Created by Myprotein under the Myvegan brand, Whole Fuel Blend is a decent, vegan-friendly, meal replacement shake that contains low-GI carbs and a reasonable amount of protein per serving. Using a meal replacement shake like Whole Fuel Blend is a great way to avoid time consuming meal prep and get all the nutrition you need to live a healthy life.
Myprotein considers the Whole Fuel Blend to be the perfect ratio of carbs, proteins, fibres, vitamins, and minerals, but we have some reservations regarding this claim. In particular, despite being created by a company with the word protein in its name, the shake contains a fairly average amount of protein.
For athletes and gym-goers looking to cut calories while continuing to build muscle a meal replacement shake with more protein would be better. Whole Fuel Blend contains 25g of protein per 100g serving, while Instant Knockout Complete, which is specifically designed for athletes, contains 35g per 100g serving.
In addition, while Whole Fuel contains a good mix of vitamins and minerals many are included in very low amounts that won’t be as beneficial as higher amounts found in other shakes.
Therefore, while Whole Fuel Blend is a good meal replacement shake, there are better options for active, athletic, on-the-go people.
Whole Fuel Blend Pros and Cons
Pros
- Vegan-friendly
- Decent nutritional blend for an average lifestyle
- Healthy whole food ingredients
- Well-liked by customers
Cons
- Lacks sufficient protein for athletes and training
- Low on certain vitamins that are important for athletes and general wellbeing, such as vitamin c, b9, and d.
Whole Fuel Blend: Is It Any Good?
Whole Fuel Blend can be part of a balanced diet and is a great way to maintain a healthy lifestyle and get all important nutrients, including fats, vitamins and minerals.
If you don’t have time to make proper meals for yourself, this shake can be a good replacement, standing in as a complete nutrition meal. It contains whole foods derived from plants, a decent mix of all the main macro and micronutrients, and comes in multiple flavours. The ratio of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals will ensure you feel full for hours while cravings are kept down with a healthy dose of fibre and the reasonable quantity of protein.
This shake is great for the average adult living life at a steady pace but is not quite right for more active, sporty, or athletic people. This is because it contains lower amounts of protein than meal replacers designed for high performance, and does not include the most optimal blend of vitamins, including vitamin d, vitamin c, and vitamin e.
Whole Fuel Blend Ingredients
Whole Fuel Blend has a relatively short list of ingredients compared to some meal replacement shakes. The active ingredients are: oat flour, pea protein, flaxseed, brown rice protein, safflower oil, and a vitamin and mineral mix.
Of course, there are other ingredients, such as the flavouring (vanilla flavour, etc.) and thickeners, like xanthan gum.
The main ingredients in this carefully chosen blend are whole foods, which is a good indication of the quality of Whole Fuel Blend and suggests it is a nutritionally rich formula. It’s not a food replacement, it’s real food in the form of a shake.
Let’s take a look at the six active ingredients and find out why each one has been included.
Oat Flour
Oat flour is a popular ingredient in high-end, whole food meal replacers. Oat flour has a very low GI, which means the energy it contains is released slowly in the body and is more likely to be used to fuel activity rather than turned into stored fat.
Oat flours of all types boast a much lower GI than wheat flour or rice flour. On average, oat flours have a GI of around 25. Rice flour, by comparison, has a GI of 92. In other words, oat flour provides stable energy rather than a quick rush of energy followed by a crash. This makes oat flour great for shakes, which need to regulate energy release to avoid the hunger and cravings that can result from cutting calories.
Pea Protein
Pea protein isolate is an excellent source of protein for vegans. It contains plenty of iron, in addition to being an effective protein. Pea protein isolate can increase muscle growth, aid with weight loss, and is generally healthy.
Commonly used in vegan a protein shakes, pea protein isolate is a good ingredient for a vegan meal replacer and accounts for the majority of protein contained in the shake.
An extra advantage of pea protein over other protein sources is that it contains all nine of the essential amino acids, along with arginine, which is essential for blood flow and heart health.
Golden Milled Flaxseed
Flaxseed powder is a great source of fibre. When cutting calories using a food replacer, getting enough fibre is essential. Fibre slows down the conversion of carbohydrates into sugars. Getting plenty of fibre, in combination with low-GI carbs, means you’ll experience steady energy levels rather than peaks and crashes common with poorly formulated meal replacement shakes.
In addition to providing fibre, flaxseed powder contains many beneficial fats. In particular, flaxseed contains alpha-linolenic acid, which is an omega-3 fatty acid that is thought to prevent heart disease, blood clots, and high blood pressure.
Flaxseed is also a good source of magnesium, which is needed for muscle, nerve, and immune system functioning.
Brown Rice Protein
Along with pea protein, Whole Fuel Blend also contains a small amount of brown rice protein, which is another whole food, vegan protein that is packed with health benefits in addition to being a decent protein source.
Unlike whey and soy protein, brown rice protein doesn’t contain any allergens, making it a safe choice for anyone who suffers from food allergies.
What’s more, like pea protein, brown rice protein contains all nine essential amino acids.
Safflower Oil
Safflower oil is the most contentious ingredient included in this shake. While safflower oil does contain healthy unsaturated fatty acids, the claim that it aids weight loss was debunked by a 2011 study (1).
While a good meal replacement shake will always include a source of fat, there is a selection to choose from and not all fats are created equal. Fats containing medium chain triglycerides are more effective because they prompt an increase in the body’s metabolic rate, which results in fat being burnt faster.
Fat sources that contain medium chain triglycerides include coconuts and palm kernels. Of these two sources, coconut is preferred as it offers additional health benefits not available from palm kernels.
Therefore, while safflower oil is not a bad ingredient, there are better sources of fat available that could improve the effectiveness of this meal replacement.
The Vitamin and Mineral Mix
The last active ingredient in Whole Fuel Blend is a mix of vitamins and minerals. It’s packed full of essential and beneficial vitamins and minerals but, unfortunately, they are not always included in the most optimum amounts for some lifestyles.
If you live a fairly sedentary life, the vitamins and minerals blend in Whole Fuel Blends should be sufficient, but if you’re an athlete or regularly hitting the gym there are some vitamins you’ll want a lot more of. In particular, vitamin D.
Whole Fuel Blend contains just 1.5mg of vitamin D per serving, but numerous studies have shown that much higher doses of vitamin D can have enormous health benefits when combined with weight training and cardiovascular exercise leading to increased muscle mass and strength (2, 3).
The vitamin c contents of the vitamins and minerals blend is also on the low side at just 25mg. Vitamin c is an important vitamin for weight loss. Vitamin c deficiency has been linked to an inability to shed fat mass and high vitamin c intake is associated with having a low BMI (Body Mass Index). This shake could be improved by doubling the amount of vitamin c to compete with more precisely formulated meal replacers.
Another vitamin that could be included at a higher dose in this vitamin b9, also known as folic acid. While not directly involved in weight loss or appetite management, folic acid is vital for health. So much so that in 1998, the US government mandated the adding of folic acid to all sorts of carbohydrates, including bread and pasta. If you’re regularly replacing meals with shakes, you might not be getting the extra folic acid you need anymore. A good shake will compensate for this by including plenty of folic acid. This shake contains just 61.6mg, while other shakes contain up to 200mg!
Finally, another important vitamin, vitamin e, could be included at double the amount for better results. Vitamin e is essential for proper vision functioning and reproductive function. The vitamins and minerals blend includes just 3.7mg, which is an acceptable amount, but studies have indicated that higher doses have more benefits, including anti-inflammatory effects (4).
Whole Fuel Blend Flavours
Whole Fuel Blend comes in four flavours: vanilla flavour, unflavoured, chocolate flavour, and salted caramel flavour.
Customers generally appreciate the flavour of the product, but there are some who suggest it could be improved.
We tried the vanilla flavour shake, which uses a natural vanilla flavouring. The vanilla taste is not overly sweet and we found it was more or less what one would expect.
Customer Reviews
With a TrustPilot rating of 4.3, it’s fair to say that MyProtein is a well-respected company but its customers. Out of over 92,000 reviews, a staggering 74% rated MyProtein “excellent”.
The new brand, Myvegan, under which Whole Fuel Blend is sold, also has a very positive TrustPilot rating of 4.5, but since the Myvegan brand is fairly new it has only 763 reviews.
Reviews specifically related to Whole Fuel Blend were also mostly positive, though, as already mentioned, customers were split on the taste and texture, some think it’s fine and others suggest it needs a bit of improvement. Many customers compared the product favourably to the popular meal replacement shake Huel.
Whole Fuel Blend Conclusion
Taken as part of a varied and balanced diet, Whole Fuel Blend can be an effective meal replacement shake. It contains a reasonable balance of all the main macronutrients, along with a sufficient vitamin and mineral mix to maintain your health and vitality.
You can definitely avoid time consuming meal prep and still get all the nutrition your body needs with this meal replacement shake. However, if you really want to push your body and increase muscle mass while controlling your calorie intake, we recommend choosing a meal replacer with higher protein and higher vitamin D, such as Instant Knockout Complete. We also recommend looking for a shake with more vitamin C and more folic acid in order to get best results.
Whole Fuel Blend FAQ
How many calories are in a 100g serving of Whole Fuel Blend?
There are 400 calories in each serving. This is a fairly standard amount for a quality meal replacement shake.
What can I mix Whole Fuel Blend with?
The manufacturer recommends mixing Whole Fuel Blend with water. It is possible to mix it with other liquids, but remember that liquids other than water will probably add additional calories to your meal.
Is Whole Fuel Blend vegan?
Yes, this meal replacement shake is 100% vegan and comprised of whole foods.
References
- Pfeuffer, F., et. al. (2011) CLA does not impair endothelial function and decreases body weight as compared with safflower oil in overweight and obese male subjects. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21697535/
- Tomlinson, P., et. al. (2014) Effects of vitamin D supplementation on upper and lower body muscle strength levels in healthy individuals. A systematic review with meta-analysis. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25156880/
- Pilz, S., et. al. (2010) Effect of vitamin D supplementation on testosterone levels in men. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21154195/
- Aghadavod, E., et. al. (2018) Effects of High-dose Vitamin E Supplementation on Markers of Cardiometabolic Risk and Oxidative Stress in Patients with Diabetic Nephropathy: a Randomized Double-blinded Controlled Trial. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29891745/
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