10 Best Meal Replacement Shakes in the Philippines 2025 | Herbalife, Ensure, and More

Macronutrients, referred to as “macros,” are nutritional compounds that your body needs to function properly every day. These are carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Whether you follow a SAD lifestyle or the Standard American Diet, low carb, paleo, vegan, pescatarian, or ketogenic lifestyle, you need to consume the right macros daily. 

The percentage may differ from one person to another, depending on the lifestyle, diet, and goals. For example, if you are on a keto lifestyle, you can consume 20 to 30 grams of carbs per day. Otherwise, if you're following American Dietary Guidelines, the recommended daily value in a regular 2,000 calorie-diet is around 250 to 300 grams per day.

Check the micronutrients or essential vitamins and minerals on the nutritional facts. Some brands include 10 vitamins and minerals, whereas premium ones offer you more than 20, including vitamin A, C, E, potassium, and sodium to name a few. 

Know the daily recommended dose of vitamins and minerals that you need for a healthy lifestyle. You can't get all the calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, and vitamin D that you need from a single meal. Still, some commercial shakes also include these per serving, which you can consume together with your supplements and other meals.

If you want to lose weight, one of the key elements is to have a calorie deficit. That said, your meal replacement shakes shouldn’t exceed 400 calories. The fewer the calories, the better. Science has proven that for weight loss to happen, regardless of how you play around with macros, cutting about 500 to 1,000 calories per day is a good range.

Avoid those with artificial flavors, added sugars, and food coloring. These are the unhealthiest as artificial flavors such as methyl cinnamate mimic the original flavor and smell of fruits like strawberries. These are not the real deal as they are cheaper compared to real strawberries and chocolates, for example.

Also, watch out for shakes with high fructose, corn syrup, and hydrogenated vegetable oil. Sugar must at least be only 10 grams per serving, as excess sugar forfeits weight loss goals, resulting in weight gain and may increase the risk for obesity-related diseases. 

Check for sweeteners such as aspartame and maltitol as well as thickeners like maltodextrin, which are usually added in most shakers. They can spike up blood sugar because of their high glycemic index. If you have diabetes, you might want to steer away from them and look for natural sweeteners like stevia, erythritol, and monk fruit. 

If you have a soy, nut, grain, or gluten allergy, to name a few, check the ingredients and labels before purchasing the shake to avoid allergic reactions. Premium brands are made of organic ingredients and will disclose how the product was manufactured. 

Also, check if the shake is gluten-free, vegan, kosher, or plant-based to ensure that you don't spend your money on a product that doesn’t match your lifestyle and eating habits, whether you're a vegan, low-carb eater, or paleo dieter.

There are many weight loss and health supplements in the market, and sometimes it can be confusing which one to choose in terms of their effectiveness and health benefits. That said, check unbiased reviews of customers as well as third-party and clinical reports. 

You may also watch reviews by fitness trainers, nutrition experts, and doctors on Youtube and other third-party sites that are not sponsored. Keep in mind that these meal replacement products are not formulated equally, and even if they are promoted for weight loss, it doesn’t mean that you can also get the exact same results.