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What makes a great meal replacement shake? A true meal replacement should provide everything that you would be missing in a well-balanced, solid meal. It should be quick, easy, balanced, and not make you feel sluggish. Although it would be too much to expect it to taste like a chocolate milk shake from your local fast food joint, it should taste decent. Your shake should also be rich in vitamins and minerals while matching your meal macronutrient count.

Add Nutrients

Some people only focus on meeting their protein, carbs, and fat requirements for that meal. This is fine once in a while, but if you are looking for a solid meal replacement that will be a part of your daily routine, then that is not going to cut it. Don’t overlook the importance of adding nutrient dense foods such as fruits and vegetables. Adding vegetables to your shake might sound unappealing, but you can mask the taste fairly well when you blend them with frozen fruit and peanut butter. You will never even know they were in the shake.

My Usual

My go-to shake consists of a little bit of everything. I usually include Universal’s Ultra Iso Whey and Egg Pro (Vanilla), fresh carrots and spinach, dry quick oats, half of a small fresh or frozen banana, frozen mixed berries, and natural peanut butter. This shake is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, very high in quality protein, and high in fiber. It’s also rich in vitamins and minerals, specifically vitamin A, C, and potassium. This easy-to-make shake keeps me full, provides all the nutrition I need, and does not make me feel sluggish.

Macro Break Down

1.5 scoops Ultra Iso Whey
31.5g protein / 3g carbs

1 scoop Egg Pro
24g protein / 3g carbs

140g frozen berries
15g carbs

2 tbsp peanut butter
8g protein / 6g carbs / 16g fat

½ small banana
10g carbs

30g quick oats dry
3.8 protein/ 20g carbs/ 2.3g fat

9 baby carrots
9g carbs

2 handfuls spinach
N/A

1.5 cups water
N/A

Total: 67g protein / 66g carbs / 18g fat

Go Bananas

The most important advice I can give you is to use frozen fruit, especially if you make your shakes with water and not milk. Water with fresh fruit won’t deliver that desirable shake-like consistency. Frozen fruit, however, will give you that favorable thick consistency and make the shake cold. In my opinion, frozen bananas are the best fruit to use if you are choosing to use only one fruit. They will make shakes super cold, very thick, and flavorful (masking any other ingredients in the shake that might not appeal to you). Now that you know what to do, missing meals shouldn’t be a big deal—just shake it off.