From time to time, we all want to lose a little bit of weight. This can often be more difficult for people with a restrictive diet, including those who choose to live a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.
One way many people choose to shed a few pounds, is with the use of meal replacement shakes (MRS). But what are the best vegan meal replacement shakes in 2021? Read on to find out.
Garden of Life
Raw Organic Meal Organic Shake
Garden of Life
Raw Organic Meal Organic Shake
LyfeFuel
All-In-One Daily Essentials
LyfeFuel
All-In-One Daily Essentials
Naturade
Vegansmart All-In-One Nutritional Shake
Naturade
Vegansmart All-In-One Nutritional Shake
Vega One
All-In-One Shake
Vega One
All-In-One Shake
Orgain
Organic Nutrition Vegan All-In-One Protein Shake
Orgain
Organic Nutrition Vegan All-In-One Protein Shake
What are Meal Replacement Shakes?
Meal replacement shakes (MRS) offer all round, calorie controlled nutrition in the form of one single drink.
Some people find that this is the most effective way to kick start weight loss. If their daily diet normally consists of high calorie meals that lack proper nutrition, it is as easy as 1,2,3 to simply replace one of those calorific main meals with a shake packed with essential nutrients.
Most MRS are convenient coming in powdered form which can be mixed with water or milk. Some even come ready made so they can be thrown straight into your bag and are ready whenever you are.
The majority of good quality MRS contain a good amount of protein, are low in carbs and many even include all of the important vitamins, essential minerals, probiotics and antioxidants.
MRS have been shown to be successful in reducing weight, especially as a tool to kick start your diet. In fact, one study found that those who use MRS, especially early on in a weight loss journey, actually lost more weight (12.3%) than with a conventional food based diet (6.9%) over a period of 16 weeks. (source)
But it is important to remember that these shakes should be used as a short term tool. They are not a substitute for a good diet. The best way to successfully lose weight will always be with a proper diet of whole foods and regular exercise.
What to Look For in a Vegan Meal Replacement Shake
Protein Source
One thing for vegans to take extra care with in this case though is the protein source. Protein is an essential macronutrient which is usually in high doses in MRS as it promotes satiety. (source)
However, the majority of protein found in shakes and bars comes from animal sources, most likely from milk like whey protein. Therefore, for vegetarians and vegans need to look for is a plant-based protein source.
There are many excellent plant-based proteins out there, the best to look for in a vegan MRS are hemp, pea and rice or a combination of the three.
Sugar Content
If you are planning to use MRS as a means of dropping a few pounds, be careful of the sugar. Not all shakes were created equal. Some are packed with sugar and very little nutrition, which defeats the point of using them in the first place.
Look at the total carbohydrate count (remember, if you’re following a low carb diet, you need a low carb MRS) and see how much of that is sugar.
Ideally, you should be looking for less than 10 grams of total carbs and no more than half of that being from sugar.
Essential Nutrients
Many high quality MRS offer excellent all round nutrition, but unfortunately many poor quality varieties do not!
Look for a shake that includes things like all of your necessary vitamins and minerals, blends of green superfoods for antioxidants and probiotics to aid digestion.
What Are the Best Vegan Meal Replacement Shakes in 2021?
Choosing a MRS can be difficult when there are so many available on the market, with ingredients lists as long as your arm, sometimes including words you can’t even pronounce, finding the right one for you can sometimes be like finding a needle in a haystack.
However, I have taken a look at the products currently available and chose five great products I think will suit everyone.
I have listed pros and cons for each in order to help you make an informed buying decision.
Garden of Life
Garden of Life Organic Vegan Meal Replacement This protein powder is brought to us by the well known organic supplement provider Garden of Life. This meal replacement powder offers 20 grams of protein blend including, brown rice, pea, chia, buckwheat, pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds at only 120 calories per serving. This product contains all of your basic vitamins and minerals, a blend of 44 superfoods, plus a probiotic enzyme blend for digestion. It is made in the USA, USDA certified organic, NSF certified gluten free and non GMO. Plus it comes in at a great price.
LyfeFuel
All-in-One Meal Replacement Shake for Weight Loss & Active Lifestyle This meal replacement shake from LyfeFuel offers total all in one nutrition, with only 100 calories per serving. This product offers 18 grams of protein, from pea and rice sources. It also has all of your necessary vitamins and minerals, as well as a green superfood blend with spirulina and wheatgrass for total green power. It also has an enzyme and probiotic blend to aid digestion and a berry blend packed with antioxidants. This product is vegan, non GMO, non-gluten, soyless plant based nutrition it really is a high quality product. Sadly though, it only offers 14 servings per container and is the most expensive of all the products we looked at.
Naturade
Naturade Naturade Vegansmart All-in-One Nutritional Shake This meal replacement shake from Naturade comes in protein powder form and has vegans in mind. It offers 20 grams of protein at only 170 calories per serving. It has all of the important vitamins, essential minerals, a whole food blend, omega 3s, fiber, probiotics and digestive enzymes. Unfortunately the one major downfall with this otherwise great product is the taste and for most, that’s a huge let down.
Vega
Vega One All-In-One This vegan meal replacement comes as a protein powder and offers 20 grams of protein from peas, hemp, flax and saviseeds and offers a full amino acid profile. It also has all of your important vitamins and essential minerals taken from broccoli, kale, spirulina and strawberries. It also has 25% daily fiber, 1.5 grams omega-3s, probiotics, and antioxidants. This product is made in the USA, is non GMO, vegan certified, low-glycemic, gluten-free, and made without dairy or soy ingredients. One downside is although the price is reasonable in terms of its competition, each container only offers 10 servings, meaning it could be very expensive if used long term.
Orgain
Orgain Plant Based Organic Vegan Nutrition Shake This product by Orgain is a plant based, organic meal replacement product. It comes in a pack of 12 ready to drink cartons, making it super convenient. Each serving offers 18 grams of plant protein from chia, flax and hemp seeds plus brown rice. It also have a mix of essential vitamins included. This product is made in the USA, is gluten free and soy free, non GMO and is USDA certified organic. Unfortunately though, I feel the product is really expensive and with 220 calories per serving, may not be the best choice for everyone depending on your weight management goals.
our #1 rated
Pros
Trusted manufacturer
20 grams protein
Pea
brown rice
chia
buckwheat
pumpkin
sesame and sunflower seed protein
120 calories
All necessary vitamins and minerals
Blend of 44 superfoods
Probiotic and enzyme blend
Vegan
Made in the USA
USDA certified organic
NSF certified gluten free
Dairy free
Without soy
Non GMO
Great price
Cons
Bad taste
our #2 rated
Pros
Plant based nutrition
100 calories per serving
18 grams of protein
Pea and rice protein sources
Low on carbohydrates and sugars
Includes all essentially necessary vitamins and minerals
Added green superfood blend and berry blend
Enzyme and probiotic blend included to aid digestion
Vegan
Non GMO
Gluten and soy free
Cons
Only 14 servings per container
Very expensive
our #3 rated
Pros
Powder form
20 grams protein
Protein from hemp
chia
potato and pea
Whole food blend included
All vitamins and minerals
Omega 3 and fiber blend
Digestive enzyme blend
Probiotic blend
Made in the USA
Vegan
Non GMO
Cons
Terrible taste
our #4 rated
Pros
Powder form
10 grams protein
Plant based protein from peas
hemp
flax and saviseeds
Full amino acid profile
All vitamins and minerals included
1.5 grams of omega 3
Probiotics included
Includes antioxidants
Made in the USA
Non GMO
Vegan
Gluten
dairy free and without soy
Cons
Expensive for long term use
Only 10 servings per container
Very sweet
our #5 rated
Pros
Ready to drink cartons
Pack of 12
18 grams of protein
Plant protein made from hemp
chia and flax seeds and brown rice
Includes all of the important vitamins and essential minerals
Made in the USA
Non-gluten
Soy free
Vegan
Non GMO
USDA certified organic
Cons
Expensive
High in calories
Our Choice
Although all the five products we looked at were great quality, the Garden of Life meal replacement powder just stood out from the crowd for me.
This is mainly due to the high protein from such a wide variety of plant based protein sources, all of which are organic. Another plus is the fact that it is a low calorie protein powder packed with goodness for a great price.
Moreover, being made by a trusted manufacturer in the USA, is USDA and NSF certified all just promote confidence in the quality of the product.
All in all I think this makes an excellent choice for anyone looking to try a vegan meal replacement shake.
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