Whatever diet you may follow, a well-chosen meal replacement shake can be a keeper. But sadly, most meal replacement shakes out there are loaded with protein from dairy. What if you have real issues with it?
Fortunately, you can still use these meal replacement shakes.
Our guide will show which ones.
Why Opt for Dairy-Free Meal Replacement Shakes?
A lot of controversy surrounds dairy. And for good reasons.
Some people can eat dairy day in and day out, without the slightest sign of trouble. Others go through hell the moment they consume even a small amount of it.
What do we make of dairy?
Let us take a look at the usual culprits in dairy products:
- Lactose To digest lactose, our bodies need a special enzyme – lactase. But our bodies can’t make it. And the naturally occurring lactose in dairy can’t make it through pasteurization. As a result, we’re all lactose and dairy intolerant at some level. And only differ at how much.
- Whey Full of amino acids and easy to digest, whey protein is the mainstay of many meal replacement supplements. The only problem is that it also affects insulin sensitivity. As research shows, whey protein causes more severe insulin spikes than high-glycemic carbs in white bread.
- Casein Often added for satiety, casein is a complex protein and takes from 6 to 8 hours to digest. This turns into an absolute nightmare for the gastrointestinal tract. And it comes as no surprise that it triggers many symptoms of indigestion by just its slow-digesting rate.
No wonder why taking dairy-free meal replacement shakes has no subsequent:
- Upset stomach symptoms The most common ones include heartburn, nausea, stomach cramps, flatulence, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea.
- Allergic skin reactions These range from skin redness, itchiness, and irritation to severe cases of skin rashes and acne.
- Body-wide inflammatory responses They, in turn, trigger joint aches, swelling, aggravation of chronic pain, and hot flashes.
These issues are the exact reasons why so many people choose to stop consuming all dairy.
Dairy-free meal replacement shakes allow for a smooth transition.
What Meal Replacement Shakes Count as Dairy-Free?
To see if a meal replacement shake counts as dairy-free, ask these questions:
- Where does its protein come from? High-grade dairy-free meal replacement shakes supply protein from decent plant-based sources. The popular ones are brown rice, hemp, pea, and oats.
- What is the source of fats? Fats must come from plant-based sources. Premium dairy-free meal replacement shakes favor coconut oil, coconut butter, avocado oil, nut butter, and MCT oil.
- Is it Certified Vegan? Meal replacement shakes with Certified Vegan logo come with no animal-sourced ingredients and are dairy-free.
- Does it come with dietary fiber and probiotics? Going dairy-free improves digestion and overall health. High-quality dairy-free meal replacement shakes support this effect with probiotics and dietary fiber.
As you can tell, many meal replacement shakes out there fall within this category.
Which ones are worthy of your attention, though?
What Makes a Dairy-Free Meal Replacement Shake Top-Quality?
Besides what we’ve already mentioned, decent meal replacement shakes are:
- Non-GMO Meal replacement shakes with this label don’t infest your body with a slew of toxic compounds.
- Gluten-free This notorious food allergen is as detrimental for digestion and overall health as dairy. In fact, it’s worse in many ways. High-grade dairy-free meal replacement shakes have a gluten-free logo proving they contain nothing with gluten.
- Soy-free Cheap brands promote soy as a panacea ingredient. But soy makes for an inferior source of both protein and fat. And has adverse health effects that can prevent you from enjoying the benefits of a diet.
- Organic This label guarantees your meal replacement shakes won’t be filling you with pesticides and other toxins.
Don’t worry if these criteria limit the list of the available options.
Some meal replacement shakes still match our standards.
Decent Meal Replacement Shakes to Consider
These dairy-free meal replacement shakes live up to our guide’s expectations:
- Complete Meal Shake by Ambronite.
- Organic Plant-Based Balanced Meal by INVIA.
- Daily Essentials Shake by LyfeFuel.
- Veggie Meal Replacement by MRM.
- IsaLean Shake by Isagenix.
We hope our guidelines will help you pick a dairy-free meal replacement shake. And make your diet more solid.
