Modern Metabolic Health with Dr. Lindsay Ogle, MD

How to Choose A Protein Shakes To Reach Your Goals

• Lindsay Ogle, MD

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Feeling full on a few bites and still missing your protein? That’s the trap many GLP‑1 users fall into, and it quietly chips away at muscle, energy, and metabolic resilience. We zoom in on a simple fix: make protein and fiber the headline of every meal, then use pre‑made shakes as a smart assist when time or appetite is tight.

We start by setting a practical target near 100 grams of protein per day and show how to spread it across meals to stabilize blood sugar and satiety. From there, we open the fridge and compare eight ready‑to‑drink shakes with a physician’s eye: protein per bottle, added sugars, fiber, calories, taste, and value. Expect clear winners and one clear pass. SlimFast High Protein and Muscle Milk bring surprising fiber; Premier Protein and Ensure Max are dependable, budget‑friendly staples; Alani Nu trades on taste with solid macros; Fairlife Core Power offers balance while the Elite version delivers a true meal‑replacement level 42 grams; and Orgain proves you can go organic without sacrificing performance. Along the way, you’ll learn how to read labels fast, why added sugars undercut satiety, and how to pair shakes with whole foods to protect lean mass and feel better on GLP‑1 therapy.

By the end, you’ll have a short list that fits your goals, your budget, and your taste buds, plus a routine you can repeat on busy mornings, road trips, or gym days. If two options tie, we nudge you toward the cheapest one and show how buying in bulk saves money without compromising nutrition. Have a favorite we missed or a question about hitting your protein target? Share your pick and tag us, then subscribe, leave a review, and send this to a friend who could use a steadier, stronger start to their day.

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Dr. Lindsay Ogle, MD:

Welcome to the Modern Metabolic Health Podcast with your host, Dr. Lindsay Ogle, board certified family medicine and obesity medicine physician. Here we learn how we can treat and prevent modern metabolic conditions such as diabetes, PCOS, batty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, sleep apnea, and more. We focus on optimizing lifestyle while utilizing safe and effective medical treatment. Please remember that while I am a physician, I am not your physician. Everything discussed here is provided as general medical knowledge and not direct medical advice. Please talk to your doctor about what is best for you. For anybody who is on a health and weight loss journey, they know that there is a huge emphasis right now on adequate protein intake. And this is for very good reason. My name is Dr. Lindsay Ogle, and I'm a board-certified family medicine and obesity medicine physician. And every day I help patients improve their health and well-being through lifestyle optimization and the utilization of safe and effective medications, most commonly GLP1 medications, but I do use other medicines as well. For all of my patients and all of my listeners who are on a GLP1 medication, you know that it can be difficult and challenging to take in enough protein when your appetite is suppressed and you're feeling full on very small amounts of food. That is why we need to prioritize protein. This is why people are talking about it and giving tips and emphasizing its importance. Protein and fiber should be the highlight of every meal and snack because they are so important for your health and well-being. Not only do they help with stabilizing and managing blood sugars and regulating hunger and satiety hormones, they also help build our bodies and our and our organs and they help to maintain the muscle that we have worked so hard to build throughout our entire life. So protein is a priority. And if you are struggling to get the amount of protein that you need through just whole foods alone, then protein shakes can be a wonderful supplement. Often I get asked what supplements do I recommend for patients on GLP1s or for overall health. And really, protein supplementation with protein powders and protein shakes is probably the number one. The reason this can be so powerful is it concentrates the amount of protein that you're getting into a smaller liquid package that makes it easier to consume higher grams of amount of protein at one sitting. How much protein do you need? I talk about this a little bit more in a prior video, which I will link above. But on average, about 100 grams per person. This can be more, it can be less depending on your gender and your body size and your activity level. So talk to your doctor or your dietitian about the exact recommendation for you. But most people to shoot for around 100, give or take, is a pretty good goal, at least to start with. And for many people, this will look like about 30 grams of protein with each meal, and then maybe a snack of about 10 grams throughout the day. And again, that can vary depending on your meal structure, but that's a good way to space out your quota throughout the day. Again, if you are struggling, protein shakes can be a great way to sneak in some more protein. They can be utilized as meal replacements. If you, especially for people who don't like to eat breakfast, don't have time to eat breakfast. I always recommend eating breakfast. So a protein shake, grab it pre-made on the go, is wonderful. It can also be great to take for road trips, or if you are, you know, just craving something sweet, sometimes that can hit the spot. Protein shakes have a lot of you know uses in your diet. They should not replace your whole diet. If you are relying on protein shakes to get all of your protein in the day, definitely talk with your doctor, ask for a referral to a dietitian, and they can help you to incorporate more protein. But if you just want a quick you know highlight of how to introduce more protein and adequate nutrition while on a GOP1, click the link below and I will send that to you. But today let's talk about eight pre-made protein shake brands and compare them. Now, if you missed last week's video or podcast, definitely check that out. We reviewed eight brands of protein bars. There was actually a lot more variation in the protein bars for the you know calories and macronutrients. There is not as much variation in you know the pre-made protein shakes. And so this will be a little bit of a quicker review. Um, but I'm still gonna go over eight brands. There are many, many more. There are so many different flavors. As I mentioned in last week's um podcast or video, I talked about how I personally really like chocolate. So all of these comparisons were with the chocolate flavored option that's available, unless there wasn't one, and I will mention that. Um, but there are lots of different flavors available, so I definitely recommend trying different brands, trying different flavors until you find the one that you like and that works for your body. And if it's a tie, choose the least expensive option. Some of these are definitely more expensive than others, and as much as we can save money, I definitely recommend that. So we'll start with one brand that I actually don't recommend, and it is Equate, which is Walmart's store brand. The reason I do not recommend this is because there is not as much protein as the other options and it has more added sugars. It's also a smaller bottle, it's only eight ounces. It has 220 calories and only nine grams of protein. And if you listened to last week's talk on protein bars, I recommended at least 20 grams for protein bars. And for all of the other shakes, they hit that 20 gram marker, and most of them hit 30 grams or more. So to only have nine grams of protein is honestly pretty weak for a protein shake. It also has 32 grams of carbohydrates, 15 of which are sugars, and 14 of those are added sugars. Added sugars specifically is something that I recommend to limit as much as possible. Currently, labels are required to list the amount of added sugars, so that's something that when I'm buying a new product, I always look at the amount of added sugars and I try to get the lowest amount possible. The next two options that I want to go over actually have a decent amount of fiber in them, and which I found very interesting. So the first brand here is Slim Fast, and it's specifically the Slim Fast High Protein Shake. Again, I was looking at the creamy chocolate option. This is an 11-ounce pre-made bottle. It has 180 calories, 20 grams of protein, 8 grams of carbs, and five of those are fiber. So it's a pretty decent source of fiber and protein. So if you like the Slim Vass shakes, um, that's a great option to consider. Many of my patients have used those a lot in the past and you know no longer can tolerate them, and that is okay. But if you've never tried them, could be something to consider. The other brand that has also has five grams of fiber is muscle milk. This was also another chocolate flavor at 11 ounces. It has 160 calories, so 20 calories less than the Slim Fast. It has more protein, it has 25 grams of protein, nine carbs, and again, five of those are fiber. So a great option with muscle milk. The next two brands are not necessarily like exciting or sexy brands. They are ones that I think get overlooked because they're not promoted on social media, but they are very solid options and I think will be less expensive options because they don't have as much of those advertising dollars that are being spent. And that is Premier Protein and Insure. The Premier Protein shake that I was looking at is again chocolate flavor, 11 ounces. It has 160 calories, so overall low in calories, 30 grams of protein. So so far on the higher side of protein, it only has four grams of carbohydrates, one gram of sugar, two grams of fiber. So it has a little bit of fiber, um, a lot of protein, and overall low calorie. So a great option. The insure protein shake, you want to make sure you're picking the max option for max protein has more protein in it. Um, another chocolate flavor that's 11 ounces. This one has 150 calories, so even a little bit less calories, 30 grams of protein, seven grams of carbs, and four of those are fiber, so a little bit more fiber in the insure protein shake max. The next two brands I see a lot on social media, and they actually have really great macronutrient um compositions. The first is Alani New. Um, the one that I was looking at was Cookies and Cream Flavor, um a 12-ounce pre-made bottle. Um, it's 160 calories, 30 grams of protein, so solid source of protein. It has six grams of carbohydrates, three of those are sugar, and three of those are fiber. So you get a little bit of fiber in there and a strong source of protein. Um I've never tried this brand myself. I've heard good things about how it tastes. Um, so maybe I'll have to try that soon. I do think it's a little bit on the expensive side, um, but I think it's worth a try. Especially if you tried some other brands and you did not find the, you know, the taste appealing to you. This could be something to consider. Next, this is probably what I see the most, um, especially people who are on GLP1s, talk about this brand, and it is Fair Life. Um, their core power protein shake, um, this one is a 14 ounce, so you actually get a little bit more um with this brand. Um, the chocolate flavor has 170 calories, 26 grams of protein, 8 grams of carbs, five of those are sugar, and two are fiber. Fairlife also has an elite protein shake. This one has more protein in it. So it has, because it has more protein, it has more calories. So there's 230 calories, but it has 42 grams of protein. So if you are really struggling on getting your protein in, or if you're looking for a meal replacement, this is an excellent, excellent option. Their elite version, um, it only has one more gram of carbohydrates. So it has nine grams of carbohydrates total, and it still has those two grams of fiber in it. So again, a great option, especially if you're looking for a meal replacement option. The Fair Life Core Power Elite Protein Shake would be what I would go for. And if you are somebody who really prioritizes organic ingredients, then the brand that I would recommend for you is Orgain Organic Protein Shake. So their chocolate fudge 11-ounce protein shake has 160 calories, 30 grams of protein, 7 grams of carbs, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of fiber. I will say I was really pleasantly surprised when I looked into these brands. All the brands except for the Equate, which I'm sorry is not a good option for a protein shake. But all the other ones are really great options, and so I would try them and find the one that tastes good to you and feels good to you after you consume it, and keep some in the house. If you can buy in bulk, that'll save you money. Some of these are on the more expensive side since they are pre-made, they're convenient. Um, but they can be a great tool again, especially if you are somebody who find yourself rushing out of the house often before you can eat breakfast. Grab one of these, get some solid nutrients in your system before you get started on your day. You are gonna feel so much better. You're less likely to have side effects from your GLP1 and more likely to maintain your body composition, your maintain your muscle mass. Was there a brand of pre-made protein shakes that I missed that you love? If you're watching on YouTube, put that in the comments below. If you are listening through the podcast, you can follow me on social media. I am on Instagram and TikTok. My links are in the show notes below. And send me a message. I would love to hear from you. And if you have any questions, you can send an email to support at MissouriMetabolic Health.com. If you have questions you would like answered on this podcast, I would love to hear from you and create a video on the topic of your choosing. I hope you have an amazing week and we will talk again next Monday. Thank you for listening and learning how you can improve your metabolic health in this modern world. If you found this information helpful, please share with a friend, family member, or colleague. We need to do all we can to combat the dangerous misinformation that is out there. Please subscribe and write a review. This will help others find the podcast so they may also improve their metabolic health. I look forward to our conversation next week.