When calorie counting is the order of the day, and there's no time for meal prep, meal replacement shakes are the heroes most people turn to.

Meal replacement products are relatively common today but rewind ten years, and our choices were more limited. Glorified protein shakes and flash-in-a-pan brands came and went, but one brand quickly became a market winner with its strong branding and celebrity endorsements in the past: Huel.

Huel makes meal replacement products, including powders, bars, and instant meals, that are convenient alternatives to traditional meals.

Huel Powder is the most popular product - oats, tapioca, flaxseeds, coconut, pea protein, and rice protein are fortified with 26 vitamins and minerals to create a nutritionally complete meal replacement shake.

Huel's macro split is 37:30:30:3 (net carbohydrate, protein, fat, fibre), mimicking the nutrition of a meal with a clean protein source but without overdoing it – this makes it very different from a mass gainer shake.

The Black Edition has higher protein and 50% lower carbs, with green tea extract for a caffeine hit and coconut sugar as a sweetener. It's a better weight loss option and can assist with bulking and cutting cycles.

Huel's standard and Black Edition powders are more nutritious than processed foods, high-fat snacks, protein shakes, and mass gainers containing countless chemicals and fillers.

But Huel isn't unique in offering nutritious meal replacement powders, and in some cases, there are better-tasting, more nutritious alternatives.

One of those is vybey.

vybey as a Huel Alternative

vybey Complete Meal Powder is a scientifically formulated meal replacement shake that provides balanced nutrition when you don't have time for a complete meal.

Each serving contains:

•         29g of high-quality protein from sources like pea protein.
•         9.9g of healthy fats from flaxseeds and coconut oil.
•         41.2g of complex carbohydrates from oats and other whole food sources.
•         Under 2g of sugar per serving to keep blood sugar stable.
•         9g of fibre, mainly from the oat and seed ingredients, for healthy digestion.
•         20-30% of the recommended daily intake for essential micronutrients like vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and essential minerals like magnesium.

What makes vybey different from Huel is the inclusion of functional ingredients like Lion's Mane mushroom extract, which has been studied for its potential cognitive and brain health benefits with promising results.

vybey Complete Meal Powder also contains Bacillus coagulans to support gut health and reduce bloating, which is a must-have feature in meal replacement shakes.

The macronutrient profile aligns with recommendations for a balanced meal replacement, providing a proper ratio of protein, carbs, and fats to keep you satisfied. At the same time, the low sugar content helps prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes.

vybey comes in vegan chocolate and vegetarian vanilla flavours and is the most convenient way to get a nutrient-dense meal on the go. We think it’s the best meal replacement in the UK (and trust us, we’ve tried most of them!).

What makes vybey so good?

Dissolves easily

vybey Complete Meal Replacement dissolves in water with a shaker and doesn't need a blender to mix thoroughly. Whether dairy or plant-based, milk is thicker than water, so it just requires a more rigorous shake to mix.

Huel isn't as quickly mixed and sometimes requires an electric blender to achieve ideal consistency. And don't just take our word for it - genuine customer reviews will tell you what's what, so read these to ensure you aren't surprised.

Tastes amazing

vybey Complete Meal Powder comes in two flavours, Chocolate Caramel and Smooth Vanilla, to satisfy any taste. Both flavours taste like the real deal without any chemicals or synthetic enhancers to make them that way.

The chocolate flavour is vegan-friendly, using organic cocoa (plant-based only) and pea protein, while the vanilla version is vegetarian-friendly, using milk and whey protein.

Both use a healthy amount of coconut flour, and the natural sweeteners are stevia leaf and monk fruit extract (both healthy).

Perfect nutrient profile

The macro profile is spot on, with each serving supplying an ideal 29g of high-quality protein from clean sources like pea protein to support muscle synthesis and healthy metabolism alongside 9.9g of healthy fats from whole food ingredients.

The 41.2g of carbs come from nutritious oats and other complex sources for steady energy without any blood sugar spikes thanks to under 2g of sugar per serving. Speaking of fibre, vybey packs in 9g of the gut-friendly stuff per shake.

Body-boosting ingredients

But vybey goes beyond just nailing the macro and micronutrient ratios with functional ingredients that take it to the next level.

Lion's Mane mushroom extract, an ancient nootropic prized for its neuroprotective and cognitive-enhancing properties, could help you think more clearly and sleep better.

Omega 3 and Omega 6 are present in natural ingredients to promote brain and heart health, reduce inflammation, and help bones and muscles work correctly.

Nothing artificial

You won't find any shady artificial additives or sweeteners in vybey – it's all 100% natural with clean, premium, plant-based ingredients. Even decadent flavours like chocolate and vanilla come from natural foods, not synthetic sources.

vybey's natural ingredients are proven safe with conservative dosing to ensure that accidentally consuming too much won't upset your tummy.

Additional complimentary products

vybey Complete Meal Powder is a direct replacement for Huel Powder, but it isn't the only Huel alternative we've created.

vybey Braincare Smart Greens

Smart Greens is an alternative to Huel Daily Greens. While Huel's product blends 91 superfoods, vitamins, and antioxidants, vybey's blends 54 ingredients with higher doses of super fruits and fibre blends.

We created Smart Greens to contain more ingredients your body is familiar with so that it goes down well daily. The more greens you throw into a product, the higher the risk of stomach and digestion upset. vybey avoids that.

vybey Braincare Smart Focus

Braincare Smart Focus is a unique vybey innovation with lion's mane, maca root, chaga mushroom, turmeric cacao powder, green bean caffeine extract, and citicoline to deliver a potent brain-boosting coffee alternative.

You can drink Braincare Smart Focus with your morning vybey shake or as a separate drink to fill meal gaps and boost your energy.

Summing Up

Huel is one of the most popular meal replacement powders, and thousands of people enjoy it, but that doesn't mean it's the best for you.

vybey's whole foods, probiotics, Lion's Mane, and the option of a vegan (chocolate caramel) or dairy protein based vegetarian (vanilla) powder are more appealing than Huel for a natural, gut-friendly meal replacement with added functional benefits.

Tasting Huel and vybey also reveals that vybey is less gritty, mixes more easily with less rigorous shaking, and does not require a blender.

The final decision is yours. Grab a vybey Starter Bundle and taste the difference for yourself.