You have probably never heard of Susan Foerster, but, every single day, millions of people all over the world, do exactly what she told them to do – eat five portions of fruit veg.
Foerster, a public health nutritionist at the California Department of Health Services, and her team launched the California ‘5 a Day—for Better Health! Campaign’ in 1988.
The rest, as they say, is history. The campaign worked and was widely copied. Particularly, in the UK, where “one of my five-a-day” has now become part of the language.
James McMaster, CEO of Huel, has taken note. Step forward Daily Greens – Huel’s most recent launch into the functional beverage market. A convenient sparkling super-greens drink which offers essential nutritional benefits. A liquid version of Huel’s, already successful, Daily Greens powder.
‘With our new Daily Greens Ready-to-drink, we're transforming a category traditionally dominated by powders by launching this convenient, great-tasting beverage,’ says McMaster. ‘It's a refreshing twist on daily nutrition…that fits seamlessly into your day.’
The Daily Greens RTD (Ready-to-drink) version comments FoodBev, ‘emphasises convenience for consumers with busy lifestyles.’
The UK functional beverages market was valued at approximately $3.5 billion USD (£2.9 billion GBP) in 2024 (Source:Marketresearchfuture.com). And analysts expect it to continue to grow at pace.
In the ten years since Huel started up in 2015, the Hertfordshire company has rapidly expanded its global presence. It’s now stocked in 25,000 stores worldwide and achieved £214 million in annual sales in FY 2024.
The FB (Functional Beverage) category blends nutrition, convenience, and lifestyle appeal, with brands like Nourish Kafir and Innocent Plus competing to offer clean-label, low-calorie, and science-backed products that easily fit into consumer’s daily routines.
From a marketing perspective, the thing that’s particularly smart about the Daily Greens brand, both powder and RTD, is how neatly it targets the huge ‘five-a-day’ demand created by Foerster and all the other international heath campaigns that followed in her footsteps.
With the DG name and its smart green packaging, Huel are cleverly piggybacking on the pent-up demand those government health departments across the world created.
But what further sets Daily Greens apart is its nutritional depth.
James McMaster again, Daily Greens is ‘packed with 41 vitamins, minerals, superfoods, adaptogens, electrolytes, and 3g… No scoops, no shaker, no powder. You’ve never had greens like this.’ Many ready-to-drink wellness drinks focus on hydration or energy but lack comprehensive nutrition. Daily Greens is a multi-functional health drink. In essence, a liquid lunch. All be it, a light one.
Susan Foerster remains active in the field of nutrition education and policy. If James McMaster ever bumps into her at a conference somewhere, I’m sure he won’t forget to thank her.