What are the best meal replacement shakes without stevia?

drink wholesome makes the best meal replacement shakes without stevia. They are naturally sweetened with monk fruit. Order samples to see if our stevia-free meal replacements are right for you.

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drink wholesome makes the best meal replacement shakes without stevia.

Written by Jack Schrupp & endorsed by Baylee Reller, RDN

What is stevia?

If a meal replacement does not contain sucralose or another artificial sweetener, it probably contains stevia. Stevia is an inexpensive zero calorie sweetener derived from the stevia rebaudiana plant. It is over 100 times sweeter than table sugar, and widely considered to be a “natural” alternative to artificial sweeteners. It follows that over the past decade or so, stevia has found its way into many meal replacement shakes looking to please health conscious consumers.

Why avoid stevia?

People dislike stevia for a few reasons. First of all, although it is sweet, stevia has an unpleasant bitter aftertaste. Unlike sugar, it activates bitter taste receptors in addition to sweet taste receptors.

Second, stevia is extracted from the stevia rebaudiana plant using chemicals like ethanol and methyl alcohol. One could argue that this makes it no more natural than the artificial sweeteners it aims to replace. In fact, there was a recent class action lawsuit filed in California that resulted in a $6.1 million settlement. It was concluded that the company in question had falsely labeled and advertised its stevia sweeteners as natural.

Finally, research has found that stevia can disrupt communications between bacteria in your gut microbiome. This is not something to be taken lightly, as your gut microbiome plays an integral role in overall health.

Why use monk fruit?

We use monk fruit as a sweetener in our stevia-free meal replacement shakes. Monk fruit, also known as luo han guo, is a melon-like fruit native to Southeast Asia. Its sweetness comes from non-caloric compounds called mogrosides.

There are several reasons why we favor monk fruit. First and foremost, monk fruit sweetener is one of the most natural sugar substitutes available. It’s produced by removing the seeds and skin, crushing the fruit, and then extracting the juice, which is subsequently dried into a fine powder. What sweetens your protein powder is basically concentrated fruit juice.

Another advantage of monk fruit is its sweetness, which closely resembles that of sugar. Among all sugar substitutes, monk fruit has the least aftertaste.

Because monk fruit sweetener has only been around for a decade, there is not a ton of information regarding its effects on chronic conditions like obesity and diabetes. It is worth noting, however, that this sweetener has been a staple in Asian cuisine for centuries, and that there are no adverse effects, even when it is consumed in large quantities. Small randomized trials have also shown that monk fruit does not appear to have any adverse impact on blood sugar or insulin levels.