Health Motive

A formulated meal replacement is a food made to replace one or more meals a day, but not your whole diet. The Food Standards Code sets the rules^[1]. Each serve, as prepared, must give at least 12 g of protein and at least 850 kJ. It must also give at least 25% of the recommended intake of a set list of vitamins and minerals. The label must say the product is not to be used as a total diet replacement.

That is the main difference from a protein powder. A protein powder has no minimum for energy, vitamins or minerals, so it is not designed to stand in for a meal.

Made with water, one 55 g serve of a Health Motive shake gives 857 to 886 kJ and 28.8 to 30.6 g of protein across the three flavours. Each serve also has 7.6 to 8.7 g of dietary fibre and under 3 g of carbohydrate. The panel for each flavour is on its pack.

• Milk proteins: milk protein concentrate plus whey. Indulgent Chocolate uses whey protein isolate. Vanilla Bean and Banana Choc Crème use whey protein concentrate.
• Bovine collagen: collagen peptides from beef. The Indulgent Chocolate label lists it at 18% of the powder.
• MCT oil powder: medium chain triglycerides (a type of fat) from coconut oil, dried onto acacia fibre.
• N.O.W.® Weight carob: Health Motive's name for a milled carob fruit ingredient. Carob is the pod of a Mediterranean tree.
• Vitamins and minerals: including iron, zinc, iodine, vitamin D, folate as methylfolate, and vitamin B12.
• Sweetener: thaumatin, a sweet protein from a West African fruit. Indulgent Chocolate and Banana Choc Crème also contain cocoa.

All three shakes contain milk, so they are not vegan or dairy free.

A formulated meal replacement with no more than 1200 kJ a serve contributes to weight loss or weight maintenance as part of a diet reduced in energy that includes regular exercise^[2]. This must be considered in the context of a healthy diet involving the consumption of a variety of foods.

This applies to Health Motive shakes made with water. A serve made with water gives 857 to 886 kJ. Made with 350 ml of milk, a serve goes over 1200 kJ, so the claim does not apply to the milk version.

A 2019 review pooled 23 trials with 7,884 adults with overweight or obesity. People who used meal replacements in a weight loss programme lost 1.44 kg more at one year than people on other diets^[3]. The review was funded by the UK National Institute for Health Research. Some authors held research grants from Cambridge Weight Plan and Weight Watchers. The authors note that many of the trials were funded or supported by industry. The trials used a range of meal replacement brands, and there are no published human trials of Health Motive shakes or of N.O.W.® Weight carob.

1. Measure: add 2 scoops (55 g) to 350 ml of water or milk.
2. Mix: shake or blend until smooth. Ice, fruit or a smoothie base also work.
3. Replace a meal: use it in place of a main meal. The Indulgent Chocolate label says one main meal a day. Vanilla Bean and Banana Choc Crème say once or twice a day. Follow the pack you buy.
4. Eat well at your other meals: a meal replacement is not a total diet. Your other meals still matter.

Health Motive Carob Extract is a liquid made from carob fruit, sold in a 150 ml bottle. The label serve is 5 ml a day. You take 2.5 ml before lunch and 2.5 ml before dinner, from a spoon or stirred into yoghurt or a drink.

The extract's carob ingredient, which Health Motive calls N.O.W.® Energy, differs from the one in the shakes. Health Motive says it holds 15% D-pinitol, a natural compound found in carob, and has no added flavours or sweeteners. The extract is sold as a food and has no AUST L number.

A meal replacement changes what you eat at a whole meal, so some people should get advice before starting.

• Diabetes medicines: swapping a meal changes how much carbohydrate you eat. If you take insulin or other diabetes medicines, talk to your doctor first.
• GLP-1 medicines: if you take a medicine such as semaglutide, ask your prescriber how a meal replacement fits your plan.
• Kidney disease: each shake has about 30 g of protein, so check with your doctor or dietitian.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding: talk to your health professional before you replace meals.
• Milk allergy: all three shakes contain milk.
• A history of disordered eating: talk to your health professional before starting any meal replacement plan.

Our naturopaths and nutritionists can help you decide whether a meal replacement suits your goals. They can also check how it fits with any supplements you already take.

• The name: look for "formulated meal replacement" on the pack. A shake sold as a protein powder does not have to meet the meal replacement rules^[1].
• The total diet statement: the label must say the product is not for use as a total diet replacement^[1].
• Energy per serve: check the kilojoules for the serve as you make it, with water or with milk.
• Protein per serve: the minimum is 12 g. Health Motive shakes give 28.8 to 30.6 g.
• Allergens: read the "contains" statement. Health Motive shakes contain milk.
• AUST L number: meal replacements and the Carob Extract are foods, so they carry a nutrition panel, not an AUST L number.

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Explore more: compare other brands in Meal Replacement Shakes, or browse Protein Powders and Collagen Powder and Supplements.

Compiled by the Mr Vitamins DNA team on 10 November 2026. Not yet clinically reviewed.

1. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (2024) Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, Standard 2.9.3 Formulated meal replacements and formulated supplementary foods (F2015L00419), compilation of 13 September 2024. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2015L00419/latest (Accessed: 10 November 2026).
2. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (2026) Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, Schedule 4 Nutrition, health and related claims (F2015L00474), compilation of 30 April 2026, and Standard 1.2.7 Nutrition, health and related claims (F2015L00394). Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2015L00474/latest (Accessed: 10 November 2026).
3. Astbury, N.M., Piernas, C., Hartmann-Boyce, J., Lapworth, S., Aveyard, P. and Jebb, S.A. (2019) 'A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of meal replacements for weight loss', Obesity Reviews, 20(4), pp. 569-587. doi:10.1111/obr.12816. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care Oxford; authors supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre. Competing interests: three authors were investigators on a research grant from Cambridge Weight Plan UK Ltd, and two on a grant from Weight Watchers Inc.