ZenMeals vs Huel
Huel and ZenMeals both exist because cooking a proper meal every day is hard. The short verdict: Huel is cheaper and works anywhere in the world; ZenMeals is actual cooked food, made fresh each week in Zurich. Which one fits you depends on whether you want a drink or a meal.
ZenMeals delivers two freshly cooked whole-food meals — the Super Veggie (about 490 kcal, 27 g protein, 18 g fibre) and the Nutty Pudding (about 400 kcal, 9 g protein, 14 g fibre) — within Zurich, from CHF 49 with free shipping, ready in under two minutes. Huel sells powdered and ready-to-drink complete nutrition built on pea protein, rice protein, and oats, from roughly CHF 3 per powdered meal, shipped across Europe. ZenMeals is fresh food from a Kreis 6 kitchen; Huel is shelf-stable formulated nutrition. The meals are inspired by Bryan Johnson's Blueprint protocol; ZenMeals is not affiliated with Bryan Johnson or Blueprint.
ZenMeals vs Huel at a glance
| ZenMeals | Huel | |
|---|---|---|
| Philosophy | Whole foods, minimally processed, longevity-focused recipes backed by citations on our research page | Nutritionally complete formulated food: balanced macros plus 27 added vitamins and minerals |
| Freshness | Cooked fresh weekly in Kreis 6, Zurich; delivered chilled; 3–4 day shelf life | Shelf-stable powder and bottled drinks; months of shelf life |
| Processing level | Recognizable ingredients: lentils, broccoli, nuts, olive oil | Formulated from protein isolates, oat flour, and added micronutrients; under the NOVA system this type of product is generally classed as ultra-processed, a label Huel disputes as too blunt |
| Protein & fibre | Super Veggie: about 27 g protein, 18 g fibre. Nutty Pudding: about 9 g protein, 14 g fibre | Black Edition: about 40 g protein, 8 g fibre per 400 kcal serving |
| Prep time | Under 2 minutes (reheat or eat chilled) | About 15 seconds to shake a powder; zero for ready-to-drink |
| Price frame | From CHF 49, free delivery within Zurich, subscriptions save 5% | Powder from roughly CHF 2–3 per meal; ready-to-drink noticeably more |
| Who it's for | People in Zurich who want real cooked food without the cooking | People anywhere who want the cheapest, fastest complete nutrition |
Choose Huel if
- Price per meal is your main criterion. Powdered Huel costs a fraction of any fresh meal service.
- You travel a lot or live outside Zurich. A bag of powder goes anywhere.
- You want maximum protein per calorie. Black Edition's 40 g per serving beats any of our meals.
- You genuinely don't mind drinking most of your meals.
Choose ZenMeals if
- You want to chew your food. The Super Veggie is a bowl of lentils and vegetables, not a shake.
- You care about eating whole foods rather than reassembled nutrients. Our ingredient lists read like a shopping list, not a lab report.
- Fibre matters to you. Our two meals together carry about 32 g — most of an adult's daily target.
- You live in Zurich and like the idea of food cooked this week, a few kilometres from your fridge.
What Huel does better
Credit where it's due. Huel is far cheaper per meal than we are, and no fresh-food company can match that. Their products keep for months, which makes them practical for offices, travel, and emergencies in a way chilled meals never will be. They publish detailed nutrition data, fund research, and have been transparent about their formulation for years. And if you need a lot of protein on a budget, Black Edition is hard to argue with. Huel is a serious, well-run product. It's just a different category of food than what we make.
Frequently asked questions
Is Huel ultra-processed?
Under the NOVA classification, formulated meal-replacement products built from protein isolates and added micronutrients generally fall into group 4, ultra-processed. Huel argues NOVA is too crude a tool for products like theirs, and that's a fair debate to have. Our meals sidestep the question: lentils, broccoli, and walnuts are group 1 foods.
Which has more protein, ZenMeals or Huel?
Huel, clearly. Black Edition has about 40 g per serving against the Super Veggie's roughly 27 g. We get our protein from black lentils and hemp seeds rather than isolates, and we pair it with about double the fibre. Full numbers are on our nutrition information page.
Does ZenMeals deliver outside Zurich like Huel does?
Not yet. We cook fresh weekly and deliver chilled, which limits us to the city of Zurich for now. Huel ships across Europe. If you're outside our delivery area, Huel is simply available to you and we aren't.
Try the fresh option
If you're in Zurich and want real cooked food with shake-level convenience, order the Super Veggie and Nutty Pudding subscription — from CHF 49, free delivery, pause or cancel anytime. Delivery details are on how it works, and common questions are answered in our FAQ.
More comparisons
See how ZenMeals stacks up against other ways to eat well in Zurich: