Meal Replacement Shakes – The Ultimate Resource

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We understand that choosing the best meal replacement shake is an important decision.

There’s so many options it can be hard to know where to start.

That’s why we’ve put together this informative guide to help you make the right decision.

The Best Meal Replacement Shakes

If you’re in a rush, you can see our top picks below.

We’ve chosen these shakes meet all our ’10 things to look for in a meal replacement shake’ criteria shown in the table below.

10 Things to Look for in a Meal Replacement Shake

Criteria Nutribuddy Other Meal Replacement Shakes
All nutrients from wholefoods Yes – this is the best way to get nutrients No, most use artificial vitamin and mineral blends
Free from additives (Thickeners etc) Yes – Nutribuddy contains no additives No – most contain thickeners / emulsifiers and other nasties
Hypoallergenic Yes No
Gluten-free Yes – Nutribuddy use gluten-free oats and other ingredients are naturally gluten-free Most are not gluten-free
100% Vegan company Yes – Nutribuddy only sell vegan products and share vegan ethics In most cases no
Money back guarantee Yes Happiness Guarantee No
Developed with nutritionalists Yes In most cases no
Price per shake From 50p £1.30 – £2.00
Strong environmental credentials? Yes – Nutribuddy use Glass jars, reusable tubs & are working towards compostable pouches No – Many have brought out single use plastic containers
Proven results Hundreds of reviews online and before and after pictures Mixed results

We didn’t want to make this too personal by listing specific competitors.

However, what we can say for sure is that to the best of our knowledge, Nutribuddy is the only shake company who can tick all the boxes above 🙂

If you want more knowledge in order to make the best buying decision, you’ve come to the right place!

We’ve written a number of in-depth articles on meal replacement shakes which you can find below.

Laura Lucas with Nutribuddy Shake Complete

How To Choose The Best Meal Replacement Shakes

Nearly every meal replacement shake out there claims to be the best but which is actually the best?

A good way to validate the authenticity of a shake is to take a look at customer reviews.

Avoid reviews placed on the company’s own website as these could be fake. Instead take a look at Trustpilot or Google reviews.

A good brand should have a high proportion of 5 star reviews with very, very few 1 or 2 star reviews.

For example, Nutribuddy has over 260 5 star reviews on Trustpilot and is given an overall score of 4.8/5.

We compared this to competitor brands and all had 4.4/5 or lower, giving Nutribuddy the best Trustpilot score that we could find in the meal replacement shake industry.

We believe another great way to determine which shakes are actually beneficial is to look over the ingredient list with a magnifying glass.

There are so many ingredients which are frequently used in meal replacements which are of no benefit and can actually do more harm than good.


Read more: The Essential Guide to Choosing the Best Meal Replacement Shakes


Nutribuddy Shake Complete by JustHelina
Nutribuddy Shake Complete by JustHelina

Meal Replacement Shakes for Weight Loss

Can Meal Replacement Shakes Help Me Lose Weight?

Whatever your reason for wanting to lose weight, it’s important that you do so in a safe and sustainable manner that will ensure the changes to your body are long-lasting and healthy.

Clinical studies have shown time and time again that meal replacement shake, when administered correctly, yield higher success rates than traditional low-calorie diets.

Add in a balanced nutritional profile and delicious (but all natural) flavours, and you’re on to a recipe for success.

How Much Weight can I Lose with Meal Replacement Shakes?

A perfect meal replacement shake should help you lose around 2lbs per week.

This is classed as a healthy and sustainable weight loss rate according to the NHS.

This way you’re much more likely to keep the weight off in the long-run.

But finding the perfect meal replacement shake that can give you healthy and sustainable weight loss can come with challenges. There are several factors to consider.

That’s exactly why we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to help you make the best decision to achieve the best results.


Read more: How to Choose the Best Meal Replacement Shakes for Effective and Safe Weight Loss: A Comprehensive Review


vegan protein powders
Can meal replacement shakes help with weight loss

Are Meal Replacement Shakes Good For You?

Meal replacement shakes are a bit of a minefield.

If you choose the right meal replacement shake it can revolutionise your lifestyle but if you choose the wrong one it can leave more than a hole in your wallet…

Yes, not all meal replacement shakes are good for you.

That’s why it’s always important to do your research before making a purchase.

There’s a whole host of new considerations to include in your purchase decision, including not getting tricked by misleading marketing claims and not being fooled by rapid (and unsustainable!) water weight loss.

But we’ve done the hard work for you and compiled a list of the common mistakes made and how to avoid them. Read our article on 7 Rookie Mistakes To Avoid When Choosing Meal Replacement Shakes.

woman drinking meal replacement shake
Skip these rookie mistakes and buy your meal replacement shake like a pro

Are Meal Replacement Shakes Healthy?

Not all meal replacement shakes were created equal.

Some are a lot healthier than others and it all comes down to one thing: their ingredient list.

So many shakes are filled with artificial ingredients which are questionable for our health.

It’s surprising that artificial sweeteners with strong clinical evidence suggesting they’re dangerous are still used in some meal replacement shakes.

We’ve created a guide on what makes a meal replacement shake healthy: A No-Nonsense Guide To Healthy Meal Replacement Shakes

woman drinking meal replacement shake

What are Good Meal Replacement Shakes For Women?

On your quest to find the best meal replacement shake for you, you will undoubtably stumble across a vast number of meal replacement shakes claiming to be best for women.

More often than not, this is just marketing and these shakes are in fact no different to regular meal replacement shakes.

However, there are some genetic differences between men and women which impact health and give some roughly gender-based traits.

Women have different nutritional needs to men. This can affect the type of meal replacement shake that will work best for an individual.

Some ingredients often used in meal replacements can have an effect on women’s hormone levels.

For example, soy (often included as soy protein) contains isoflavones, which act like estrogen in the body.

The effects this has on breast-cancer risk is unknown due to mixed results from studies, therefore the ingredient should be approached with caution.

For more information on the best meal replacement shakes for women, take a look at our article on 7 Tips For Selecting The Best Meal Replacement Shakes For Women.

meal replacement shakes for women

Cheap Meal Replacement Shakes: Are They Really Best?

 The price-point of some meal replacement shakes may be incredibly tempting but you have to ask yourself if the quality of the product will be that good.

High-quality ingredients are expensive and this will boost the price of a meal replacement shake.

Therefore, the cheapest shakes are not always best.

But there’s even more to consider. Take a look at our article on 8 Questions You Should Ask Before Purchasing Cheap Meal Replacement Shakes.

woman concerned about shake ingredients

Can I Use Meal Replacement Shakes for Breakfast?

You’ve been told it’s ‘the most important meal of the day’ as long as you can remember, and whoever has told you… is right! 

Nutritionally-balanced meal replacement shakes can give your body the perfect dose of nutrients to set it up for the day ahead.

They help by breaking the fast you’ve entered overnight whilst asleep to wholly replace the depleted energy stores and to top up the vitamins and minerals used healing and growing.

Even if you’re not in the mood for a meal first thing, it’s been proven that those who do have something for breakfast tend to be slimmer than those who don’t.

So grabbing and making a meal replacement shake for breakfast gives you the energy and nourishment you need in the morning; whilst also helping you reach your weight loss goals.

For more information on meal replacement shakes for breakfast check out our article on A Beginner’s Guide to Meal Replacement Shakes for Breakfast.

nutribuddy breakfast by alelifeofficial
Nutribuddy Breakfast Shake

Do Vegan Meal Replacement Shakes Work?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll have noticed that the vegan diet is growing in popularity all the time and more places than ever are adding plant-based options to their menus.

There’s a popular misconception that the vegan diet can is protein-deficient, because of course the most common and traditional protein source in a meal is meat.

In fact, medical evidence shows that a varied plant-based diet can easily provide all of the proteins, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and essential fats that the body requires to maintain good health.

If you’re not already following a vegan diet, you may not have considered consuming a vegan meal replacement shake, but you should – there’s lots on offer even without traditional proteins within!

For more information on vegan meal replacement shakes including their amazing benefits check our our Ultimate Guide on Vegan Meal Replacement Shakes

Vegan shakes

Final Thoughts

We’ve done extensive research into what makes a good meal replacement shake and as a result have formulated our own shakes using only the most natural, safe and effective ingredients.

We don’t mean to blow our own trumpet but we do believe that Nutribuddy shakes are the best on the market.

But you don’t need to take our word for it – listen to the hundreds of customers who have left glowing reviews and look at the visible results in our customer testimonials.

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