Best meal replacement shakes 2024

With such a wide variety of products on the market, it may be challenging to choose the best meal replacement shake for your particular needs and circumstances. Food producers place multiple health and wellbeing claims on the front labels of their products, and though they can be used as a rough guide, it’s always best to thoroughly inspect the nutritional information on the back of the package.

Dr Brian Carson, lecturer in physiology at the University of Limerick and head of science and innovation at Whole Supp, agrees. “It’s really important to review the nutritional value of any meal replacement shake, ensure you keep an eye out for high sugar content, low protein or poor protein quality and any additives. After reviewing the market I would always keep an eye on what natural superfoods are in the formulation,” he says.

So what’s the ideal macronutrient ratio? To start with, the best meal replacement shakes will offer at least 15g of good quality protein per serving. There are many good types of animal-based protein, but the most common is a whey protein isolate, a type of complete protein derived from cow’s milk. If you’re allergic to dairy products or you’re following a vegan diet, there are many products with plant-based protein sources. The best plant-based meal replacement shakes will contain a combination of several different protein sources to ensure a complete amino acid profile.

Secondly, make sure to check how much sugar is in the product. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, adults should keep their intake of added sugars to less than 10% of their total daily calories, which comes to around 25g-35g a day. Assuming that you eat three meals a day, a single serving of your meal replacement shake should contain less than 10g of this nutrient. Similarly, the USDA advises to consume at least 28g of dietary fiber a day. Most meal replacements tend to not include much of this nutrient, so if in doubt, go for a product that offers a higher fiber content.

Another important aspect is their micronutrient ratio. Vitamins and minerals are essential for maintaining good health and wellbeing. Variety is key – the more micronutrients, the better. If your meal replacement shake provides low amounts of your Daily Values for vitamins and minerals in a single serving, you’ll need to pack in a lot more nutrients in the meals you consume around this.

Avoid products that use corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and peculiar-sounding elements – you should be able to recognize most of the items on the ingredient list. The best meal replacement shakes also contain many functional ingredients that may ease your digestion and bring additional health benefits, such as probiotics, prebiotics and digestive enzymes.

Convenience

Fast-paced, modern lifestyles place extreme demands on our schedules, often limiting our ability to cook from scratch and enjoy a meal in the comfort of our home. Although following a healthy, balanced diet is always the best way to get all your necessary nutrients, it’s not always feasible or convenient to do so. That’s where the meal replacement shakes step in.

Alex Glover, senior nutritionist at Holland & Barrett, told Live Science: “Meal replacements help to solve common diet-sabotaging dilemmas like giving in to a takeaway after a busy day. If you often turn to unhealthy food on the go because you haven’t made breakfast or prepared lunch, you may benefit from the convenience of nutritionally complete food.”

Meal replacement shakes are also more portable and compact than regular meals. If you spend entire days driving around or attending important meetings, you’ll find that carrying around a shaker bottle is far easier than hauling several food containers. What’s more, meal replacement shakes are a great option for when you don’t have any immediate access to kitchen appliances, for example, if you’re camping or hiking.

Complete nutrition

Our bodies need an extensive range of nutrients to maintain peak health and fitness. It’s relatively easy to develop deficiencies, particularly if you’re restricting your calorie intake to try and lose weight. Other times, you may need to cut down on certain foods or calorie values due to medical, financial or other important reasons. If you don’t want to pop numerous supplements, you need a carefully crafted meal plan that provides a sufficient amount of macronutrients, vitamins, minerals and various phytonutrients.

Weight loss aid

The best meal replacement shakes are often marketed as weight loss aids, and there are many good reasons why. They tend to be relatively low in calories, and maintaining a consistent calorie deficit is often necessary to see tangible weight loss results. However, many people struggle to stick to their calorie limit. For these people, meal replacement shakes can be a perfect solution.

What’s more, many products contain significant amounts of protein and dietary fiber, nutrients that play an important role in appetite regulation. Snacking can be a huge obstacle to a leaner, healthier body, whereas eating enough protein and fiber can help you reduce the intensity of food cravings and keep you fuller for longer.

Some brands even enrich their meal replacement shakes with ingredients that may have been shown to promote fat burning, such as green tea extract. But do they actually work? Indeed, there's growing evidence that meal replacement shakes can be great weight loss tools. According to a meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, overweight and obese adults on a low calorie diet may lose more weight if they use meal replacement shakes. Study subjects who did not use these products were reported to achieve less successful outcomes, at both the 3-month and 1-year evaluation time points.

Another study, which was published in the prestigious Appetite journal, investigated the effect of using meal replacements vs following a low-calorie diet on the incidence and intensity of food cravings. Based on the brain MRI food-cue reactivity and body composition measurements, meal replacements produced fewer cravings and promoted better weight loss outcomes than a regular diet.

The best meal replacement shakes can offer many benefits, but it’s worth remembering that using them may come with certain limitations and safety concerns.

Many people wonder whether it’s actually safe to ditch a regular diet and focus exclusively on meal replacement shakes instead. As enticing as it may sound, the answer is most likely ‘no’. Inevitably, all meal replacement shakes will lack or be short of certain nutrients or biologically active compounds.

“It is not recommended to live purely on meal replacement shakes as liquid diets can negatively affect our digestive systems and we miss out on some things like antioxidants and phytochemicals,” says Glover. That’s why most products will clearly state on the label that they’re not intended to entirely substitute a healthy diet, and instead, are designed to substitute one to two meals a day. The rest of the time, you should be eating solid meals, including a wide variety of food groups.

Some evidence also indicates that meal replacement shakes may not be suitable for older adults. According to a study published in the Hormone and Metabolic Research journal, liquid meal replacements may have a negative effect on appetite responses and insulin metabolism in the elderly. Similar findings were described in another study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Many meal replacement shakes are nutritionally complete, meaning they contain all the essential nutrients obtained from a balanced diet. However, these products should not be consumed in replacement of food long term, Charlotte Turner, a registered nutritionist and the founder of Health Nutritionist, a nutrition consultancy and nutrition clinic based in England, told Live Science. Meal replacement shakes are designed to satisfy basic dietary requirements of an average adult, i.e. provide a sufficient amount of vitamins, minerals and macronutrients, such as protein, fats and carbohydrates. However, no single product is able to mimic the exact nutritional value of a diet containing a wide variety of fruit, vegetables and wholegrains. “For example, meal replacement shakes may prevent you from getting enough plants and fiber that are beneficial to your gut microbiome and overall mental and physical health,” Turner said.

Replacing food with meal replacement shakes long term may also lead to an increased risk of gastrointestinal discomfort, Aisling Pigott, a registered dietician and the founder of Dietitian Wales, a nutrition consultancy based in Wales, told Live Science. “We know that meal replacement shakes often try to replicate a healthy balanced meal. However, when food is removed from its original structure, it behaves differently. This may be associated with digestive issues, such as bloating, constipation and stomach pain,” she said. In addition, meal replacement shakes may contain artificial sweeteners, bulking agents and other synthetic ingredients that may aggravate gastric symptoms in sensitive individuals.

Having said that, meal replacement shakes may provide some health benefits when used short term, or as a part of a healthy balanced diet. They are particularly effective at bridging nutritional gaps in individuals who struggle with having a solid meal, or those who follow highly restrictive diets. Meal replacement shakes may also help with managing obesity, because they help create an energy deficit and exert a better control over energy intake, Pigott said. In fact, studies have shown that overweight and obese participants who incorporate meal replacement shakes into their diet tend to lose more weight at one year follow-up than individuals who do not use these products, according to a 2019 systematic review published in the journal Obesity Reviews.

The evidence is growing that meal replacement shakes may also benefit metabolic health of overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes, according to a 2019 meta-analysis published in the journal Diabetes Care. Researchers pulled together results from nine randomized controlled trials and found that using meal replacement shakes may help these individuals reduce their levels of blood pressure, fasting glucose and fasting insulin. However, more high-quality studies are needed to confirm these results, the meta-analysis authors noted.

Meal replacement shakes often come in similar form and packaging as protein shakes, but they are not the same products. Protein shakes, as the name suggests, are formulated to be high in protein, and they often contain proprietary blends with amino acids and other muscle enhancing components. Meal replacement shakes, on the other hand, focus on providing a wide range of nutrients. “Protein shakes are marketed towards gym goers with a focus on rapid digestion to aid muscle recovery, whilst a meal replacement is mirroring a healthy, balanced meal and is likely to have additional fiber, vitamins and minerals,” Pigott said.

A protein shake can be used as a meal replacement in certain circumstances, but it depends on the specific goals and nutritional needs of the individual, Turner said. “A protein shake can provide a significant amount of protein, which is essential for muscle recovery and growth. However, it's important to ensure that the shake contains an adequate balance of other macronutrients, such as carbohydrates and fats, as well as micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, to make it a more complete meal replacement,” she said. Calorie content is another thing to consider. “A meal replacement shake should generally provide enough calories to sustain you until your next meal, and this can vary depending on individual needs and weight goals,” Turner said.

It is important to note that many protein shakes are formulated to support weight loss efforts, and they often come with reduced fat and carbohydrate content. Protein shakes that come with high calorie content are often branded as “mass gainers” and are designed to support weight gain and muscle building. Although they have a comparable energy content to meal replacement shakes, they often lack specific micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, and should not be consumed as a food replacement.

In summary, a protein shake can be used as a meal replacement, but it's crucial to ensure that it provides adequate nutrients, calories, and complements your overall dietary needs and goals. Consulting with a registered dietitian or healthcare professional can help you determine if using protein shakes as meal replacements is appropriate for your specific situation, Turner said.

All of the meal replacement shakes in this guide have been tried and tested by the Live Science team. Firstly, we disregarded any products that had excessive levels of artificial sweeteners, additives or preservatives. We also looked at the texture of the powder, including how well it mixed into water, milk, and foods such as oatmeal or smoothie bowls. Finally, came the taste test, where we determined whether the taste was reflective of the flavor, unusually bitter or particularly sweet. Packaging was also noted, based on sustainability and convenience, as well as value for money.