A Dietitians Says These Are The Best Meal Replacement Shakes For Your Goals (2024)

As a registered dietitian, I recommend getting most of your nutrition from a well-balanced diet. But a meal replacement shake can help fill in the gaps, especially if you’re a frequent meal skipper.

Whether you’re on a weight loss journey, looking for a high-protein meal, or need lunch on the go after a gym session, meal replacement shakes can be literal life savers (and they're way easier than using protein powders!).

Meal replacement shakes provide calories, protein, carbohydrates, and a mixture of vitamins and minerals to mimic what you might get from a meal. All you have to do is crack open a bottle and sip.

The best meal replacement shakes have enough calories to provide you with the energy you need until your next meal, which, for most people, is at least 300 to 400 calories, if not more.

I've recommended meal replacement shakes for my clients who often skip breakfast because they’re not hungry enough to eat or don’t have time to stop during a busy workday to eat lunch.

A shake needs to have enough calories and taste good. However, there are many other factors to consider when choosing the right one for you. If you have diabetes or are watching your carbohydrate intake, choosing one that’s low in carbs may be the most helpful. But if you’re active and planning a workout or replenishing from one, you may want one that includes a higher amount of carbs. You may also want one that has fiber added to help you reach your fiber goals, is allergy-friendly, plant-based, or has a certain amount of protein.

I've included eight of the best meal replacement shakes you can buy depending on your personal nutrition goals, budget, and taste preferences.

Before purchasing a meal replacement shake, you’ll want to consider:

Calories

If you’re looking for a true meal replacement shake, choose a shake with a minimum of 300 to 400 calories. Even then, you may need to supplement it with something else, like a handful of nuts, a piece of fruit, or some veggies and hummus. I've included shakes with fewer calories on our list, and these would make a great snack or breakfast if you’d otherwise skip the first meal of the day. Remember that a shake with fewer than 200 calories won’t supply your body with enough energy.

Amount of protein

While a sedentary adult only needs 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight for basic functions, you likely need more than that, especially if you’re active or looking to lose weight. Whether you're a recreationally active woman or a competing athlete, you'll want to aim for around 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, according to current research and recommendations.

Protein helps build and repair muscle, support the immune system, and is needed for almost all chemical reactions that take place in the body. It also helps you feel fuller, and slows your digestion down when you eat meals. A meal replacement shake that provides a quarter of your protein needs or at least 20 grams of protein per serving is ideal.

Sweeteners and other additives

Some meal replacement shakes have a lower amount of carbohydrates and added sweeteners, while others may contain anywhere from 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrates or more paired with 20 to 30 grams of protein for balance.

Some drinks will include added sugars like cane sugar, glucose, fructose, or high fructose corn syrup, while others use low or no-calorie natural sweeteners such as stevia, monk fruit, or allulose, artificial sweeteners like sucralose or aspartame, or sugar alcohols like erythritol or sorbitol to give the drink a sweet taste without adding extra calories or carbohydrates.

Consider what sweeteners you want in your shake, and which ones you may want to avoid. For example, while sugar alcohols are a natural non-calorie sweetener, they can cause stomach pain, gas, and bloating for people who are sensitive to them.

To choose the best meal replacement shakes, Women's Health editors and contributor Kelsey Kunik, RDN tested more than a dozen shakes on the market and evaluated them based on nutrition, ingredients, extra features, and price. You’ll find a variety of shakes that meet unique nutrition needs and fit into several diet restrictions to find the best option for you.

While Huel offers many ways to supplement your diet—think powders, ready-to-drink bottles, complete meals, and bars—the ready-to-drink option is our favorite meal replacement choice. One entire bottle (two servings) is 400 calories and provides 22 grams of protein. Unlike many “meal replacement shakes,” this one has enough calories and protein to count as a meal to keep you full.

In addition to the protein and calories, you’ll also get six grams of fiber, which is 21 percent of your daily value (DV) per bottle, from ingredients like oats, flaxseed, and chicory. It’s sweetened with four grams of coconut sugar and stevia while avoiding artificial sweeteners. That's key for anyone that's sensitive to sugar alcohols.

You won’t find Huel in stores, but you may be able to find some flavors on Amazon. Signing up for a subscription from the website saves money on each order and means you'll never run out.

Read more: Best Protein Powders

With fewer than 200 calories, the Premier Protein Shake isn't quite a meal replacement. But it does make a filling and satisfying small snack or breakfast if you normally skip it. With a wide variety of flavors to choose from, from classic vanilla all the way to salted caramel popcorn or pumpkin spice, it’s easy to find a flavor for every season and taste.

Each bottle has 30 grams of protein from milk protein concentrate and calcium caseinate. And if you need something low in carbohydrates, each bottle has just four grams of carbs and no added sugars. It’s sweetened with sucralose and acesulfame potassium, two FDA-approved artificial sweeteners. You’ll also get over 25 percent DV of numerous essential vitamins and minerals, along with calories and proteins.

I love this plant-based protein shake. It's an excellent source of fiber and protein, two nutrients that can be tricky to get enough of. Each serving has an impressive 10 grams of fiber and 20 grams of protein. While you’ll only get 140 calories from each bottle, the fiber and protein may help you feel full and satisfied after drinking. Make this into a meal by adding a shelf-stable snack like nuts or trail mix, which would add significant calories and healthy fats.

Getting all 20 grams of protein from pea protein, this drink is perfect for people following a vegan diet and is also free from any artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners.

Each serving also has 15 percent DV of zinc, vitamin B12, and calcium, as well as 25 percent DV of iron, all nutrients that can be hard to get enough of in a vegan diet.

The Orgain Organic Nutritional Protein Shake is an all-in-one shake packed with vitamins and minerals, 16 grams of protein from grass-fed dairy, and 250 calories to help keep you full and energized.

These shakes are some of my personal favorites. Their texture is rich and full-bodied, and the flavors are sweet without artificial flavors. They’re sweetened with cane sugar, brown rice syrup, and monk fruit, which gives each bottle 11 grams of added sugars, or 22 percent of the recommended daily limit. But with 28 grams of total carbohydrates and 16 grams of protein, it is still a balanced meal replacement shake.

Kate Farms is known for high quality tube feeding formulas used in hospitals and available for home use, and its complete nutrition shakes stand up to the reputation. These USDA Organic meal replacement shakes are certified gluten-free, certified kosher, and free from any artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols.

Each serving does have 18 grams of added sugars, which is 36 percent of the recommended daily limit, but the extra fiber and protein help to balance this out. Each serving has six grams of prebiotic fiber from agave inulin to help support a healthy gut microbiome. It’s also free from the nine most common food allergens: milk, wheat, soy, sesame, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, and shellfish. This makes it a safe choice for anyone with food allergies.

I love that each bottle has 350 calories, which is enough to actually replace what you might eat at a meal with a good balance of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Plus, you’ll get 16 grams of satisfying protein and a boost of essential vitamins and minerals.

Each bottle of Soylent is a complete meal with 400 calories and 24 grams of fat, including 18 grams of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, 36 grams of carbohydrates, and 20 grams of protein from soy. Plus, you’ll get a boost of 20 percent DV of 26 vitamins and minerals in this vegan, gluten and nut-free nutrition shake. And, to top it all off, there's only one gram of added sugars per serving.

The combination of 400 calories, 20 grams of protein, and three grams of fiber will help you feel full while sipping and stay with you for hours afterward. To minimize the added sugars, Soylent is sweetened with Allulose, a natural sweetener that your body can't absorb and use all of the energy from and contributes just 0.2 calories per gram as opposed to four calories per gram of regular sugar.

You can choose from seven flavors and take advantage of the website's subscription option to save 12.5 percent on your orders.

You can find Fairlife Core Power Protein Milk in most major grocery stores. And while it tastes best cold, this milk drink can be left at room temperature until opening, making it perfect for meals on the go. Each serving has just 170 calories, which makes it great for a snack or small breakfast, and has 26 grams of high-quality protein from milk.

Even though this meal replacement is milk based, it’s made from ultra-filtered milk and has the lactase enzyme already added, so even people with lactose intolerance can drink it with comfort. It’s sweetened with natural and artificial sweeteners, but contains no added sugars and has 50 percent DV of calcium and 25 percent DV of vitamin D in every bottle.

Owyn High Protein Complete Nutrition Shake is a vegan meal replacement shake with 26 grams of protein from a blend of pea and pumpkin seed protein. While it’s not enough calories to truly replace an entire meal (only 180 calories per bottle), it does have three grams of fiber and 20 percent of the DV for a wide variety of essential vitamins and minerals. Pair it with something like an apple and peanut butter for additional calories, healthy fats, and fiber.

This shake is perfect for anyone with food allergies or intolerances. It’s free from dairy, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, wheat, and gluten. The bottle is even BPA-free to limit your exposure to this hormone-disrupting chemical. We also love that it has no added sugars or artificial sweeteners and is sweetened with natural monk fruit extract instead.

The healthiest meal replacement shake for you depends on your own individual nutrition goals and medical history. That said, I love the Huel Ready-to-Drink Nutrition Shakes as they have enough energy to replace a meal, are high in fiber, and are low in added sugars.

Your main source of nutrition should come from a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole foods. While meal-replacement shakes can be used, they shouldn't replace more than one meal a day.

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