How to Find the Best Meal Replacement Shakes for GLP-1 Therapy Users​

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Certified Nutrition Coach’s guide on how to find the best meal replacement shakes for GLP-1 therapy users​.

Discover how to safely meet your nutritional needs while taking GLP-1 RAs.

Last Updated
May 13, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Jack, CNC

Jack is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Nutrition Coach.

Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Consult a licensed healthcare professional before making changes to your diet.

Meal Replacement Shakes for GLP-1 Therapy Users​

Are Meal Replacement Shakes Good for GLP-1 Therapy Users?

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are a class of medications that mimic the action of the natural hormone GLP-1.

They regulate blood sugar levels, insulin secretion, and appetite.

The most commonly prescribed GLP-1 RAs are:

• Semaglutide: Ozempic (type 2 diabetes), Wegovy (weight loss)
• Tirzepatide: Mounjaro (type 2 diabetes), Zepbound (weight loss)
• Dulaglutide: Trulicity (type 2 diabetes)
• Liraglutide: Victoza (type 2 diabetes), Saxenda (weight loss)

According to the Endocrine Society, GLP-1 RAs promote early satiety, reduce food intake, and are associated with weight loss (Endocr Pract, 2022).

That said, GLP-1 RAs are not supposed to be used as monotherapy.

In other words, they are most effective when administered in combination with dietary and lifestyle changes and nutrition counseling.

One such change is increasing the percentage of your calories that come from protein.

A high protein diet has advantages for individuals trying to lose weight because it improves blood glucose management, insulin sensitivity, and satiety (Nutrients, 2021).

Eating enough protein is also important for maintaining muscle mass while on GLP-1 RAs.

If your protein intake is too low, your body starts to break down muscle for energy instead of fat.

In fact, studies have shown that GLP-1 RA treatment can result in significant reductions in muscle mass (Am J Clin Nutr, 2025).

It follows that if you cannot get enough protein from foods like eggs and meat, adding a high protein meal replacement to your diet might be a good idea.

Depending on the nutrition profile, meal replacements might also help address nutritional deficiencies caused by GLP-1 RAs.

More than 60% of GLP-1 RA users consumed below estimated requirements for calcium and iron, and vitamin D intake averaged just 20% of recommended intake (Clin Obes, 2026).

Because of how easy they are to make and consume, meal replacement shakes could help you bridge these micronutrient gaps.

Finally, GLP-1 RAs can cause digestive issues like nausea and vomiting, particularly during dose escalation.

A liquid meal is often easier to tolerate than solid food during these periods.

That said, not all meal replacement shakes are created equal.

What Are the Best Meal Replacement Shakes for GLP-1 Therapy Users?

Many meal replacements contain ingredients known to cause painful digestive issues.

They might also contribute to gut health problems that could make weight loss harder.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

Regularly eating emulsifiers, thickeners, and other ultra-processed additives can upset your stomach.

This is worth noting because, as you just learned, GLP-1 RAs are associated with digestive side effects (Diabetes Obes Metab, 2017).

Food additives can also alter the composition and function of your gut microbiome, which might not only diminish the efficacy of diabetic medications but also impair weight loss (North Clin Istanb, 2020; World J Methodol, 2022; Gut Microbes, 2018).

For example, your gut microbiome modulates the release of hunger-controlling hormones such as ghrelin and insulin.

Gut dysbiosis can lead to higher concentrations of these hormones, which can inhibit hormone signaling and alter energy metabolism (N Engl J Med, 2024).

⚠️ Here is a list of the most common food additives in meal replacements:

• acacia fiber
• acacia gum
• acesulfame potassium
• artificial flavors
• ascorbic acid
• aspartame
• calcium carbonate
• carrageenan
• cellulose gum
• dextrin
• dicalcium phosphate
• dipotassium phosphate
• erythritol
• gellan gum
• guar gum
• gum arabic
• inulin
• locust bean gum
• maltitol
• maltodextrin
• mono- and diglycerides
• ‘natural’ flavors
• rice bran extract
• rice dextrin
• rice hulls
• rosemary extract
• silica
• silicon dioxide
• sodium alginate
• soluble corn fiber
• sorbitol
• soy lecithin
• sucralose
• sunflower lecithin
• tocopherols
• tricalcium phosphate
• xanthan gum
• xylitol
• zinc oxide

As a rule of thumb, if you cannot find an ingredient in nature or make it at home, it is a food additive.

🚫 Avoid Dairy-Based Proteins

Dairy-based proteins like whey and casein, although not an issue for everyone, might upset your stomach too.

This is usually because they contain lactose, a sugar many individuals cannot fully digest.

But you might be sensitive to dairy-based proteins even if you are not lactose intolerant.

This is especially true for casein protein, which forms a gel-like substance in your stomach that slows down digestion (Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2023).

🚫 Avoid Protein Concentrates and Isolates

If you have a sensitive stomach, you might also want to avoid protein concentrates and isolates.

Most protein supplements are made from one or both of these ultra-processed protein sources, which have been mechanically and/or chemically stripped of everything but the protein.

This includes the enzymes, fiber, and other natural digestive aids that help you break them down.

You therefore do not digest them in the same way that you do whole foods, which could affect your gut health.

For example, one study shows that regularly consuming protein concentrates and isolates might disrupt your gut microbiome (Nutrients, 2018).

Another study shows that it could cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut (Mol Nutr Food Res, 2024).

Although further research is needed, individuals with sensitive stomachs can play it safe by choosing meal replacements made from minimally-processed protein sources like egg whites and almonds.

They are more gut-friendly.

Order Samples to see for yourself.

Sources

1. Endocrine Practice: Official Journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (Endocr Pract). American Association of Clinical Endocrinology Clinical Practice Guideline: Developing a Diabetes Mellitus Comprehensive Care Plan-2022 Update. 2022.
2. Nutrients (Nutrients). Are Dietary Proteins the Key to Successful Body Weight Management? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Studies Assessing Body Weight Outcomes after Interventions with Increased Dietary Protein. 2021.
3. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Am J Clin Nutr). Changes in lean mass, fat mass, and bone mineral density on glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist treatment: A meta-analysis. 2025.
4. Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism (Diabetes Obes Metab). Occurrence of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea reported as adverse events in clinical trials studying glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists: A systematic analysis of published clinical trials. 2017.
5. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2020.
6. World Journal of Methodology (World J Methodol). Gut microbiota interactions with anti-diabetic medications and pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus. 2022.
7. Gut Microbes (Gut Microbes). The human gut microbiota: Metabolism and perspective in obesity. 2018.
8. The New England Journal of Medicine (N Engl J Med). Gut Microbiota and Diabetes — A Comprehensive Review. 2024.
9. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr). Milk proteins: Processing, gastric coagulation, amino acid availability and muscle protein synthesis. 2023.
10. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
11. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research (Mol Nutr Food Res). In Vitro Fermentation of Animal and Plant Protein Isolates by the Human Gut Microbiota Under High and Low Carbohydrate Conditions. 2024.

Editorial Guidelines

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This article was written by a Certified Nutrition Coach and reviewed by a Registered Dietitian. We rely on peer-reviewed research and trusted medical sources, and regularly update our content to ensure accuracy and clarity.