Best Vegan Meal Replacement Shakes

Finding healthy foods that are easy to prepare and taste great can be difficult, particularly if you are trying to follow a healthy vegan diet. Meal replacement shakes are a superb option, but what are the best vegan meal replacement shakes? This article will discuss five of them.

Five Best vegan meal replacement shakes

Best Overall - Rootana
Best For Weight Loss - Instant Knockout Complete
Most Flavors - Huel
Best Taste - Kachava
Runner Up - Purition Vegan

Rootana: Best vegan meal replacement shake

Our top vegan meal replacement shakes come from a company called Rootana. These meal replacement shakes are designed to be high in protein and fibre. They are also completely free from any form of artificial sweeteners.

Rootana is a delicious shake that is ready in seconds, and due to its plant-based formula, it is much more environmentally friendly than many meal options out there.

Rootana at a Glance

Rootana contains 400 calories per serving. There are 21 grams of protein, 16 grams of healthy fats, 44 grams of carbohydrates, and 7.1 grams of fibre. Rootana offers two flavours; original and cacao.

Pros

High in plant-based protein powder
Excellent source of fibre
No artificial sweeteners
Great taste
Packed full of essential nutrients
Good price-to-calorie ratio
Contains all the vitamins and minerals you need

Cons

Only two flavours are available so far
Only available from the Rootana website

Rootana Ingredients List

There are six primary ingredients in the Rootana formula: Oat flour, pea protein isolate, golden-milled flaxseed, sunflower seed oil, coconut sugar, and sunflower lecithin.

Oat Flour - Most of the carbohydrates found in Rootana come from oat flour. This is a great carb source as it has a very low glycemic index score and provides slow-releasing energy throughout the day. Oat flour is also a source of protein, healthy fatty acids, and fibre.

Pea Protein - Pea protein is an excellent vegan protein source. It contains all the essential amino acids required for building and maintaining muscle mass while also being helpful if you want to lose weight and boost your metabolism.

Golden-Milled Flaxseed - Flaxseed is a fantastic source of omega-3 fatty acids while also containing a small amount of plant protein and fibre. It is a great addition to any vegan diet as omega-3 fatty acids are usually found in animal products such as eggs or fish.

Sunflower Seed Oil - This is an excellent source of omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids and provides the majority of healthy fats in the Rootana formula.

Coconut Sugars - Rootana uses natural coconut sugars instead of artificial sweeteners such as stevia or sucralose. Coconut sugars give Rootana shakes a slightly-sweet taste allowing the natural flavours to shine.

Sunflower Lecithin - This has been added to improve the stability and mixability of the powder, helping to create a wonderful texture, but sunflower lecithin also provides cognitive and mood-enhancing benefits.

Rootana Review

Rootana is our top vegan meal replacement shake for a number of reasons. It has an excellent price-to-calorie ratio (how much each serving costs based on the number of calories in each serving), is completely plant-based, is high in protein and fibre, and avoids the use of artificial sweeteners.

Rootana tastes great and can be prepared in seconds. Each serving contains enough calories to fully replace a meal and keep you feeling fuller for longer. It really cannot be beaten.

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Instant Knockout Complete

While Rootana is the best vegan meal replacement shake, Instant Knockout Complete is the best meal replacement powder for losing weight. This is due to its very high protein and fibre content and its ability to be paired with Instant Knockout's other supplement, the fat burner "Cut".

Complete is an amazing meal replacement shake, it uses the finest ingredients, and the macronutrient profile is superb. Whereas most meal replacement shakes look to cut costs wherever possible, Complete will use higher-quality ingredients to provide a better shake.

This gives Complete a premium price compared to other shakes and means that it isn't suitable for all budgets. But if you have the money, Complete is the perfect meal replacement shake for weight loss.

Instant Knockout Complete at a Glance

Instant Knockout Complete contains 400 calories per serving. There are 35 grams of protein, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 13 grams of fibre, and 13 grams of fats. Instant Knockout Complete only offers one flavour (vanilla).

Pros

Very high in protein
Very high in fibre
Top-quality ingredients
Great tasting shake
Excellent nutritional value
Contains all the vitamins and minerals you need

Cons

Premium price for all the high-quality ingredients in the formula
Only one flavour is available
Only available from the Instant Knockout website

Instant Knockout Complete Ingredients List

There are six main ingredients in the Instant Knockout Complete formula: Plant-based protein powder blend, MCT powder, Golden flaxseed, Chia seed, Oat flour, and Organic brown rice.

Plant-Based Protein Blend - Complete uses a mix of different plant-based protein powders; soy protein isolate and organic pea protein are combined to provide you with all the essential amino acids you require. There are other protein sources in Complete (brown rice protein, oat protein, chia seed protein, and flaxseed protein), but these two are the main sources.

MCT - Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are the best form of fats for weight loss and have been shown to provide many other health benefits. They are found in top-quality ingredients such as coconut oil, which is why they are rarely seen in other meal replacement shakes. Instant Knockout Complete uses them as they are so effective.

Golden Flaxseed - A great source of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and fibre, flaxseed is an excellent vegan meal replacement shake ingredient. Complete only uses the best.

Chia Seed - High in healthy fats, as well as essential nutrients such as calcium, chia seeds are excellent sources of plant-based protein and fibre in the best meal replacements.

Oat Flour - Instant Knockout Complete gets the majority of its carbohydrates and fibre from oat flour. This is great as oat flour is an ideal source of vegan protein, healthy fats, and fibre as well.

Organic Brown Rice: An excellent source of both protein and carbohydrates. Brown rice protein combines excellently with pea protein powder as their amino acids complement each other.

Instant Knockout Complete Review

Complete by Instant Knockout is an incredible meal replacement shake for weight loss, but due to its high protein content, it can also be effective for building muscle.

A large amount of protein and fibre can help you to stay full for longer, making calorie-deficit diets easier to maintain.

While Complete and Cut (the fat burner from Instant Knockout) has been developed to be used separately, many people combine the two for even better results. If you really want to see some amazing weight loss results, then this is, of course, an option.

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Huel

Huel is probably the most well-known meal replacement shake other than Soylent. It is a UK-based company, but it is sold globally. It offers an excellent product that is vegan-friendly and high in protein.

Huel at a Glance

Huel contains 400 calories per serving. There are 30 grams of protein, 7.5 grams of fibre, 13 grams of fats, and 37 grams of carbohydrates. Huel offers ten different flavours.

Pros

High in protein
High in fibre
A large variety of flavours to choose from
Good cost-to-calorie ratio
Contains all the vitamins and minerals you need

Cons

Some flavours are pretty bad
Only available from the Huel website
The minimum spend is quite high

Huel Ingredients List

Huel contains six primary ingredients: oat flour, pea protein, ground flaxseed, brown rice protein, tapioca flour, and sunflower oil.

It also states that it contains MCT oil powder on the label, but the dosage is so small that it isn't worth covering.

Oat Flour - An excellent source of low GI carbohydrates, oats also contain healthy fats, fibre, and protein. Oats have been shown to improve heart health and improve the gut microbiome.

Pea Protein - Using pea protein powder in a meal replacement shake is a great way to improve your health and boost your metabolism without resorting to poor-quality ingredients.

Keeping Huel dairy free is a way to improve the sustainability of Huel as well as increase the number of people who can consume it.

Ground Flaxseed - Helps to increase your fibre, fat, and protein intake, an excellent ingredient that is ideal for a plant-based diet.

Brown Rice - Huel have added grain brown rice as it is a perfect partner for pea protein powders. It is packed full of essential nutrients and has an excellent amino acid profile.

Tapioca Flour - This is one of the main carbohydrate sources in Huel and has been added due to its ability to combine well with other ingredients.

Sunflower Oil - The main source of fat found in Huel, sunflower oil is full of omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids.

Huel Review

Huel is a really good vegan meal replacement shake. It uses high-quality ingredients and is suitable for a vegan diet. If you are looking to lose weight with Huel or maintain a healthy weight, then Huel can help you to get there.

The large number of flavours available is often seen as a benefit, but it should be noted that some of those ingredients can be hit or miss. Still, once you have found the flavours that suit your personal tastes.

Ka'Chava

Ka'Chava is one of the most well-known vegan meal replacement shakes on this list, and it has a great reputation for using the best ingredients. But the truth about Ka'Chava is a little more complicated than that, as you will soon see.

Ka'Chava at a Glance

Ka'Chava contains 240 calories per serving. There are 25 grams of protein, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fibre, and only 7 grams of fats. Ka'Chava offers five different flavours: Coconut acai, vanilla, chocolate, chai, and matcha.

Pros

Packed full of amazing ingredients
Amazing protein-to-calorie ratio
Delicious flavours
Contains all the vitamins and minerals you need

Cons

Very low in calories
Premium price
High cost-to-calorie ratio
Low in fats
Only available in the US

Ka'Chava Ingredients List

There are so many ingredients in Ka'Chava that it would be difficult to describe each one in turn.

Instead, we will look at the different ingredient blends and give you a snapshot of what they provide.

Plant-Based Protein Blend - yellow pea, whole grain brown rice, sacha inchi, amaranth, quinoa.

The protein blend is the most exciting part of the Ka'Chava formula, with a range of interesting plant-based protein sources.

Omega EFA/Fibre Blend - Whole grain oat, acacia gum, chia seed, flax seed.

Ka'Chava has one of the highest fibre-to-carb ratios of any of the vegan meal replacement shakes on this list, and it is thanks to this blend.

A range of high-quality fibre sources and omega-3 fatty acids from the chia seed, flaxseed, and oats.

Antioxidant/Super Fruit Blend - Coconut flower nectar, acai berry, maqui berry, camu-camu berry, strawberry, cherry, blackberry, blueberry, raspberry.

This blend has a lot of interesting ingredients, but is only 5 grams in size, so the dosage is a little suspect.

Adaptogen Blend - Maca root, shiitake mushroom mycelia, maitake mushroom mycelia, reishi mushroom mycelia, c0rdyceps mushroom mycelia, ginger root.

The purpose of the adaptogen blend is to support the central nervous system, reduce stress, and increase energy levels.

Super-Greens/Vegetable Blend - Beet, carrot, spinach, broccoli, tomato, kale, cabbage, parsley leaf, brussel sprouts, green pepper, cucumber, celery, garlic, green onion, cauliflower, asparagus, chlorella.

This is essentially a greens powder, and a great way to get all the nutrients (vitamins and minerals) you need as easily as possible. It's a great idea, but the size of the powder (0.5 grams) feels a little small.

The other two blends in Ka'Chava are a probiotic/prebiotic blend (inulin, lactobacillus rhamnosus, lactobacillus acidophilus) and a digestive enzymes blend (amylase, protease, cellulase, lactase, and lipase).

Both blends are designed to help improve your gut health and digestion.

Ka'Chava Review

For a vegan meal replacement, Ka'Chava has a LOT of ingredients. This gives the impression that Ka'Chava is massively outperforming the competition.

But the reality is that Ka'Chava is a frustrating vegan meal replacement shake, that uses almost 100 ingredients yet still manages to only contain 240 calories per serving.

If the meal replacement shakes that you are consuming is not able to properly replace a meal because it is too low in calories, then it has failed in its role.

We still like Ka'Chava, and feel that it is worthy of its place on this list. It has a creative formula, is obviously healthy, and is very high in protein.

But it may have been a better idea to use less expensive ingredients and create a more effective meal replacement shake.

If you are happy to combine Ka'Chava with other ingredients to make delicious and healthy smoothies, then you should definitely consider Ka'Chava.

The price per serving is high, and once you've factored in the other ingredients required to raise the calorie total to around 400, you will be spending a fortune. But if you have the budget for it, you'll be blown away by the results.

Purition Vegan

Purition is an intriguing product. The main Purition supplement is not actually vegan-friendly, using whey protein powder as its main protein source.

However, Purition also offers a vegan meal replacement drink which instead uses a blend of pea, pumpkin seed protein, sunflower seed protein and hemp protein.

Purition does not powder their ingredients. Instead they crush, chop, and mix the ingredients (mostly seeds) before packaging them. This keeps them as unprocessed as possible, but does also affect the texture, which can take some getting used to.

Purition at a Glance

Purition contains 200 calories per serving. There is 16 grams of protein, 12 grams of fat, 2 grams of carbohydrates, and 6 grams of fibre. It offers 19 non-vegan flavours, and 19 vegan flavours.

Pros

Natural flavourings
High in protein
Excellent vegan protein blend
Lots of flavours are available
Contains all the nutrients you need
High in vitamins and minerals
Minimally processed

Cons

Only 200 calories per serving
Uses stevia for sweetness
Only available from the Purition website
High cost-to-calorie ratio
Incredibly low in carbohydrates
Tecture is gritty and not universally popular

Purition Ingredients List

Purition meal replacement powder contains 14 ingredients (or 11 if you group the various protein sources into one blend):

Proprietary Vegan Protein Blend (pea, pumpkin seed protein, sunflower seed protein and hemp protein), Golden linseed, Sunflower kernels, Almonds, Coconut, Chia seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Nutritional yeast, Psyllium husk, Apple pectin, and Stevia.

Proprietary Vegan Protein Blend - This is an excellent combination of interesting and effective plant proteins. You always want to consume a wide variety of protein foods to ensure a complete amino acid profile. The ingredients in this blend are top-quality.

Golden Linseed - Almost identical to flaxseed, and a perfectly reasonable alternative, golden linseed is an excellent source of fibre and also contains protein.

Sunflower Kernels - An excellent source of fat, protein, and fibre. They contain almost all the nutrients that you need.

Almonds - Another excellent source of protein and fats. They are also high in fibre, and are an excellent addition to a plant-based diet. They are also high in the amino acids arginine and leucine.

Coconut - A large source of fat, coconut contains little protein or carbohydrates. But it has many health benefits in a plant-based meal.

Chia Seeds - Similar to flax seeds when it comes to health benefits, chia seeds are great as they can be easily digested and don't require powdering. They are one of the best vegan meal options as they are nutritionally dense and an excellent source of protein.

Pumpkin Seeds - High in both fats and protein, pumpkin seeds are an underused ingredient in nutritionally complete meal replacements.

Nutritional Yeast, Psyllium Husk, Apple Pectin - These ingredients have been used to provide you with digestive enzymes using organic ingredients. They can help to stabilise blood sugar, improve gut health, and increase nutrient absorption.

Stevia - Used as a sweetener. Companies often describe stevia as natural, but it is made in a lab using plant extract. It provides you with sweetness with fewer calories than traditional natural sweeteners.

Purition Review

Purition is a controversial choice for any list of meal replacement products. It has been designed to help you lose weight and has fewer calories than any of the other meal replacements on this list.

But at only 200 calories, it can't really be used to replace a proper meal.

This is the problem with super low-calorie meal replacements, they end up giving you more work to do as you need to combine them with high calorie ingredients.

If you are looking to lose weight, then Purition can be great. But anyone who is looking to maintain weight should look for other vegan meal replacement shakes such as Rootana.

What Makes a Good Meal Replacement Shake?

There are many factors that can contribute to whether a meal replacement shake is considered good or not. Here is a quick list of six of the most important considerations.

Protein Content

It is very important to keep your protein intake high, whether your goal is to lose weight, build muscle, or just maintain a healthy weight.

Anything above 20 grams is considered an excellent amount of protein, but some meal replacement shakes, such as Instant Knockout Complete, can contain as much as 35 grams of protein per serving.

Fibre Content

Fibre plays a crucial role in weight loss, appetite regulation, gut health, and even health benefits such as contributing to an improved immune system.

One common complaint about meal replacement shakes is that they are low in fibre, but this is rarely true anymore.

Rootana and Huel contain high levels of fibre in each serving, and Instant Knockout Complete contains 13 grams per serving.

Lack of Artificial Sweeteners

While artificial sweeteners aren't necessarily a bad thing, there are many people (particularly vegans) who would prefer a meal replacement shake that is free from artificial sweeteners. On this list, Rootana, Ka'Chava, and Purition are all free from artificial flavors and sweeteners. Though Purition is a little different as it uses stevia, which some people consider artificial.

Sustainability

While there are many reasons why people choose to follow a vegan diet; health benefits, animal welfare, and cost of living. Sustainability is often high on that list.

Vegan meal replacement shakes are much more sustainable than those that use animal products, and companies such as Rootana are even more so due to their policies on packaging and commitment to reducing plastic waste.

Calories per Serving

There are a number of vegan meal replacement shakes that look incredible on paper, but when it comes to the number of calories per serving, they tend to come up short.

Ka'Chava is a great example of a vegan meal replacement shake that contains many excellent ingredients but is actually woefully short when it comes to the number of calories in each serving.

Low calories per serving means that either you have to double your serving size (and the price per meal) or supplement your meal replacement shake with calories from other food sources. Which defeats the object of using a meal replacement shake in the first place.

We're not saying that low-calorie meal replacement shakes are worthless; they really aren't. But the calories per serving should definitely be a consideration when purchasing.

Price to Calorie Ratio

This consideration is linked to the previous one. Imagine you have two meal replacement shakes that both cost the same.

One contains 400 calories per serving, while the other contains just 200 calories. If you are an average-sized male, your daily calorie requirement could be around 2,000 per day.

If your vegan meal replacement shakes are only providing 200 calories per day as opposed to 400, and you have two per day, you are 400 calories short.

This means you will need to supplement your vegan meal replacement shakes with more food, increasing the cost of your daily food intake.

Suddenly, the price-to-calorie ratio becomes very important! This consideration can be very informative, particularly when a lower-calorie meal replacement shake appears to cost less per serving.

Final Thoughts on Best Vegan Meal Replacement Shakes

Rootana tops our list of the best vegan meal replacement shakes thanks to its excellent formula, top-quality ingredients, and its avoidance of artificial flavors and artificial sweeteners. It also contains all the essential nutrients you need.

Instant Knockout Complete is one of the best vegan meal replacement shakes for weight loss, and Huel is a fantastic all-around meal replacement shake.

Ka'Chava is a beautifully designed vegan meal replacement shake, though it only suits large budgets.

Purition is unique, and uses crushed and pressed ingredients rather than powdered. This provides you with a unique taste experience, but can also be a little gritty. You will either love it or hate it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many meal replacement shakes should I have each day?

Many studies have found that the fastest weight loss results occurred after taking three replacement shakes per day. However, most people find that one or two per day is more realistic.

Are meal replacement shakes safe?

Yes, provided your meal replacement shakes come from a reputable brand, they should be perfectly healthy. The most common ingredients are oats, soy, peas, flaxseed, and brown rice. None of these ingredients is in any way harmful.

Can a meal replacement shake provide me with enough protein?

This depends on what your goals are and your size. A 120 kg man and a 50 kg woman will have different protein requirements. Meal replacement shakes are high in protein, but it is a good idea to choose one or two high-protein meals to accompany them.

Which is better, a meal replacement shake or protein powder?

They both have their benefits and disadvantages. A meal replacement shake has been designed to replace a full meal, whereas a protein shake is designed to supplement your diet. A meal replacement shake is better for replacing meals, while a protein shake is better for someone who just wants to increase their protein intake. You can, of course, have both.

Do vegan meal replacements contain vitamins and minerals?

Vegan meal replacements contain all of the essential vitamins and minerals you need to lead a healthy lifestyle. However, a single serving is unlikely to contain 100% of your recommended daily intake of essential vitamins and minerals so you will need to top them up elsewhere in your diet.

Are vegan meal shakes gluten-free?

This depends which vegan meal shakes you are consuming. Most vegan shakes contain oats, which can be gluten-free abut are mostly not. Purition is gluten-free as it does not contain oats at all. Instant Knockout Complete is not gluten-free, nor are Huel or Rootana.

Can meal replacements help me lose weight?

Yes, when they are combined with a calorie controlled diet and active lifestyle. They are like protein shakes in that they can be healthy as part of a healthy lifestyle. But you can't just drink protein shakes, even vegan protein shakes, and expect incredible results. You also have to do the work.

The above is a sponsored post, the views expressed are those of the sponsor/author and do not represent the stand and views of Outlook Editorial.