Huel vs The Man Shake:Which is more popular in New Zealand?
In October 2026, The Man Shake had more branded searches than Huel among meal replacement brands in New Zealand. The Man Shake had about 2,490 branded searches, while Huel had 410. The Man Shake made up 10.6% of all meal replacement brand searches we track, and Huel accounted for 1.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about meal replacement brands, The Man Shake appeared in all five answers and Huel in one. The Man Shake was mentioned before Huel in two out of three answers.
Who do people search for more?
The Man Shake, about 6 searches for every 1 for Huel
Who does AI mention more?
The Man Shake, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
The Man Shake, named ahead of Huel in 2 of 3 answers
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Top meal replacement brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, The Man Shake appeared in all five answers. 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. The Man Shake was listed before Huel in two out of three answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
The Lady Shake1st- The Man Shake2nd
Optifast3rd
Huel4th
OptiSlim5th
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
Asked ChatGPT
“Which meal replacement brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best meal replacement brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best meal replacement brand in New Zealand for a quick breakfast?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“meal replacement nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“high protein shake”
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.
Is Huel or The Man Shake more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Huel and The Man Shake by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six meal replacement brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for The Man Shake, Huel. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Muscle Nation | Optifast | OptiSlim | The Man Shake | The Lady Shake | Huel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 55.4% | 12.7% | 11.9% | 12.5% | 6.3% | 1.2% |
| Dec 2025 | 38.1% | 18.8% | 18.7% | 14.4% | 7.8% | 2.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 22.3% | 21% | 25.4% | 18.8% | 9.9% | 2.6% |
| Feb 2026 | 31.9% | 21% | 20.7% | 14.6% | 8.9% | 3% |
| Mar 2026 | 39.6% | 16.9% | 17.3% | 15.2% | 7.3% | 3.7% |
| Apr 2026 | 36.3% | 18.3% | 19.4% | 15.1% | 8.2% | 2.7% |
| May 2026 | 31.6% | 19.4% | 20.4% | 16.1% | 9.6% | 2.9% |
| Jun 2026 | 56.1% | 13.8% | 13.5% | 9.3% | 5.6% | 1.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 32.7% | 22.3% | 22.6% | 12.3% | 7.4% | 2.7% |
| Aug 2026 | 45.1% | 17.2% | 17.9% | 11.2% | 6.2% | 2.3% |
| Sep 2026 | 34.7% | 21.6% | 20.1% | 13.1% | 7.9% | 2.6% |
| Oct 2026 | 34.4% | 23.2% | 23.2% | 10.6% | 7% | 1.7% |
How has branded search for Huel and The Man Shake changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The Man Shake was ahead of Huel in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Huel’s share of searches among meal replacement brands in New Zealand moved from 1.2% to 1.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 400 to 410.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, The Man Shake’s share of searches among meal replacement brands in New Zealand moved from 12.5% to 10.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.1K to 2.5K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand meal replacement brands in October 2026?
2 changes
In October 2026, The Man Shake lost share of searches among meal replacement brands in New Zealand, from 13.1% to 10.6%.
In October 2026, Huel lost share of searches among meal replacement brands in New Zealand, from 2.6% to 1.7%.
How are Huel’s and The Man Shake’s branded searches counted?
14 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Huel’s and The Man Shake’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Huel
5 branded search terms
- huel
- huel drink
- huel l
- huel meal replacement
- huel shake
The Man Shake
9 branded search terms
- buy man shake
- man shake
- man shake diet
- man shake woolies
- the man shake woolies
- the woman shake
- theman shake
- woman shake
- woolies man shake
Other head-to-heads among meal replacement brands
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