Best Weight Loss Shakes

If you’re struggling to lose weight, you’re probably tired of people lecturing you to “eat right and exercise more”. Adhering to a diet is not easy: you may be plagued with always feeling hungry or tired, and suffer cravings in between meals. Fortunately, there are good-tasting weight loss shakes that can supply you with the protein of an entire meal, as well as fiber and carbohydrates to give you a full feeling for longer.

And weight loss shakes don’t have to be for people trying to lose weight. Let’s say you’re in a rush and don’t have time to prepare yourself a meal. You can just put a few tablespoons of weight loss shake mix in water, milk, or yogurt, and you’ll have the nutrients of an entire meal!

We’ll study the offerings in the MSN list of the best-tasting weight loss shakes. You’ll see that there’s still a lot of variation among them, in terms of nutrients, fiber content, and of course, taste. The best-tasting weight loss shakes nowadays have gone way beyond bland, chalky-tasting vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry. You’ll see flavors like coffee crumb cake, strawberry shortcake, or chocolate peanut butter pie! It’s like having dessert for lunch!

What Types of Weight Loss Shakes Are There?

All of the weight loss shakes are intended to 1) provide you with all of the nutrients of an entire meal, and 2) give you a full feeling. (Vitamin supplements can also provide you with all of the nutrients that your body needs, but you can’t be expected just to live off pills!) You'll see both ready-to-drink bottled shakes, and shakes that you prepare yourself by adding powdered concentrate to water, milk, or yogurt of your choice. (You'll find other weight-loss products on the MSN Buying Guides.)

But we can divide up weight loss shakes into two categories:

• With milk-derived protein: There are weight-loss shakes with a milk derivative contributing to the drink’s protein. For example, the RSP TrueFit Grass-Fed Whey Protein Shake has 25 grams of protein derived from whey (the watery part of the milk, after the milk has been curdled to make cheese). Other brands will also use casein and other milk proteins.

RSP TrueFit Grass-Fed Whey Protein Shake

• With vegan protein: If you’d prefer a vegan protein source, many brands derive their protein from peas and rice. One example is the Ripple Vegan Protein Shake. It’s non-dairy, and soy-, gluten-, and lactose-free.

Ripple Vegan Protein Shake

• If you’d prefer a vegan shake powder, there’s the LyfeFuel Meal Replacement Shake. One serving provides you with 18 grams of plant-based protein, as well as probiotics, antioxidants, and 27 essential nutrients.

LyfeFuel Meal Replacement Shake

What Do People Say About Weight Loss Shakes?

• Rate of weight loss: A person still has to maintain a healthy lifestyle, with proper diet and exercise, to expect significant weight loss. But, with a weight-loss shake, it’s typical to expect to lose around 8 pounds in 12 weeks. One customer who used the Slim-Fast Advanced Energy High Protein Meal Replacement Shake said that they used it twice a day, in the morning and evening, and only ate a solid meal at lunchtime. They lost 60 pounds in 6 months!

• Special formulas for diabetics: Diabetics may prefer a product that doesn’t use sugar. The RSP TrueFit Protein Powder Meal uses stevia as a sweetener, as well as a berry fruit blend.

• Flavor: As we mentioned in the introduction, companies have tried to widen the number of flavors of these weight loss shakes. Customers say that they were pleased with the Fit & Lean Meal Shake, especially with the cookies and cream flavor. And their chocolate flavor went well with peanut butter and banana.

What Are Some Tips About Taking a Weight Loss Shake?

• Drink it soon after mixing: It’s advised to drink one of these powdered shakes soon after you mix it so that it maintains a smooth consistency. If you wait too long, the contents start to settle, and it gets a gritty texture.

• Supplementing the shake: If you find that a weight loss shake is leaving you hungry, you can try increasing the amount of powder per serving. If that doesn’t work, there are all sorts of suggestions to feel satiated. You can try mixing the powder with milk or yogurt, instead of water. Depending on the flavor of the shake, you can try adding fruit or nut butter. For example, you might add a banana and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter to a vanilla-flavored shake. Or you can have a side dish of strawberries, cottage cheese, or hummus.

• Probiotics and prebiotics: Look for weight loss shakes that contain probiotics (important yeasts and bacteria for proper digestion) and prebiotics (the substances on which these bacteria feed). Fiber is an important prebiotic. Women should have from 21-25 grams of fiber a day, while men should have 30-38 grams per day. One serving of the MHP Fit and Lean Meal Replacement Shake offers you 11 grams of dietary fiber and 500 million CFU (colony-forming units) of bacteria. Most other shakes will have somewhere from 4-7 grams of fiber.

MHP Fit and Lean Meal Replacement Shake

• MCT: In many weight loss shakes, you’ll see MCT (= “Medium-Chain Triglycerides”) as one of the ingredients. It’s theorized that MCTs are a quick source of energy since they go through the intestines and right to the liver undigested. The liver then converts them into ketone bodies, which are used to provide heat or thermogenesis. The body producing heat also burns calories. And MCTs also give you a full feeling as well, so you consume fewer calories.

• Beware of sugar: Some brands of meal replacement mixes are high in sugar and other hidden calories. The American Heart Association recommends only 36 grams of sugar a day in your entire diet. You can find weight loss shakes with as little as 2 grams of sugar, such as the Skinny Jane Store Skinny Blend Diet Protein Shake.

Skinny Jane Store Skinny Blend Diet Protein Shake

Wrap Up

We’ve examined some of the MSN Best Tasting Weight Loss Shakes, noting that they try to provide a well-rounded meal, including protein, vitamins and minerals, and fiber. You’ll notice a wealth of flavors available, both in ready-to-drink shakes, or in powders that you can mix with water, milk, or almond milk, according to your preference!