Meal Shakes
(9)What Makes a Great Meal Replacement Shake?
Not all meal replacement shakes are creat...
What Makes a Great Meal Replacement Shake?
Not all meal replacement shakes are created equal. At Protein Works, our Diet Meal 360 and Complete Meal 360 shakes are built from real food ingredients - a precise tri-protein blend combined with the right balance of fats, fibre and micronutrients to genuinely replace a meal, not just mimic one.
Our in-house nutrition team developed the formulas behind our meal replacement shakes, benchmarking against the highest standards in nutrition. The result? A shake that keeps you feeling full for longer, supports your body composition goals, and actually tastes like something you'd want to drink every day.
Whether you're looking to manage your calories, simplify your nutrition or fuel a busy lifestyle, our meal replacement shakes come in multiple innovation tiers - BLACK, GOLD and PLATINUM - across a huge range of flavours. And for those following a plant-based diet, our Vegan Diet Meal 360 delivers the same quality in a 100% plant-based formula.
There's a reason we've sold over 500 million shakes worldwide
- Meal Shakes
- PLATINUMInnovationBest Seller
Diet Meal 360
Want to lose weight? Look no further. Our #1 best-selling weight loss shake.- Keeps you feeling full
- Helps you stay consistent
- Flavours for every craving
from £12.99from£12.99 - PLATINUMInnovation
Complete Meal 360
Our most nutritionally complete meal, 40g protein, high fibre, only 400 calories.- Made for busy lives
- No prep. Mix, shake, go
- Less than £1.70 per meal
from £10.49from£10.49 - PLATINUMInnovation
Vegan Diet Meal 360
The ultimate nutritionally-complete vegan shake. Our most advanced meal ever.- 25g Protein per serve
- 167 Health Benefits
- 8 Flavours + Premium
from £12.99from£12.99 - GOLDInnovationSubscribe & Save
Diet Meal 360
The smart choice. A nutritionally complete weight control meal with active ingredients.- 20g Protein per serve
- 32 Active Ingredients
- 8 Flavours + Premium
from £11.49from£11.49 - GOLDInnovation
Diet Breakfast 360
Bespoke protein formula, active ingredients plus vitamins & minerals. Ideal morning shake.- 23g Protein per serve
- Thermogreens Blend
- 5 Classic Flavours
from £13.99from£13.99 - GOLDInnovation
Complete Meal 360
The smart choice for a premium complete meal shake with a range of active ingredients.- 30g Protein per serve
- 165 Health Benefits
- 5 Classic Flavours
from £8.99from£8.99 - GOLDInnovation
Vegan Complete Meal 360
A complete, balanced nutrient-dense meal in seconds with zero compromise on taste.- 30g Protein per serve
- 165 Health Benefits
- 5 Classic Flavours
from £8.99from£8.99 - GOLDInnovation
Vegan Diet Meal 360
The smart choice for a plant-based nutrient-dense meal with a range of active ingredients.- 20g Protein per serve
- 165 Health Benefits
- 5 Classic Flavours
from £11.49from£11.49 - BLACKInnovation
Diet Meal 360
An everyday essential weight control meal shake offering real value for money.- 16g Protein per serve
- 28 Active Ingredients
- 5 Standard Flavours
from £8.49from£8.49
Which Meal Replacement Shake is Right for You?
Every meal replacement shake on this page does the same simple job. They provide a healthy, nutritious and calorie controlled meal that’s high in protein, fibre and contains essential vitamins and minerals. What changes per shake is how many calories you get, the macronutrient profile, including the protein content, and the active ingredients included. Each shake has been expertly formulated to support a wide range of lifestyle and health goals.
Meal Replacement Shakes for Weight Loss
If weight loss or weight management is your goal, pick Diet Meal 360. During our 2026 Diet Meal 360 Consumer Research, 71.5% of respondents cited losing or managing weight as their primary reason for using Diet Meal 360.
Each serving is calorie-controlled, so it fits seamlessly into your diet and can help support a calorie deficit. Swapping two of your main daily meals for a meal replacements as part of an energy restricted diet contributes to weight loss*.
- Diet Meal 360 - PLATINUM is our highest innovation level, providing the most cutting-edge nutritional profiles, highest level of health benefits and available in the widest range of flavours.
- Diet Meal 360 - GOLD provides advanced levels of formulation, excellent nutritional content & active ingredients and includes some Premium Flavours™.
Diet Meal 360 - BLACK contains our classic formula with proven ingredients at an incredibly affordable price - available in a core range of flavours.
Meal Replacement Shakes for Busy Days
Meal shakes aren’t just for weight loss - maybe you need a highly nutritious, balanced meal in 30 seconds because life got in the way. Those back to back meetings, the early start before the school run or simply no time to cook. In that case, choose Complete Meal 360.
Complete Meal 360 provides more calories per serving than our Diet Meal 360 range - with each innovation level providing 400 calories and a minimum of 30g protein, alongside 165 health benefits.
Choose from our most advanced formulation, Complete Meal 360 - PLATINUM or our Complete Meal 360 - GOLD.
Vegan Meal Replacement Shakes
Our aim here at Protein Works is to provide nutritional support for all lifestyles, so our meal replacement shakes also come in dairy-free versions, for those looking for plant-based alternatives. This includes our Vegan Diet Meal 360 - PLATINUM and Vegan Complete Meal 360 - GOLD.
Browse our full vegan meal replacement range.
For Breakfast
If mornings are where your routine falls apart, or you’re looking for an extra nutritional boost to kick-start your day in the right way, Diet Breakfast 360 is made for you.
While supporting healthy weight management or healthy weight loss*, each serving provides 23g protein, our Thermogreens blend and a caffeine boost - making it a fantastic way to start your day.
How do Meal Replacement Shakes Work?
Meal replacement shakes provide convenient nutritional support through three main avenues.
Firstly, they take the guess work out of a meal - a normal lunch can be anywhere from 300 to 1000 calories depending on what you grab and your available options. A meal replacement shake provides a calorie controlled meal every time - you know exactly what’s in each meal which makes hitting a calorie target easier.
Secondly, meal replacement shakes from Protein Works are carefully formulated by our in-house team of expert nutritionists to provide an excellent nutritional profile. Each meal shake is high in protein and contains fibre, both of which help to keep you feeling fuller for longer. All whilst being low in sugar (something that could not be said of meal replacement shakes in the past!)
Thirdly, each meal shake from Protein Works contains added vitamins, minerals and other active ingredients to support your health and wellness goals.
Read our guide on how meal replacements keep you feeling full here.
Meal Replacement Powder vs Meal Replacement Drinks
You’ll find meal replacements sold two ways - as a meal replacement powder you mix yourself, or as ready-to-drink bottles (also known as RTDs). Nutritionally, they do they same job. The differences are in their practicality:
Meal replacement powder is cheaper per meal and lasts longer in the cupboard. You can also control the consistency to your preference - use less liquid for a thicker shake and more for a lighter drink.
Ready-to-drink bottles are grab and go, but they often cost more and you’re stuck with whatever is in the bottle.
All our meal replacement drinks are powders. Add milk or water, shake, and that’s a meal sorted in 30 seconds. Something to note, all the nutritional information we provide on our powders is simply the powder itself - so mixing with water leaves this unchanged, but mixing with milk will provide additional calories.
How to Use Meal Replacement Shakes
Meal shakes are designed to fit seamlessly into your lifestyle, so ultimately you can use these however you need. We recommend swapping 1-2 meals per day depending on your lifestyle - typically those meals that are hardest to control, which for most people is breakfast or lunch.
Remember that meal replacement shakes are designed to provide nutritional support whenever you need it. Depending on your lifestyle or goals, you might have days where you can dial in on your nutrition and therefore don’t need the support of a shake. Meal shakes are there to make it easier on those days that aren’t quite as simple - or to give you one less thing to think about.
Who are Meal Replacement Shakes For?
Meal replacement shakes suit anyone who wants a structured way to manage calories as part of a healthy weight management or weight loss*.
They also suit busy people who end up skipping meals or choosing unhealthier options due to the convenience.
Increasingly with the rising use of GLP-1 medications, more people are struggling to hit their protein and micronutrient needs on a smaller appetite - meal replacements can help bridge this gap. Explore our full GLP-1 Friendly range here.
In our own Meal Replacement Consumer Research, 98.5% of respondents said that they consumed a meal replacement shake to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle, and 55.5% of respondents said they had meal shakes to feel better. Ultimately, meal replacement shakes are for anyone who wants to support their lifestyle goals.
They’re not right for everyone however. If you’re under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition or take a prescribed medication, speak to your GP first.
*Substituting one of the main daily meals of an energy restricted diet with a meal replacement contributes to the maintenance of weight after weight loss. Substituting two of the main daily meals of an energy restricted diet with meal replacements contributes to weight loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
A meal shake or meal replacement is a nutritionally complete drink designed to substitute a full meal. Unlike protein shakes, which primarily supplement protein intake, meal replacement shakes provide a balanced combination of protein, carbohydrates, fats, fibre, vitamins, and minerals - delivering the nutritional profile of a balanced meal in a convenient, calorie-controlled format. They are commonly used for weight management, busy lifestyles, or structured nutrition programmes.
Yes, when used correctly. Multiple studies support the effectiveness of meal replacement shakes for weight management, particularly when substituting one or two higher-calorie meals per day. They work by providing controlled, predictable nutrition that removes the guesswork from calorie management. Results depend on overall dietary habits - shakes are a tool, not a standalone solution, and work best as part of a structured approach to nutrition.
Yes. Meal replacement shakes are among the most well-researched tools for weight loss. By replacing a higher-calorie meal with a nutritionally complete, calorie-controlled shake, you create a consistent calorie deficit without sacrificing essential nutrients. Research published in peer-reviewed journals has shown that structured meal replacement programmes often produce greater short-term weight loss than conventional calorie-restricted diets alone.
A well-formulated meal replacement shake should. The key factors are fibre content - which slows digestion and prolongs satiety - alongside adequate protein, which is the most filling macronutrient. Shakes with 5g or more of fibre and at least 25g of protein per serving tend to provide meaningful satiety. Individual responses vary depending on metabolism, activity level, and what else is consumed throughout the day.
Check out our full guide on how meal replacements keep you feeling full.
It's not recommended long-term. Replacing one or two meals per day with shakes is a well-supported and effective approach. Replacing all meals entirely removes the variety, food volume, and whole-food nutrients that contribute to long-term health and dietary adherence. Most nutrition guidelines suggest maintaining at least one whole food meal per day. If you're considering a full meal replacement programme, consult a healthcare professional or registered dietitian first.
Most meal replacement shakes contain between 200 - 400 calories per serving, depending on the formulation and goal. Diet-focused meal replacements, like our Diet Meal 360, tend to sit at the lower end around 200 - 250 calories to support a calorie deficit.
Some meal shakes like our Complete Meal 360 are designed to replace a balanced meal and provide between 350 - 400 calories.
Meal replacement shakes are most effective when used to replace meals where calorie intake is typically hardest to control - breakfast and lunch are the most common choices. Breakfast shakes work well for those who skip meals or reach for high-calorie convenience foods in the morning. Lunch replacements suit busy schedules where healthy meal preparation isn't practical.
Yes, and they can be very well-suited to it. GLP-1 medications significantly reduce appetite, which means total food intake drops considerably - increasing the risk of inadequate protein, fibre, and micronutrient intake. A nutritionally complete meal replacement shake allows someone on a GLP-1 programme to meet their nutritional needs within a much smaller calorie budget. Look for shakes high in protein and fibre, with a broad micronutrient profile, to offset the nutritional risks of reduced food intake. Check out our full GLP-1 Friendly Range.
The best meal replacement shake in the UK is one that’s nutritionally complete, high in protein and fibre, low in sugar and actually tastes good. Look for over 20 grams of protein, a full vitamin and mineral profile and calories that match your goal. Our Diet Meal 360 - PLATINUM provides 25g protein per serving.
The NHS doesn’t recommend a retail meal replacement brand. It’s Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission programme uses a total diet replacement through soups and shakes - totalling up to 900 calories a day for 12 weeks, with specialist clinical support throughout. This is a medically supervised programme and not something we’d recommend to undertake without professional support. Everyday meal replacements are designed to replace one or two meals a day as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Protein powder is designed to simply boost your protein intake (with newer formulas also containing added vitamins and minerals & additional benefits - like our Whey Protein 360 - PLATINUM), without containing many carbohydrates or fats. They are to be consumed alongside your meals. A meal replacement shake on the other hand, is designed to replace a full meal - containing a balance of protein, carbohydrates, fats, fibre, vitamins and minerals. By swapping a meal for protein powder, you’ll miss out on valuable wider nutrients.