However, with so many companies out there promoting their own meal replacement shakes on the market, it’s easy for fitness newbies to feel overwhelmed by choice. Furthermore, while we should use shakes as a healthy alternative to solid meals, some companies fill their products with unhealthy ingredients such as processed sugars, additives, and preservatives. 

As such, in today's article I will list down the best meal replacement shakes on the market. But before that, I will be discussing relevant important information such as what to look out for, what macronutrient ratios you should comply to, your daily calorie requirements, and so forth.

Understanding Your Daily Calorie Requirements

Before we proceed, it’s a good idea to find out the daily caloric requirements needed to sustain our bodies, depending on our sex and physical activity.

These levels are acquired from the Estimated Energy Requirements (EER) from the Institute of Medicine Dietary Reference Intakes (2002)and will give you an idea on how many calories you need to consume in your other meals if you were to consume a 200 calorie shake for lunch.

Logically, if you want to lose weight, you’ll need to consume less calories than you burn off. So, if you are a 25-year-old male who lives a sedentary lifestyle and wants to lose weight, you should try to consume 1,900 calories a day to lose weight at a healthy level. With a 200-calorie shake for lunch, the rest of your meals could fill the caloric gap comfortably.

Sedentary: light physical activity that happens daily

Moderately active: light physical activity on top of physical activity like walking 1.5-3 miles a day at 3-4mph 

​Active: light physical activity on top of walking more than 3 miles a day at 3-4mph

Your macros are just as important

Macronutrients, or macros, are nutrients your body needs in large doses for it to sustain itself. The three main macros are carbohydrates (sugars), fats, and protein. Each of these macros provide you with energy in the form of calories.

According to MSD, the different macros release different amounts of energy:

• 1 gram of carbohydrate: 4 calories
• 1 gram of protein: 4 calories
• 1 gram of fat: 9 calories

Since the meal replacement shakes will be replacing your brekkie/lunch/dinner, it’s important that the macronutrient profile stays within the suggested range. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies has set this to:

• 45-65% of calories from carbs
• 10-35% of calories from proteins
• 20-35% of calories from fats

Obviously, different physiques respond differently to these ranges. If you’re naturally bulky and your aim is to lose some weight, look for a meal replacement that is low in carbs, but high in proteins and healthy fats. 

Different macros have different nutritional benefits. In this segment, I’ll be explaining why they are needed in adequate amounts, and how they will affect your overall quality of life.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are divided into three components: sugar, fiber, and starch.

Fiber and starches are complex carbs, while sugar and some starches such as white rice are simple carbs. Complex carbs such as whole grains, whole wheat bread, oats and rice are much more healthy than simple carbs. Complex carbs are more nutritious, higher in fiber and digest slowly. 

If you’re trying to lose weight, look for a meal replacement formula that uses complex carbs as the main source of carbohydrates, such as Garden of Life: Raw Organic Meal.

In fact, complex carbs are a MUCH better option if you are diabetic because this type of carbs don’t spike insulin levels like simple carbs do. I’d also like to mention that complex carbs are usually loaded with fiber, which makes you full faster. Therefore you wouldn’t feel like eating as much, leading to weight loss!

Simple carbs are carbohydrates which are broken down quickly by the body. These are great after a workout when your cells are depleted of glycogen, and the sugar is much needed for recovery.

However, it’s not a good choice of carbs to replace whole meals with. You’ll feel a rush of energy coming in, and crash when that energy is depleted. As mentioned previously, simple carbs spike insulin levels fast, which can affect your health negatively. Meal replacements that use animal-based proteins such as whey tend to have simple carbs, so be sure to watch out for that sugar content!

Examples of simple carbs are raw sugar, corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose, and fruit juices. Simple carbs are cheap, and usually liberally added to powders to save cost. If you can afford to, shy away from meal replacements that use simple carbs as their main source of carbs!

Protein

People underestimate the importance of protein in their diet. It’s important that the meal replacement powder of your choice is adequate in protein, because it is often an expensive macro that manufacturers try to cut corners on. 

Fats

Eating fats won’t necessarily make you fat. In fact, fats are needed by the body as a source of energy, absorb vitamins A,D, and E, produce hormones, protects your organs and keeps your body warm. Not all fats are created equal, though. There are good fats and bad fats.

Fats can be divided into four major types:

1. Saturated fats
2. Trans fats
3. Monounsaturated fats
4. Polyunsaturated fats

Saturated fats and trans fats are referred to as bad fats. They raise “bad cholesterol” or LDL levels in your blood and CAN increase the risks of heart diseases. However, that doesn’t mean you should avoid them completely.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends 5-6% of your total daily calories come from saturated fats. If you’re on a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s 13 grams of saturated fat per day. Naturally, trans fat can be found in meat and dairy at low levels. They are also found in hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Trans fats are typically low in meal replacement shakes, but you should still keep an eye out for them, especially in meal replacements that use animal-based protein!

Examples of food loaded with saturated fats:

1. Fatty meat cuts
2. Cheese
3. Palm oil
4. Butter, ghee, and lard

Unsaturated fats such as monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are referred to as healthy fats. They increase “good cholesterol” or HDL levels. HDL transports the bad cholesterol (LDL) that are clogged in your arteries into your liver, which are then broken down and removed from the body. It’s a bonus if the meal replacement shake of your choice includes a healthy dose of healthy fats!

Examples of food rich in monounsaturated fat

1. Olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil and butter
2. Avocado
3. Sesame oil

Examples of food rich in monounsaturated fat

1. Fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, etc)
2. Sunflower seeds
3. Grapeseed oil

My Top Picks

Garden of Life: Raw Organic Meal

Nutritional facts

• Calories: 120
• Total carbohydrates: 8g
• Total protein: 20g
• Total fat: 2g

At around $1.42 per serving, you can’t go wrong with this product if you’re looking to lose weight!

Premier Protein 30g Protein Shakes

Nutritional facts

• Calories: 160
• Total carbohydrates: 5g
• Total protein: 30g
• Total fat: 3g

You can buy a pack of four from Amazon for $13.99, which leads to roughly $3.49 a pack. This is rather expensive and would be the biggest reason why people would turn the other way around.

Ketologie Keto Protein Shake

The keto diet has taken the over the health & fitness industry by storm over the past few years, and I’ve already factored in the possibility of our readers embracing the keto lifestyle. Luckily for you lot, there are meal replacements specifically formulated for you!

This product has 300 calories per serving, 75% from fat, 19% from protein, and less than 2% from carbs. This is the perfect ratio to stay in ketosis! The main ingredients of this shake are dutched cocoa and coconut oil. However, this shake does contain bovine collagen protein, which means that this is a non-vegan friendly option. A big pro of this product is that it tastes excellent and has great texture. 

Nutritional facts

• Calories: 300
• Total carbohydrates: 14g
• Total protein: 14g
• Total fat: 25g

Vega One All-In-One Shake

Nutritional facts

• Calories: 160
• Total carbohydrates: 10g
• Total protein: 20g
• Total fat: 5g

310 Shake Meal Replacement Shake

If you’re on a plant-based, gluten-free diet and have calorie restrictions, the 310 Shake is a great option for you. It is also Keto and Paleo- friendly. One serving has only 90 calories, ideal for those that are looking to lose weight. Another pro is that there are no sugars in this product. The main sweetener used in this product is stevia, just like the previously mentioned Vega One All-In-One shake. Stevia is recognized as safe in moderation, but if you’re having multiple shakes a day you should consult your doctor, because there has been ongoing debate regarding its potential health risks in large amounts.

310 Shake comes in eight different flavours, so you’re spoiled for choice. Unfortunately, out of all the products reviewed, this product has the lowest amount of protein at 15 grams per serving. This is an area 310 shake should do better, because plenty of plant-based meal replacements out there have significantly higher protein content.  Furthermore, there is only 1 gram of fat. This reduces the number of calories in the shake, but you are bound to feel hungry quicker on a low-fat diet. 

Nutritional Facts

• Calories: 90
• Total carbohydrates: 7g
• Total protein: 15g
• Total fat: 1g

GNC Total Lean Shake 25

America’s favourite health and wellness store has been around for more than 80 years, and it sure is comforting to see a recognizable brand in the list. GNC Total Lean Shake 25 uses a whey protein blend, meaning vegans should stay away from this product. The blend includes whey protein concentrates and isolates that digest at different times, meaning you’ll always have a constant supply of protein in your body until your next meal. I love that there is 25 grams of protein and 13 grams of fiber in a serving. It’s going to keep you satiated for a long time, and you wouldn’t be tempted to snack. At 200 calories, this product still fits the weight loss category, and you have 9 flavours to choose from.

Unfortunately, it does come with a long list of additives that your average person can’t pronounce and uses ingredients that we should be watching out for as discussed in the previous section such as maltodextrin and corn syrup. The sugar level is still relatively low though, at only 4g per serving. At $2.80 a serving, it’s not that far off the other animal-based protein meal replacements, but it’s still rather expensive. But you’re getting good macros for that price!

Nutritional Facts

• Calories: 200
• Total carbohydrates: 17g
• Total protein: 25g
• Total fat: 3g

Table of Comparison

To make things easy for you, I’ve summarised the macronutrient profile of each product in a table.

Final Thoughts

Meal replacements are a useful tool in your fitness arsenal. Though meal replacements are great to have, it’s still better to have real food in your diet. Meal replacements for weight loss are only a temporary solution, and they can lack many of the micronutrients your body needs to function optimally. Remember, fitness is a journey. You still need to maintain a caloric deficit, eat healthy food and stick to a full proof exercise routine to see any changes.

This article can only guide you in highlighting the pros and cons on what I think are some of the best meal replacement shakes on the market today. I highly suggest you do additional research before taking a meal replacement shake home. Do consider any potential allergies you have towards the ingredients. If you have any concerns, do consult a certified medical professional.