How to Find the Best Low Sodium Meal Replacement Shakes

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

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

Discover how to safely support your low sodium diet.

Last Updated
Feb 8, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Jack, Founder

Jack is the Founder of Drink Wholesome.

Medically reviewed by Brittany, MS, RD and Jenn, PA-C

Kayla is a Registered Dietitian with a MS in Nutrition.

Jennifer is a Physician Assistant with a BA in Nutritional Sciences.

Low Sodium Meal Replacement Shakes

Which Meal Replacement Shakes Are Low Sodium?

So, if you are on a low sodium diet, I highly recommend nut-based meal replacements.

Unlike plant-based protein sources like peas, rice, and soy, nuts are not processed using salt.

As a result, they are much lower in sodium.

One serving of our almond-based Meal Replacement Powder, for instance, contains only 15 milligrams of sodium.

If you cannot eat nuts, you may want to consider a meal replacement made with animal-based protein.

Animal-based proteins do tend to contain a moderate amount of sodium, but some options are relatively low in sodium.

Our collagen-based Meal Replacement Powder, for example, contains only 100 milligrams of sodium per serving, or less than 5% of the Daily Recommended Value for someone on a low sodium diet.

If you are using meal replacement powder, as opposed to a ready-to-drink meal replacement shake, keep in mind that what you mix it with can add a considerable amount of sodium.

1 serving of cow’s milk or plant-milk, for instance, will add 100+ milligrams of sodium to your shake.

If this is a concern for you, it is recommended you mix your meal replacement powder with water.

What Are the Benefits of Using Low Sodium Meal Replacement Shakes?

Depending on who you are, reducing the amount of sodium in your diet may improve your overall health.

Here are a few of the potential benefits of using low sodium meal replacement shakes:

• Blood Pressure Management: Lower sodium intake is associated with better control of blood pressure, reducing the risk of hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases.
• Heart Health: A diet low in sodium helps to reduce the strain on the heart and blood vessels, lowering the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
• Kidney Health: Reducing sodium intake lessens the burden on the kidneys, helping to prevent kidney stones and chronic kidney disease.
• Water Retention: Lower sodium levels can help decrease bloating and water retention, leading to a more comfortable and less swollen feeling.

Adding a low sodium meal replacement shake to your diet can help you fill in nutrition gaps while also limiting your sodium intake.

When limiting sodium intake, aim to consume less than 2,000 milligrams per day, which is roughly the equivalent of one teaspoon of salt.

Given that you may use a meal replacement often, if not every day, it is especially important to be mindful of how much sodium is in 1 serving.

You can find the sodium content of a meal replacement shake by looking at the nutrition label on the product packaging.

This is usually found on the back or side of the product. It lists various nutritional information, including the amount of sodium per serving.

What Are the Best Low Sodium Meal Replacement Shakes?

Meal replacements made from hemp or nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc.) contain little to no sodium, making them the perfect addition to a low sodium diet.

That said, not all low sodium meal replacements are created equal.

Many low sodium meal replacement shakes and powders are made with ingredients known to cause painful side effects and 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, artificial sweeteners, and other ultra-processed additives can alter the composition and function of your gut microbiome (North Clin Istanb, 2020).

These shifts, known gut dysbiosis, contribute to a wide range of chronic diseases, including diabetes and even certain cancers (J Exp Med, 2019).

Gut dysbiosis is so problematic because it causes a cascade of problems, including intestinal permeability, systemic inflammation, impaired nutrient absorption, and reduced short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production.

⚠️ 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 could not find an ingredient in nature or make it at home, it is a food additive.

🚫 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 (Nutrients, 2018) and cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut (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. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2020.
2. The Journal of Experimental Medicine (J Exp Med). The gut microbiome: Relationships with disease and opportunities for therapy. 2019.
3. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
4. 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.