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Something I constantly hear in regards to Shakeology is the cost factor! Believe me, as a former self-supported grad school student, I understand tight budgets.As a coach, my first mission is to make the world a healthier place. So if budget is truly a deciding factor, I’d rather you consume something healthier than ramen noodles (which I may or may not have lived two weeks of my life on back in the day!).
This is part two in a series of comparing Shakeology with meal replacement shake alternatives. While I firmly believe there is no equivalent for Shakeology, I’m going to give these shakes a try and let you know how my thoughts. Today, I’m going to talk about Renew Life Skinny Gut Ultimate Shake, Natural Chocolate.
Before I get into my reviews, here are my standards:
- No artificial sweeteners, including aspartame and sucralose. I’m not quite sure WHY some shakes still have these, but that’s another point for another day.
- No soy protein. Soy protein has been getting a lot of heat from the science world, so I’m just preferring to avoid it.
- Must be a meal replacement shake. The macros have to compare. Meal replacement shakes are different from protein powders. With a protein powder, you’re only fueling your body with protein. Protein shakes are great for lifters after a heavy workout, but they aren’t designed to provide much more nutrition than protein.
Preparation:
I usually get all wild and crazy for my shakes (I love to try new flavor combinations using extracts – see my recipe guide here). For the sake of this trial, I will buy chocolate flavored powders, and prepare them with unsweetened almond milk and 1/2 frozen banana.
Alternative #2: Skinny Gut (You can see my review for Vega One here)
Here is the nutrition label for Skinny Gut:
My thoughts of Skinny Gut(compared to Shakeology):
- Taste – The texture was smoother than the Vega One, and comparable to Shakeology, but there were some taste differences:
- The chocolate flavor was not very strong.
- The shake had a bit more of a fruitier taste.
- Skinny Guy was not as sweet as Shakeology
- Cost:
- Skinny Gut can be found on Amazon.com for $24.51 for 10 servings. That breaks down to $2.45 per serving
- Shakeology (if you buy with the monthly discount) comes in a 30 serving bag. That breaks down to $3.88 per serving (if you’re active duty military, your cost drops to $3.33).
- Both of these include shipping (Skinny Gut is free with Amazon Prime).
Overall thoughts: Skinny Gut isn’t bad. Given that a bulk of the ingredients are common fruits and veggies, it seems to be a hybrid of a protein shake and a smoothie. Even skipping the taste factor, Shakeology has done more for me than give me a good, nutritious meal. It has helped to keep me full , curb my sweet cravings, improved my digestion, and given me energy. However, if cost is a true factor, then it may be worth trying out.
Stay tuned for my next installment!