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Vegan meal replacement shakes are making waves again. In a fast-paced world where few people have the time to prepare normal meals, meal replacement diets are slowly coming in handy.
Not only is it stressful to prepare normal meals, but it's also difficult to eat healthy in today's world. Most people are too busy to consider healthy food because of the convenience of fast-food diets. However, vegan replacement diets are providing a more convenient option in that regard.
Vegan meal replacement diets also have additional benefits. Research suggests that vegan diets generally are cheaper. They lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and reduce body mass index.
Doctors, dietitians, and other health practitioners have started looking towards the benefits of vegan meal replacement diets and how they can help recovering patients.
The vegan diet can help reduce the number of medications needed to treat a particular illness and save medical costs.
Another group of people eager to tap into the benefits of vegan replacement diets are fitness enthusiasts. Since most vegan replacement diets come in shakes, it's more convenient for fitness enthusiasts to carry around.
Not only that, vegan fitness enthusiasts don't need to be deprived of the essential vitamins and minerals present in an animal diet. This is because vegan replacement diets contain essential proteins and other minerals required to build muscles and help in recovery after a hard workout.
With all these benefits, finding a proper vegan meal replacement diet can be tricky. Luckily, we have enough quality options. We will address each of them in this article.
But before that….
Vegan meal replacement shakes are some convenient forms of vegan diets. They are made to either supplement or replace a fully vegan diet.
They come in ready-to-eat shakes, making them super easy and convenient for the user to prepare.
Vegan replacement shakes contain adequate amounts of proteins, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other necessary phytonutrients not seen on most food labels.
A typical, high-quality vegan meal replacement shake should contain all the essential nutrients present in a normal balanced meal. It should also provide the required energy and calories obtained in a regular, healthy, and balanced vegan meal.
Any vegan meal replacement diet should aim to replace regular meals and provide the required calories as much as they can. If the meal replacement diet does not contain enough calories, the user can supplement with more calories by adding dairy-free milk, like almond milk.
All vegan meal replacement shakes should be easy to prepare. They should also contain enough nutrients and calories to get you going throughout your day.
| Soylent A meal replacement shake that's widely available in grocery stores, making it an accessible option. |
| Huel A health-conscious meal replacement shake that resembles Soylent in terms of nutritional information, but is also gluten-free. |
| Ambronite A plant-based, fully organic meal replacement shake. |
| Super Body Fuel A meal replacement shake that comes only in powder form. |
| Ample A meal replacement shake that comes in convenient single-serving bottles (one bottle per meal replaced). |
| Garden of Life A totally organic meal replacement shake made with all-natural ingredients. |
| Ample A purely organic, keto-friendly meal replacement shake. |
We value finding the best options for our readers, so we looked into the following criteria to determine the best meal replacement shakes:
Keep in mind that the best shake for you depends on your needs. Not every vegan meal replacement shake may work for you, so determine what you want out of your meal replacement before making a choice.
Many of the products we've tested do overlap in terms of benefits, so make sure you know what you want first.
KnowYourDNA is dedicated to providing readers with reliable information on products that help them achieve their health goals.
We pick products based on:
Our in-house medical experts ensure the accuracy of our information.
Vegan meal replacement shakes are effective, cheaper, and save more time than regular diets.
Although some dietitians warn about replacing regular diets with meal replacement diets, studies and experiments have shown that they can be equally effective.
In 2013, a guy named Josh spent 30 days eating nothing but Soylent - a vegan meal replacement shake. He detailed his story and conveyed how he felt daily while taking Soylent.
There are lots of stories about people experimenting with meal replacement shakes and how they felt about it. The results were not much different from eating regular meals.
Although vegan replacement shakes are equally as effective when compared to regular diets, dietitians have argued about the aftereffects of low protein in the diet.
Vegan meal replacement shakes contain essential amino acids which help to stimulate muscle protein synthesis, hence, they aid in muscle building.
Several studies have compared the effectiveness of plant and animal proteins in relation to the muscle response to both.
Plant proteins such as oat, wheat, hemp, soy, brown rice, and peas provided as many amino acids requirements in comparison with animal proteins such as eggs, whey, milk, and casein.
This study strengthened the argument that plant proteins can provide as much protein requirement as animal protein, making vegan meal replacement shakes a strong bet.
All these suggest that you should only select vegan meal replacement shakes that contain enough plant proteins. This allows you to get as much protein as that present in a regular meal.
In conclusion, you can rely on vegan meal replacement shakes. However, they have to contain enough plant-based proteins so you won't miss out on all the nutrients benefits.
There's a big debate on the safety of consuming meal replacement diets in general. However, vegan meal replacement shakes have been proven to be safe.
No report shows they are not safe. Since they rarely contain any synthetic materials or harsh chemicals, their safety is mostly guaranteed by the companies offering them.
There are lots of testimonials by people who completely replaced their diets with vegan meal replacement shakes. Most have positive reviews and recommend the diets to others.
Users may expose themselves to some risks while eating the usual vegan diet. Some of these risks include the deprivation of certain vitamins and nutrients such as iron, zinc, omega fatty acids, vitamin D, and calcium.
However, these nutrients are present in most vegan meal replacement shakes. The good part is that they are all plant-based and support the full vegan diet culture.
Vegan meal replacement diets offer lots of nutritional, social, and environmental benefits. Simply eating vegan diets not only helps you, but it also helps the people around you and keeps your environment safe.
Below are the benefits of taking the vegan meal replacement shakes:
Environmental scientists have verified that consuming vegan diets helps in reducing the greenhouse effect on the environment.
Vegan meal replacement shakes are part of vegan diets, and an environmental breakdown suggests that such diets can promote a healthy environment.
The study looked at the number of greenhouse emissions per food and found out that meat and dairy production is responsible for about 60% of greenhouse gases.
So if you're enthusiastic about the environment, vegan meal replacement shakes might be your best bet.
Non-vegan can also indulge in vegan meal replacement shakes. You get the same nutritional value, save costs, and help the environment as a bonus.
Vegan meal replacement shakes also help reduce waste because they stay longer on shelves and are not readily consumed compared to fast foods and homemade meals.
The world is getting super busy as time goes by, and most people are looking to avoid decision fatigue.
People have tight work schedules and other hectic responsibilities such as cleaning, exercising, hobbies, and other activities to look forward to. Preparing meals with these activities in their calendar and to-do-list can be difficult.
Vegan meal replacement diets solve this problem by providing an easy way to prepare your meal. Some of these meals require just an addition of water, and you get almost all the nutrients and calories you need for your daily activities.
There's an ongoing myth that vegan meal replacement shakes are expensive. Don't believe that. Vegan meal replacement shakes are more cost-effective than everyday grocery shopping.
If you're confused, you can check the value of buying groceries every day and compare it with the price of the cheapest vegan meal replacement diet.
The cheapest Huel meal costs about $1.51 per meal, and it offers you the best value for your money in terms of nutrition, energy, and satiety.
People with stomach problems have difficulties digesting conventional food. Vegan meal replacement shakes are designed to digest easily in the stomach.
Due to the liquid consistency, digestion is usually rapid, and the food empties to the small intestine easily.
Some vegan meal replacement shakes contain allergens. Although most come with trigger warnings, you should consult your doctor or dietitian before starting the diet. This will ensure that you're on the safe side and also prevent food allergies and other hypersensitivities.
One great thing about vegan meal replacement shakes is their health content. All of the shakes certainly do not contain the same amount of nutrients, but most of them contain healthy minerals and traces of superfoods.
Some of the superfoods common in vegan meal replacement shakes include Flaxseed, sunflower, blackcurrant seeds, grape seeds, green tea, coconut oil, etc.
These contents fit into the healthy profile of the most recommended diets. This makes vegan meal replacement shakes a super healthy food option to consider.
There are loads of vegan meal replacement diets available. All offer benefits in terms of price, value, and convenience.
However, some of these products also have qualities that make them better than others. Although that should not deter you from making your choice based on preference.
| Soylent | Huel | Super Body Fuel | Ample | Garden of Life | Vast | Ambronite | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ready to drink | Yes | Yes | Mix with water or oil | Mix with water | Mix with water | Yes | Mix with water. |
| Artificial Ingredients | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| Organic | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Allergens | Soy | Nuts, Soy, Gluten | None | Nuts | None | None | None |
| Calories per serving | 400 | 400 | 500 | 600 | 130 | 220 | 160 |
| Lactose-free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gluten-free | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Animal-free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Non-GMO | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nutrient Capacity | Low | Medium | High | High | High | High | High |
| Cost per serving | $0.81 | $0.53 | $0.50 | $1.75 | $1.10 | $2.40 | $4.25 |
Soylent was founded in 2013 by Rob Rhinehart. Rob's mission was to make food simpler to make without much difficulty. After eating a routine diet of frozen food and ramen noodles, Rob and his team decided to experiment with a new diet, and Soylent was born.
Soylent is one of the most popular vegan meal replacement shakes around. They've built an impressive reputation as a trusted company when it comes to meal replacement diets in general.
Soylent promised to make food available and accessible to everyone through innovation. The innovative aspect of their products is great, but the quality aspect is questionable, as you'll learn.
Soylent comes in liquid, powdered form, or shakes. The meal replacement shakes include a variety of flavors, such as:
The bulk powder package comes in just two flavors which include:
Soylent comes in pouches and is available in an online pack of 12. One great thing about Soylent is its availability. Soylent is available in most grocery stores, convenience stores, supermarkets, and even gas stations.
One full meal of Soylent contains about 400 calories, 42g of carbohydrates, 20g of protein, and 19g of fats all in one serving.
The shakes come in different flavors which contain about 400-calorie servings, 20g of protein, 24g of fats, and 36g of carbohydrates. There is also about 6g of fiber in one full Soylent meal.
Soylent doesn't hide nutritional facts from its customers. They are quite open with their customers when discussing what's inside their products.
Here's a list of great things you should know about Soylent.
Here are the NOT-so-great things about Soylent.
Soylent should be lauded for its simplicity and transparency. However, the overall nutritional profile of this product is not optimal for an average vegan. Soylent is great, no doubt, but there are an array of products that offer better health-focused options. If you want something more nutritious and healthy, you may need to pass on Soylent.
Rating: 2/5
Huel is another popular vegan meal replacement diet company. The founder coined the name by combining the words: "human fuel". Huel prides itself on being the "World's number one complete food" and wants to change how people think about food.
Huel vegan meal replacement diet comes in a powdered form and pre-prepared shakes. They offer various flavors such as chocolate, banana, vanilla, and berry.
Huel products come in bottles and pouches. Its "hot and savory" type and powders come in pouches, while the "ready-to-drink shakes" come in bottles. They also come in snack bars which are easy to eat.
The Huel powder contains about 30g of protein per serving. You get 400 calories from each serving of the Huel powder.
The high amount of protein is great for vegan fitness enthusiasts who want to build their muscles while sticking to their vegan diet. The protein content is mostly from plant protein.
Other nutrients available per serving include 13g of fats and 45g of carbohydrates.
The nutrient content varies depending on the product. Although the calories are the same at 400 calories. The ready-to-drink shake contains less protein at 20g per serving. They also contain
19g of fats and about 40g of carbohydrates!
The high carbohydrate content might raise some alarm, but Huel promises that the carbs are not released all at once. They assure you that the carbs are released slowly throughout the day to match your energy needs.
Huel being a direct competitor to Soylent also offers some transparency with their products.
Here are a few great things to know about Huel
The not so great things about Huel include:
Huel offers great vegan meal replacement products with exceptional customer service. There's a close similarity with Soylent in terms of nutritional information. However, Huel offers a more health-conscious vegan diet when compared with Soylent.
Rating: 3/5
Ambronite is one of the few plant-based, fully organic meal replacement diet companies.
Ambronite is raw organic food with lots of fruits and veggies. It contains whole ingredients with plant enzymes and superfoods. Ambronite prides itself on being a purely organic food company. They have a zero policy on artificial ingredients in their products.
Ambronite gets its plant-based ingredients from the most trusted sources available. The ingredients are thoroughly tested for heavy metals and other major pollutants.
Ambronite meal shakes come in 3 packages:
The Keto Meal Shake comes in 2 package sizes:
- Full Meal Pouch( one meal)
- Big Bag (4 full meals)
The Balanced Meal Shake comes in 2 package sizes:
- Full Meal Pouch(one meal)
- Tub (10 Full Meals)
The Complete Meal Shake is currently available in 2 package sizes:
- Full Meal Pouch(one meal)
- Big Bag (4 Full Meals)
Ambronite meal shakes contain fewer calories compared to Soylent and Huel. Ambronite contains 160 calories per serving, compared to 400 calories in Huel and Soylent.
The protein content in Ambronite is also lesser. Ambronite contains just 10g of protein per serving. Its fat content is 6g, with carbohydrates at 17g. It also contains added sugar numbered at 5g per serving.
The protein content in Ambronite is optimal. However, the fats and carbohydrates available are insufficient to replace a full meal. To replace a full meal, you'll need to take about three servings of Ambronite to get the right amount of carbs and fats present in a full meal.
Ambronite offers a purely organic meal replacement diet. This is great for health-conscious people.
The absence of food allergens also makes it a great choice for allergic people.
The main drawback with Ambronite is the price. It might seem too costly for people who want something cheaper than regular meals.
Rating: 4/5
Super body fuel is a small, self-funded food start-up in the San Francisco industrial neighborhood. They have a mission to help people save money, save time, lose weight, and also live healthier.
Super body fuel comes only in powder form. They are mostly packed in bags of different powder flavors.
Each order contains one or more bags of powder, either samples of a single meal or a bulk bag with a scoop to measure each meal. You mix the powder with a certain amount of water and oil (or milk, depending on the recipe), to make a nutritionally complete drink.
Super body fuel contains about 500 calories. It also has 25g of protein and 31g of fats. Its carbohydrate content is 31g. It contains 0g of added sugar.
The main source of protein in super body fuel is brown rice and oats. The protein content is quite low when compared to Soylent and Huel. However, the company advises its customers to supplement the food with oil (Avocado or olive oils) before mixing it with water.
Great product. But there are better options to choose from.
Rating: 3.5/5
Ample is another impressive vegan meal replacement diet. The company promises its customers convenient, full meal nutrition on the go.
Ample comes in powder form. They are packed in single-serving bottles for a single meal and medium-sized canisters for larger meals (up to 15 meals!)
Ample contains more calories than most vegan meal replacement shakes. The caloric value goes as high as 600 calories.
However, this should not deter you. Ample V has a remarkable balance of essential nutrients and healthy fats that can keep you full for a whole day.
Ample has about 400-600 calories, 20g of plant-based protein, 23g of carbohydrates, and 26g of fats.
It's gluten-free and lactose-free.
Ample is one of the great bunch. However, its price and high caloric value are likely to discourage some people.
Rating: 5/5
Garden of life is another purely organic vegan meal replacement diet.
The vegan meal replacement shakes are made from natural and organic ingredients. The product is USDA-certified, B.corp-certified, and non-GMO-verified.
The raw organic meal shakes come in canisters. You can easily mix the powder with water or any preferred liquid and take the meal on the go!
The Garden of life meal shakes, per serving, contain about 130 calories, 13g of carbohydrates, 20g of protein, and 2g of fats.
It also contains other essential nutrients, including about 44 superfoods and nutrients from organic sprouted sources.
Garden of Life meal shakes are fortified with vitamins, minerals, fruits, and healthy grains.
It's completely free of gluten, soy, dairy, tree nuts, filler ingredients, artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives.
Garden of life is a healthy vegan meal replacement diet. Its superfoods content and natural ingredients are great for health-conscious individuals. However, the caloric value is too low to replace meals, making it a not-so-great choice for some individuals.
Rating: 2/5
Our last vegan meal replacement diet is Vast. Vast, formerly known as Kiito, offers a keto-friendly vegan meal shake. This is unique because most vegan meal shakes can rarely be classified as keto diets due to high carb content.
When compared with other meal replacement shakes, Vast is a completely different product.
Vast comes in ready-to-drink shakes. It's packaged in biodegradable and recyclable bottles. The bottle packaging is as fancy as that of Soylent and Huel, and it's suitable as a piece of travel luggage.
Vast contains about 220 calories per serving. This means that it doesn't replace a full meal. It contains about 20g of protein, 4g of carbohydrates, and 13g of fats. It also has about 1g of added sugar.
Vast also contains some superfoods and nutrients. The one that caught my interest is "Ashwagandha.” Vast claims this superfood (adaptogen) helps in keeping your anxiety in check and helping you relax.
Vast comes in a variety of flavors. These include:
Vast is a unique product. It's purely organic and keto-friendly. It's ideal for individuals who want to maintain their keto diets as vegans.
The only drawback is the required servings you need to complete a full meal. This is also considering that its cost per serving is already relatively high.
Rating: 4.5/5
Vegan meal replacement diets are made for everyone. The food thing about them is the variety of products that offer different options. For example, if weight loss is your main goal, you can easily opt for Ample V meal replacement shake due to its low calories.
Someone that's allergic to nuts can choose between Vast and Garden of life meal shakes to avoid food-related allergies.
In conclusion, vegan meal replacement diets are made for everyone. Many options suit whatever goal or objectives you have in mind.
| Soylent | Huel | Super Body Fuel | Ample | Garden of Life | Vast | Ambronite | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ready to drink | Yes | Yes | Mix with water or oil | Mix with water | Mix with water | Yes | Mix with water. |
| Artificial Ingredients | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| Organic | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Allergens | Soy | Nuts,Soy, Gluten | None | Nuts | None | None | None |
| Calories per serving | 400 | 400 | 500 | 600 | 130 | 220 | 160 |
| Lactose-free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gluten-free | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Animal-free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Non-GMO | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nutrient Capacity | Low | Medium | High | High | High | High | High |
| Cost per serving | $0.81 | $0.53 | $0.50 | $1.75 | $1.10 | $2.40 | $4.25 |
Choosing the right vegan meal replacement product can be daunting. This is due to the vast amount of products in the market, each with the promise of offering the best deals and options available.
How do you know the best product to choose from?
To choose the best product, you need to first consider why you want the product. There are different reasons you might opt for vegan meal replacement diets.
You might want to lose weight, start a fitness diet, don't have time to cook, or maybe you want to supplement a particular nutrient you feel might be missing in your diet.
All these are legit reasons why people also take vegan meal replacement diets.
High-quality vegan meal replacement shakes should have the following properties and content.
The above properties make a perfect meal replacement product. A good product option should obey the rules listed above and also contain the required ingredients
