How to Make Meal Replacement Shakes Taste Better? 10 Ways

Last Updated on April, 2025

If you want to lose weight and need some help, meal replacement shakes can be your new best pal. Like a protein shake, these are highly nutritious drinks. But, instead of just focusing on protein, they provide all macronutrients an entire meal would while offering fewer calories.

Additionally, just as protein shake taste a little chalky and bland at times, most meal replacement shakes taste that way. Many people don’t like how meal replacements or protein shakes taste. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t give yours a delicious taste.

You don’t have to force yourself to drink something that tastes horrible just for weight loss, especially not when you can easily make the meal or protein shakes taste better. Want to find out how that’s possible? Look no further; we will walk you through some tips on how to make meal replacement shakes taste better!

10 Ingredients to Make Your Meal Replacement Shakes Tastier

Sometimes, all you need is a few ingredients to make your meal replacement taste great immediately. There are plenty of such ingredients, and we’re about to list a few. Whether you’re using meal or protein powder supplements, these ingredients should make them taste a lot better:

1. Yogurt

Yogurt is and always will be the number one suggestion for anyone that wants to make their meal replacement shake taste better. That’s because of just how good it is in every single way. There’s a lot of variety, great taste, good texture, and much more.

By adding this to a meal or protein shake, you can instantly make it tastier. But, as a massive bonus, you also make it much healthier. Whether you use plain, Greek yogurt, or any other variation that suits your needs, it’ll add more protein to your drink.

These supplements are already pretty good for protein consumption, but this ingredient increases their protein content even further. It usually has a pleasant, sweet taste and adds flavor to the drink. It also makes the shake creamy, which anyone would prefer over something watery.

Related: Making a Meal Replacement Shake With Protein Powder

2. Nut Butters

Nut butter is an excellent way of getting some additional high-quality protein in your shakes. People often use it to make protein shakes taste better, and you can use it for your meal replacement. Peanut butter is a perfect option for this and something you can find at any store. (1)

It also makes the shake much more filling. Since getting rid of hunger is the whole point of a meal replacement shake, that’s a very desirable outcome. If you’re a fan of peanut butter, this decision is easy to make.

3. Fruit

Another good option worth trying out is fresh fruit because, well, do we need to say why? We all grew up hearing all about how good fruit is for us. While not all of us might’ve listened as kids, I’m sure we can all agree that’s pretty true as adults.

You can add fruits to your meal replacement shake to make it taste much better and healthier. One of the reasons this option is so high up our list is how much variety there is in terms of nutrition.

For example, strawberries, mangoes, kiwi, etc. are all delicious additions to a shake. On top of that, they’re rich in micronutrients like vitamin C, which are great for the body. Then there’s avocado and coconut, which have healthy fats and other nutrients to help your body. (2)

There are pretty much limitless options for fruits and meal replacement shakes. You can even research the fruits we haven’t mentioned to find other options. Not only will most of them make the shake tastier, but they’ll also add extra flavor and the specific nutrients you want.

4. Fruit Juice

Can’t or don’t want to add fruit? Try out the next best thing! This is just as viable as an option. It blends perfectly with most protein powders, and there’s no reason it won’t be a good option for your meal replacement if it’s store-bought. 

Depending on the juice you get, you’ll also get the nutrients of that specific flavor. For example, orange juice is a great way to add vitamin D to your drink. In addition, they add sweetness to the shake and can make it taste a lot better if it was bland originally.

Despite the added sugar you might find in most juices, they’re still relatively healthy as long as they don’t feature any artificial ingredients. They’re even good enough to help you with your diet. Juices should also make your shake colder and more refreshing if they’re chilled.

5. Chocolate Powder

Chocolate is easily one of the most popular flavors of a meal/protein drink. Most people enjoy it and it is a delight to have when your sweet tooth is acting up. If you’re making meal replacement shakes at home, one of the best ways to make them taste better is by adding chocolate powder into the mix.

You can get it gluten-free too, which is nice. Blend your shake with some of this, and it’ll get a delectable chocolatey taste. It doesn’t increase the calories in the shake but gives it a sweet flavor. On top of that, it’s also easy and usually cheap to get from local stores, meaning that the addition won’t cost your wallet or your health.

6. Berries

Berries, much like fruits, are another excellent, all-natural option. They’re available in abundance, and there are so many for you to choose from. In addition, there are blueberries and raspberries, which have exceptional and popular tastes. (3)

Both of these are great additions to a shake, and you can get lots of nutrition through them. Add half a cup or even less of these to any shake, and they’ll immediately taste much better with a lot of added protein. Similarly, there are other berries which can offer other kinds of nutrition.

There are blackberries and blueberries, which have lots of essential nutrients. Bilberries are also a good option. So, in short, you’ve got a lot to work with, which is a great thing, especially if you’re picky about flavor or even nutrition.

7. Vanilla Cream

The debate between vanilla and chocolate is a seriously old one. Both are some of the best ice cream flavors. While chocolate is the most popular of the two, liking vanilla more is certainly no crime.

If you happen to be a fan of this ingredient, adding some vanilla cream to your meal replacement might be what you need to do to make it taste better. On top of the flavor, a great thing about this ingredient is that you should also be able to find vegan alternatives for it, which are free of dairy products.

Speaking of alternatives, you can substitute this cream with vanilla extract if you have the latter readily available. It’s just as good and blends well with meal replacement shakes, so you don’t have to worry about making strange mixtures.

8. Whey Protein Isolate

It’s challenging to make meal replacement shakes at home because getting the right amount of protein is a big problem. But, it’s one you can easily get past with the help of whey protein isolate. 

This protein supplement is readily available in stores and comes in all kinds of flavors. You can get the one that suits your shake best and add some of it to the mixture before blending. 

Once you do that, the shake will taste much better (as long as you choose the right flavor), and it’ll be loaded with additional protein. It’s also good if you want to lose weight. That’s because the added protein in the body, along with occasional exercise, is ideal for weight loss.

9. Milk

The best meal replacement shakes always have milk in them. While this is usually a room temperature drink, we all find comfort in having it, whether during breakfast, lunch, or before bed. It’s also a great addition to usually chilly drinks like these!

Surprisingly, something as simple as this comes with a lot of variety. First, there’s coconut milk, which can add great taste to some meal replacements. Then there’s skim milk which is good for healthy fats. (4)

You’ve also got the more “fun” flavors, like chocolate milk. This is sweeter than skim or coconut milk and goes great with most shakes. So long story short, there are lots of options. Plus, there are even some for vegans, which is good. 

On top of making meal replacement shakes taste better, you can also add milk to give them a creamy texture. The only real reason this option is lower on the list is that most people will already have milk in their meal replacement shakes. But, if you’re using water as your liquid, consider giving the milk a shot instead.

10. Vegetables

We mentioned fruits much earlier, so why aren’t vegetables way up this list? Unfortunately, while greens are good for you, they don’t always have the best taste. Still, there are plenty of good options that you can try out to make your meal replacement shakes taste nicer.

Spinach and kale are outstanding options for this. They make the shake taste much more refreshing because they’re nearly all water. Thanks to them, you won’t feel thirsty, and they’re certainly a much better way to make shakes feel “cooler” than adding ice.

They’ll give you extra calcium and are great additions if you’re worried about the other ingredients making you gain weight. They’re suitable for nutrition, taste, and any diet, while also having a strangely lovely flavor in shakes. So, what’s not to like about some greens in your meal replacement?

Here’s a list of best plant-based meal replacement shakes.

Ways to Make Your Meal Replacement More Filling

All of the ingredients we’ve listed above can help you make your shake more filling-some much more than others. For example, berries or veggies might not be the most filling, but heavier fruits like avocados will certainly make shakes more satiating.

Similarly, you can add milk, different yogurts, or increase the protein content to achieve this. One of the best ways to make a shake more filling is to increase the amount of dietary fiber. An unpeeled apple, bananas, blueberries, and certain other ingredients have this nutrient in abundance.

There are also meal replacement shakes/powders with lots of this fiber already included. Try to get one of these if you want your shakes to be more satiating rather than drinking something that’ll make you feel hungry again after a bit.

That’s all there is to making these drinks more filling. Just a few more right ingredients and a little bit of creativity can instantly make them tastier, healthier, and more satiating.

Artificial Sweeteners vs Natural Sweeteners

Sweeteners aren’t a good thing, regardless of the type you’re using. Despite that, these are used popularly instead of sugar because they are suitable for your diet. But, even if they can help a diet, they won’t help your body.

Just like sugar, artificial sweeteners can have adverse effects on your body. This is especially true for artificial sweeteners. While these are exceptional for diet and weight loss purposes, they’re horrible for the body. They’ll make you sick if you consume them too often. Regular consumption could even cause substantial physical as well as mental issues.

Some natural sweeteners are used in shakes as an alternative to sugar, which are generally safe. These include stevia leaves, monk fruit sweetener, and a few others. Do keep in mind that not all of these are safe. Again, it depends on the brand you’re getting your products from, as some shakes might use ingredients safer than others.

Many of these also leave a horrible aftertaste, whether artificial or natural. This is also something you can avoid by buying from the right brand. You can learn more about the specifics of sweeteners used in shakes by sending an e-mail to manufacturers or looking at customer reviews. And also check this guide to know which ingredients you should avoid in a meal replacement shake.

The main point is that neither of these are all that good. But, natural sweeteners as an alternative to sugar are much better by a mile.

Artificial ingredients are never a good thing, and you should always avoid them. Check this article to get a best artificial ingredients free meal replacement shake.

Conclusion

Meal replacement shakes aren’t the best tasting things, usually. But, you can make them that way by following the tips we’ve mentioned here. All the ingredients above have lots of benefits. Most of them will make your shake more filling, make it taste better, and give it extra nutrition while not increasing the calories too much.

So, add them to your shake, and it’ll be immediately better. Since there are so many options, you can also form all kinds of creative mixtures to create the perfect taste for yourself. To learn a little more about the topic, visit this page.

These are the ingredients we’ve used to make our meal replacement shakes better, and now you can use them too! With all that said, let us know what you think and consider sharing the article with someone who you think could use these pointers too.

FAQs

REFERENCES:

1. https://www.healthline.com/health/nut-butters
2. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324431
3. https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition-pictures/amazing-health-benefits-of-berries.aspx
4. https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-to-know-about-skim-milk