What are the best meal replacement shakes that don’t cause gas?

drink wholesome makes meal replacements that don’t cause gas.

Written by Jack Schrupp & endorsed by Baylee Reller, RDN

Do meal replacements give you gas? 

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If meal replacements make you gassy, you are not alone. Bloating, farts, and stomach pain are common side effects of meal replacements. Many people assume that flatulence is the price to pay for using meal replacements, but this is simply not the case.

Your meal replacement should not make you gassy, and if it does, you need to find a new one. Before you go ahead and switch brands, however, you need to understand what is causing meal replacement gas in the first place.

Why do meal replacements give me gas?

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There are many reasons why meal replacements make you gassy, but you can usually look to the ingredient list for answers. Most meal replacements are made with ingredients that are not easy to digest, which means that they sit in your gut for longer than they should.

This leads to fermentation, which produces gas. It is important to note that every gut is different, and ingredients that cause gas for one person might not cause gas for someone else. That said, there are several ingredients that are common triggers, and it cannot hurt to cut them out of your diet. 

What are the best meal replacement shakes that don’t cause gas?

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If you are looking for meal replacement shakes that won’t make you gassy, avoid food additives, dairy-based proteins, and protein concentrates and isolates. Basically, look for a short list of simple ingredients. The fewer the ingredients, and the simpler the ingredients, the better. Continue reading to learn more.

Why drink wholesome? 

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drink wholesome is additive-free.

One of the reasons why we make meal replacements that don’t cause gas is that we do not use food additives. The majority of other meal replacements are full of additives. Even in small amounts, ingredients like these can trigger side effects like bloating, gas, and stomach pain.

Additives are so processed that they are hard to break down. They therefore spend extra time in your digestive tract, which gives your gut bacteria extra time to eat and produce gas. Gas can make you bloated, make you fart, and even cause constipation.

Here is a list of the most common food additives in meal replacement powder:

acacia gum, acesulfame potassium, artificial flavors, aspartame, carrageenan, cellulose gum, dextrin, dextrose, erythritol, gellan gum, guar gum, gum arabic, inulin, locust bean gum, “natural” flavors, maltodextrin, rice syrup solids, soy lecithin, silica, sucralose, sunflower lecithin, xanthan gum, xylitol

Over time, regularly eating food additives can interfere with regulatory pathways in your intestines. It can also disrupt your gut microbiome – the collection of microorganisms that help you digest food. Both of these changes can impair your ability to digest and absorb food, which can increase the likelihood that you experience gas and related side effects.

our ingredients: 

egg whites, almonds, oats, coconut, cocoa, monk fruit

the alternative:

SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, CANOLA OIL, MALTODEXTRIN, ISOMALTULOSE, SOLUBLE CORN FIBER, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, VITAMIN AND MINERAL PREMIX, CELLULOSE, NATURAL & ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SOY LECITHIN, SALT, MONO & DIGLYCERIDE, XANTHAN GUM, SUCRALOSE

drink wholesome is dairy-free.

Another reason why we make meal replacement shakes that don’t cause gas is that we do not use dairy-based proteins. Dairy-based proteins like whey and casein, which are byproducts of cheese and yogurt manufacturing, can make you gassy. This is especially true if you suffer from lactose intolerance.

People with lactose intolerance (one-third of adults) do not have enough of the enzymes needed to digest lactose, the sugar in dairy. As a result, the partially digested sugar feeds their gut bacteria, causing a surge in gas production. 

drink wholesome is made with real foods.

A final reason why we make meal replacements that don’t cause gas is that we do not use protein concentrates and isolates. In contrast, almost all other meal replacements rely heavily on these protein sources, which are foods stripped of virtually everything but the protein content.

The production of protein concentrates and isolates involves significant mechanical and chemical modifications. Sometimes, chemical substances like hexane are utilized to extract the protein. Consequently, the shake you drink bears only a faint semblance to real food.

Your digestive system is meant to handle unprocessed or minimally processed real foods, not protein concentrates and isolates. This is why emerging research suggests that refined ingredients like these can disturb your gut microbiome. An unhealthy gut microbiome will impair your ability to break down and absorb food, which is the last thing you want if you are trying to avoid gas.

Instead of protein concentrates or isolates, we make meal replacement shakes that don’t cause gas with real foods like egg whites and almonds. The egg whites undergo a process of pasteurization and drying, while almonds are simply roasted, pressed to reduce oil content, and finely ground. These natural ingredients present themselves as gut-friendly alternatives to protein concentrates and isolates.

Unlike protein isolates and concentrates, whole foods come with a built-in arsenal of enzymes and digestive aids that lend a hand during the digestion process. Additionally, egg whites offer the benefit of maintaining an alkaline environment in your gut, ensuring a healthy pH balance. They are also low in fiber and FODMAPs, making them easy on the digestive system, and actively promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.

On the other hand, almonds have prebiotic qualities that support the diversity of your gut microbiome. Not only do they help maintain a diverse gut environment, but they also play a role in promoting regular and healthy bowel movements. In essence, we prioritize using simple ingredients to make meal replacements that are easy to digest.

★★★★★

no stomach issues

“Love, love, love!!! Simple and delicious. No bloating or gas. I blend it with oat milk and ice in the morning.” – Catherine

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