Written by Chad Birt on Wed Jan 01 2025.
If you care for someone on a liquid diet, it's crucial they receive enough calories, vitamins, and nutrients to maintain a healthy weight and thrive. This can be challenging, especially if your loved one is a picky eater or dislikes certain foods. That's where vegan meal replacement shakes come in.
The number of Americans adopting a vegan lifestyle is rapidly growing, with a significant increase observed in recent years. This plant-based trend has led to more and more food and beverage manufacturers developing a wider array of vegan and vegetarian products.
Before we explore some excellent plant-based meal replacement options, let's understand their benefits and why so many people are making the switch to a vegan lifestyle.
This article includes the following information:
Best vegan meal replacement shakes
Benefits of a vegan diet
Reasons people choose a vegan diet
Here at Carewell, we're proud to offer meal replacement drinks from amazing brands like Orgain and Compleat. Our online store has meal replacement options for both adults and children. Let's take a closer look at some of our top-selling vegan shake options.
This chocolate, dairy-free nutrition shake is perfect for a light meal or a snack. Each serving contains 220 calories and is packed with 21 vitamins and minerals. With 16 grams of protein and 29 grams of carbs, this non-dairy drink offers a nice boost of energy and nutrients.
Not a fan of chocolate? No problem. This vanilla shake from Compleat is a nutritionally complete tube-feeding formula created with wholesome plant-based ingredients. Each 8.45oz bottle includes 350 calories, 18g of protein, and 38g of carbohydrates. These shakes are available individually or in a case of 24, so you can stock up for the month.
Crafted with real ingredients, Orgain Vanilla Plant-Based Protein Shakes are powered by 16g of plant-based protein to keep you fueled and ready for the day ahead. Each bottle contains 230 calories and 28g of carbohydrates to give you a nutritionally-packed boost.
Compleat Pediatric Peptide 1.5 is the first and only real food and peptide-based tube feeding formula that includes a variety of real food ingredients such as tomatoes, peaches, and carrots to support feeding tolerance. This plant-based formula is suitable for those ages 1-13, and while designed for tube feeding, it can also be consumed orally.
Vegan and plant-based diets offer a variety of health benefits, including:
Low blood pressure
A healthy heart
Reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes
Easier weight management
Increased lifespan
Low cholesterol
Improved brain function
For children or adults who require tube feeding, vegan meal replacement shakes also allow for greater nutrient uptake and a reduced risk of weight loss. This is because they typically don't contain synthetic ingredients or common allergens found in traditional meal replacement drinks.
There are various reasons that people choose to eat a plant-based diet, including:
Improved health: Eating a diet that consists entirely of fruits, vegetables, and legumes is an easy way to keep your body and mind healthy. This type of diet also reduces the risk of potentially serious issues, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.
Environmental concerns: There’s evidence that factory farming contributes to the production of greenhouse gases. When you consider other factors, like water and land usage, or the fossil fuels it takes to transport livestock and power production facilities, eating more plants makes a lot of sense for environmental sustainability.
Love of animals: Some people choose to eat a vegan diet because they’re concerned about animal welfare. While conditions at many factory farms have improved over the last decade, there’s still work to be done.
Religion: Some religions follow veganism or vegetarianism. These religions often teach nonviolence, which in turn relates to not causing harm to living creatures or consuming their by-products.
Allergies and underlying health problems: Some people are allergic to or intolerant of red meat and other animal products. Even if your loved one isn’t allergic, certain conditions like dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) or missing teeth can make chewing and eating meat difficult.
Choosing the right meal replacement shake for your loved one isn't always easy. If you have questions about any of the products mentioned above, reach out to our friendly Care Team. You can contact them via phone at (800) 696-2273 or by sending an email to support@carewell.com.
Scratching your head and wondering about the many flavors, consistencies, and ingredients in the wide range of nutrition drinks on the market today? Wonder no more! We’ve put together some frequently asked questions from our members, along with a list of our best-selling nutrition shakes and drinks for adults.
Read More >
Caring for a loved one who’s unable to chew or swallow their food often requires enteral feeding at home. While administering meals and snacks through a feeding tube might seem daunting, with patience and practice, it’s possible, even if you don’t have a medical background.
Read More >Chad Birt is a freelance medical writer who resides in Astoria, Oregon. When he isn't behind a keyboard, you can find him hiking, camping, or birdwatching with his wife Ella and their two dogs, Diane and Thoreau.
