Shakeology Chocolate Meal Replacement Shake

Some of my clients really love their shakes, and while I generally recommend whole foods and solid meals over shakes, I do understand that they have their benefits. They are convenient, easy, and can be tasty, filling, and satisfying to many people. Personally, a shake leaves me feeling like I still haven't eaten, so I only use them when I have to.

A good shake is pretty hard to find. You see plenty of protein powders on the market, but the list of bad guys is often much longer than the good guys where the ingredients are concerned. Soy predominates the 'ready to go' shake markets, unfortunately, but Shakeology is different! No soy!

While I'm primarily reviewing the chocolate one, today, know that they also have many other flavors, plus vegan varieties that also do not use soy protein, so kudos to them!

Shakeology Chocolate Meal Replacement Shake

What to get: A box of 24 convenient packets or a tub of 30 servings.

Where to get it: You can order it directly from Team Beachbody.

Why we approve: Gluten free, uses stevia as a sweetener, lots of vitamins, minerals, and 'superfoods.' No soy based protein powders. Delicious!

Nutrition: Calories, 140 per serving (can contains two servings), Total Fat 1g, Sodium 100mg, Carbohydrates 17g, Fiber 3g, Sugars 9g, Protein 17g

Preparation: I used 1 cup of water and 6 ice cubes. That's it. It was thick and rich and delicious. It was similar to a chocolate shake from a drive thru, only more rich and chocolate tasting.

Variations: Toss in a frozen banana or a good amount of coconut milk for more of a meal. I lean more toward adding extra healthy fat, but that's because people don't get enough fat. Add fat.

Chocolate & Tropical Strawberry (not reviewed in detail)

Cons: A little low in calories and very low in fat. It's enough to tide me over, but not a true meal replacement for me unless I have some nuts on the side, or add in something like coconut milk. However, if you eat meals or snacks every 2-3 hours then this could be perfect, as this is just enough to tide one over. A little gritty, but not too bad. Expensive, but if you truly replace a meal, particularly an unhealthy meal, it may be worth it for you for the convenience. '70 Healthy Ingredients' can make it hard if you find the culprit if you are sensitive to one or more of the ingredients. That doesn't make it bad bad, but it's something to keep in mind.

Pros:  The perfect 'tide me over' size snack. It says it contains over 70 Healthy Ingredients, so if you're looking for anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, and 'superfoods,' this is one stop shopping. The chocolate shake was thick and rich and delicious. It was similar to a dark chocolate shake from a drive thru. Gluten free. Vegan varieties are available, and from what I saw, they use primarily rice protein, which is preferable to soy. Convenient. Even drinkable with water and a shaker bottle only. Delicious.