The keto diet has become popular in the last few years, prompting food manufacturers to reformulate their products to be keto-friendly. Shakeology, as a health shake, can fit into a Ketogenic Diet, according to the Beachbody company. However, is Shakeology keto-friendly, or will it push you out of ketosis?
Shakeology is not keto-friendly due to how much sugar it contains. Many keto dieters in online forums avoid this shake because it contains too many carbs and throws them out of ketosis. However, other people claim that if it fits your macros, Shakeology can be keto-friendly.
Despite the keto claims, Shakeology might not be able to fit into your keto diet. Let’s take a closer look at these claims and the real story.
Does Shakeology Contain Added Sugar?
Anything labeled as “keto-friendly” does not have added sugars; Shakeology contains up to nine grams (0.3 oz) of added sugar. In fact, the ingredient list shows cane sugar towards the top of the list, and if there is added sugar to any food, that immediately negates the ketogenic properties of that food.
However, according to the makers of Shakeology, the added sugar isn’t that much, and the protein balances out the sugar. Others add to that by saying that if you add fat to your shake, it becomes keto-friendly.
When you eat sugar on a ketogenic diet, you risk throwing your body out of ketosis, or fat-burning mode. It doesn’t take a lot of sugar or carbs to throw you out of ketosis because even just a few extra carbohydrates can do it.
In real language, that is a few french fries, a traditionally baked muffin, or a small bowl of cereal. A few grams of sugar in your shake will also do the same thing.
However, companies try to sneak sugar in their products to make them palatable without the added cost of using Stevia or other natural and zero carb sweeteners. Health and protein shake manufacturers try to show how keto-friendly their shakes are by claiming that the fiber isn’t part of the carb count.
The net carbs in Shakeology are still around nine to twelve grams (0.3 to 0.4 oz), which is about half of the total carbs that most keto dieters have in one day. So, is the sugar found in Shakeology keto-friendly?
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Why Keto Dieters Avoid Shakeology
Reviews of Shakeology by keto dieters show that they avoid the shake because even at nine grams (0.3 oz) of net carbs, it is still too high for many people’s macros.
One person said that maybe when they were in a maintenance phase after reaching their weight loss goal, they would use Shakeology, but not while still losing weight.
Other people say that they used it before they started a keto diet but then stopped as it was too high in carbs and sugar. However, they did mention that they use other keto shakes occasionally that have better macros.
Another person said that they have hunger pangs for hours because of the maltodextrin, as it is another sugar. They also said that it triggered cravings for snacks like during their pre-keto days.
The consensus about Shakeology is that, while it can help people lose weight, for a keto diet, it’s not appropriate for use. Instead, people recommend using real food like meat, butter, low carb vegetables, and some dairy for proper nutrition and weight loss.
Is Shakeology Keto Friendly if It Fits Your Macros?
Some schools of thought suggest that if it fits your macros for the day, it is okay.
For example, if you can tolerate 50 grams (1.8 oz) of carbs during the day and lose weight, then a shake of around 10-12 grams (0.3-0.4 oz) of carbs can fit into your macros. However, if you can only tolerate 20 grams (0.7 oz) of carbohydrates per day, then that same shake would be half of your carb allowance for the day.
Based on this philosophy, just about anything can be considered keto-friendly if it fits your macros, even Shakeology. You can budget higher carb foods into your diet if you have low carb foods for the rest of the day.
According to this philosophy, food that you love can still be part of your diet if you budget your carbs appropriately. As long as you’re not eating too many foods with very little nutrition, such as pastries or potato chips, you might be able to stay on track. However, it’s not recommended that you have too much of these foods, as it could trigger more cravings to snack.
Shakeology can be keto-friendly as long as it fits your macros and as long as the added sugar doesn’t trigger cravings and a desire to eat more. However, if you know that sugar triggers more snacking, then you might want to stay away from Shakeology until you get to your desired weight.
Shakeology as a Meal Replacement Shake
When you use Shakeology as a meal replacement shake instead of a snack, it can be keto-friendly as long as you know to have fewer carbs for your other meals.
A small amount of sugar or carbs can throw your body out of its fat-burning mode if it goes over the number of carbs that you can tolerate. If you can tolerate a small amount of sugar and still lose weight, then Shakeology can be keto-friendly for you, but it might not be for someone else.
Aside from the sugar content of Shakeology, there are healthy ingredients that contribute to your overall health, such as probiotics and digestive enzymes. Super greens like kale and spinach and superfoods like quinoa, goji berries, and acerola cherries contribute several vitamins and minerals like the B vitamins and Magnesium.
Because it contains several healthy ingredients, and because they are now starting to use more Stevia and monk fruit extract, Shakeology can be a healthy keto option to replace a meal when you don’t have time to have a full meal.
How to Budget the Extra Carbs Into Your Macros
If you’re convinced that you want to use Shakeology in your ketogenic diet, and it fits your macros, you need to learn how to budget the extra carbs into your diet.
You’ll need to do the following to fit Shakeology into your diet:
- Try adding extra fat like coconut oil to boost the ketogenic properties of your shake.
- Use Shakeology as a meal replacement shake, rather than a snack, so you stay on target with your macros.
- If you want to cut the shake’s carbs in half, use half of the recommended portion—i.e., half a scoop.
- For your other meals, stick mainly to meats and low carb vegetables like leafy greens.
- Don’t have other food with your shake, as that could potentially give you more carbs for the day than you realize.
Remember, carbs are not only in the foods you eat but also in certain beverages like juice, popular coffee drinks, and many energy drinks. Carbs are also in things like certain condiments, sauces, or commercially prepared keto treats.
Conclusion
Shakeology can be keto-friendly if you work it around the rest of your macros for the day. Remember, though, that if you cannot tolerate sugars or higher carb foods, then you might want to avoid it so that it doesn’t throw you off course and slow your weight loss down.
Other alternatives to Shakeology have fewer carbs if you want to use meal replacement shakes in your diet. Look at the ingredient list. If it doesn’t list sugar or sugar derivatives, it should be suitable for your needs, especially if it’s less than 5 grams (0.2 oz) of carbs.
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Our Top Recommended Meal Replacement Shakes
NAME | DESCRIPTION |
#1
Shakeology | Shakeology is our most recommended meal replacement shake because it's a nutrient dense shake that includes:
Thus, making it perfect for weight loss, increased energy, digestive health, reduced cravings, and overall better health. Plus, Shakeology has stood the test of time as it has been around since 2009 without compromising its whole food ingredients. Instead, Shakeology has improved their flavors in taste and potency, and has even added vegan and gluten free options. Learn More About The Clinically Tested Shakeology Shake Here |
#2
Ample Meal | Ample Meal is an interesting meal replacement as it focuses more on healthy fats. Ample Meal includes:
With Ample Meal, you can get a nice fulling 400 calorie meal with 2 scoops or do a single scoop of 200 calories if your goal is weight loss. Similar to Shakeology, it’s free of all the artificial junk that most meal replacement shakes have today. |
#3
MacroMeal | MacroMeal is another interesting meal replacement shake as it contains a blend of fast, medium, and slow digesting protein that delivers sustained energy. MacoMeal also includes the following core ingredients:
Although not technically a meal replacement as it’s low in carbohydrates, people have found it to be filling because of the MCT oils and slow digesting proteins. |
