Meal replacement shakes like vybey Complete Meal Powder are brilliant for calorie control with their dosed nutritional profiles per serving, but how should you incorporate them into your diet? Is there a trick or anything special you need to do?

The good news is it's as easy as just replacing any meal of the day with a shake or any sugary or fat-laden junk food snack you'd usually reach for.

We provide more colour below. 

Timing: When should you have a shake?

Breakfast

Replacing your morning meal with a nutritious shake is a power move for the time-poor. You'll knock back essential nutrients in one swift serving, meaning no more skipped brekkie and the accompanying energy slumps. 

Mid-morning munchies

Cravings kick in around 11 a.m. Don't reach for those beige office snacks that'll have you crashing by noon. A meal replacement shake boasts the nutritional ammo to put hunger pangs in their place until lunch. 

The lunchtime MVP

When the clock strikes 12, resist the siren call of fast food and grab a meal replacement shake instead. These portable meals deliver all the macros you need to sustain energy levels minus the grease-laden guilt. 

The pre-workout primer

Gulping down a portion of your shake before the gym will flood muscles with a supply line of proteins to facilitate repair and recovery post-training, and the quality carb sources provide an energy surge. Another fantastic addition is nootropic coffee.

The post-workout pick-me-up

A meal replacement shake offers the complete package for a post-workout meal - protein to build, vitamins to replenish and carbs to refuel depleted glycogen stores. It's the ultimate post-workout shake, easy to blend and even easier to smash.

Dinner of champions

Short on time in the evening? Blitz up a shake to cover your nutritional bases in minutes. Watching your waistline? Upgrade to a more satiating meal by folding in ingredients like yoghurt, nut butter or oats. Balanced meals have never been so easy.

The diet slam dunk

Swapping out a meal or two daily with a calorie-controlled shake makes sense when dieting for weight loss. Thanks to the rich nutrient payload, you stay satisfied while creating that deficit. Diet victory is yours with a little meal replacement ammo on your side.

Choosing the right meal replacement shake

Look for a balanced nutritional profile

The nutrition your shake provides is the most important thing with a balanced ratio of protein, carbs, healthy fats, fibre, vitamins, and minerals to mimic the nutrients you'd get from a wholesome meal. 

Some shakes market themselves as "meal replacements," but they are really just bulk gainers with loads of fillers and sweeteners.  

The ideal meal replacement shake contains:

•         25-30g high-quality protein
•         40-45g carbs with <10g sugar
•         8-12g healthy fats
•         5-10g fibre
•         At least 20% of essential vitamin/mineral needs

vybey Complete Meal Powder is good for you because it meets all these numbers and only uses 100% natural ingredients.

Quality ingredients matter

Beyond macros and micronutrients, check that the shake uses high-quality ingredients without any artificial additives. Natural foods like oats, nuts, seeds, and plant proteins form the core of shakes like Huel and vybey.

vybey Complete Meal Powder ticks all the nutritional boxes with a blend of oats, pea protein, flaxseeds, coconut, and 26 vitamins and minerals. It contains no artificial sweeteners, just natural monk fruit and stevia.

We've also gone further than most other shakes with lion's mane, a powerful nootropic derived from an edible mushroom. It boosts brain power, and research suggests it can also improve sleep and immunity. 

Taste and texture

Of course, you'll want your meal replacement to taste good, so natural food flavours like chocolate, vanilla, and fruity options are best.

And be mindful that shakes blended from whole foods won't be completely smooth like a protein shake. vybey has a lightly textured yet satisfying consistency.

Adding additional ingredients

Greens powder

Greens like spinach, kale and spirulina are nutrient powerhouses – you can get all these plus many more with vybey Braincare Smart Greens.

Banana or berries

Fresh or frozen berries and bananas are an easy way to pack in extra fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, with their natural sweetness helping balance the flavours.

Peanut or nut butter

A spoonful of peanut, almond, cashew, or other nut butter makes your shake ultra creamy and satisfying, boosting healthy unsaturated fats.

Yoghurt or milk

Using milk or yoghurt as your liquid base instead of just water or plant milk increases the protein content considerably. 

Spices

Spices and flavour enhancers like cinnamon, vanilla, cocoa powder, and pumpkin pie spice can transform your shake and beat taste boredom.

Controlling portions and calories

Controlling calories is easy – use the recommended serving size on the label (usually a few scoops of powder with your liquid of choice).

You can extend the shake over 30-60 minutes to help you feel fuller for longer or make two smaller shakes to suit your eating habits.  

With the rich nutrition of vybey Complete Meal Powder, you can feel confident using it as a convenient meal substitute when you need it. 

The balanced profile of protein, carbs, fats, fibre, and micronutrients will leave you satisfied for hours. Read the label, control your portions, and get creative with mix-ins.

Just remember that adding additional ingredients like berries will increase the calories per shake—nut butter is the biggest culprit. 

Summing up

You can easily incorporate meal replacement shakes into your diet by reaching for the powder when it's time for breakfast or lunch. 

Meal replacement shakes for dinner aren't as preferable because you'll probably have more time to prep a meal, but there's no reason why you can’t.

You can drink a shake instead of eating any meal, provided you have a balanced diet. You still need to eat solid foods with quality protein, fats, and carbs to fuel your body with everything it needs to stay healthy.

Try a vybey Starter Pack to give meal replacement shakes a go alongside Braincare Bundles that can keep your mind and body sharp.