Best Plant-Based Vegan Meal Replacement Shakes Buying Guide

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Meal replacement shakes can be a valuable addition to almost any diet. And as long as you’re okay with eating animal-sourced foods, you’ve a nice variety of meal replacements to choose from. But what if you’re a vegan and prefer to have your entire diet consist of Plant-Based Vegan Meal only?

If that’s your case, chances are you already know that decent vegan meal replacement supplements are few and far between. Luckily, though, finding a plant-based meal replacement that will work for you isn’t rocket science either. And our guide will cover these and what you need to know to make the choice.

Why Not Just Use a Regular Meal Replacement Supplement?

The majority of people who consume meal replacements don’t care for the contents of their supplements. Most care about nothing else but the flavor. Some may also consider the calories and the nutrients that they’re getting. And only the rare few pay any attention to the ingredients involved.

If you’ve been following a plant-based diet, chances are you know how important it is to choose what you eat. And in all likelihood, you closely monitor the contents of your food. There’s no reason why you can’t apply the same approach to meal replacement supplements. In fact, you should.

Regular meal replacements derive protein from animal sources like whey, casein, egg, and beef. They may also come with such animal-sourced ingredients as gelatin. Since meal replacements with these components have cornered the market, vegans are hard pressed to find vegan tips plant-based alternatives.

What Meal Replacement Supplements Can Be Called Vegan?

Though plant-based meal replacement supplements aren’t nearly as abundant as their animal-sourced alternatives, they are still available on the market. And if you keep a few things in mind, you can easily tell if a meal replacement supplement is vegan-friendly.

To be a fit for vegans, a meal replacement must derive its protein from plant-based sources, such as:

  • Hemp.
  • Legumes, such as peas, beans, and peanuts.
  • Brown rice.
  • Seeds, such as pumpkin, sunflower, and chia seeds.

In addition, meal replacement supplements that accommodate vegans must have no animal-sourced components, like gelatin or animal fats.

Many meal replacement supplements on the market comply with the above criteria. But not all of them come with equally high levels of quality.

How to Spot a Decent Vegan Meal Replacement Supplement

Just because a meal replacement supplement screams vegan doesn’t guarantee it’s high-quality. A decent plant-based meal replacement would be unlikely to contain the following:

  • Protein concentrates Unlike protein isolates, which are more expensive, protein concentrates go through less refinement in the course of manufacturing. As a result, protein concentrates have more impurities that contribute to digestive problems and other issues with health.
  • Artificial sweeteners Adored by nutrition supplement manufacturers, artificial sweeteners like acesulfame potassium and sucralose wreak havoc on your gut flora. On top of destroying healthy gut bacteria, they are also proven contributors to a slew of neurodegenerative disorders.
  • Sugar alcohols Similar to artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols like xylitol and sorbitol mess with the delicate balance of gut flora. By disrupting the beneficial gut bacteria, they give rise to the harmful gut bacteria and associated health problems.
  • Soy ingredients Containing goitrogens, soy disrupts iodine absorption by the thyroid gland, contributing to problems with its health. Most soy is also genetically modified and has toxins.
  • Sugars Some vegan meal replacement supplements may boast containing only naturally derived sugars that serve as sweeteners. These sugars, however, often happen to be fructose and high-fructose corn syrup. Both of them are hard to digest and cause adverse health effects.
  • High-glycemic carbohydrates High-glycemic carbohydrates such as dextrins and maltodextrin are present in many meal replacement supplements. Besides contributing to issues with insulin sensitivity, they tend to come from genetically modified corn and contain toxins. 
  • Gluten This allergen is a proven contributor to many autoimmune disorders and conditions as well as problems with digestion and joints.

Finding a plant-based meal replacement without these harmful ingredients can be challenging. But once you manage to spot one, you’re in for a treat.

Vegan Meal Replacement Shakes: A Real Treat for Your Health

With high-quality plant-based vegan meal replacement shakes, you get to:

  • Consume quality calories fast – Decent plant-based meal replacement shakes are packed with calories that come from healthy sources. If you don’t have enough time for a meal, they make for a healthy snack option.
  • Manage blood sugar levels – You may allow long periods of time to pass between your meals. Or skip some of them altogether. Doing so disrupts your blood sugar levels, affecting health in many ways. You can easily prevent it by drinking a vegan meal replacement shake on time.
  • Receive many essential nutrients – From essential amino acids and healthy fats to vitamins and minerals, decent plant-based meal replacement shakes provide many vital nutrients. As such, they are often on a par with balanced regular meals.
  • Give digestion a break – High-quality vegan meal replacement shakes include dietary fiber that aids in digestion. They also derive the nutrients from food sources that are naturally easy on the digestive system.

As evident, plant-based vegan meal replacement shakes can deliver the same benefits as regular meal replacement shakes do.

Top Plant-Based Vegan Meal Replacement Supplements to Try

Our guide won’t let you go until we suggest a handful of good options for you to try:

  • Organic Nutrition Vegan All-in-One Protein Shake by Orgain.
  • Complete Breakfast by Complete Start.
  • Drinkable Supermeal by Ambronite.
  • Vegan Plant Protein Meal Replacement by Gnarly Clean Sports Nutrition.
  • Whole Superfood by Oxyfresh.
  • Raw Organic Meal by Garden of Life.
  • Superfood Nutritional Shake by Powerootz.
  • One Organic All-in-One Shake by Vega.

The ingredients in these options match the criteria we’ve mentioned. As such, they make for a nice place to start when looking for a plant-based vegan meal replacement.

We hope our guide has been of help to you.