What Are the Best Pregnancy Meal Replacement Shakes?

Are you looking for the best pregnancy meal replacement shakes? Discover how to safely meet your dietary needs during pregnancy. 

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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.

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 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.

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. 

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.

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

In short, if you could not find an ingredient in nature or make it at home, it should not be in your meal replacement.

Avoid Protein Concentrates and Isolates

The protein source itself (not the type of protein, but the form) might be a factor worth considering too, especially if you have a sensitive stomach or preexisting gut issues.

Most meal replacements are made from protein concentrates and isolates, 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 your gut break them down.

You therefore do not digest them in the same way that it does whole foods, which can affect everything from satiety to 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.

So, pending further research, it is recommended that you stick to meal replacements made from whole food protein sources.

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Drink Wholesome Makes the Best Meal Replacement Shakes for Pregnancy

Finding a meal replacement free from food additives and protein concentrates and isolates is hard.

In fact, 99% of meal replacements contain one or more of these problematic ingredients, which is why we created Drink Wholesome.

We make the best pregnancy-safe meal replacement shakes because we use a short list of simple ingredients.

Our Ingredients

collagen

almonds

oats

coconut

monk fruit

vanilla

NOT Our Ingredients

• acacia gum

• acesulfame potassium

• artificial flavors

• carrageenan

• erythritol

• guar gum

• inulin

• maltodextrin

• 'natural' flavors

• silica

• soy lecithin

• sucralose

• xanthan gum

• xylitol

Note that instead of using protein concentrates or isolates, we use whole food protein sources like almonds, which are easier to digest and absorb.

It follows that our customers experience fewer digestive issues with our Meal Replacement Powders than with any other type of meal replacement.

Order Samples to see for yourself.