The 8 Best Keto Meal Replacement Shakes (2024 Update)

Keto meal replacement shakes are an excellent tool for anyone who follows a low-carbohydrate diet but doesn’t always have time to prepare high-fat low-carb meals from scratch.

This article focuses exclusively on “clean” products that I have tried and would recommend to friends and family. None of my top picks contain potentially unhealthy ingredients, such as sucralose or sugar alcohols from GMO sources.

In addition to meal replacement shakes, I’ve also included a list of my favorite low-calorie keto shakes. By their nature, the products in this category do not have enough calories to replace a full meal, but they’re a great option for using as snack or for blending into a smoothie.

What to Look For In a Keto Meal Shake

If you’re trying to follow a healthy diet — whether that’s strict keto, paleo, an animal-based diet or something else — one of your primary goals should be to avoid products that contain artificial or otherwise inflammatory ingredients that could negatively impact your body in the long run.

When it comes to keto meal replacements, I recommend evaluating the following macronutrients and micronutrients before picking a product:

• Total calories. This is essential if your goal is to replace a full meal. Depending on your daily calorie intake, you want to look for products that offer 400 to 600 calories per serving.
• Grams of protein. A good keto shake should contain a reasonable amount of protein. Protein helps you maintain lean muscle tissue, and contrary to popular belief, consuming significant amounts of protein doesn’t kick you out of ketosis. I can eat a lot of protein without getting kicked out of ketosis (as I documented in this video), but everyone is different and your mileage may vary.
• Total and net carbs. The goal of the keto diet is to limit your carbohydrate intake. Some keto replacement shakes contain a lot of fiber, which also increases their total amount of carbohydrates. However, your body doesn’t use carbs from fiber as fuel, so you don’t have to worry about them. Instead, focus on the net carbs, which you can calculate by subtracting the fiber (and sugar alcohols) from the total carbs.
• Fat content. Fat is your primary source of energy while in ketosis, so a good keto meal replacement shake must have a high fat content. For reference, I usually get 40% to 50% of my daily calories from fat.
• Other ingredients. Some keto drink mixes contain ingredients such as the ketone body beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB), carnitine (an amino acid), chromium, creatine, hydroxymethyl butyrate, ECA stack, fish oil, magnesium, potassium, sodium and vitamin D. I prefer products that contain natural sources of these ingredients. For example, I prefer coconut oil as a natural source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) over MCT powder.

Best Overall Keto Meal Replacement Shakes

Products in this category have enough calories to replace a full meal. These meal replacement products also provide enough fat and have a low amount of net carbs, so you can stay in ketosis.

Note that the products below are listed based on my personal preferences, dietary lifestyle and what I consider a species-appropriate diet for humans.

#1. HLTH Code Complete Meal

HLTH Code Complete Meal was co-founded by the metabolic scientist Dr. Ben Bikman, which means the company has first-hand knowledge about how food influences the human metabolism. The product features a variety of protein and fat sources, and I appreciate that it includes enzymes to help aid digestion (as well as prebiotics and probiotics to support a healthy gut microbiome).

More specifically, the original formula of HLTH Code contains three different sources of protein — whey, egg white and collagen protein — and six different types of healthy fats, including coconut oil powder, olive oil powder, MCT oil powder, flaxseed powder (a good source of omega-3s), cocoa butter fat and grass-fed ghee.

The relatively new plant-based (vegan) formula of HLTH Code uses fermented rice and pea protein for improved absorption and protein utilization.

One thing to note is that if you take a close look at the nutrition label, you’ll see that this meal shake has much more protein than most of the other products in this list. Don’t be concerned about that, even if you’ve heard that too much protein can kick you out of ketosis.

The reality is that gluconeogenesis (the process of making glucose from non-carb sources) is demand-driven rather than supply-driven. In other words, eating (too much) protein won’t kick you out of ketosis.

Additionally, some studies suggest that you can enhance muscle protein synthesis by consuming fat and protein at a ratio of 1:1. That could be an important factor for athletes or anyone who is trying to build lean muscle tissue.

I had a chance to try both the chocolate macadamia and creamy vanilla flavors (of the traditional formula), and even though I consider myself a chocolate guy, I couldn’t pick a favorite. Both taste absolutely delicious and have a creamy texture that makes you want more. I should also mention that I tried the powder with both plain water, raw cow’s milk and camel milk, and all three versions tasted great.

Most plant-based meal shakes have a gritty and earthy texture that I don’t like much. So, I was pleasantly surprised by the relatively smooth texture of HLTH Code’s vegan formulas. While I still prefer the taste of the traditional formula mixed with full-fat raw dairy, the vegan powder had a pleasant taste, even when mixed with plain water.

The one big downside to this product is that most of its vitamins and minerals are from synthetic sources. As a rule, research strongly suggests that natural vitamins are superior to synthetic ones, in large part because natural forms of nutrients are more bioavailable (meaning they’re more easily absorbed and utilized by the body).

Since I don’t live off meal replacement drinks, I don’t really care about the absorbability of their micronutrients. (I cover all of my micronutrient needs through a combination of high-quality real food and organ meat supplements.)

Try HLTH Code

Make sure to use code MK10 to get 15% off your purchase. To learn more, read my full HLTH Code review.

#2. Ample Complete Meal Shake

Ample used to be my go-to keto meal replacement drink, for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, it’s an excellent source of healthy fats, fiber and protein, with only five grams of net carbs and no artificial ingredients. It’s also free of soy, GMOs and artificial flavors.

Unfortunately, Ample has been out of stock for many months, with no specific date set for when it will be available again.

That said, when available it’s an outstanding option for those who travel frequently, thanks to just how easy it is to prepare: it comes pre-packaged inside a bottle, and you simply add water or milk into the bottle and mix. Since the bottle has no liquid, you’re able to take it through airport security.

Each bottle gives you either 400 or 600 calories, so it’s just enough to replace a full meal and keep you going.

Depending on the size you choose (400 calories or 600 calories), it contains 28 or 45 grams of fat, 25 or 34 grams of protein, and 11 or 15 grams of total carbs (including fiber). That’s a balanced combination with enough calories to keep you from feeling hungry, and enough protein to help build lean muscle tissue.

You should also know that Ample’s berry flavor uses only plant-based ingredients and is thus one of the better vegan meal replacement shakes on the market. I don’t recommend following a vegan diet (learn more about why in my article on the health benefits of plants vs. meat), but if you choose to be vegan, this is a much better option than some of the alternatives that are available.

You can learn more about the different formulas and how I’ve been using this complete meal replacement shake in my in-depth Ample review.

Each serving of Ample costs between $7 and $9, depending on the meal size and whether or not you sign up for a subscription.

Try Ample

Ample is currently out of stock, but the company is taking pre-orders. If you’d like to give Ample a try, make sure to use code MK15 to get 15% off your purchase.

#3. Super Body Fuel Keto Fuel

Keto Fuel is Super Body Fuel’s keto meal replacement shake, offering fewer carbs and slightly higher amounts of fat (medium-chain triglycerides) than their regular meal shakes.

Similarly to its sister product Super Fuel, you have to mix Keto Fuel with two tablespoons of your favorite oil to bring the calorie count up to par with other meal replacement drinks.

I tried mixing Keto Fuel with almond milk and I loved the taste. The only downside is that you have to let it rest in the fridge for about two hours to get the optimal taste and texture. I usually prepare it in the evening and leave it in the refrigerator overnight before enjoying it for breakfast.

Additionally, all of the protein from Keto Fuel comes from brown rice, which is a less-than-ideal source of protein for humans because of its poor bioavailability and absorbability.

Last but not least, most of the added micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) in Keto Fuel are from synthetic sources and not from whole-food ingredients.

Try Keto Fuel

Best High-Fat, Low-Protein Keto Shakes

Products in this category contain a lot of fat — usually in the form of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) — and low amounts of carbs and protein. These are the classic keto-friendly shakes that many people use to supplement their ketogenic lifestyle.

As delicious and healthy as these ketogenic shakes might be, keep in mind that consuming high amounts of MCTs can cause an upset stomach and lead to gas, bloating and diarrhea. Plus, these products will likely not keep you satiated for very long because of their lack of protein.

Still, high-fat keto shakes are an excellent snack replacement, and like exogenous ketone supplements they may help lessen the symptoms of the keto flu (if you just started your ketogenic journey).

#1. Perfect Keto MCT Oil Powder

Perfect Keto’s MCT Oil Powder is a great keto shake that’s relatively stomach-friendly due to its moderate amount of medium-chain triglycerides (from coconut oil). It has zero protein, and the only carbs it contains come from acacia fiber (equating to zero net carbs).

However, each serving has just 70 to 80 calories, depending on the flavor. That limits its usefulness to specific cases where you’re not actually trying to replace a meal.

Perfect Keto offers the following flavors, which the company sweetens with stevia leaf powder:

• Chocolate
• Cinnamon toast
• Peanut butter
• Salted caramel
• Strawberry
• Vanilla

The matcha latte flavor has been discontinued.

Try Perfect Keto MCT Oil Powder

Using the discount code michael20 at checkout will knock 20% off the price.

#2. Naked Nutrition – Naked Keto

The unflavored version of Naked Keto contains only two simple and clean ingredients: MCT oil powder and high-oleic sunflower oil powder. However, both of these powders are made with fillers and flow agents, including inulin (a fiber that can make you bloated), sunflower lecithin, silicon dioxide and others.

None of those fillers and flow agents are necessarily inflammatory, but some of them have the potential to upset a sensitive stomach.

Adittionally, I’m not a fan of vegetable and seed oils, such as sunflower oil, because they usually contain high ratios of unstable and inflammatory polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).

Naked Keto contains what’s called high-oleic sunflower oil, which has much lower concentrations of PUFAs in lieu of stable monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). I’m OK consuming high-oleic sunflower oil on occasion, but I wouldn’t want to make it a part of my daily food intake.

Get Naked Keto

You can also purchase Naked Keto on Amazon.

#3. Fat Fuel Coffee

Fat Fuel is slightly different than the other products on this list, in that it doesn’t market itself as a shake. Rather, it calls itself “the only instant keto coffee.” That said, it mixes easily into both hot and cold liquids, so it functions the same as most other keto drinks.

Fat Fuel is available in three distinct flavors, including:

• Cocoa (a favorite among our kids).
• Coffee (one of my favorites).
• Matcha (if you’re a tea drinker, you’ll love it).

All three flavors contain coconut oil powder, grass-fed butter powder and MCT oil powder as healthy sources of fat. Additionally, all flavors also have Himalayan salt and organic stevia leaf.

Fat Fuel Cocoa has 0.1 grams of erythritol, a sugar alcohol that I usually try to stay away from. However, it’s such a small amount that I wouldn’t worry too much about it. This is nowhere near the amount of sweetener normally found in cocoa powder.

What’s convenient about Fat Fuel is that the powder comes in individual, single-serving pouches. That makes it easy to bring along on trips.

We pack a few pouches when we travel with the kids. Considering that each shake has well over 200 calories, we can easily use it as a snack or to supplement a meal.

As mentioned before, be careful with MCTs and note that coconut oil is a natural source of them. Fat Fuel contains both, and if you drink too much of it you might experience an upset stomach.

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Best High-Protein Keto Shakes

Products in this category contain protein powder — usually grass-fed whey protein or collagen peptides — and lower amounts of fat. As a result, they lack the calories necessary to replace a full meal. However, you can use them to make your own shakes, smoothies or post-workout meals by adding extra fat or other ingredients.

Perfect Keto Collagen Peptides

What I like about Perfect Keto’s collagen peptides powder is that it doesn’t contain anything except hydrolyzed collagen powder (amounting to 10 grams of protein per serving) and a moderate amount of MCTs (four grams). As a result, it shouldn’t upset your stomach, even if you consume multiple shakes throughout the day.

On the flip side, each serving only has 80 calories, which means you’ll need to mix this with something else (i.e., blend it into a smoothie) if your goal is to use it as a meal replacement drink.

Try Keto Collagen

If you want to give Keto Collagen a try, make sure to use code michael20 and get 20% off your order.

LevelUp Grass-Fed Keto Protein Powder

LevelUp Grass-Fed Keto Protein Powder is neither a potent protein powder nor a keto meal replacement. However, considering its premium ingredients, it can still have a place in your keto diet as a supplement.

It’s a tasty shake that’s easy to prepare, and it contains no chemicals or fillers. LevelUp is also a good source of healthy dietary cholesterol, thanks to the inclusion of grass-fed butter and C8 Caprylic MCT oil in the formula.

Instead of replacing a meal, I would recommend LevelUp Grass-Fed Keto Protein Powder as a post-workout supplement to help you with muscle repair by leveraging the collagen it contains.

Try LevelUp

Keto Meal Shakes With Unhealthy Ingredients

The two products below contain unhealthy or irritating ingredients that I would rather stay away from. The worst shake, from a health perspective, is definitely Atkins. I would never recommend anyone consume this product.

Ketologie is a reasonable product, particularly if you’re not on a strict paleo diet or if sugar alcohols don’t upset your stomach.

Atkins Protein-Rich Shake

Atkins is a popular high-fat and low-carb diet that’s similar to the keto diet. While I appreciate the benefits of the Atkins diet (as I appreciate the general benefits of almost any low-carb diet), I do not recommend the Atkins protein-rich shakes as meal replacements because they lack the necessary calories and also contain unhealthy ingredients that you should stay away from, such as sunflower oil, soy protein, artificial flavors, acesulfame potassium and sucralose.

Ketologie Keto Shake

The Ketologie Keto Shake provides sufficient calories (300) to replace at least a small meal. But it also contains numerous potentially harmful ingredients that disqualify it from being part of a healthy diet.

The main offenders in Ketologie are sugar alcohols (erythritol), xantham gum and corn fiber.

The other disadvantage of the Ketologie Keto Shake is its high amount of carbs per serving. As a result, I would not recommend Ketologie, considering the availability of better and healthier alternatives.

Benefits of Keto Shakes

Staying in ketosis by forcing your body to use fat as its source of energy is incredibly tricky. If you have a meal that contains too many carbs, it’ll knock you right out of ketosis and you’ll have to start over.

If you’re traveling a lot and don’t have access to the right food sources, maintaining a ketogenic diet can be tough. Fortunately, there are keto shakes and meal replacement products that can make your life easier.

Some of the products in this review come as pre-bottled powders or in single-serve pouches, which makes it easy to get through airport security. Others come in liquid form, which may be more convenient for some users (especially those who don’t travel by plane).

Downsides of Keto Shakes

Despite the benefits they provide, some keto meal replacement shakes also have disadvantages.

• They can be expensive, especially compared to protein shakes. However, the price per serving is usually reasonable compared to a regular meal.
• Some keto meal replacement shakes leave an aftertaste.
• The transition period is usually marked with ketone breath.
• Some lower-calorie replacement meal drinks are not as satisfying as actual food.
• Many products contain potentially harmful ingredients like preservatives, sugars and artificial sweeteners.
• Some keto shakes get their fat from dairy, which many people are sensitive to.

Potentially Irritating Ingredients

Some of the ingredients manufacturers use in their products have the potential to irritate your gut. In other cases, there’s scientific evidence that they could be detrimental to your health.

Artificial Ingredients

The goal of the keto diet is to live a healthier life by making smarter food choices and by helping your body’s metabolism. As a result, I try to avoid artificial ingredients; by definition, they fail to support my clean eating philosophy.

Sucralose and Acesulfame Potassium

As I mentioned in my review of artificial sweeteners, there’s mounting evidence that some artificial sweeteners (such as sucralose) can negatively influence how your body reacts to glucose.

Guar Gum/Xantham Gum

Many gums are in natural products that are derived from plants, but some have the potential to cause stomach problems in people who are sensitive.

Corn Fiber

Corn has little nutritional value compared to other vegetables and fruits, and it contains certain types of proteins that your body can’t properly break down. These prolamins can lead to or exacerbate leaky gut syndrome and the growth of harmful bacteria in your gut. In simple terms, corn is not worth it.

Where to Buy Keto Shakes

The most convenient way to buy keto shakes and meal replacement drinks is online. If you want to leverage any of my discount codes, you usually have to purchase the products directly from the manufacturer’s online store.

However, some of the brands I mentioned above also sell their shakes on Amazon. Others sell exclusively on Amazon.

Brick and mortar options include Walmart, Whole Foods, Costco, Target and Publix, to name a few.

Keto Shakes at Walmart

Walmart sells numerous keto shakes online and in its stores. However, I haven’t tried any of them and can only judge these products by their labels.

• Keto Science – Ketogenic Meal Shake: Low-calorie shake but clean ingredients.
• SlimFast – Keto Meal Shake: Highly-processed junk food.
• ZonePerfect – Keto Shake: Low-quality protein and canola oil.
• BPI Health – Keto Bomb: Has sugar and artificial ingredients.
• Garden of Life – Keto Meal: Moderate calories and clean ingredients.

Keto Shakes at Whole Foods

Whole Foods also offers numerous keto products and supplements, including a limited selection of keto meal shakes:

• Koia – Chocolate Brownie Keto Beverage: Moderate amount of calories, contains plant-based protein and otherwise clean ingredients.

Keto Shakes at Target

Target offers a ton of keto shakes. Unfortunately, most of them are from brands that make unhealthy products that I recommend you stay away from.

• ZonePerfect – Keto Shake: Low-quality protein and canola oil.
• Atkins – Nutritional Shake: Highly-processed junk food.
• SlimFast – Meal Replacement Shakes: Highly-processed junk food.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts on Keto Meal Replacement Shakes

While there are plenty of shakes and supplements available that can assist you in maintaining a keto diet, there aren’t many keto meal replacement shakes that provide enough calories from healthy ingredients to replace regular food. I hope this review can help you better understand the different types of keto shakes and their pros and cons.

My favorite keto meal replacement drink is HLTH Code, which offers clean ingredients and is available in a pouch (rather than a plastic canister).

I also love Ample because it offers the most calories, is made from premium ingredients, and comes as a pre-bottled powder that I can conveniently take through airport security when I’m traveling.

When it comes to lower-calorie products, you have plenty of options to choose from. Whatever brand and product you choose, pay attention to your MCT intake to avoid getting an upset stomach — particularly if you’re new to those types of fatty acids.

What’s your experience with keto shakes and meal replacement drinks, and what’s your goal? Are you trying to lose weight, burn fat, improve your energy levels, or just try something new? Let me know by leaving a comment below, and please share any keto recipes for healthy, great-tasting shakes and smoothies!

Michael Kummer

Michael Kummer is a healthy living enthusiast and CrossFit athlete whose goal is to help people achieve optimal health by bridging the gap between ancestral living and the demands of modern society.