Whether you’re vegan or not, choosing cruelty-free products usually means an ingredients list packed full of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
They can be as great for losing some weight as it is for the planet.
Plant-based protein is an excellent choice for people looking to bulk up or cut down.
So, whatever your goal is, here’s our pick for the best vegan meal replacement shakes.
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1. Ample V Plant-Based Complete Meal Shake (Editor's Choice)
Ample V is a bit of a game-changer, and I have to admit I’m completely smitten.
It’s packed to the brim with all the good stuff and stripped bare of all the filler, sugar, sweeteners, and garbage.
If you look through the ingredients, you’ll see that it’s all organic whole foods all the way for this plant-based protein shake.
It’s perfect for those on the go as it comes pre-portioned in BPA-free recyclable bottles.
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It may be anecdotal, but the founder of Complete Start managed to treat his Crohn’s disease by switching to a plant-based diet.
The evidence that a vegan or vegetarian diet can be massively beneficial to your gut health is fairly well documented, with studies showing it promotes diverse and stable microbial systems. [1]
Complete Start has three flavors for you to try all focused on being a great protein-packed way to start the day.
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3. Orgain Organic Vegan Nutritional Shake
Orgain isn’t going to win any prizes for creative flavor choice, but there is certainly something to be said for their super simple and straightforward vanilla and chocolate plant-protein meal replacement shakes.
The company’s focus has always been on organic ingredients, and they refuse to compromise and include anything artificial.
Orgain claim that nutritious and delicious don’t have to be opposites; they’ve put a lot of work into creating a natural formula that serves as much to the taste bud as it does to the body.
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This is less convenient but means it is much more environmentally friendly and can usually save you a bit of money too.
Like the other vegan meal replacement shakes, the ingredients are organic, the nutrition is plant-based, the flavors are natural, and the product is soy and GMO-free. It’s a great choice for those looking to lose some weight and keep it off long term in a healthy and cost-effective way.
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Oxyfresh matches its competitors in terms of organic whole food ingredients but has made sure to include a full amino acid profile and a full serving of vegetables in their meal replacement shake.
On top of this, they have absolutely nailed the taste, and this may be the best tasting shake on the market when mixed with just water.
A great meal replacement shake needs to keep you feeling full, serve up a healthy dose of nutrition, and be convenient to have on the go.
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Let’s start with the elephant in the room; Nuzest is not technically a meal replacement and doesn’t market itself as such.
However, it can be used as a vegan protein powder, and with a few additional ingredients added to the mix makes a fine base for a meal replacement shake.
This protein powder is too low in calories to count as a meal replacement proper and is also lacking in other nutritional benefits added into those products, but if you mix it with some fruit, veggies, and maybe probiotic plant-based milk, it works and tastes great.
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I love the ALOHA product -- they have some of the greatest variety of flavors if you’re looking to try something new and mix it up a little.
As we’ve seen from these best vegan meal replacement shakes time and time again, the ingredients and nutrition are all derived from plant sources and entirely organic.
It has enough calories per serving and serves up enough vitamins and minerals to work as a low calorie meal replacement, but it excels as a post or pre workout powder.
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We had to do a little research before we could safely deduce that it isn’t made from people, and then we had to ask ourselves even if it was, would it still be technically vegan?
But after we got around the questionable decision to name their product after a film that focused on the effects of overpopulation, we were able to enjoy the product.
Soylent is once again prepackaged and portioned for you, making it incredibly convenient for those of us on the go, not so much for the environment, though.
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So to work as an effective meal replacement shake, you need to tick a few different boxes, but the first and most important is to feel full.
If you’re going to be craving food even after you’ve finished your shake, it’s pointless.
What you want to look for are shakes that serve up a decent amount of calories and protein per serving.
The next important factor is if it’s healthy. A clear indicator for this will be the quality and type of ingredients used, which is why looking for those that use organic whole foods is usually best.
Finally, too much sugar is bad [2], and you will want to avoid meal replacement shakes that use too much or artificial sweeteners like sucralose in its stead.
The benefits of a vegan meal replacement shake are the same as those of any meal replacement shake.
It will help to speed up weight loss, work as a healthy nutritional supplement packed full of vitamins and minerals, and be lower in sugar, carbs, and calories than regular meals would be.
Most meal replacement shakes focus on fiber and protein to help keep you fuller for longer, but it can also have a positive impact on reducing your cholesterol. [3]
Meal replacement shakes will often supplement themselves with probiotics to aid and benefit your digestion as well as being a rich source of a wide range of other nutritional benefits.
They work as a health supplement just as well as they do a calorie and protein source.
Ample V is definitely one of the best vegan meal replacement shakes on the market, but it’s our favorite in the office too.
It does what every other shake does but a little bit better, serving up more nutrition from more clean sources. It comes pre-portioned and is super portable and convenient on the go.
It leaves you feeling full and not craving food.
Whether for it benefits down the gym or if you’re just looking to lose weight, we’d recommend giving this meal replacement a try.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6478664/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/too-much-sugar https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28653586
