If You Buy A Single Protein-Packed Drink At Aldi, Let It Be This One

Snacks are an easy option when you're hungry. However, instead of replacing meals with just snacks, you may be better off reaching for a protein drink instead. But at the same time, there are so many options in the vast market of protein and meal replacement shakes that it's hard to know which are worth the money in terms of taste, budget, and overall nutrition. In our ranking of 12 Aldi protein-packed drinks and snacks, the Elevation Chocolate Meal Replacement Protein Shake was ranked the best out of all of Aldi's other protein-based beverages.

Our taste tester loved the rich dark chocolate taste of the meal replacement beverage, compared to some lighter milk chocolate-tasting options, and noted that the drink isn't too thick but still has a creamy smooth texture. The meal replacement drink could easily be compared to the old-school SlimFast ready-to-drink shakes, notably that the Aldi product might actually be better than SlimFast. It certainly helps that it's sold at a more affordable price point, as six bottles of Aldi's Elevation shakes are less expensive than only four SlimFast shakes.

Not everything about Aldi's Elevation Chocolate Meal Replacement Protein Shake is perfect, however. Despite being considered a replacement for an entire meal, it only contains 10 grams of protein. This comes in at 20 grams less than a similar Elevation product, the Vanilla Protein Shake, which has a substantial 30 grams of protein.

There is such a thing as too much protein, but 10 grams is much less than what most people should consume per meal. On average, most adults consuming 2,000 calories per day should be getting between 50 and 175 grams of protein per day, so Aldi's meal replacement shake falls far short of that. Although the Chocolate Meal Replacement Shake does include more minerals and vitamins than Aldi's Elevation Vanilla Protein Shake, it also has 5 more grams of sugar, bringing the drink's total sugar content to 18 grams per shake, which is fairly high.

Some Reddit users are fans of the meal replacement shake, with one Redditor noting that "I actually think the meal replacement chocolate shakes are pretty good, and I get them regularly." Other users praise the lack of whey aftertaste in the drink, as well as the lower price point, with another Reddit user adding, "I started drinking the six-pack meal replacement ones instead because they had a better taste overall for my money."

Of course, not everyone is a fan of the meal replacements, especially when compared to Elevation's standard protein shakes. "The meal replacement shakes have a distinctive metallic iron/B12 taste, which stays with you," one Redditor added. "A few swallows made my stomach rebel." While it may not be able to replace every meal, we still think that the Elevation Chocolate Meal Replacement Protein Shake is one of the best drinks that Aldi has to offer.