Are the Best Diet Shakes for Weight Loss Effective?

You already know that eating veggies, whole grains, and fruits is good for your health, right? In that case, you probably agree with me that weight-loss goals are highly dependent on your diet, although physical activities are also important. .

That said, packing your body with nutrients and ensuring you consume fewer calories than you burn can help you trim extra fat. Here’s where meal replacement shakes might come into play – they’re designed to replace your breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Such beverages are high in protein and should be lower in calories than the meal they are replacing, which aids weight loss without giving up muscle mass.

Today we’re going to explore 10 of the best diet shakes for weight loss for females: we’ll uncover 10 easy home recipes, and find out whether or not shakes are effective strategies for losing extra pounds. Most importantly, we’ll get the answer to the main question – are the best diet shakes effective for weight loss? 

What are the best diet shakes for weight loss?

The top weight loss shakes for women and men are the ones loaded with fiber and protein. You can find a high percentage of fiber in your veggies and fruits – the main ingredients of any shakes. The great news is that you can pack in more veggies and fruits in one glass than you might be able to digest in one sitting on your plate.

By liquefying them along with yogurt, milk, and nut butter, you can create a sweeter taste and still reap all the health perks veggies bring: They’re great sources of antioxidants and fiber. 

In fact, the fiber in vegetables can assist with weight loss because it helps fill you up, but since it isn’t digestible, it doesn’t provide any calories.

Fiber in vegetables also moves slowly through your digestive tract and stimulates the release of satiety hormones like GLP-1 and PYY, as was referenced in a review published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, so you feel satiated longer (1).

A mix of fruits and veggies is a perfect combo for the satiating nutritious shakes. One 2020 review of studies, published in Nutrients, suggests that increasing the consumption of veggies and fruits could be a major contributor to weight loss for women, although this most likely pertains to whole fruit and vegetable intake, as opposed to in shakes or smoothies (2).

Protein shake recipes are on the must-prepare list of many who aim to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. As referenced in another 2020 study, a high-protein diet may be effective for weight loss and help prevent weight regain after weight loss (3).

Are Diet Shakes Good for Weight Loss?

Meal replacement shakes for weight loss are sometimes effective tools for shedding pounds, yet should only be used short-term. They can help reduce your calorie intake if you replace one or two meals per day with them. 

On the other hand, replacing solid meals with shakes too often or for too long a time may not be good for your health. These shakes usually do not provide all the nutrients your body needs in the same way solid meals do.  The key to losing weight is burning more calories than you consume over an extended period of time. The best way to do this is by eating balanced meals made up of a variety of healthy foods, like: 

• veggies
• fruits
• whole grains
• lean protein-rich foods
• low-fat and fat-free dairy (4). 

On top of that, you should incorporate physical exercises into your daily routine: pick any sports you enjoy, there’s no need to focus only on the gym. Pilates, dancing, yoga, cardio, HIIT workouts, and/or resistance training could be additional remedies for your weight-loss challenges. 

Some people choose to use shakes as a quick post-workout snack rather than as a meal replacement. Overall, diet shakes might help with weight management and weight loss but they are not a long-term strategy.

Read more: Best Drink To Lose Weight Fast: Healthy Fat-Blasting Beverages To Try Today!

What Is the Best Shake to Lose Weight Quickly?

Aiming for faster results is common among many individuals who want to shed pounds. However, it’s not recommended to lose weight faster than 1-2 pounds per week.  If you want to replace one meal per day or have a quick post-workout snack, the best shake you could choose is one that boasts a decent amount of protein. 

Why? Protein helps keep you feeling full and it provides the building blocks for muscle repair and maintenance.

Lean and toned up body isn’t just a far-fetched fantasy. Check out the BetterMe: Health Coaching app and watch it propel your weight loss journey into high gear! 

Check out the step-by-step recipe for your delicious protein beverage: 

Green Protein Shake

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons honey
• Half a banana
• 2 cups spinach leaves
• 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple 
• 1 scoop plain protein powder

Step-by-step instructions: 

1. Process all ingredients into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.

Nutrition information per serving (one glass of shake, recipe makes 2 servings):

• Calories: 156 kcal
• Carbs: 20g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein:19g
• Fat: 1g (5).

10 Best Diet Shakes Recipes for Weight Loss

It’s high time we got to the top 10 best meal replacement shakes for weight loss. 

Recipe#1 Pumpkin spice protein shake

Ingredients:

• ½ cup canned pure pumpkin puree 
• 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (about 30 g)
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk 
• 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice (or a mix of ginger, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves)
• ½ frozen ripe banana
• 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or honey, if desired
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
• A pinch of sea salt
• Ice cubes, if you’re aiming to prepare a cool shake

Directions:

1. In a blender, blend vanilla protein powder, almond milk, sea salt, pumpkin puree, banana, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract.  Add maple syrup or honey for extra sweetness, if you decide to use it.
2. Blend until you’ve reached a smooth and creamy consistency. Add more milk if it’s too thick. 
3. Taste the shake and add more pumpkin pie spice or sweetener, if needed.
4. Pour the shake into a glass and sprinkle a little extra pumpkin pie spice on top.

Nutritional value per one glass of shake

Recipe #2 Vanilla chai protein shake

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (30 g)
• ½ cup of unsweetened coconut milk 
• 1 cup of brewed cooled chai tea
• ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
• ½ frozen ripe banana 
• A pinch each of ground cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup, optional
• Ice cubes

Directions:

1. Brew a cup of chai tea and let it cool. 
2. Place the chia seeds in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of water and let them soak for 10 minutes. 
3. Then in a blender, combine the cooled chai tea, soaked chia seeds, milk, vanilla protein powder, spices, and banana. Add honey or maple syrup for extra sweetness.
4. Add ice cubes to get a cooler shake and blend until smooth. If the shake turns out too thick, add a splash of almond milk.
5. Pour the shake into a glass and, if desired, sprinkle a little cinnamon or chai spice on top.

Nutritional value per one glass of shake

Recipe #3 Green power protein shake

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop of plain protein powder
• ½ peeled and pitted avocado
• ½ ripe banana (frozen for creaminess)
• ½ cup of kale leaves (stems removed)
• 1 cup of fresh spinach leaves
• 1 small green apple, cored and chopped
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
• 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
• A few mint leaves (optional)
• Ice cubes
• A squeeze of lemon juice (optional)

Directions:

• In a blender, process the spinach, kale, and a little bit of almond milk. 
• Add the green apple, avocado, frozen banana, chia seeds, and the remaining almond milk. If you use mint leaves and lemon juice, add them now. 
• Blend everything until smooth. If the shake gets too thick, simply add more almond milk.
• For a colder shake, add a few ice cubes and blend again. 
• Pour the shake into a glass and enjoy! Garnish with a small mint leaf or a thin apple slice if desired.

Nutritional value per one glass of shake

Recipe #4 Chocolate peanut butter protein shake

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder (about 30 g)
• ½ frozen banana
• 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter (or any nut butter of choice)
• 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
• Ice cubes (optional, for a colder shake)
• 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup (optional, for added sweetness)
• A pinch of sea salt

Directions:

• In a blender, combine the peanut butter, chocolate protein powder, almond milk, banana, cocoa powder, and a pinch of sea salt. Drizzle in honey or maple syrup for extra sweetness.
• Add a few ice cubes if you prefer a colder shake. Blend until smooth. 
• Taste the shake and adjust the sweetness or cocoa intensity if needed by adding more honey or cocoa powder. Blend again briefly. 
• Pour your chocolate shake into a large glass and top it with a sprinkle of cocoa powder.

Nutritional value per one glass of shake

Recipe #5 Cinnamon roll protein shake

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (about 30 g)
• ½ ripe banana
• 1 tablespoon of rolled oats 
• 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk 
• 1 tablespoon of Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup (optional, for sweetness)
• A pinch of sea salt
• Ice cubes (optional, for a colder shake)

Directions:

• In a blender, combine the rolled oats first and blend them into a fine powder. 
• To the blender, then add the protein powder, frozen banana, almond milk, Greek yogurt, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and a pinch of sea salt. If using, add maple syrup or honey now. 
• Blend all the ingredients until smooth and tackle the thick consistency with more almond milk. 
• Pour the shake into a glass. You can sprinkle a little cinnamon on top for garnish.

Nutritional value per one glass of shake

Recipe #6 Mango Raspberry Smoothie

Ingredients:

• ¼ medium avocado
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¼ cup frozen raspberries
• ¾ cup frozen mango
• 1 tablespoon agave

Directions:

1. Combine in the blender, water, avocado, mango, lemon juice, raspberries, and agave (if using). Blend until smooth.

Nutritional value per one glass of shake

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Recipe #7 Strawberry Protein Shake 

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups frozen strawberries
• 1 scoop whey protein isolate 
• ¾ cup milk (any kind) or water 
• 1 tablespoon sweetener optional

Directions:

1. Combine frozen strawberries, milk, protein powder, and sweetener in the blender. 
2. Blend for 30-60 seconds, or until smooth and creamy. 

Nutritional value per one glass of shake

Recipe #8 Blueberry Protein Shake

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups frozen blueberries
•  1 scoop whey protein isolate  
•  ¾ cup milk, any kind 
•  1 tablespoon sweetener of choice optional

Directions:

1. Combine blueberries, milk, protein powder, and sweetener in the blender.
2. Blend on high until for 30-60 seconds or until smooth. 
3. Pour into a glass and enjoy.

Nutritional value per one glass of shake

Recipe #9 Meal-Replacement Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup kale or spinach
• 2 tablespoons rolled oats
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 tablespoon almond butter
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 serving homemade protein powder

Directions:

1. Blend almond milk and kale until smooth in a high-speed blender.
2. Add remaining ingredients, and blend briefly.

Nutritional value per (16oz)

Recipe #10 Berry High Fiber Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk of any choice
• ½ avocado
• ½ cup white navy beans
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 frozen banana
• 2 tablespoon flax seed
• 2 tablespoon vanilla protein powder

Directions:

1. In a high-powered blender mix milk and Greek yogurt. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
2. Pour into two glasses and enjoy!

Nutritional value (recipe makes 2 servings)

Will I Lose Weight on 3 Shakes a Day?

Drinking weight loss shakes three times a day isn’t recommended. Most meal replacement shake diets suggest replacing one or, at most, two meals per day, and having at least one balanced solid meal. This is not even a good idea to do long-term, because shakes do not provide all the nutrients your body needs in the same way that balanced solid meals do. In the end, whether you will lose weight depends on your overall calorie intake and energy expenditure. 

Some studies have demonstrated positive effects of protein shakes on weight loss. 

For instance, in a 2021 study, participants who drank a high-protein shake for breakfast before their workout reported feeling less hungry after exercising compared to participants who had a lower-protein breakfast with an equal number of calories (7).

Although few studies use protein shakes particularly, researchers agree that high-protein diets are an effective way to lose weight and body fat (8). 

Ideally, people should focus on long-term strategies for weight loss which include:

• eating healthier balanced meals made up of a variety of solid foods from all food groups
• staying physically active
• sleeping enough
• managing stress in their lives

What Happens if I Only Drink Weight Loss Shakes?

It is not healthy to completely abstain from solid foods. On the one hand, replacing some meals with shakes may help you lower your daily calories, which can result in weight loss. However, you should not replace all your meals, and you shouldn’t replace any meal with shakes for an extended period of time. . 

Additionally, as was referenced by the Wexner Medical Center, “Shakes on their own don’t offer the same nutrients as a full meal, which means your other meals will need to be especially balanced to compensate, and even then there is a low chance you’ll get enough vital nutrients” (9). It’s better in the long run to eat balanced meals made up of a variety of whole foods from all food groups.

Read more: Weight Loss Smoothie Plans To Help You Get Snatched In A Heartbeat 

How Much Weight Can You Lose in A Week with Diet Shakes?

The amount of weight you can lose on the protein shake diet depends on your starting weight, metabolism, and your active lifestyle. Shakes may reduce your weight initially, but this might mainly be water weight.

A safer sustainable diet plan along with physical activities will help to lose one to two pounds per week, which can be maintained for a long time.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can you lose 10 pounds on a 3 day liquid diet?

It depends on the person’s initial weight, and other factors. Liquid diets might result in dramatic weight loss in a short period of time, but most of this is likely to be water weight and not actual fat loss.  

• Are eggs on a full liquid diet?

Eggs are not allowed on the full-liquid diet.

• Is yogurt ok on a full liquid diet?

Yes, yogurt is allowed on the full-liquid diet, as long as it does not have chunks of fruit in it. Regular yogurt in this case will work well as a base for sweeter-tasting liquid meals, while Greek yogurt can be a great base for savory recipes.

• How to shrink the stomach?

You can’t spot-reduce weight, yet, making smart food choices and moving your body can help you lose weight overall. The healthiest and safest way to lose belly fat long-term involves a healthy balanced diet. Make sure you eat enough veggies, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. 

Secondly, you should aim to burn more calories than you consume and stay physically active. Choose resistance training, cardio, or HIIT workouts to lose weight in your entire body, including your belly.

The Bottom Line

Are the best diet shakes for weight loss effective? You’ve uncovered that the best meal replacement shakes for weight loss are the ones with a high protein and fiber content. Overall, shakes could be useful tools for losing weight short-term, yet substituting solid foods with shakes long-term is not advised. 

Go ahead and enjoy the 10 best diet shakes for weight loss mentioned in this review. Remember, that losing weight healthily long-term is good by making smart food choices, staying physically active, and burning more calories you consume.