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SlimFast Shake Review 

Interested in trying SlimFast Original meal replacement shakes? These popular weight loss shake powders have been around since the late ‘70s as part of the popular SlimFast diet plan. But how do they hold up when compared to other protein shakes in the field?

Although SlimFast shakes are some of the most accessible meal replacement shakes, since you can find them at many local retail stores, how healthy are they for you? And since they’re one of the cheapest shake options out there, does it affect the quality of the shakes? Read on to find out…

SlimFast Original Flavors 

SlimFast powders come in four unique flavors: Creamy Milk Chocolate, French Vanilla, Rich Chocolate Royale and Strawberries and Cream.

Let’s see what reviewers have to say about the SlimFast Original shake flavors and if they would recommend them…

TASTE

Positive SlimFast reviews:

• All the shakes taste great
• The Vanilla flavor is delicious – I crave it!
• I love the French Vanilla with vanilla almond milk, ice cubes and strawberries

Negative SlimFast reviews:

• The powders aren’t as good as the SlimFast ready-to-drink shakes
• They’re too sweet
• I enjoy the Chocolate Shake but not the Vanilla

Obviously taste is important, and the number of positive reviews regarding the taste of SlimFast shakes greatly outweighs the negative ones. But just as important as how they taste is what ingredients the company uses to achieve those flavors, and the nutritional profile of the shakes.Let’s look at both of those next…

NUTRITION FACTS

Ingredients:

Sugar, High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Maltodextrin, Gum Arabic, Milk Protein Concentrate, Cellulose Gel, Soy Fiber, Buttermilk Powder, Xanthan Gum, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Dextrose, Guar Gum, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Carrageenan, Acesulfame Potassium, Aspartame.

For the purpose of this review, we’re going to look at the SlimFast French Vanilla Shake and dig into whether we approve of the ingredients or not…

CALORIES

Let’s start with, “How many calories are in a SlimFast Shake?” If you mix the SlimFast advanced energy powder with water, each serving is just 110 calories, which is great. However, if you mix the powder with the recommended 8 oz. of fat free milk, it brings the calorie count up to 200 per serving.

Why does this matter? Calories are the baseline of any successful weight loss program, and you obviously want to keep them as low as possible to see a difference on the scale. When a shake powder is around 100 calories per serving, you can add additional healthy ingredients into your smoothies (such as fruit, nut butters, etc.), and still keep it at a reasonable calorie amount. But if the shake powder is already high in calories, you have to be careful what you add in.*

Want to know your personalized daily calorie goal for weight loss? Check out this free calorie calculator to help you determine what’s best for you.

PROTEIN AMOUNT

The amount of protein in a meal replacement shake helps determines whether it’s a serious contender in the market – and the amount in SlimFast shakes is disappointing. The SlimFast powder, itself, only provides 2g of protein per serving!

We recommend that your meal replacement shake of choice have around 15-20g of protein per serving, far off from SlimFast shakes! This is because protein is obviously one of the most important aspects of your weight loss plan. Current research shows that upping your protein intake to around 25-30% of your daily calories is incredibly beneficial for weight loss.

In addition, protein also helps supply your body with necessary energy, boosts metabolism and helps you build and maintain good muscles. It also provides satiety and keeps you from reaching for higher calorie, unhealthy foods.

Now, the SlimFast label also shows the amount of protein you will get per serving if you mix the powder with milk instead of water (10g) – but this is still under the limit we recommend to reach your daily protein goals for weight loss.*

PROTEIN TYPE

Just as important as the amount of protein in your shake is the type of protein used. Interestingly, the protein in SlimFast Shakes comes from milk protein concentrate (MPC). Typically, you see this type of protein in a mix with other dairy-based protein powders, but rarely standing alone. Basically, regular cow’s milk contains two different types of proteins, 80% casein and only 20% whey.

Many dairy-based protein powders are made with whey protein since it has the most research behind it – including proven benefits for weight loss. But since SlimFast uses a milk protein concentrate (MPC), you are getting much less whey.

The potential benefits of whey protein include:

• Promotes muscle growth
• Helps reduce inflammation
• Boosts antioxidant levels
• Reduces hunger
• Supports weight loss

Although casein still provides nutritional benefits, whey is arguably the best dairy-based protein powder for muscle-growth.

FIBER

Each SlimFast protein shake contains 4g of fiber per serving, which is a decent amount for health and weight loss. However, we typically recommend that your shake have around 5-10g of fiber per serving, so SlimFast falls slightly short.

Fiber is one of the main components of a healthy diet that will keep you full, and also help minimize digestive distress. In addition, getting enough fiber helps you balance your cholesterol levels and supports a healthy heart.

CARBOHYDRATES

If you’re wondering if you can drink SlimFast Original Meal Replacement Shakes on a low-carb diet, the answer is no (although SlimFast now makes a keto version of their shakes). In the Original shake formula, the total carbs are way too high (30g if you mix the shake with milk).

In addition, the net carbs would be 26g – which is far too high if you’re on the keto diet and trying to eat only 30g of net carbs per day!

SUGAR

Moving onto the sugar content in each SlimFast Shake powder, this is definitely not a strong point for SlimFast. In just the powder alone, each shake contains 11g of sugar per serving. And after you add the 8 oz. of milk, there is 24g of sugar per serving!

To put that into perspective, the American Heart Association sets un upper limit for added sugar in your diet since it’s so bad for you; And the limits are no more than 36g per day for men and 25g per day for women!

Therefore, in just one SlimFast Shake per day with milk, women would already almost be hitting their daily sugar limit! And the SlimFast diet plan calls to have two SlimFast shakes (or other SlimFast products) as meals per day.

In general, sugar contains a ton of calories while being void of nutrients, making it a trigger point for gaining weight, and a leading cause of obesity. But even more concerning is that there are even MORE sweeteners in SlimFast shakes, which we’ll look at next…

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

As if SlimFast Shakes weren’t already sweet enough, the label shows that they also contain not one, but twoartificial sweeteners (Aspartame and Acesulfame Potassium). No wonder some of the SlimFast reviews mentioned the shakes were too sweet!

Why are we concerned about artificial sweeteners? These non-nutritive sweeteners are highly controversial, with recent studies showing that they may be bad for your health, especially in excess.

Here’s some potential downsides of “fake sugars” to keep in mind:

• Don’t satisfy your sweet tooth, potentially leading to eating more calories
• May cause side effects (headaches, migraines and weight gain)
• Some studies show links to serious diseases with long-term use
• May create an addiction to overly sweet foods, increasing health risks

CARRAGEENAN

In addition to the artificial sweeteners, SlimFast Shakes also contain a controversial food additive called carrageenan. Derived from red seaweed, this is actually a natural ingredient. However, research shows that it may cause digestive upset such as gas, bloating, stomach pains and even digestive diseases in some.

VITAMINS/MINERALS

Another important aspect of meal replacement shakes are vitamins and minerals –

since the goal of the shakes is to replace healthy, normal meals. SlimFast shakes hit the mark in this realm, providing 24 essential vitamins and minerals.

Although this is great for helping to protect against nutrient deficiencies and provide additional energy for your day, many other shake brands go a step further in the nutrient value of their product. Our top-rated meal replacement shake, 310 Shake, has 20 vitamins and minerals, a superfood greens blend and 1 billion CFU of probiotics for gut health!

SLIMFAST PRICE

On Walgreens.com, you can get a 14-serving container of shakes for only $9.99, putting the price at only $0.71 cents per serving. This is definitely one of the cheapest protein powders that we’ve reviewed on this site – however, the ingredients list shows that it’s not your best option for good health. 

Where can you buy SlimFast products? Although you can’t purchase them directly on SlimFast.com, you can find them at various online retailers (like Amazon) and also at retail stores (such as Walmart, Walgreens and Target).

COMPANY INFO

SlimFast has been around for over 40 years, and the shakes are part of the SlimFast diet plan for weight loss. The plan includes replacing two meals per day with SlimFast bars, shakes or cookies, then eating one sensible meal of your choice, along with three 100-calorie snacks in between. SlimFast offers different product formulas to meet various dietary needs.

CONCLUSION

Though SlimFast Shakes may be good for your wallet and taste great according to many SlimFast reviews, we don’t think they’re the best option for your health (especially with long-term use).

SlimFast diet shakes are very high in sugar and also contain two artificial sweeteners, along with a controversial additive called carrageenan. They’re also low in protein – the most important ingredient in any weight loss shake.

Before you make your final decision, be sure to read more of the in-depth meal replacement shake reviews on this site – especially for our top-3 rated shakes right now. We hope this information helps you find the best protein shake for you!

Sources:

https://www.amazon.com/SlimFast-Original-Meal-Replacement-Shake/dp/B00JSCEU8E/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/casein-vs-whey#absorption

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/casein-vs-whey#absorption

https://www.gnc.com/sports-performance/whey-casein-protein-blends.html

https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/added-sugars

https://draxe.com/nutrition/article/artificial-sweeteners/