Brandwave

How popular isHuel?

In October 2026, people searched for Huel by name about 410 times in New Zealand, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 1.7% of all New Zealand meal replacement brand searches, placing Huel sixth out of six brands. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about meal replacement brands, Huel appeared in one of the five answers and was the fourth most recommended of the six.

Search and AI answers in October 2026

Huel is the sixth most searched of 6 competitors and the fourth most recommended in the AI answers we collected.

  1. Muscle NationShare of searches 34.4%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  2. OptifastShare of searches 23.2%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  3. OptiSlimShare of searches 23.2%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  4. The Man ShakeShare of searches 10.6%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  5. HuelShare of searches 1.7%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th

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Top meal replacement brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Huel was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Huel is the fourth most recommended of the six.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. The Lady Shake1st
  2. The Man Shake2nd
  3. Optifast3rd
  4. Huel4th
  5. OptiSlim5th
  6. Muscle Nation–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • The Man Shake5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Optifast2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • The Lady Shake2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • OptiSlim1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Huel1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Muscle Nation0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about meal replacement brands

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

How often do people search for Huel compared with other New Zealand meal replacement brands?

Huel against meal replacement brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Muscle Nation, Optifast, OptiSlim, The Man Shake, The Lady Shake, Huel. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthMuscle NationOptifastOptiSlimThe Man ShakeThe Lady ShakeHuel
Nov 202555.4%12.7%11.9%12.5%6.3%1.2%
Dec 202538.1%18.8%18.7%14.4%7.8%2.2%
Jan 202622.3%21%25.4%18.8%9.9%2.6%
Feb 202631.9%21%20.7%14.6%8.9%3%
Mar 202639.6%16.9%17.3%15.2%7.3%3.7%
Apr 202636.3%18.3%19.4%15.1%8.2%2.7%
May 202631.6%19.4%20.4%16.1%9.6%2.9%
Jun 202656.1%13.8%13.5%9.3%5.6%1.6%
Jul 202632.7%22.3%22.6%12.3%7.4%2.7%
Aug 202645.1%17.2%17.9%11.2%6.2%2.3%
Sep 202634.7%21.6%20.1%13.1%7.9%2.6%
Oct 202634.4%23.2%23.2%10.6%7%1.7%

  1. 1.Muscle Nation

    34.4%

    Held 1st. 8.1K estimated branded searches, +22.7% vs prior month. Share -0.4 points.

  2. 2.Optifast

    23.2%

    Held 2nd. 5.5K estimated branded searches, +33.1% vs prior month. Share +1.6 points.

  3. 3.OptiSlim

    23.2%

    Held 3rd. 5.5K estimated branded searches, +43.2% vs prior month. Share +3.1 points.

  4. 4.The Man Shake

    10.6%

    Held 4th. 2.5K estimated branded searches, -0.4% vs prior month. Share -2.6 points.

  5. 5.The Lady Shake

    7%

    Held 5th. 1.6K estimated branded searches, +10% vs prior month. Share -0.9 points.

  6. 6.Huel

    1.7%

    Held 6th. 410 estimated branded searches, -18% vs prior month. Share -0.9 points.

Compare popularity between Huel and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Huel

5 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Huel changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending October 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Huel in New Zealand held steady, from 400 to 410.
  • Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Huel’s share of searches among meal replacement brands in New Zealand increased from 1.2% to 1.7%.
  • Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Huel’s share of searches among meal replacement brands in New Zealand peaked at 3.7% in March 2026 and was lowest at 1.2% in November 2025.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand meal replacement brands in October 2026?

6 changes

  1. In October 2026, OptiSlim gained share of searches among meal replacement brands in New Zealand, from 20.1% to 23.2%.

  2. In October 2026, Optifast gained share of searches among meal replacement brands in New Zealand, from 21.6% to 23.2%.

  3. In October 2026, The Man Shake lost share of searches among meal replacement brands in New Zealand, from 13.1% to 10.6%.

  4. In October 2026, Huel lost share of searches among meal replacement brands in New Zealand, from 2.6% to 1.7%.

  5. In October 2026, The Lady Shake lost share of searches among meal replacement brands in New Zealand, from 7.9% to 7%.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Muscle Nation in New Zealand fell 55.2% over 12 measured months, from 18.1K to 8.1K in October 2026.

How are Huel’s branded searches counted?

5 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Huel’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • huel
  • huel drink
  • huel l
  • huel meal replacement
  • huel shake

Do you work for Huel? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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