Supplements

Rootana Review: A Meal Replacement Shake With a Difference

Author: Matthew Smith

May 16th 2022

This article is a Rootana review. We will be discussing the pros and cons and taking a deep dive into the ingredients list. If you want to see where Rootana ranks on our all-time top 5 meal replacements list, check out our article, here.

What is Rootana?

Rootana is a meal replacement that prides itself in its use of all-natural, real food ingredients. Rootana avoids artificial sweeteners, uses non-GMO products, is free from artificial preservatives, and avoids artificial colourings. It is also a high-protein, high-fibre shake that is packed to the brim with vitamins and minerals. They’ve focused on creating blend which hits all your macros, without filler ingredients to bulk it out, meaning that it keeps your properly full as you’d expect from something that’s supposed to replace a meal. The idea behind Rootana is that it’s clean, good food. Pretty simple. The labelling is transparent and honestly we don’t have any complaints aside from perhaps what is a slightly limited range of flavors, but they’re relatively new to the market.

In terms of taste, we’d put them on a similar level to Ka’Chava, which sits at over double the price. In fact, that’s probably a good comparison for Rootana, it does have a premium, luxurious taste to it. And the chocolate flavor is certainly head and shoulders above Huel. All in all Rootana is well worth trying for anyone looking for a solid all round meal replacement shake. It get’s the Greatest Physiques seal of approval! 10/10.

Rootana at a Glance

The biggest thing you will notice about Rootana is the lack of artificial sweeteners, they are such a common ingredient in meal replacement shakes that having one that avoids them completely is rare. This is ideal for people who have allergies or react negatively to sucralose or Stevia.

Rootana has a decent amount of protein (20-21 grams) and fibre (7-9 grams) with small differences in the quantity depending on what flavour you choose.

There are three flavours available: cacao, original, and vanilla. All use natural flavours, and as mentioned above, coconut sugars instead of sweeteners. Each shake contains 400 calories.

Rootana review

Rootana Ingredients

Rootana has quite a small ingredients list compared to products like Soylent, but the truth is, that is a GOOD thing. Whereas Soylent is constantly trying to find the cheapest ways to fill its formula, Rootana uses good quality ingredients that offer multiple benefits.

In this section, we will be taking a look at six of the main ingredients contained within Rootana. We won’t look at the vitamin and mineral complex because that is quite straightforward (it contains 24 vitamins and minerals).

Oat Flour Powder

Rootana uses top quality oats as its main source of carbohydrates. There are many reasons for this. Oats have a very low GI score, meaning that they don’t raise blood sugar too quickly, as they take longer to digest. This prevents you from crashing after a meal.

Oats are also an excellent source of beta-glucan, a soluble fibre that is ideal for improving gut health [1]. Studies on mice have shown that using beta-glucan can improve cognitive function due to its effect on the gut-brain axis (a connection between your mind and your gut) [2]. Meaning that oats could help to prevent cognitive impairment as you age.

Fibre has many other uses, it is highly effective at increasing satiety, which is a measure of how full you feel after a meal. A 2016 study found that oats were particularly effective at increasing the perception of satiety [3], people felt more full than they really were.

As you can imagine, this is incredibly useful if you are planning on going on a diet. The idea of a diet is to eat less food than your body is burning. This usually means feeling very hungry and being tempted to “cheat”. A high fibre diet can help to prevent this, by making you feel more full.

Oats can also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, high cholesterol levels, and high blood triglyceride levels. It can lower the risks of metabolic diseases such as obesity and type II diabetes [4].

Pea Protein Isolate

Rootana prefers to use pea protein isolate, rather than the more commonly used soy protein. Pea protein isolate comes from yellow peas, and it is an excellent source of high-quality protein. Pea protein is what is known as a complete protein, as it contains all of the essential amino acids. It is particularly high in branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs).

There are many benefits to plant-based protein, and pea protein performs just as well as whey protein when it comes to building muscle, losing weight, and increasing satiety. Pea protein is easy to digest, and it is well absorbed by the body.

Combined with the fibre, the pea protein will help to massively increase satiety, making your small 400 calorie meal feel like a much larger meal.

Golden Milled Flaxseed

Omega 3 fatty acids are incredibly beneficial, but most sources come from fatty fish, not something that many people eat. Luckily, Rootana uses golden milled flaxseed, a plant-based source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA is the building block of EPA and DHA (amino acids that make up omega-3).

Omega 3s can provide a number of health benefits. They are particularly effective at reducing anxiety and depression [5]. It is also helpful in reducing inflammation and is often used to reduce post-exercise soreness [6]. Increasing your omega 3 intake may also help to prevent bad sleep [7].

Flaxseed is also a good source of fibre, helping to improve gut health, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and aid digestion.

Sunflower Seed Oil

High-quality sunflower seed oil is rich in oleic acid and is an excellent source of healthy fats. It is a source of vitamins K and E and can help to lower cholesterol as well as triglyceride levels.

Coconut Sugar

Instead of artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, or stevia, Rootana uses natural food coconut sugar to sweeten its shake. Coconut sugar contains potassium, calcium, zinc, and antioxidants, and is also a source of fibre. Making it a superior choice to regular sugar.

Sunflower Lecithin

This is used to improve the stability and mixability of Rootana, but it can also help to improve your mood and increase cognition by positively affecting brainpower.

Rootana review

Rootana Review of Ingredients

What strikes us first about Rootana is the small ingredients list, it’s lean and not bloated with unnecessary fluff. Your carbohydrates come from oats, your protein comes from peas, your fibre comes from the oats and the flaxseed, and your fats come from sunflower seed oil (as well as oats and flaxseed).

You have coconut sugar as a sweetener and natural flavourings for vanilla and cacao. All of the ingredients have a purpose, and there are no hidden ingredients such as sucralose or artificial preservatives.

How to Take Rootana?

Rootana is designed to be taken instead of high-calorie and low nutrition meals. Most people use it instead of breakfast or lunch, particularly if they struggle to find the time to prepare healthy options. It is also possible to take Rootana for breakfast and lunch, with some people taking it three times per day for a few weeks.

Grab a shaker and fill it with 500 ml of cold water. Add 5 tablespoons of Rootana (100 grams) and fasten the lid on tight. Shake hard for 10-20 seconds until the powder has fully mixed with the water and then drink.

Is Rootana Safe?

Yes, Rootana is made with all-natural real-food ingredients, and the formula was designed to avoid as many common food allergies as possible. That being said, as with any dietary change if you are on medication or have a health condition then talk to your doctor first.

Best Rootana Alternatives

If you are looking to lose weight, then Instant Knockout Complete is a good choice for an alternative meal replacement. It provides similar ingredients and is very high in protein and fibre. However, Instant Knockout Complete does use sucralose as a sweetener, so if your reason for choosing Rootana is the lack of sweeteners, then Rootana is the best option.

Rootana Review

We’ve been blown away by this Rootana meal replacement shake. There are three flavours available, with vanilla being our favourite. The macros are excellent, and the ingredients used are top quality. If you struggle to prepare healthy meals then this is the ideal product for you.