 | 2061 | 1397 |
Huel Powder v3.0 Vanilla
| Nutrient | Amount per serving | Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) | (Amount/RDA)*100 |
|---|
| Vitamin C (mg) | 60.0 | 40 | 150 |
| Vitamin D (μg) | 4.0 | 10 | 40 |
| Vitamin B12 (μg) | 0.8 | 1.5 | 53 |
| Iron (mg) | 7.8 | 14.8 | 53 |
| Calcium (mg) | 260.0 | 700 | 37 |
| Magnesium (mg) | 90.0 | 270 | 33 |
| Potassium (mg) | 700.0 | 3500 | 20 |
| Protein (g) | 29.0 | 50 | 58 |
| Fibre (g) | 7.0 | 30 | 23 |
Porridge, banana and honey
| Nutrient | Oats (40g) | Semi-skimmed milk (250ml) | Medium banana | Honey (1 tbsp) | Total |
|---|
| Vitamin C (mg) | 0 | 0 | 10.27 | 0.08 | 10.4 |
| Vitamin D (μg) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vitamin B12 (μg) | 0 | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 |
| Iron (mg) | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 2.3 |
| Calcium (mg) | 21.6 | 283.0 | 5.9 | 0.9 | 311.4 |
| Magnesium (mg) | 70.8 | 25.0 | 31.9 | 0.3 | 128.0 |
| Potassium (mg) | 171.6 | 330.0 | 422.0 | 7.8 | 931.4 |
| Nutrient | Amount per serving | Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) | (Amount/RDA)*100 |
|---|
| Vitamin C (mg) | 10.4 | 40 | 26 |
| Vitamin D (μg) | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Vitamin B12 (μg) | 1.1 | 1.5 | 75 |
| Iron (mg) | 2.3 | 14.8 | 16 |
| Calcium (mg) | 311.4 | 700 | 44 |
| Magnesium (mg) | 128.0 | 270 | 47 |
| Potassium (mg) | 931.4 | 3500 | 27 |
| Protein (g) | 14.4 | 50 | 29 |
| Fibre (g) | 6.6 | 30 | 22 |
Chicken and bacon sandwich
| Nutrient | Deli sliced chicken breast (60g) | Bacon rashers (x2 rashers/60g) | White bread (78g - 2 slices) | Mayonnaise (15g) | Total |
|---|
| Vitamin C (mg) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vitamin D (μg) | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 |
| Vitamin B12 (μg) | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.7 |
| Iron (mg) | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 0 | 1.6 |
| Calcium (mg) | 6.6 | 3.0 | 118 | 0.3 | 127.9 |
| Magnesium (mg) | 15.6 | 10.2 | 16.7 | 0 | 42.5 |
| Potassium (mg) | 216.0 | 180.0 | 102.0 | 0.6 | 498.6 |
| Nutrient | Amount per serving | Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) | (Amount/RDA)*100 |
|---|
| Vitamin C (mg) | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| Vitamin D (μg) | 0.2 | 10 | 2 |
| Vitamin B12 (μg) | 0.7 | 1.5 | 49 |
| Iron (mg) | 1.6 | 14.8 | 11 |
| Calcium (mg) | 127.9 | 700 | 18 |
| Magnesium (mg) | 42.5 | 270 | 16 |
| Potassium (mg) | 498.6 | 3500 | 14 |
| Protein (g) | 28.3 | 50 | 57 |
| Fibre (g) | 4.0 | 30 | 13 |
Cheeseburger (NutriCalc® input: Fast Foods, Cheeseburger; Single, Regular Patty, With Condiments and vegetables (110g)
| Nutrient | Amount per serving | Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) | (Amount/RDA)*100 |
|---|
| Vitamin C (mg) | 0.7 | 40 | 2 |
| Vitamin D (μg) | 0.1 | 10 | 1 |
| Vitamin B12 (μg) | 1.4 | 1.5 | 95 |
| Iron (mg) | 3.1 | 14.8 | 21 |
| Calcium (mg) | 101.0 | 700 | 14 |
| Magnesium (mg) | 24.0 | 270 | 9 |
| Potassium (mg) | 195.6 | 3500 | 6 |
| Protein (g) | 16.0 | 50 | 32 |
| Fibre (g) | 2.1 | 30 | 7 |
Omnivore home-cooked meal
| Nutrient | Grilled Chicken Breast (120g) | Baked sweet potato wedges (175g) | Broccoli (80g) | Lemon Juice (22g - half a lemon) | Total |
|---|
| Vitamin C (mg) | 0 | 8.8 | 71.4 | 7.9 | 88.1 |
| Vitamin D (μg) | 0.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 |
| Vitamin B12 (μg) | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 |
| Iron (mg) | 0.5 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0 | 2.9 |
| Calcium (mg) | 7.0 | 53.0 | 38.0 | 1.5 | 99.5 |
| Magnesium (mg) | 43.0 | 66.5 | 17.0 | 1.5 | 128.0 |
| Potassium (mg) | 552.0 | 1227.0 | 253.0 | 29.0 | 2061.0 |
| Nutrient | Amount per serving | Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) | (Amount/RDA)*100 |
|---|
| Vitamin C (mg) | 88.1 | 40 | 220 |
| Vitamin D (μg) | 0.4 | 10 | 4 |
| Vitamin B12 (μg) | 0.3 | 1.5 | 20 |
| Iron (mg) | 2.9 | 14.8 | 19 |
| Calcium (mg) | 99.5 | 700 | 14 |
| Magnesium (mg) | 128.0 | 270 | 47 |
| Potassium (mg) | 2061.0 | 3500 | 59 |
| Protein (g) | 45.7 | 50 | 91 |
| Fibre (g) | 11.3 | 30 | 38 |
Vegan home-cooked meal
| Nutrient | Uncooked brown rice (75g) | Pinto beans (80g) | Red kidney beans (80g) | Chopped tomatoes (200g) | Onion (80g) | Spinach (30g) | Lemon Juice (22g/half a lemon) | Total |
|---|
| Vitamin C (mg) | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 22.0 | 2.4 | 8.7 | 7.9 | 41.2 |
| Vitamin D (μg) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vitamin B12 (μg) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Iron (mg) | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0 | 5.2 |
| Calcium (mg) | 6.8 | 50.4 | 45.6 | 22.0 | 24.0 | 35.7 | 1.5 | 186.0 |
| Magnesium (mg) | 87.0 | 25.6 | 24.0 | 20.0 | 0.64 | 24.0 | 1.5 | 182.7 |
| Potassium (mg) | 188.0 | 219.0 | 222.0 | 424.0 | 110.0 | 205.0 | 29.0 | 1397.0 |
| Nutrient | Amount per serving | Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) | (Amount/RDA)*100 |
|---|
| Vitamin C (mg) | 41.2 | 40 | 103 |
| Vitamin D (μg) | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Vitamin B12 (μg) | 0 | 1.5 | 0 |
| Iron (mg) | 5.2 | 14.8 | 35 |
| Calcium (mg) | 186.0 | 700 | 27 |
| Magnesium (mg) | 182.7 | 270 | 68 |
| Potassium (mg) | 1397.0 | 3500 | 40 |
| Protein (g) | 21.8 | 50 | 44 |
| Fibre (g) | 15.3 | 30 | 51 |
The home-cooked meals’ carbon footprint was calculated using the University of Michigan’s database of Food Impacts on the Environment for Linking to Diets (dataFIELD). dataFIELD can be found here.
| Meal | Huel Powder | Porridge, banana and honey | Chicken and Bacon Sandwich | Cheeseburger | Omnivore home-cooked meal | Vegan home-cooked meal |
|---|
| CO2e (g) | 608 | 600 | 1030 | 2672 | 795 | 336 |
Omnivore home-cooked meal
| Food | Chicken, meat (160g)* | Sweet potato (175g) | Broccoli (80g) | Lemon Juice (22g) | Total |
|---|
| CO2e (g) | 671 | 53 | 64 | 7 | 795 |
*Assumes 25% reduction in chicken weight during cooking
Vegan home-cooked meal
| Food | Brown rice (75g) | Pinto beans (80g) | Red kidney beans (80g) | Tomatoes (200g) | Onion (80g) | Lemon Juice (22g) | Spinach (30g) | Total |
|---|
| CO2e (g) | 155 | 25 | 25 | 94 | 21 | 7 | 9 | 336 |
Price Comparison
All prices are correct as of 09/02/21.
The price of a Huel meal is based on a 2 pouch subscription order.
The price of the other meals is calculated using the own ranges of the UK’s 4 largest supermarkets.
Where multiple ingredients are required meals were based on cooking for two people where possible.
Price Comparison Data
| Meal | Huel Powder | Porridge, banana and honey | Chicken and bacon sandwich | Cheeseburger | Omnivore home-cooked meal | Vegan home-cooked meal |
|---|
| Price (£) | 1.32 | 0.47 | 2.06 | 0.99 | 1.41 | 1.00 |
Porridge, banana and honey
| Oats (40g) | Semi Skimmed Milk (250ml) | Medium Banana | Honey (1 tbsp) | Total |
|---|
| Tesco | 0.05 | 0.18 | 0.15 | 0.08 | 0.46 |
| Asda | 0.04 | 0.18 | 0.15 | 0.08 | 0.45 |
| Sainsbury's | 0.05 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.08 | 0.45 |
| Morrisons | 0.05 | 0.18 | 0.2 | 0.08 | 0.51 |
| Average | 0.05 | 0.18 | 0.16 | 0.08 | 0.47 |
| Size of product | 1kg | 2 pints | 1 individual banana | Average sized squeezy honey pot | |
Chicken and Bacon Sandwich
| Supermarket | Price (£) |
|---|
| Tesco | 2.00 |
| Asda | 2.10 |
| Sainsbury's | 2.25 |
| Morrisons | 2.00 |
| Average | 2.16 |
Cheeseburger
| Fast-Food Chain | Price (£) |
|---|
| McDonald's | 0.99 |
| Burger King | 0.99 |
| Average | 0.99 |
Omnivore home-cooked meal
| Uncooked chicken breast (160g)* | Sweet potato (175g) | Broccoli (80g) | Lemon Juice (half a lemon) | Total |
|---|
| Tesco | 0.90 | 0.19 | 0.13 | 0.15 | 1.37 |
| Asda | 0.85 | 0.19 | 0.15 | 0.13 | 1.32 |
| Sainsbury's | 0.85 | 0.21 | 0.13 | 0.14 | 1.33 |
| Morrisons | 1.08 | 0.18 | 0.14 | 0.20 | 1.60 |
| Average | 0.92 | 0.19 | 0.14 | 0.16 | 1.41 |
| Size of product | 300g pack | 1 loose potato | 1 loose floret | 1 loose lemon | |
*Assumes 25% reduction in chicken weight during cooking
Vegan home-cooked meal
| Brown rice (75g) | Mixed beans (160g) | Chopped tomatoes (200g) | Onion (half) | Spinach (30g) | Lemon Juice (half a lemon) | Total |
|---|
| Tesco | 0.11 | 0.30 | 0.18 | 0.05 | 0.17 | 0.15 | 0.96 |
| Asda | 0.07 | 0.33 | 0.20 | 0.04 | 0.11 | 0.13 | 0.88 |
| Sainsbury's | 0.09 | 0.33 | 0.23 | 0.09 | 0.17 | 0.14 | 1.05 |
| Morrisons | 0.14 | 0.30 | 0.18 | 0.13 | 0.15 | 0.20 | 1.10 |
| Average | 0.10 | 0.32 | 0.20 | 0.08 | 0.15 | 0.16 | 1.01 |
| Size of product | 1kg | 400g can | 400g can | 1 loose onion | 200g-300g bag | 1 loose lemon | |
Convenience Comparison
Convenience Comparison Data
| Meal | Huel Powder | Porridge, banana and honey | Roast Chicken and Bacon Sandwich | Cheeseburger | Omnivore home-cooked meal | Vegan home-cooked meal |
|---|
| Time (Minutes) | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 30 |
| Description | 30 seconds to measure water to fill line, scoop in 2 scoops of powder and shake | 1 minute to measure porridge and milk | | | Based on time to chop and cook sweet potatoes in the oven. Chicken and broccoli can be prepared in the time taken for sweet potatoes to cook. | Based on time to weigh and cook brown rice. Rest of the ingredients are prepared in the time taken for rice to cook. |
Ranking Comparison
Ranking Comparison Data
| Ranking Points | Huel Powder | Porridge, banana and honey | Chicken and bacon sandwich | Cheeseburger | Omnivore home-cooked meal | Vegan home-cooked meal |
|---|
| Macronutrients | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Vitamins and Minerals | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Sustainability | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Price | 3 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
| Convenience | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 22 | 19 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 20 |
The higher the total score relative to the other meals the higher the ranking.
| Huel Powder | Porridge, banana and honey | Chicken and bacon sandwich | Cheeseburger | Omnivore home-cooked meal | Vegan home-cooked meal |
|---|
| Saturates | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Sugars | 6 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Fibre | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Protein | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 3 |
| Salt | 4 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Total | 23 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 23 | 21 |
*Fat was not included because higher/lower quantities of fat do not infer much about the nutritionally quality of a food, unlike fibre or salt.
Higher fibre and protein values are given higher scores and higher saturates, sugars and salt values are given lower scores.
Vitamins and Minerals
| Huel Powder | Porridge, banana and honey | Chicken and bacon sandwich | Cheeseburger | Omnivore home-cooked meal | Vegan home-cooked meal |
|---|
| Vitamin C (mg) | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Vitamin D (μg) | 6 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| VItamin B12 (μg) | 4 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| Iron (mg) | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| Calcium (mg) | 5 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Magnesium (mg) | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| Potassium (mg) | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Total | 32 | 25 | 16 | 18 | 27 | 26 |
Higher vitamin and mineral values are given higher scores.
| Huel Powder | Porridge, banana and honey | Chicken and bacon sandwich | Cheeseburger | Omnivore home-cooked meal | Vegan home-cooked meal |
|---|
| Ranking | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
Higher CO2e are given higher scores.
Price
| Huel Powder | Porridge, banana and honey | Chicken and bacon sandwich | Cheeseburger | Omnivore home-cooked meal | Vegan home-cooked meal |
|---|
| Ranking | 3 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
Cheaper prices are given higher scores.
Convenience
| Huel Powder | Porridge, banana and honey | Chicken and bacon sandwich | Cheeseburger | Omnivore home-cooked meal | Vegan home-cooked meal |
|---|
| Ranking | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
Quicker preparation times are given higher scores.