How to Find the Best Meal Replacement Shakes for Diverticulitis

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Certified Nutrition Coach’s guide on how to find the best meal replacement shakes for diverticulitis.

Discover how to safely meet your nutritional needs while managing diverticular disease.

Last Updated
May 22, 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 Diverticulitis

This article discusses dietary choices for long-term management of diverticular disease.

If you are currently experiencing an active flare, consult your doctor before making dietary changes.

Are Meal Replacement Shakes Good for Diverticulitis?

Between the ages of 40 and 60, some people start to develop small, bulging pouches in the lining of their large intestine.

These pouches are called diverticula, and the formation of these pouches is called diverticulosis.

When diverticula become inflamed or infected, it can lead to a condition called diverticulitis.

Diverticula develop when weak spots in the outside layer of the colon give way and the inner layer squeezes through.

Experts believe this happens due to two main factors: increased pressure inside the colon and weakness in the colon wall.

Weakness in the colon wall is associated with aging.

Higher pressure inside the colon is linked to low dietary fiber intake – fiber softens stool, which reduces pressure on the colon walls.

Your doctor might thus recommend eating a high-fiber diet to manage diverticular disease (AGA, 2015).

It is important to note that experts used to believe that avoiding certain foods was key to managing diverticulitis symptoms, but this is no longer the case (Gastroenterology, 2022).

That said, you may find that certain types or amounts of foods affect your symptoms.

Some of the most common foods that people with diverticulitis choose to avoid are red meats, fried foods, and ultra-processed foods.

Just keep in mind that every gut is different – a diet that works for someone else may not necessarily work for you.

For personalized nutrition advice, you should always consult a registered dietitian.

He or she may recommend you use meal replacement shakes to fill in gaps in your diet.

Meal replacement shakes can also be a convenient option for people who are transitioning back to solid foods following a flare-up.

They are also a great way to meet your nutritional needs if you suffer from fear-based food avoidance.

Not all meal replacement shakes are created equal, however.

What Are the Best Meal Replacements for Diverticulitis?

If you have diverticular disease, a fiber-rich meal replacement can be a great addition to your diet – just not during an active flare, when your doctor will likely recommend sticking to clear liquids.

But unless you have a food allergy or sensitivity, the type of meal replacement you add to your diet does not really matter.

Ingredients do matter, however, as some are known to cause painful side effects and even long-term gut health issues.

Among the most problematic ingredients are food additives, dairy-based proteins, and protein concentrates and isolates.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

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

It can also alter the composition of your gut microbiome – the community of bacteria and other microorganisms living in your digestive system (North Clin Istanb, 2020).

These shifts, known as gut dysbiosis, may be associated with the development of diverticulitis (JAMA, 2025)

It is thought that disruptions caused by gut dysbiosis weaken the gut lining and immune function, thereby driving inflammation, which is the defining feature of diverticulitis.

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

🚫 Avoid Dairy-Based Proteins

Dairy-based proteins like whey and casein, although not a problem for everyone, can cause digestive issues too.

This is usually because they contain lactose – a sugar many individuals with sensitive stomachs cannot fully digest.

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

For starters, the digestion of some caseins releases a bioactive peptide that has been linked to digestive issues (Adv Nutr, 2017).

Casein also forms a gel-like substance in your stomach that slows down digestion (Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2023).

For sensitive individuals, particularly true for those with cow’s milk protein allergy or intolerance, slower digestion can contribute to bloating, constipation, and other side effects.

🚫 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 protein supplements made from minimally-processed protein sources like egg whites and almonds.

They are more gut-friendly.

Order Samples to see for yourself.

Sources

1. American Gastroenterological Association (AGA). American Gastroenterological Association Institute Guideline on the Management of Acute Diverticulitis. 2015.
2. Gastroenterology (Gastroenterology). AGA Clinical Practice Update on Medical Management of Colonic Diverticulitis: Expert Review. 2022.
3. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2020.
4. Microorganisms (Microorganisms). Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis: Triggers, Consequences, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Options. 2022.
5. Journal of Personalized Medicine (J Pers Med). Gut Microbiota and Acute Diverticulitis: Role of Probiotics in Management of This Delicate Pathophysiological Balance. 2021.
6. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Diverticulitis: A Review. 2025.
7. Advances in Nutrition | Journal (Adv Nutr). Systematic Review of the Gastrointestinal Effects of A1 Compared with A2 β-Casein. 2017.
8. 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.
9. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
10. 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.