How to Find the Best Pregnancy Meal Replacement Shakes

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Dietitian’s guide on how to find the best pregnancy meal replacement shakes.

Discover how to safely meet your dietary needs during pregnancy.

Last Updated
Feb 5, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Jack, CNC

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

Pregnancy Meal Replacement Shakes

Can I Drink Meal Replacements During Pregnancy?

Pregnant women should be eating an extra 340 calories per day in the second trimester and an extra 450 in the third trimester (Am Fam Physician, 2021).

They should also be eating extra protein to support the growth and development of their baby.

While it is possible to meet these elevated dietary needs through diet alone, adding a meal replacement shake to the equation can help bridge the gap.

Meal replacement shakes are both easy to make and easy to drink, making them a great option for busy days or when you do not have the energy to cook.

Meal replacement shakes are also a great option for women experiencing morning sickness, which can make it difficult to consume enough nutrients from solid food alone.

In other words, if nausea makes eating solid food difficult, a shake can provide essential calories and nutrients.

Meal replacement shakes should not replace other forms of nutrition, however. Whenever possible, stick to foods like lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, etc.

What Are the Best Meal Replacements for Pregnant Women?

In theory, meal replacement shakes are safe to use before, during, and after pregnancy, but not all meal replacement shakes are created equal.

Many meal replacements contain ingredients known to cause painful side effects and even long-term health problems.

Among these ingredients are food additives, dairy-based proteins, and protein concentrates and isolates.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

Regularly eating emulsifiers, thickeners, flavors, and other additives can not only upset your stomach, but also alter the composition of your gut microbiome (North Clin Istanb, 2019).

This can lead to gut dysbiosis, or an imbalance in gut bacteria, which is associated with complications like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and restricted fetal growth (Microorganisms, 2022; Front Cell Infect Microbiol, 2022).

Keep in mind that your gut microbiome affects various physiological processes, including immune function and inflammation.

So, when the balance of bacteria therein is disrupted, it can have a huge impact on your overall health.

⚠️ 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

Note that this list includes several artificial sweeteners.

Artificial sweeteners like sucralose and acesulfame potassium are among the worst ingredients for your gut microbiome (Nature, 2014).

They both reduce microbial diversity and promote the growth of potentially pathogenic bacteria.

Also note that as a rule of thumb, if you could not 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, can cause digestive issues too.

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

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

This is particularly true for casein protein, which forms a gel-like substance in your stomach that slows down digestion.

🚫 Avoid Protein Concentrates and Isolates

You should also consider avoiding protein concentrates and isolates.

Most meal replacements are made from one or both of these 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 can affect your gut health.

In fact, studies show that regularly eating protein concentrates and isolates can disrupt your gut microbiome and cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut (Nutrients, 2018; Mol Nutr Food Res, 2024).

So instead of ultra-processed protein concentrates or isolates, look for whole food protein sources like egg whites and almonds.

They are easier to digest and absorb.

Order Samples to see for yourself.

Sources

1. American Family Physician (Am Fam Physician). Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025: Recommendations from the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services. 2021.
2. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
3. Microorganisms (Microorganisms). Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis: Triggers, Consequences, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Options. 2022.
4. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (Front Cell Infect Microbiol). Physiological Changes and Interactions Between Microbiome and the Host During Pregnancy. 2022.
5. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
6. Nature (Nature). Artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota.. 2014.
7. 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 Registered Dietitian and reviewed by a Physician Assistant. We rely on peer-reviewed research and trusted medical sources, and regularly update our content to ensure accuracy and clarity.