The Atkins Advantage Dark Chocolate Royale Shake is 2g net carbs, 15g protein, and 160 calories. How does it stack up against other similar shakes?

First, I normally tend to drink an EAS low carb protein shake each morning, and I like the chocolate fudge flavor. So that would seem to be fairly similar to this Atkins presentation. The EAS shake has 3g carbs, 17g protein, and 110 calories. So while it has slightly more net carbs, it also offers more protein and fewer calories.

Even back when I was first testing out the various shakes, many years ago, I preferred the EAS shake. I find that I still do. The EAS shake is thinner, so it's easier to drink as a casual morning meal. I can toss in ice and bring it with me in a car, as an emergency meal. In comparison, this Atkins shake is thicker, so it's more like drinking a thin milkshake. Some might enjoy that - to me it's just not the thickness I want. Also, it's much darker than my shake, so there's more of a tannic flavor to it. Again, it's clearly personal preference, but I don't want something that "heavy" in the morning.

Also, in general it's good to minimize saturated fats. While the EAS shake only has 3g of fat with no saturated fats, this Atkins shake has 9g of fat with 3g of those being saturated. It also has:

15mg cholesterol
290mg sodium
660mg potassium
6g carbs with 4g fiber
15g protein

Then it has 20% of most other normally listed vitmains like Zinc and Niacin. A stand-out bonus is the 50% phosphorous it offers.

So certainly, if you prefer the Atkins shake over the EAS shake, that's great! We all have different taste buds and different textures we enjoy. Either one is a good option for if you're out and about and can't get to a more "real" meal. Also, both are great morning options if you'd normally skip breakfast. It's important to get SOMETHING nutritious into you at the start of the day, since you've been food-less for the 8 or so hours you've been asleep!

But for me, I do prefer the EAS shake for my morning meal.


Lisa Shea's Library of Low Carb Books