What is the best meal replacement protein powder?

Are you looking for the best meal replacement protein powder? Discover how to effectively and safely support your diet. 

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Meal replacement protein powder

Why should I use meal replacement protein powder? 

Protein powder is a dietary supplement designed to help you eat more protein.

A meal replacement, on the other hand, is intended to replace the nutritional value of a meal. It should contain a balance of healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and complete protein.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug administration, a meal replacement must contain 20 percent or more of your recommended daily protein intake to be considered “high” protein.

Based on recommended daily protein intakes and average body weights, most Americans can consider meal replacements with 10-15 grams of protein per serving to be high protein.

How much protein can my body absorb from a single meal? 

Although the exact upper limit of protein digestion and absorption from a single meal is not definitively established, research suggests it is probably between 20 and 30 grams.

That is, eating 20 to 30 grams of protein in one sitting is sufficient to maximize muscle protein synthesis in most individuals and eating any more that might not be good for you. 

For one thing, excess protein is used as energy or stored as fat, rather than used for muscle repair.

Research also shows eating too much protein at once can overwhelm your digestive system, causing digestive issues like bloating and diarrhea.

And if you have impaired kidney function, eating too much protein could cause kidney damage.

Why should I prioritize high protein meals? 

Studies have shown that a high protein diet can help you build and maintain muscle mass, manage your body weight, improve your blood sugar control, and increase intestinal calcium absorption, which may result in long-term improvements in bone health.

When it comes to weight management, part of the magic of protein is that it increases satiety (curbing cravings and overeating) and increases thermogenesis, or your metabolic rate and energy expenditure.

Several clinical trials have found that consuming more protein not only reduces body weight, but also enhances body composition by decreasing fat and preserving muscle. 

Keep in mind that meal replacement protein powder can be mixed with just milk or water to make a simple meal replacement shake, or added to oatmeal, yogurt, and other recipes. 

How you use it can affect the impact it has on your diet, so consult a registered dietitian to figure out which approach is best for you.

What type of protein should I choose? 

As long as you are eating a balanced diet, the type of protein you eat does not matter. 

That is, if you are getting your protein from a variety of sources, you will be getting all of the essential amino acids (including BCAAs) that you need.

Ingredients do matter, however.

What is the best meal replacement protein powder? 

Not all high protein meal replacements are created equal.

Many brands use 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, and other additives can not only upset your stomach, but also alter the composition of your gut microbiome – the collection of microorganisms living in your gut.

This can lead to gut dysbiosis, or an imbalance in gut bacteria, which is linked to chronic inflammation and the development of several diseases, including heart disease and high blood pressure. 

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

Avoid dairy-based proteins

You might also want to avoid dairy-based proteins like whey and casein, which contain lactose, a sugar most adults cannot fully digest.

Keep in mind that you may 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

Finally, steer clear of protein concentrates and isolates.

Most meal replacements are made from protein concentrates and isolates, which have been mechanically and/or chemically stripped of everything but the protein, including the enzymes, fiber, and other natural digestive aids that help you break them down.

Your digestive system therefore does not digest them in the same way that it does whole foods, which can affect everything from satiety to gut health.

In fact, research shows that regularly eating protein concentrates and isolates might disrupt your gut microbiome.

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

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Drink Wholesome makes the best meal replacement protein powder.

Finding a meal replacement free from food additives, dairy-based proteins, 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 high protein meal replacements 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 egg whites and 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.