The ketogenic diet has become very popular as a way to lose weight fast– and also, in some cases, as a bodybuilding diet or a diet for endurance athletes.
Studies show that the ketogenic diet is highly effective for weight loss, and usually easier to stick to than a low-fat diet. However, keto-friendly foods are hard to find, and it can be difficult to get enough vitamins when you’re cutting carbs, and therefore limiting your fruit and vegetable intake.
Keto meal replacement shakes are a great solution, but only if you find a good one. In this article I’ll explain what makes a great keto meal replacement shake, and then I’ll recommend a few of the best keto shakes.
What Makes A Good Keto Meal Replacement Shake?
First off it has to have very few carbohydrates– say five grams or less of net carbs (that is, carbs excluding fiber and sugar alcohols). Without meeting this requirement, it simply isn’t keto.
Second, it needs to have fat. It’s hard to eat enough fat on keto, so you should be adding it wherever possible. That said, you can always add fat to a keto shake by mixing in some butter, cream, or almond butter, so it’s okay if it doesn’t have quite as much as you’d like.
Third, it needs protein– at least 20 grams per serving. One common mistake on keto is to not eat enough protein in order to go “deeper” into ketosis. You need protein to build and maintain muscle, and protein won’t prevent you from staying in ketosis– and losing weight– unless you eat a truly excessive amount of it.
Finally, you need vitamins and minerals– but more so vitamins– to make up for the relatively low plant content of ketogenic diets. In fact, the best keto meal replacement powders and shakes will have whole plant extracts, effectively giving you super- concentrated servings of fruits and vegetables.
The Best Keto Meal Replacement Shake: Our Reviews
Note that most of these come in powder form, so you’ll need something to mix them with– such as sugar-free coconut milk– and a good blender.
Best Keto Meal Replacement Powder
HLTH Code Complete Meal Replacement Shake
The HLTH Code Complete Meal Replacement Shake has, hands down, the most complete nutritional profile of any keto meal shake on the market. Its 27 grams of protein blows most other keto shakes out of the water, while the 4 grams of net carbs and 27 grams of fat keep it firmly in keto territory.
What really takes it to the next level is that it has ingredients to effectively provide you with the equivalent of several servings of produce. Vitamins, fiber, and digestive enzymes all add up to make this shake the equivalent of eating a very healthy and balanced keto salad. As a final bonus, it has collagen, which you can never get enough of.
Best Chocolate Keto Shake
Keto Chow Meal Replacement Shake
Keto Chow takes a different approach from most keto meal shakes: it has only one gram of fat per serving. Instead of having fat in it, Keto Chow instructs you to add your own fat, which allows you to choose your favorite kind of fat and mix the shake to your desired proportions.
At 27 grams it’s tied with HLTH Code for most protein per serving, and at 2 grams of net carbs it’s the most low-carb keto power we’ve found. It also has a good mix of vitamins and minerals, though not as good as HLTH Code.
Best Grass-Fed Keto Meal Replacement Shake
KetoLogic Keto Meal Replacement Powder
The Keto Logic meal replacement powder is made from grass-fed whey, which is just about the highest-quality protein source a meal replacement can use. At 10 grams of protein, 3 grams of net carbs and 19 grams of fat, it’s ideal for someone who gets enough protein but needs help consuming more fat while keeping carbs low.
It also contains a strong blend of vitamins and minerals designed to compensate for the low levels of fruit in the ketogenic diet, and is strawberry-flavored– a less common option than chocolate or vanilla.
Best Pre-Mixed Keto Shake
Genius Gourmet All Natural Keto Shakes
Genius Gourmet Keto Shakes are the one good keto shake we’ve found that comes pre-mixed and ready to drink. You can think of it as being like Muscle Milk for keto dieters– well, kind of. It only has 6 grams of protein per serving, so it’s not great for building muscle.
With 15 grams of fat per serving, this is another option aimed at people who are more concerned with eating more fat than getting enough protein, so it’s great for avid meat-eaters. And the fat is high-quality MCT oil, which helps you get deeper into ketosis even at higher carbohydrate intakes– which helps you stay in ketosis even while eating vegetables and some fruits.
Editor’s note: we are regularly updating this review. If you see any problems, weird interpretations of the data, or just want to say hi, please reach out to hello@the-unwinder.com.
