Compare the Most Popular Meal Replacement Drinks to Find the One That’s Right for You

Posted on July 12, 2017 by resourcefulman

Meal replacement drinks have become more common as we get busier and work longer . Not to be confused with protein shakes: Replacement drinks generally have less protein, more carbs, and more calories per serving . Some meal replacement drinks are marketed to help people lose weight, while others help people save time and money in cooking.

Whether meal replacement drinks are good for you is a hotly debated question, especially in light of recent reviews and nutritional concerns . Below are nutritional comparisons for different meal replacement drinks and what people have to say about them.

Soylent Drink

Soylent has recently expanded into 7-Eleven California stores , but these are mostly sold online . Soylent Drink is Soylent’s newest product line, which is bottled with original flavors, cocoa and nectar. Each serving provides one-fifth of your daily nutritional needs.

Calories Per Serving: 400 Calories
Protein: 20 g
Fiber: 3 g
Carbohydrates: 37 g
Sugar: 9 g
Cost: $ 32.30 for 12 bottles.
Serving Price: US $ 2.69 per serving.
Main ingredients: soy protein, maltodextrin, sunflower oil, isomaltulose.
What People Say: Many Amazon reviewers say Soylent Drink is slightly thicker than milk. One reviewer says , “It tastes a bit like pancake dough, not too sweet, but not bad either.” Another says , “The taste is rather bland. Not as tasty as ice cream, but you don’t have to force yourself to drink it like a protein shake. I really like it and I look forward to drinking it every morning. ” Its nectar taste has been compared to fruit pebbles, “but somehow worse” and to lemon aspartame . Its cocoa flavor is more popular and has been compared to hot chocolate .
Takeaway: Soylent drinks are an enhanced version of Soylent 1.0, and since there are different flavors, you won’t get tired of them so easily. In addition, they are much more convenient because they are packaged in bottles.

Soylent Cafe

Packaged the same as Soylent Drink, Soylent Cafe is Soylent’s caffeinated line found in teas, vanilla coffee and regular coffee. It is intended as a breakfast replacement or for afternoon use and has the same nutrition as Soylent Drink.

Calories Per Serving: 400 Calories
Protein: 20 g
Fiber: 3 g
Carbohydrates: 37 g
Sugar: 9 g
Cost: $ 37.05 for 12 bottles.
Per Serving: $ 3.09 per serving.
Main ingredients: soy protein, maltodextrin, sunflower oil, isomaltulose.
What People Say: Gizmodo tried the regular coffee version and they gave it 69/100 . Eater calls the coffee aroma, also known as the Coffiest, “surprisingly almost good.” “If regular Soylent tastes and feels like pancake batter, Coffiest tastes and feels like pancake batter with a little coffee grounds and possibly a tiny bit of chocolate,” writes Matt Buchanan in his review.
Bottom Line: This product is slightly more expensive than soy drink, but can be used as breakfast and morning caffeine. Like Soylent Drink, it is portable, people think it tastes good, and it gives you 20% of your daily intake.

Soylent powder

Soylent Powder is the original Soylent flavor that you get by mixing it with water in a Soylent Jug. This is an updated version of the original, which means it tastes much better and you don’t need to add oil anymore.

Calories Per Serving: 200 Calories
Protein: 10 g
Fiber: 2 g
Carbohydrates: 20 g
Sugar: 8 g
Cost: $ 54 for 17 sachets or 35 dishes.
Serving price: $ 1.54 per dish.
Main ingredients: soy protein, canola oil, maltodextrin, isomaltulose.
What people are saying: An Amazon Michigun columnist describes it as “milk mixed with a little fiber and hints of banana, resulting in a slightly gritty and delicate shake.” Although Michigoun claims to be a big fan of Soylent (“I love Soylent Powder”), they give the tub one star for being too expensive and recommend buying the bags instead.
Bottom Line : Soylent Powder has a higher sugar to calorie ratio than Soylent Drink and Soylent Cafe and is less convenient to prepare. The main advantage is that it is slightly cheaper if you buy the powder in bulk, but you can save money by buying other Soylent products in bulk as well. This is mainly for people who don’t really care about the taste of their food and just want to save time eating.

Guarantee original

Ensure is often compared to Soylent as a meal replacement. It has been around longer than Soylent and comes in six flavors: milk chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, dark chocolate, pecan butter, and coffee latte. There are also Ensure options such as Ensure Plus for gaining or maintaining weight and Ensure Light for a meal supplement.

Calories Per Serving: 220 Calories
Protein: 9 g
Fiber: <1 g
Carbohydrates: 32 g
Sugar: 15 g
Cost: $ 19.99 for 16 servings.
Serving Price: US $ 1.25 per serving.
Main Ingredients: Corn Maltodextrin, Sugar, Milk Protein Concentrate, Canola Oil, Corn Oil.
What people say: Most reviewers are happy with Ensure (” Good thing !!! “, ” Great thing !! “, ” Lifetime guarantee! “), But some criticize it for being too sweet and artificial to taste . Others want to break the stigma that it is a drink for the elderly . Some say it is best served cold .
Bottom Line: While not shown in the numbers above, Ensure contains a higher percentage of daily vitamins and minerals than Soylent per serving. One of the downsides to Soylent is that it doesn’t have a lot of fiber, but it almost doubles the sugar. Soylent and Ensure Original were created to replace meals, but Ensure improved nutrition to make up for nutrition that you did not get from other meals.

Light fuel

Light fuel is Soylent’s low-carb answer to Super Body Fuel. To do this, you mix olive oil and water with the powder. You can adjust the amount of added oil based on your dietary preference.

Calories Per Serving: 260 calories (500 calories with 2T olive oil)
Protein: 25 g
Fiber: 7 g
Carbohydrates: 30 g
Sugar: 0 g
Cost: $ 50 for 20 servings.
Serving price: US $ 2.50 per serving.
Main ingredients: Olive oil, oat flour, sprouted brown rice protein, l-lysine hydrochloride.
What people say: Its website says it ” tastes a bit like pancake dough .” It comes in other flavors as well, such as chocolate, which one reviewer called “really liquid chocolate oatmeal.” People also describe the original flavor as tasteless, and one reviewer said that “the recommended amount of olive oil can overwhelm the flavor of light fuel.”
Bottom Line: Light Fuel is sugar-free, which is great for people on low-carb diets. It can be customized, but it also makes it less convenient to manufacture. You should also buy olive oil to mix with the powder. It’s only $ 2.50 per meal, but the smallest serving you can buy is 20 servings, which is a pretty significant investment if you’re not sure if you like the taste or not. Super Body Fuel also makes a low carb version at the same price point called Keto Fuel (ostensibly for those on ketogenic diets).

Athlete Fuel

Athlete Fuel is a high protein powder manufactured by Super Body Fuel. To do this, you mix the powder with whole milk. You can customize it to be vegetarian or non-dairy by replacing it with non-dairy alternatives.

Calories Per Serving: 330 calories (630 calories per 2 cups of whole milk)
Protein: 32 g (47 g in 2 cups whole milk)
Fiber: 8 g
Carbohydrates: 38 g (62 g in 2 cups whole milk)
Sugar: 0 g (25 g for 2 cups whole milk)
Cost: $ 50 for 20 servings.
Serving price: US $ 2.50 per serving.
Main ingredients: whole milk, oat flour, sprouted brown rice protein, l-lysine hydrochloride.
What people say:His website says it tastes “a bit like cookie dough.” According to thereview, it has the original vanilla, chocolate and cinnamon flavors and has an “overall smooth” texture.
Bottom Line: Athlete Fuel is gluten, dairy, soy, nut free and vegan. It’s high in protein, so it’s good for people looking to build muscle. Like Light Fuel, it is customizable, but that also makes it less convenient compared to pre-made bottles like Soylent Drink and Ensure. You should also buy milk to mix with the powder.

Shmilk

Schmilk was created by the same company that makes Light Fuel and Athlete Fuel. It is very similar to Soylent, except that it requires milk instead of water, making it less convenient than Soylent. It can be original, with vanilla, chocolate and cinnamon flavors.

Calories Per Serving: 200 calories (500 calories per 2 cups of whole milk)
Protein: 8 g (24 g in 2 cups whole milk)
Fiber: 8 g
Carbohydrates: 34 g (57 g for 2 cups of whole milk)
Sugar: 0 g (25 g for 2 cups whole milk)
Cost: $ 30 for 20 servings.
Price per serving: US $ 1.50 per serving.
Main ingredients: Oat flour, sprouted brown rice protein, l-lysine hydrochloride.
What people are saying: Its website says it tastes like grain milk, which many reviewers agree. One big issue that reviewers bring up is that the cocktail doesn’t mix well without a blender.
Bottom Line : Schmilk is a Soylent alternative made with oatmeal instead of soy. It is a little more expensive because you have to buy milk, but nutritionally it is comparable.

Atkins shakes

Like Ensure, Atkins cocktails are creamy meal replacement drinks available in most stores and come in a wide variety of flavors. But unlike Ensure, they were created to follow the Atkins diet.

Calories Per Serving: 160 Calories
Protein: 15 g
Fiber: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 2-5 g (depending on taste)
Sugar: 1 g
Cost: $ 30 for 20 servings.
Price per serving: US $ 1.50 per serving.
Main ingredients: milk protein concentrate, sunflower oil, pasteurized cream, soy protein.
What they say: The reviews are mostly positive. “It’s tasty and healthy, doesn’t leave a chalky aftertaste. It’s not nearly as sweet as all other lean protein drinks. Plus, I love that it’s in a cardboard container, not metal cans, ”writes Amazon columnist Dawn T.
Takeaway: Atkins shakes are lower in carbs and higher in protein than Ensure. There are also two caffeinated coffee flavors: a mocha latte and a café caramel cocktail. Because they are available at stores like Walmart, you can buy them in small packs of four instead of ordering bulk powder online as you would for other meal replacement drinks.

Shakeology

Shakeology is marketed as “a superfood protein shake that can help you feel refreshed, reduce food cravings, lose weight, improve digestion and regularity, and taste delicious.” It is not sold in stores, so you need to visit the website to buy it.

Calories Per Serving: 140-170 Calories
Proteins: 16-17 g
Fiber: 4-5 g
Carbohydrates: 13-18 g
Sugar: 7-8 g
Cost: $ 129.95 for 30 servings.
Serving Price: US $ 4.33 per serving.
Key Ingredients: Pea Protein, Flaxseed, Whey Protein, Oat Protein.
What people say: Some flavors taste better than others, of which chocolate and vanilla are the most popular. One reviewer compared the taste of cocktails to cereals and noticed that they left a bitter aftertaste.
Takeaway : Shakeology is one of the most expensive meal replacements around. It has fewer calories per serving than Soylent, but has a higher sugar to calorie ratio. Its ingredient list is easier to read and understand, but the nutrition is comparable – except it has more fiber.

Vega one

Vega One is a gluten and soy free vegan food shake. It gets its protein from pea seeds, hemp seeds, SaviSeeds and flax seeds. One serving contains 25% of the daily fiber. It comes in chocolate, berry, natural, vanilla tea, French vanilla, coconut and almond mocha.

Calories Per Serving: 160 Calories
Protein: 20 g
Fiber: 6 g
Carbohydrates: 10 g (depending on taste)
Sugar: 1 g
Cost: $ 28.49 for 10 servings.
Serving Price: $ 2.85 per serving.
Main ingredients: pea protein, flax seed, pea starch, acacia gum.
What People Say: Amazon reviewers often argue that this is the best shake alternative. Like Shakeology, there are complaints that it leaves an odd aftertaste: “There is a sickening sweet aftertaste similar to the aftertaste of artificial sweetener,” writes Amazon columnist Bruce Barlow .
Conclusion: Vega One is a good alternative to Shakeology because it has comparable nutrition and comparable taste. It’s also a lot cheaper and you can buy a lot less (the smallest Shakeology pack comes with 30 servings, and the smallest Vega One comes with 10).

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