Meal Replacement vs Protein Shake: Which Is Better Value?

If you are choosing between a meal replacement and a protein shake, the question is what the shake has to do. The best meal replacement shake in the UK guide picks the product, and this page explains which job each type does and what each costs per meal and per 25g of protein.

Is a meal replacement or a protein shake the right tool for your job?

A meal replacement is built to stand in for a meal, so it carries a set calorie count, protein, fibre and added vitamins and minerals in one serving. A protein shake is built to add protein, so it carries protein and little else. Both can sit in a diet, but they do different work, and buying the wrong one is the most common mistake.

The test is simple: if a meal is going to be skipped or grabbed on the go, you need a meal replacement. If a meal is already covered and you are short of protein, a protein shake is the cheaper fix.

How many calories and how much protein does each give?

A meal replacement is built around a set calorie count, and the diet meals sit inside the 200 to 250 kcal band for weight-control shakes. A protein shake gives protein and little else. We have not read a per-serving calorie figure for Whey Protein 360 Black, so it does not appear on the calorie line below.

Diet Meal 360 PLATINUM and Whey Protein 360 Black are at the OnTap subscription price, and BLACK and Complete Meal 360 Gold are one-off prices, all from Protein Works. n/a means the figure was not on the label we checked.

Per meal, the cheapest diet shake is BLACK at 98p one-off, and PLATINUM is £1.20 on its OnTap subscription. Per 25g of protein, the whey is cheapest at 60p on OnTap. A meal replacement's 25g of protein comes with 5.0g of fibre and 24 added vitamins and minerals, which the whey does not carry.

#1 for a meal in a calorie-controlled day

Protein Works Diet Meal 360 Platinum

1kg bag

The meal replacement for a meal you would otherwise skip: 25g of protein, 216 kcal and 24 added vitamins and minerals per serving, at £1.20 a meal on OnTap.

Buy Diet Meal 360 Platinum →Price at Protein Works

Exclusive WheyWise Code

WW12

Get 12% off your order

View on Amazon ↗

or compare all UK prices →

#1 for a meal in a calorie-controlled day

Protein Works Diet Meal 360 Platinum

1kg bag

Pros

• + 25g of protein in 216 kcal per 60g serving (Chocolate Silk label)
• + £1.20 a meal and £1.20 per 25g of protein on OnTap, in the 4kg bag at £79.49
• + 24 added vitamins and minerals, each at 30% or more of the NRV per serving

Cons

• – £1.20 is the OnTap subscription price; the one-off price is not the figure quoted here
• – A light 216 kcal meal, not a full 400 kcal replacement

Pros

• 25g of protein in 216 kcal per 60g serving (Chocolate Silk label)
• £1.20 a meal and £1.20 per 25g of protein on OnTap, in the 4kg bag at £79.49
• 24 added vitamins and minerals, each at 30% or more of the NRV per serving

Cons

• £1.20 is the OnTap subscription price; the one-off price is not the figure quoted here
• A light 216 kcal meal, not a full 400 kcal replacement

Buy Diet Meal 360 Platinum →Price at Protein Works

Exclusive WheyWise Code

WW12

Get 12% off your order

View on Amazon ↗

or compare all UK prices →

●Nutrition per scoop · 24.6g protein in 60g▼

Protein makes up 41%

of this 60g scoop · 209 kcal total

24.6g

19.2g

12.4g

Protein24.6g

Carbs19.2g

Fat3.8g

Other12.4g

Do protein shakes and meal replacements both give vitamins and minerals?

A meal replacement for weight control carries added vitamins and minerals, and that is one of the conditions a shake has to meet under Regulation (EU) No 432/2012. Diet Meal 360 PLATINUM lists 24 added vitamins and minerals, each at 30% or more of the NRV, and BLACK lists 23.

Whey Protein 360 Black has none listed. If you use it in place of a meal, you lose the vitamins a meal replacement carries, which is why a protein shake is an add-on rather than a meal.

Which costs less per meal and per 25g of protein?

Per meal, the meal replacement is the only sensible comparison, since a scoop of whey is not a meal. Diet Meal 360 BLACK is 98p one-off, PLATINUM is £1.20 on OnTap, and Complete Meal 360 Gold is £1.37 one-off.

Per 25g of protein, the whey wins at 60p on OnTap, against £1.20 for PLATINUM on OnTap and £1.54 for BLACK one-off. You are not buying the same thing, though, so the cheaper protein figure does not make the whey a cheaper meal.

Cheapest per meal

Protein Works Diet Meal 360 Black

2kg bag

The lowest-cost meal replacement: 98p a meal one-off, with the vitamins and minerals a meal replacement carries. It costs more per 25g of protein than PLATINUM on OnTap.

Buy Diet Meal 360 Black →Price at Protein Works

Exclusive WheyWise Code

WW12

Get 12% off your order

Search on Amazon ↗

or compare all UK prices →

Cheapest per meal

Protein Works Diet Meal 360 Black

2kg bag

Pros

• + 98p a meal one-off in the 4kg bag at £59.99
• + 239 kcal and 16g of protein per 65g serving, with 23 added vitamins and minerals

Cons

• – £1.54 per 25g of protein one-off, more than PLATINUM at £1.20 per 25g on OnTap
• – 16g of protein per serving is less than PLATINUM's 25g

Pros

• 98p a meal one-off in the 4kg bag at £59.99
• 239 kcal and 16g of protein per 65g serving, with 23 added vitamins and minerals

Cons

• £1.54 per 25g of protein one-off, more than PLATINUM at £1.20 per 25g on OnTap
• 16g of protein per serving is less than PLATINUM's 25g

Buy Diet Meal 360 Black →Price at Protein Works

Exclusive WheyWise Code

WW12

Get 12% off your order

Search on Amazon ↗

or compare all UK prices →

●Nutrition per scoop · 15.6g protein in 65g▼

Protein makes up 24%

of this 65g scoop · 234 kcal total

15.6g

34.5g

11.2g

Protein15.6g

Carbs34.5g

Fat3.7g

Other11.2g

If you are comparing meal replacements rather than protein shakes, the Huel range is covered in Protein Works vs Huel. Huel Powder is £1.76 a meal one-off and £1.59 on subscription, with 30g of protein in 400 kcal.

Which should you use for which job?

Use a meal replacement when a shake has to stand in for a meal: a breakfast you would otherwise skip, a lunch grabbed at a desk, or a shift with no proper break. It sets the calories and protein for you, and that is the point.

Use a protein shake when a meal is already covered and you only need more protein. Whey Protein 360 Black at 60p per 25g on OnTap suits that job, and it fits a diet where you eat ordinary meals around it. For protein top-ups on a diet, see the best protein powder for weight loss UK guide.

A whey shake does not replace a meal, so on its own it does not change the calorie plan. Treat it as an extra, and count it in the day's total.

Can you use a protein shake and a meal replacement in the same day?

Yes, but count the calories in both. A meal replacement plus a whey shake on top of ordinary meals can take a day above the calories you planned, so log the shake with the meal.

A protein shake with oats is the do-it-yourself version. It is cheaper per gram of protein, but you have to weigh the oats every time, and it adds no vitamins. Pick it if you will measure it, and pick the meal replacement if convenience is what keeps you on track.

For the full ranking of meal replacement shakes by price per meal, see the best meal replacement shake in the UK guide, and for live prices per 25g of protein across every meal shake we track, use the meal replacement comparison. For the daily routine, including how many shakes to have, see how to use meal replacement shakes. For the health side of meal shakes, read are meal replacement shakes healthy.

Frequently asked questions