Huel is considered a processed food due to its ingredients undergoing various processes; however, it is differentiated from typical unhealthy ultra-processed foods (UPFs) often associated with the 'highly processed' label.
Understanding Processed Foods
The term "processed food" can encompass a wide range of products, from minimally processed items like pre-cut vegetables to extensively processed ones like instant noodles. Food processing involves any change made to a food item from its natural state. This can include:
- Cleaning and preparation: Washing, chopping, or blending ingredients.
- Cooking or heating: Pasteurization, baking, or boiling.
- Mixing and combining: Creating new products from multiple ingredients.
- Fortification: Adding vitamins and minerals.
- Preservation techniques: Drying, freezing, or packaging.
Huel contains multiple ingredients that have gone through such processes, which is why some may classify it as a 'processed food'. These ingredients are combined and prepared to create a nutritionally complete product.
Huel's Distinction from Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs)
While Huel contains processed ingredients, it explicitly differentiates itself from the category of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) that are often deemed unhealthy when consumed regularly. Ultra-processed foods are typically characterized by:
- High levels of added sugars, unhealthy fats, and salt.
- Numerous additives: Artificial flavors, colors, emulsifiers, and thickeners.
- Lack of whole food ingredients: Often made from industrial formulations of isolated substances.
- Low nutritional value relative to calorie content.
Huel products, despite containing ingredients that have undergone processing, are designed with a different objective: to provide balanced nutrition. The aim is to deliver essential macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fats) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals) efficiently. This approach positions Huel on a different course than many UPFs that are primarily focused on convenience, palatability, and shelf-stability at the expense of nutritional quality.
In essence, while Huel is processed to some extent, it strives to offer a nutritionally sound alternative, diverging from the negative health implications commonly associated with highly processed or unhealthy ultra-processed foods.