Huel and Jimmy Joy have the same overall goal; to provide nutritious, affordable food with minimal impact on the environment. How this is achieved varies between the two, and this article has been written to help highlight those differences. Which you prefer is entirely your choice.

This is a fact-based comparison looking at categories such as nutrition and price. We haven’t compared subjective factors such as taste or texture, as they are personal to you.

Contents

• Huel Powder v3.0 compared
• Huel Ready-to-drink compared

Huel Powder v3.0 compared

*Table correct as of 01/10/20. Price calculated on subscription (if available) for a minimum order, not including delivery. See delivery pages for full delivery information.

Macronutrients

It’s good to see that both Huel Powder v3.0 and Jimmy Joy have a protein content above the Reference Intake (RI). This is because protein has several positives such as being the most satiating macronutrient (2). However, Huel Powder v3.0 contains almost 50% more protein compared to Jimmy Joy. However both Huel (Huel Black Edition) and Jimmy Joy (Plenny Shake Active) offer higher protein variants for customers who are after a higher level of protein. For both products, protein makes up 44% and 27% of the total calories respectively. You can find out more about protein in our article Guide to Protein Quality, Digestion and Absorption.

Both Huel Powder v3.0 and Jimmy Joy use flaxseed and sunflower oil as the main fat sources. However, Huel Powder v3.0 has a better omega-3:omega-6 ratio of less than 1:1 compared to around 1:3 for Jimmy Joy[3]. Huel Powder v3.0 also contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) from coconut. MCTs are a type of saturated fat that are metabolised differently to the more common long-chain triglycerides and so have additional benefits such as being an immediate source of energy^[4].

Huel Powder v3.0 doesn’t use maltodextrin as a carbohydrate source because oats and flaxseed have multiple advantages over maltodextrin. Jimmy Joy also contains oats and flaxseed, albeit at a lower percentage of the total ingredients and with a higher sugar content. Such benefits include a low glycaemic index and a naturally high fibre content. Fibre has several benefits including favourable effects on the gut microbiota and digestion^{[5, 6]}. Additionally, oats and flaxseed provide a significant source of micronutrients. As a result, a large proportion of the vitamins and minerals in Huel Powder are from the main ingredients or naturally occurring, rather than being added. For example, 100% of the thiamin in Huel Powder is naturally occurring, derived from the six main ingredients.

Vitamins & Minerals

Where vitamins and minerals have been added to Huel Powder v3.0, the highest-quality form of each micronutrient that is available is chosen. For example, L-methylfolate calcium is used as a source of folate whilst most competitors use folic acid. L-methylfolate calcium is 1000-times more expensive, but the bioavailability is higher^[7]. It’s not clear which form is used by Jimmy Joy as this is not declared. All the micronutrient forms used in Huel Products are shown to provide transparency, an important aspect for Hueligans. You can find out more about the vitamins and minerals in our article About the Vitamins & Minerals in Huel.

With Jimmy Joy’s recent formulation some changes have been made such as an increase in vitamin C to 200mg per 2000kcal. However, this is still 50% less than the vitamin C content of Huel Powder v3.0, which is provided naturally by acerola cherries. The benefits of consuming more vitamin C include a healthy immune system, healthy skin and antioxidant properties^[8]. A higher vitamin C content also accounts for the interaction with antinutrients such as phytic acid and increases the bioavailability of iron, which you can find out more about here.

It is widely considered that the amount of potassium, which is important for reducing blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), that was previously recommended by the EFSA was far too low^[9]. This view has been reflected in Huel Powder, which includes 3500mg, in line with UK, World Health Organization (WHO) and current EU guidelines^[10], compared to Jimmy Joy, who follow the older EU guidelines.

Additional Nutrients

As a significant percentage of Huel Powder is made up of oats and flaxseed there are several phytonutrients that are naturally present, which are also present in Jimmy Joy. Phytonutrients are substances that are found in certain plants and are beneficial to health. Extra phytonutrients such as lycopene (a substance that gives the red colour to tomatoes) have also been added to Huel Powder as there is evidence that lycopene can reduce the risk of developing several diseases^[11]. Further information on the phytonutrients in Huel Products can be found here.

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Huel Ready-to-drink compared

*Table correct as of 01/10/20. Price calculated on subscription (if available) for a minimum order, not including delivery. See delivery pages for full delivery information.

Macronutrients

Like the comparison to Huel Powder, Huel Ready-to-drink contains more protein than Jimmy Joy. Jimmy Joy has a protein content closer to the EU recommended intake of 50g per day, which only covers our basic needs and prevents protein deficiency. The numerous positives of protein are well documented^[13], hence a higher inclusion in Huel.

Huel Ready-to-drink contains flaxseed whilst Jimmy Joy does not. The presence of flaxseed ensures an adequate source of omega-3 fatty acids and an almost ideal omega-3:omega-6 fatty acid ratio. Huel Ready-to-drink also contains MCTs providing a preferable saturated fatty acid source.

The carbohydrate sources in Huel Ready-to-drink results in a low glycaemic index (GI) of 25 and creates a smooth mouthfeel. A high GI food is digested and absorbed rapidly resulting in a more dramatic change in a person’s blood glucose than a low GI food. This is highlighted by Huel containing approximately 33% less sugar.

Vitamins & Minerals

As with Huel Powder, the vitamins and minerals in Huel Ready-to-drink have been carefully considered. Along with L-methylfolate calcium being used over folic acid, the amounts of a number of micronutrients in Huel Ready-to-drink are higher than in Jimmy Joy for the additional benefits to health and to ensure adequate absorption. Again, for transparency, the form of each vitamin and mineral is present on the ingredient list to provide as much information as possible to the consumer.

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Summary

We've done the easy bit; it’s now over to you to decide on which product suits you best. We encourage you to try Huel as well as the other products on the market so you can see which one aligns closely with your priorities, from nutrition to sustainability.

Ready to try Huel? Check out our product range.

References

1. Jimmy Joy. Plenny Shake Vanilla. Date Accessed: 01/10/20. [Available from: https://jimmyjoy.com/collections/all/products/plenny-shake]
2. Hermsdorff HH, et al. [Macronutrient profile affects diet-induced thermogenesis and energy intake]. Arch Latinoam Nutr. 2007; 57(1):33-42.
3. Simopoulos AP. The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedicine & pharmacotherapie. 2002; 56(8):365-79.
4. Schonfeld P, et al. Short- and medium-chain fatty acids in energy metabolism: the cellular perspective. J Lipid Res. 2016; 57(6):943-54.
5. Anderson JW, et al. Health benefits of dietary fiber. Nutr Rev. 2009; 67(4):188-205.
6. Kaczmarczyk MM, et al. The health benefits of dietary fiber: beyond the usual suspects of type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and colon cancer. Metabolism. 2012; 61(8):1058-66.
7. Scaglione F, et al. Folate, folic acid and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate are not the same thing. Xenobiotica. 2014; 44(5):480-8.
8. Frei B, et al. Authors' perspective: What is the optimum intake of vitamin C in humans? Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2012; 52(9):815-29.
9. WHO. Guideline: Potassium intake for adults and children. Geneva: 2012.
10. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products. Dietary reference values for potassium. EFSA Journal. 2016; 14(10):e04592.
11. Zhang YJ, et al. Antioxidant Phytochemicals for the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases. Molecules. 2015; 20(12):21138-56.
12. Jimmy Joy. Plenny Drink Vanilla. Date Accessed: 15/07/20. [Available from: https://jimmyjoy.com/collections/all/products/plenny-drink]
13. Wu G. Dietary protein intake and human health. Food Funct. 2016; 7(3):1251-65.