best protein shake powder for meal replacement

alkx
alkx Posts: 6
in Food and Nutrition
Hey all!

I'm new to this journey but very motivated...that being said,


i'm looking to start off with a protein shake meal replacement. I do not typically eat breakfast due to my schedule (work late, so usually wake up around 10-11 and just do lunch) but that can be at least a few thousand calories. Ideally, i want to get to a place where I'm up a little earlier for a day time work out and doing a protein shake for breakfast and lunch with a normal (but sensible!!!!) dinner.

There are TONS of powders out there. Which one have you guys had success with? As far as flavors go - i'm not a fan of the whole powdered strawberry thing. I would prefer to add my own fresh fruit. I would be mixing with an unsweetened almond milk.

Replies

  • mrsamanda86
    mrsamanda86 Posts: 869 Member
    I would just go ahead and get a vanilla flavored powder, and only do one for breakfast/post workout. Don't replace lunch with a drink. Just cut back the calories to less than a thousand :wink:
    I just ordered the vanilla ice cream flavor or something like that from Optimum Nutrition off amazon, it's cheaper than in the stores that way. It's only 120 calories, compared to most others I've seen that are 160-170 a scoop. I haven't tried it yet though, it comes in like tomorrow. I'm finishing up a can of Six Star Pro Nutrition cookies and cream, that was pretty good, but I wouldn't really know what you could mix that with and have it still taste good. I also use unsweetened almond milk to mix it with, they generally taste horrible mixed with water, and I don't want to spare the calories for even skim milk LOL
    Anyways, good luck, hope you find one you like!!

    ETA: I mainly said vanilla because it mixes with fruits and whatnot easiest. I am too scared to try and get a funky flavor, even just chocolate, because I don't want to spend all that money and then be stuck with something that I have to force myself to drink and end up with a stomach ache and be nauseous. LOL
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Trutein from bodybuilding.com. Their flavors are the best I have tried. Choc Peanut Butter, Cinnabon, Pumpkin Pie. They have more, Mango, etc, but i've only tried the three.
  • alkx
    alkx Posts: 6
    I would just go ahead and get a vanilla flavored powder, and only do one for breakfast/post workout. Don't replace lunch with a drink. Just cut back the calories to less than a thousand :wink:
    I just ordered the vanilla ice cream flavor or something like that from Optimum Nutrition off amazon, it's cheaper than in the stores that way. It's only 120 calories, compared to most others I've seen that are 160-170 a scoop. I haven't tried it yet though, it comes in like tomorrow. I'm finishing up a can of Six Star Pro Nutrition cookies and cream, that was pretty good, but I wouldn't really know what you could mix that with and have it still taste good. I also use unsweetened almond milk to mix it with, they generally taste horrible mixed with water, and I don't want to spare the calories for even skim milk LOL
    Anyways, good luck, hope you find one you like!!

    ETA: I mainly said vanilla because it mixes with fruits and whatnot easiest. I am too scared to try and get a funky flavor, even just chocolate, because I don't want to spend all that money and then be stuck with something that I have to force myself to drink and end up with a stomach ache and be nauseous. LOL


    yeah dude, i tried one with water once..it was really awful. it seems like an acquired taste...lol.

    please let me know how the optimum is. that is one of the ones i'm looking at trying!
  • alkx
    alkx Posts: 6
    Trutein from bodybuilding.com. Their flavors are the best I have tried. Choc Peanut Butter, Cinnabon, Pumpkin Pie. They have more, Mango, etc, but i've only tried the three.

    liquid pumpkin pie definitely sounds like a win!
  • uconnwinsnc
    uconnwinsnc Posts: 1,054 Member
    Syntha-6 is delish, strawberry or chocolate.
  • moefinch
    moefinch Posts: 31 Member
    I LOVE BioX Chocolate with just water. Do I dare say "Yummy!"?!
  • ash8184
    ash8184 Posts: 701 Member
    I like Nature's Plus Spiru-tein in vanilla. It's 99 cals/scoop - not as much protein as some of the other brands, but if you're adding almond milk and other stuff to it, it might be ok? It's also really easy to mix in to a water bottle (doesn't get all cakey and gross). I also like that they use whey in their whey-based powders, but the other vanilla powder is tri-protein that's all vegan (so it mixes up your protein sources).

    GOOD LUCK!
  • ThinLizzie0802
    ThinLizzie0802 Posts: 863 Member
    Garden of Life Perfect Meal sometimes with an extra scoop of Garden of Life Protein Powder.

    I use almond milk because the calories are less than skim and we already go through 2 gallons of skim milk every 3 days in my house. If I did my shakes with skim milk it would be more than that and I just can't afford that much damn milk .
  • cici13095
    cici13095 Posts: 15
    I use Body Fortress Chocolate for the same reason! I've mixed it with water and it was extremely sweet, but not too bad. I like to mix it with just black coffee though because it gives me a little bit of a caffeine kick and makes it warm since its freezing out. Plus doesn't add too many calories. Kinda tastes like hot chocolate! :)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,968 Member
    Protein powders SUPPLEMENT your macros. They aren't meant to replace a nutritious meal.

    But I find ON protein powders to be a reliable source with a decent cost.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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