6 Best Keto Meal Replacement Shakes in 2024

Transitioning from a regular diet to a ketogenic diet can be hard, especially during the initial transition phase. Maintaining a state of ketosis can also prove challenging, especially with a busy lifestyle and no time to make proper keto-based meals.

 We’ve reviewed the best keto meal replacement shakes below that provide a convenient source of low-carbohydrate nutrition for those following a high-fat, low-carbohydrate dietary regime. We’ve given our top picks for each category that we believe is important to consider.

Top 6 Best Keto Meal Replacement Shakes Reviewed

1. Ensure Max Protein Nutrition Shake – Top-Pick
2. SlimFast Advanced Nutrition Shake – Lowest in Sodium Option
3. Premier Protein Shake – Best High-protein Option
4. GNC Lean Shake 25 – Best Approved by ConsumerLab
5. Keto Chow Meal Replacement Shake – Highest in Fiber Option
6. Isopure Zero Carb Protein – Protein Powder Based Option

The table below shows the best keto meal replacement shakes for weight loss ranked according to the most important factors you should be considering.

Product	Total	Macronutrient Breakdown	Fiber per Serving	Micronutrient Breakdown	Taste and Texture	Nutrition Label Transparency	Value for Money
Ensure Max	55	9.5	8.5	9.5	9	9.5	9
SlimFast	55	8.5	9.5	9.5	9	9.5	9
Premier Protein	54.5	9.5	8.5	9	9	9.5	9
GNC	54.5	9	9	9	9	9.5	9
Keto Chow	54	9	10	8.5	8.5	9.5	8.5
Isopure	54	10	8	8.5	9	9.5	9

Founded in 1973, Ensure Max looks to provide gym goers of any level with complete and balanced nutritional products.

The Ensure Max Protein Nutrition shakes contain a well-balanced macronutrient profile, with 30 grams of good-quality protein made up of milk protein concentrate and calcium caseinate. This is the joint highest protein amount per serving out of our top six keto options. In terms of other macros, each 11.2 fl oz serving contains 150 calories, 6 grams of carbs (2 grams dietary fiber), 0 grams of added sugars, 1.5 grams of fat. The small amount of carbs makes it a great option as a keto shake, with the 2 grams of fiber helping with bowel health and digestion. 

Each serving contains 25 vitamins and minerals, including antioxidants for immune health and vitamin D and calcium for muscle and bone support. The quantities included per serving vary around 25-50% which isn’t bad as far as shakes go.

The four available flavor options include cafe mocha, cherry cheesecake, chocolate, creamy peach, and French vanilla. From what we can see according to the user reviews, the taste and overall texture of each flavor are great, especially the cafe mocha. Each pack includes 12 keto meal replacement drinks. 

The Ensure Max product is well labeled, with each ingredient clearly stated with the respective amounts. At $2.40 per serving, the Ensure Max shake offers excellent value for money. 

Out of our top six choices, we think the Ensure Max Protein Nutrition Shakes are the most well-balanced. They have a great macronutrient profile, lots of added micronutrients, and several great-tasting flavor options. For these reasons, they get our best overall keto replacement meal pick.

Founded in 1977, SlimFast offers diet convenience-based products such as shakes, bars, snacks, and packaged meals.

The SlimFast Advanced Nutrition meal replacement shakes for keto dieters contain 5 grams of dietary fiber which equates to 17% of your recommended daily intake per serving. It has the lowest sodium content out of our top six keto shake choices, with only 180 mg per serving which equates to 8% of your DRV. When choosing a keto meal replacement shake, think about the daily sodium content you need. Both smaller and larger daily intake may have multiple detrimental health effects. Due to this, it’s our lowest sodium keto shake pick.

In terms of macronutrients, each 11 fl oz serving contains 180 calories, 20 grams of protein made up of milk protein concentrate, 7 grams of carbs (5 grams of dietary fiber), and 9 grams of fat. Both natural and artificial flavors are also used. With a low amount of carbs and high fiber content, the Slimfast shake is great for those on a keto diet who might be lacking some fiber in their diet. 

Each serving contains 24 essential vitamins and minerals averaging 25% to 45% of your daily values. Vitamin B12 is included at 100% of your DRV. Other micronutrients include vitamins A, C, D, E, and Zinc for immune support, bone strength, and muscle function. 

Over 11 flavor options are available which is a big plus, giving you a wide range to choose from and allowing you to regularly try new ones if you wish. A variety pack containing a flavor mix can also be purchased which is a nice addition.

SlimFast offers excellent label transparency, with the amount and type of each ingredient clearly shown. At $1.66 per serving, the Slimfast Advanced Nutrition shake is also extremely well-priced, being the cheapest option out of our top six choices.

Premier aims to inspire people to lead a healthier, happier lifestyle through their range of shakes, powders, bars, and drinks.

The premier protein keto friendly meal replacement shakes are our high-protein keto meal option, with 30 grams of good-quality protein per serving consisting of milk protein concentrate and calcium caseinate. This is the joint highest amount out of our top six choices, helping with muscle growth, recovery, and general health. If you are looking for a substantial keto meal replacement shake, the small amount of fat may be an issue.  

As far as other macronutrients go, each 11.5 fl oz serving contains 160 calories, 4 grams of carbs with no added sugars, 1 gram of fiber, and 3 grams of fat. Whilst most of the macros are well-balanced, the 1 gram of dietary fiber is on the low side and is something for Premier to improve on in the future. A redeeming factor is the small amount of carbs which is the second lowest out of our top six keto shake options.

In terms of micronutrients, each serving contains 24 vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and zinc. Most are included at around 25% of your DRV with the exception of phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamin C. Whilst this is on the smaller end, it’s still a pretty decent contribution to your DRV for just one shake.

Eleven flavor options are available, giving you a huge range to choose from. We particularly like the chocolate flavor in terms of taste and texture, so that would be our recommended choice. 

Each ingredient is clearly stated on the back of each bottle, alongside the additional sweeteners and flavors for full transparency. At $1.90 per serving, the Premier Protein shake comes at a great price, offering good value for money when compared to the ingredient formulation.

GNS recognizes that everyone has an individual definition of what it means to be healthy. The brand is committed to helping you lead a healthier lifestyle with its range of powders, bars, and snacks.

ComsumerLab is known to have one of the highest standards of third-party testing, so when a dietary product is approved by them you know it’s high-quality. The GNC Lean Shake 25 is ConsumerLab approved, making it a high-quality shake that might be a good option if you’re following the keto diet. 

Each 14 fl oz serving contains 170 calories, 25 grams of protein made up of milk protein concentrate and isolate, 6 grams of carbs with 4 grams of dietary fiber, and 6 grams of fats. The macronutrient profile is well-balanced, with a good amount of dietary fiber, a low amount of carbohydrates, and a decent amount of good-quality protein. We particularly like that 100 mg of caffeine is included in each serving for increased alertness, energy, and focus. If you’re just starting a keto diet, the caffeine may be a big help whilst your body adjusts. 

Each Lean shake contains 25 vitamins and minerals at around 25% of your DRV except for iron, phosphorous, calcium, potassium, and copper. When taken in the correct amounts, improvements in metabolism, immune health, bone health, and muscle function may be seen.

Seven flavor options are available which include some exciting choices such as Swiss chocolate and banana cream. The Girl Scout coconut caramel flavor is particularly well-reviewed. The GNC Lean shake is priced slightly higher at $2.92 per serving which is mainly due to the expensive third-party testing process to ensure high ingredient standards.

Keto Chow was founded to create quick and easy meals that are nutritionally perfect. Their product range includes powders, drinks, and drops.

The Keto Chow Meal Replacement Shakes provide a complete nutritional solution, with over ⅓ of your daily micronutrient requirements in each serving. It’s our highest-in-fiber keto shake option, with 7 grams per serving. This high amount of fiber helps to improve digestive health and improve satiety which is particularly useful when following a caloric deficit. 

Each 43-gram serving contains 31 vitamins and minerals in large quantities which heavily contributes to or equals the recommended DRV’s. These include 100% of vitamin D, 56% of calcium, 35% of potassium, and 19% of iron. This makes the Keto Chow shake great for keto lovers looking for a convenient way to improve their daily micronutrient intake. 

Alongside this, each serving contains 27 grams of high-quality protein as whey protein isolate and 9 grams of carbs (2 grams net) with no added sugars. 

It should be noted that the Keto Chow shake contains 850 mg of sodium per serving which is equal to 37% of the recommended daily intake. This is particularly high for one meal and should be something to bear in mind when deciding if this product is for you. The detrimental effects of too much sodium intake include high blood pressure, dehydration, and increased risk of kidney disease.

Keto Chow offers 37 flavor options which is by far the biggest range we’ve seen in terms of keto meal replacement options. It should also be noted that the nutritional content may vary slightly between flavors which is something to check when purchasing. Several package options are also available to choose from giving you a lot of freedom to pick a product according to your taste preferences and needs.

Isopure is passionate about high-quality nutrition, aiming to use minimal ingredients and no fillers in all of its product lines. Each of their products has zero or low sugar, carbs, and fat.

The Isopure Zero Carb Protein Powder is the purest source of protein out of our top six keto shakes, with zero carbs, zero fats, and only 100 calories per serving. The only energy-containing ingredient used is 25 grams of high-quality whey isolate making it a great choice for keto dieters who are just looking for a quick and convenient source of protein powder that can be mixed with different liquids and foods of their choosing. 

In terms of added ingredients, each 31-gram serving includes 5.5 grams of BCAAs and 4 grams of glutamine. Whilst research supporting the use of these compounds in normal situations is lacking, they may have certain benefits during stressful events or gut issues where adequate nutrition can’t be consumed. The Isopure Zero Carb Powder is also gluten-free, lactose-free, and made from naturally occurring ingredients. 

Each serving contains 24 added minerals and vitamins which unfortunately doesn’t include vitamin D and iron. This may be something for Isopure to improve on for future formulas. 

Five flavor options are available which include vanilla salted caramel and banana cream. In terms of taste and texture, overall reviews are extremely positive. Even with protein as the main ingredient, users seem to like the Isopure powder when added to other keto ingredients such as yogurt and fruits.

At $1.83 per serving, the Isopure Zero Carb Powder offers great value for money which is particularly impressive with the high-quality whey isolate used. When mixed with water, the Isopure powder would provide the best keto shakes for weight loss out of the six choices we’ve reviewed.

What Is the Keto Diet and Do You Need Keto Replacement?

The keto diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat eating regime consisting of an exceptionally high-fat content of around 70-90% with a moderate protein intake and minimal carbohydrates.

When depriving the body of glucose by limiting or cutting out carbohydrates, the body produces ketones from stored fat which are then used as an alternative fuel source. When little to no carbohydrates are consumed, glycogen stores are depleted and insulin levels drop. Following this, fat is used as a primary fuel, with the liver producing ketone bodies from fat stores to be used as energy in the absence of glucose. 

A state of ketosis is then reached when ketone bodies accumulate and a low carbohydrate diet is followed for a sustained period. A typical ketogenic diet consists of less than 50 grams of daily carbohydrates with some diets even going as low as 10 grams. 

Generally speaking, a ketogenic diet looks like this:

• 0.7-1 g/lb of body weight should consist of protein  
• A maximum of 50 grams of carbohydrates with a high proportion of dietary fiber
• The rest can be made up of fats 

Whether or not you need a keto meal replacement shake depends on your lifestyle and dietary regime. Keto shakes provide convenient sources of low-carbohydrate nutrition, making them great for recreational gym goers and athletes looking for easy meal replacement options containing a decent amount of protein and added vitamins and minerals.

What Are the Benefits of a Keto Meal Replacement Shake?

The benefits of following a ketogenic diet and consuming keto meal replacement shakes are wide-ranging. Here are some of the main ones below:

✅ Supports Ketosis

Low-carbohydrate keto meal replacement shakes help support ketosis by providing a ready-to-consume source of nutrition without too many carbohydrates. Staying in a state of ketosis requires a sustained reduction in carbohydrates which can be hard to do with so many palatable, high-carbohydrate foods available. 

Once ketone bodies are used as a primary energy source by body cells and the brain, a reduction in hyperinsulinemia, improvement in insulin sensitivity, and weight loss can be seen. 

Be aware that the initial keto adaptation period may cause ‘keto flu’, with symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, headaches, and a low exercise tolerance seen in the initial period before the body adjusts to the ketogenic state.

✅ Support Muscle Growth and Recovery

One of the main concerns when following a ketogenic diet is the potential for muscle loss. This is mainly due to carbohydrates being the main energy source during high-intensity exercise.

Keto meal replacement shakes contain large amounts of protein which can help hit your daily protein intake targets. Consuming enough protein is vital for stimulating muscle protein synthesis (MPS) which is the main driving force behind muscle growth.

✅ Convenience

A well-balanced keto meal replacement shake or powder provides a ready-to-consume source of nutrition without having to worry about food prep or kitchen facilities. If you lead a busy lifestyle and don’t have time to cook, keto shakes are a great option. They can be consumed on the go, at work, or following a gym session depending on your lifestyle habits. 

✅ May Help with Weight Management 

Protein promotes satiety which means it helps keep you fuller for longer. This in turn can help to curb common cravings and control caloric intake. Keto meal replacement shakes tend to be high in protein, meaning they may help with weight management when they are consumed as part of a healthy, complete keto diet.

How to Choose the Best Keto Meal Replacement Shake?

Consider the following points below as the most important things to focus on when choosing the best low carb meal replacement shake:

1. Check the Amount of Carbs and Added Sugar

As the keto diet focuses on limiting the consumption of carbohydrates allowing your body to use fat and ketone bodies as fuel, your first consideration should be the amount of carbs in each shake. 

Look at the total carbohydrates and amount of added sugar in each serving to make sure that you can fit them into your daily overall keto requirements. With added sugar, consider the potential harmful impacts to health in relation to your overall daily caloric intake. 

With the keto diet encompassing a maximum of 50 grams of carbs daily, monitoring your overall sugar intake isn’t really something that needs to be considered. More focus should be placed the amount of net carbohydrates once dietary fiber has been taken into account. Check the amount and composition of the carbs in the shake, making that your main consideration. 

2. Choose a Shake with Enough Protein

Whatever diet you are choosing to follow, protein is a vital component of the muscle-building process. Muscle protein synthesis (MPS) is the driving force behind the body’s adaptive resistance training response. Protein and resistance training stimulate MPS which leads to muscle growth.

An overall daily intake of 1.6-2.2g/kg body mass (0.7-1.0g/lb body mass) is suggested to maintain and build muscle. Look for a keto replacement shake with enough protein to help you hit your daily intake targets. Consider the amount per serving and add to your overall daily target.

3. Consider the Amount of Fiber

Whilst fiber isn’t used by the body as fuel, it has several beneficial effects to warrant consideration when choosing a keto replacement shake. Benefits of increasing your fiber intake include improved digestive health, increased feelings of fullness, and reduced risk of several chronic diseases. Ideally, fiber should make up most of the total amounts of carbohydrates in the keto meal replacement shake.

4. Check the Micronutrients

Limiting a whole food group (carbohydrates) when following a keto diet means that particular attention needs to be paid to your daily consumption of vitamins and minerals that are important for health. Most good keto shakes contain large amounts of vitamins and minerals to provide a convenient way to hit your daily targets. Check the amount per serving and supplement where needed.

5. Pay Attention to Sodium

Sodium is needed by our body in proper amounts to maintain fluid balance and keep our muscles and nerves functioning correctly. However, too much (and too little) sodium can be harmful to health. Detrimental effects include high blood pressure, headaches, dehydration, and increased risk of kidney disease and heart issues.

With keto diets tending to reduce the consumption of processed foods, monitoring salt intake rather then avoiding it all together is what’s needed. 

6. Consider the Form of Meal Replacement

When choosing a keto replacement shake, consider what form of meal replacement would be most suitable for your requirements and lifestyle. Decide if a powder-based or ready-to-drink shake would be the better option for you before choosing the best option.

How do you know if a Particular Protein Powder is Suitable as a Keto Meal Replacement Shake?

To check for keto suitability, the two points below should be your main considerations. If the protein powder fits these requirements, it’s suitable as a keto meal replacement shake.

1. It Should Contain needed Amounts of Added Vitamins and Minerals

Like we’ve mentioned above, heavily restricting the amount of daily carbohydrates naturally cuts out whole foods that may have been providing a large amount of minerals and vitamins to your daily intake.

Check that the protein powder contains enough vitamins and minerals to make a meaningful contribution to your daily targets when assessing its suitability as a keto meal replacement shake. It needs to replace a meal which means it also needs to replace any essential micronutrients as well as macronutrients. 

2. It Should Contain Minimal Carbohydrates (Including Added Sugars)

Using fats as predominantly fuel when adopting a state of ketosis requires a minimal intake of daily carbohydrates. To fit in with a keto diet, the protein powder should contain minimal or zero carbohydrates and added sugars. A suitable keto protein powder should consist predominantly of protein and fats as the main energy-providing macronutrients.  

The protein powder may contain small amounts of carbohydrates but make sure to consider this when making a daily or weekly meal plan. Make sure to check the amount of added sugars if total carbohydrates aren’t listed and consider them as part of the total carbohydrate amount if not included.

FAQ

Are There Any Keto Meal Replacement Shakes?

The products we’ve reviewed above all represent good examples of possible keto meal replacement shakes. When looking for keto suitability, you want the shake to be high in protein and low-carb with good amounts of added minerals and vitamins.

Are Slimfast Shakes Keto-Friendly?

The SlimFast shakes, in particular the ones we’ve reviewed above, are good examples of keto-friendly options. They contain higher amounts of fats, protein, and fiber with lower amounts of carbs and good quantities of minerals and vitamins.

Are Protein Shakes Good for Ketosis?

Most protein shakes are naturally low carbohydrate which makes them good options for ketosis depending on the rest of the formulation. Check the number of carbohydrates (net carbs) in particular to check the shake’s suitability before deciding if to purchase one as a keto shake.

How Many Keto Meal Shakes per Day?

Whilst there isn’t a specific upper limit for daily keto shake consumption, consuming a diet predominantly consisting of whole foods is the better way to ensure an adequate intake of the relevant macro and micronutrients and ensure good gut health and general well-being. With this, 1-2 shakes per day as a convenient meal replacement or addition to your well balanced keto diet may be a good amount.

Focus should be placed on consuming a diet rich in whole foods rather than just supplements. Remember to use supplements when adequate whole foods can't be consumed rather than just replacing them completely. 

Conclusion

Keto meal replacement shakes provide convenient sources of nutrition when following a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet. Consider the macronutrient breakdown, added vitamins and minerals, fiber and form of meal replacement when choosing a suitable option.

The Ensure Max Protein Nutrition Shake is our top-pick product, scoring the highest overall for macro breakdown, micro breakdown, taste, label transparency, and value for money. It’s a well-balanced keto shake with added vitamins and minerals and a good amount of high-quality protein.

What do you think of our keto meal replacement shake reviews? Do you want to try a keto diet? Let’s discuss our experiences in the comments section below.

Also read:

• Best Vegan Meal Replacement Shakes
• Best Meal Replacement Bars
• Best Meal Replacement Shakes for Diabetics

References 

1. A A. Gibson, R V. Seimon, C M. Y. Lee, J Arye, J Franklin, T P. Markovic, R D. Caterson, A Sainsbury, “Do Ketogenic Diets Really Suppress Appetite? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis,” Obesity Review 16, no. 1 (2015):64-76, doi:10.1111/obr.12230
2. Anne-Laure Tardy, Etienne Pouteau, Daniel Marquez, Cansu Yilmaz, Andrew Scholey A, “Vitamins and Minerals for Energy, Fatigue and Cognition: A Narrative Review of the Biochemical and Clinical Evidence,” Nutrients 12, no. 1 (2020):228, doi:10.3390/nu12010228
3. Brad J. Schoenfeld, Alan A. Aragon, “How Much Protein Can the Body Use in a Single Meal for Muscle-building? Implications for Daily Protein Distribution,” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 15, no. 10 (2018), doi:10.1186/s12970-018-0215-1
4. Huiyuan Zhu, Dexi Bi, Youhua Zhang, Cheng Kong, Jiahao Du, Xiawei Wu, Qing Wei, Huanlong Qin, “Ketogenic Diet for Human Diseases: The Underlying Mechanisms and Potential for Clinical Implementations,” Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy 7, no. 1 (2022):11,  doi:10.1038/s41392-021-00831-w 
5. James M. Rippe, Theodore J. Angelopoulos, “Relationship Between Added Sugars Consumption and Chronic Disease Risk Factors: Current Understanding,” Nutrients 8, no. 11 (2016):697, doi:10.3390/nu8110697
6. Jennifer T. Batch, Sanjay P. Lamsal, Michelle Adkins, Senan Sultan, Monica N. Ramirez, “Advantages and Disadvantages of the Ketogenic Diet: A Review Article,” Cureus 12, no. 8 (2020), doi:10.7759/cureus.9639
7. Kirk Nylen, Sergei Likhodii, W. M. Burnham, “The ketogenic diet: Proposed Mechanisms of Action,” Neurotherapeutics 6, no. 2 (2009):402-405, doi:10.1016/j.nurt.2009.01.021
8. Kris Gunnars, “Why is Fiber Good for You? The Crunchy Truth,” Healthline, Available from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/why-is-fiber-good-for-you (Accessed November 24, 2023)
9. Luc J. C. Van Loon, Paul L. Greenhaff, D Constantin-Teodosiu, Wim H. M. Saris, Anton J. Wagenmakers’ “The Effects of Increasing Exercise Intensity on Muscle Fuel Utilization in Humans,” Journal of Physiology (2001):295-304, doi:10.1111/j.1469-7793.2001.00295.x
10. Majeed Masood, Pavan Annamaraju, Mahammed Z. Khan Suheb, Kalyan R. Uppaluri, “Ketogenic Diet,” StatPearls, Treasure Island (2023): Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499830/
11. P J. Atherton, K Smith, “Muscle Protein Synthesis in Response to Nutrition and Exercise,” The Journal of Physiology 590, no. 5 (2012):1049-1057,  doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2011.225003
12. Robert Agócs, Daniel Sugár, Atilla J. Szabó, “Is Too Much Salt Harmful? Yes,” Journal of Pediatric Nephrology 35, no. 9 (2020):1777-1785,  doi:10.1007/s00467-019-04387-4
13. Robert Oh, Brian Gilani, Kalyan R. Uppaluri, “Low-Carbohydrate Diet, StatPearls, Treasure Island (2023). Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537084/