A good meal replacement shake can help you lose weight, stay in shape and get some extra nutrients in your diet. Meal replacement shakes are ready in minutes: simply stir them into your favorite drink or mix them in a blender with fruit, seeds and vegetables. You can drink a glass in the morning or pour it in a tumbler for a healthy lunch replacement. Plus, the sweet and fruity flavors allow you to treat yourself while you’re trying to maintain your diet.
Most meal replacement shakes are packed with nutrients, but not all shakes are made alike. Here’s a rundown of some of the most high-quality meal replacement shakes on the market.
1. 310 Shake
The 310 Shake is a vegan shake that uses plant proteins instead of animal products to give you a healthy dose of nutrients. This shake is low in fat, calories and carbohydrates, meaning that you can add other ingredients like fruits, seeds, oils and nut butters. Every shake has two grams of fat, five grams of fiber and an impressive zero grams of artificial sugars. You can choose from sweet, dessert-inspired flavors like mocha, salted caramel and chocolate mint. Diets don’t give you a lot of opportunities to treat yourself, but the 310 Shake offers sweet flavors without the fat and sugar overload.
2. Garden of Life
Garden of Life uses raw, organic ingredients to replace the nutrients that you’d normally get from food. The list of ingredients includes spinach, millet, chia seeds, strawberries, asparagus, celery, oat grass juice and much more. For a final boost, Garden of Life shakes offer an enzyme and probiotic blend that promotes healthy digestion. This shake comes in dessert-inspired flavors like chocolate cacao and vanilla chai as well as a “Lightly Sweet” option.
3. 1UP Protein
1UP Protein offers a wide range of flavors, making it one of the most popular options. This brand offers classic flavors like chocolate, vanilla and peanut butter as well as fancier options like banana bread, key lime avocado and caramel toffee macchiato. Despite these sweet flavors, 1UP Protein shakes have no added sugar. Each shake is loaded with 24 grams of protein, making it a great option for athletes and workout enthusiasts. When it comes to calories, 1UP is about mid-range compared to other shakes. However, calories aren’t necessarily a bad thing–your body needs a certain amount of calories to produce energy throughout the day.
4. Vega One
Vega One is rich in healthy ingredients like pea protein, grape seed extract, kale, maca root, cranberries, spinach and other essentials. These shakes have 20 grams of protein, 230 milligrams of potassium, five grams of fat and a single gram of sugar for a little added sweetness. When it comes to vitamins and minerals, Vega One is crammed with up to 70% of your daily needs. You can choose from sweet flavors like chocolate mint and French vanilla, or pick up a plain unsweetened flavor if you’d rather add your own ingredients.
Meal replacement shakes don’t have to be bland, gritty and flavorless. These meal replacement shakes offer a wide range of flavors–and if you’re not satisfied, you can always enhance the flavor with your own ingredients. Each shake offers a balance of fat, calories and carbohydrates as well as the vitamins and minerals that you need to stay healthy. Next time you think about working out or losing weight, skip the coffee and reach for a meal replacement shake instead.