Optifast Reviews: What Do the Shakes, Bars, Soups & Desserts Taste Like?
This article features a review of Optifast meal replacement products by Optifast and includes affiliate links. All opinions and experiences are my own.
Before I tried Optifast, one of my biggest questions wasn’t actually whether I’d lose weight.
It was:
What on earth are these things going to taste like?
Because a meal replacement can have the most perfectly calculated nutritional profile in the world, but if it tastes like flavoured wallpaper paste, you’re probably not going to be particularly excited about having another one tomorrow.
I’ve tried a selection of Optifast products myself, so this article is specifically about what I thought of the products, flavours, texture, convenience and how filling I found them.
Taste is incredibly personal, obviously.
Something I loved might be the flavour you try once before banishing the rest of the box to the back of the cupboard.
But hopefully my Optifast reviews will give you a better idea of what to expect.
If you’re looking for information about how the actual Optifast diet works, I’ve covered that separately in my complete guide to the programme and my experience of following it.
What Optifast products can you buy?
The Optifast range includes different styles of meal replacement, with availability and flavours changing over time.
Depending on the current UK range, you may find products such as shakes alongside sweet and savoury alternatives.
I think having different types of product is important.
Even if you absolutely love chocolate shakes, there’s a reasonable chance you’ll be less enthusiastic about the seventeenth one.
Texture and variety made a surprising difference to me.
Optifast Product variety
The products by Optifast fall into four catergories:
- Drinks
- Bars
- Soups
- Cremes
All are calorie-controlled and contain 100% of the nutrients you need every day. It is advised, however, not to have more than one bar in a day. Whilst they are nice, they are slightly higher in calories and we all need variety too!
Optifast Drinks
The Optifast drinks are easy to make and if you like protein shakes you are sure to like these. Flavours available are:
- Chocolate
- Strawberry
- Vanilla
- Coffee
There is a shaker you can buy to make it easier to make the drinks and helps with mixing them so definitely worth the buy.
Each drink contains around 216 calories.
Optifast Bars
The Optifast bars are all available in packs of 6 and an easy on the go option if you struggle for time! Flavours available are:
- Chocolate
- Cereal
- Berry
- Cappuccino
Each bar contains approximately 224 calories.
Optifast Soups
These are simple powdered soups you can make up for an easy lunch or evening meal. There are three varieties available:
- Tomato
- Vegetable
- Potato and Leek
Each of the soups are 216 calories.
Optifast Creme
These are dessert meal replacements and perfect if you have a sweet tooth. I would describe them as quite a thick cold custard type consistency, a little like Angel Delight. There are two flavours available:
- Chocolate
- Vanilla
The Cremes are each 216 calories.
Optifast shakes review
The shakes were probably what I most associated with Optifast before trying it.
They’re convenient because there isn’t much preparation involved and they’re easy to fit into a busy day.
What surprised me most was that I found some of them more filling than I’d expected.
I had gone into meal replacements imagining I’d finish a shake and immediately start wondering when I could eat something.
That wasn’t really my experience.
Of course, being physically full and wanting to eat are not always the same thing – something I learned very quickly while trying total meal replacement!
Optifast Shakes
If I am truly honest, I didn’t like them at all on their own; they tasted too much like protein shakes, which I also don’t like. The texture wasn’t great unless you really shook the shaker well, and even then it still had a bit of a powdery texture. Whilst they did fill me more than I expected, the actual flavours were nice enough, but the textures just were not for me!
I would definitely recommend, if you have the drinks, to buy the shaker and use that to prepare the drinks. It makes a big difference in mixing them well and ensuring you can drink them. I preferred them with lots of ice, so I found it best to shake the ice well first to break it up slightly, then add the drink powder and water and shake again.
Are Optifast shakes filling?
I found them more filling than I expected. I wouldn’t claim that means you’ll never feel hungry using them because appetite varies enormously and what else you’re eating obviously matters.
But my problem with replacing meals wasn’t primarily that my stomach was constantly rumbling. I missed eating.
There’s something psychologically very different about drinking something and sitting down with a plate of food, even if the shake technically provides what you need from that particular meal.
That’s one reason I eventually preferred partial meal replacement.
Optifast bars review
The bars are easy and perfect for a quick meal replacement without needing any preparation. If you follow the Optifast plan and want an easy work lunch it would be perfect if you don’t want to carry round your shaker or make up a soup or creme.
The bars appealed to me because they felt a little more like actually eating something. That sounds ridiculously obvious because, well, you are eating them! But after shakes, having something to chew made a difference to me.
Again, I’d judge each flavour separately because there’s no guarantee that liking one Optifast bar means you’ll like every flavour.
I loved the berry flavour but wasn’t as keen on the chocolate flavour.
Optifast soups review
Savoury products gave me some much-needed variety. If you’ve been having lots of sweet shakes and bars, the prospect of something that actually resembles lunch can become surprisingly exciting.
That said I did not like the soups at all. They tasted powdery and lukewarm; they advise you to make them with lukewarm water rather than boiling water. I have no idea why, but it was not at all nice!
They did not mix well, were not particularly filling and the flavours were quite bland!
Optifast desserts/crèmes review
I liked having something that didn’t feel exactly like another drink. When you’re using meal replacements regularly, I think texture becomes much more important than you’d imagine before starting.
The Creme desserts are easy to make and I think they are best when they have been chilled for around 10-15 minutes before enjoying them. This makes them set a little. I have only tried the vanilla creme as I have never liked things like chocolate mousse or chocolate ice cream, so I doubt I would like this! I have seen good reviews of it online though so I imagine it is as good as the vanilla one.
Which Optifast product did I like best? Which products did I like the least?
I think I mostly preferred the berry bars as they felt like proper food, didn’t have a weird texture and I felt most full after eating them. I did also quite like the vanilla creme and would eat that again too. I don’t think I would have the soup again if you paid me, I just did not like it! I would have the shakes again with plenty of ice but it definitely wouldn’t be my first choice!
Do Optifast products taste like diet food?
I think this depends heavily on the individual product. Meal replacements are always going to be somewhat different from the food they’re imitating.
A chocolate-flavoured meal replacement isn’t a chocolate milkshake from an ice-cream shop, and expecting it to be is probably setting yourself up for disappointment.
But I didn’t find the whole range unpleasant. There were products I liked and others I’d be less excited to have again. That’s probably the most useful expectation to have going in.
Are Optifast products easy to prepare?
This was one of their strongest points for me. Meal replacements remove much of the preparation associated with normal meals. That can be really convenient when you’re busy, travelling or simply don’t have the time or enthusiasm to prepare something.
I’d still think about where you’re going to use them, though. A shake that requires water, measuring and proper mixing isn’t necessarily as grab-and-go as a ready-to-eat bar. Convenience depends on the product.
Would I buy Optifast products again?
There are products I would happily have again. What I wouldn’t personally choose again is total meal replacement. That’s an important distinction.
My issue with Optifast wasn’t simply, I don’t like the products. It was that I didn’t like replacing the experience of eating ordinary meals for an extended period.
As occasional or partial meal replacements, I found them much easier to fit into my life.
Are Optifast products worth the money?
I’d look at this in terms of cost per meal, not simply the price of the box. Then compare that with what you’d realistically have eaten instead. But price isn’t the only consideration.
If you buy six weeks’ worth of a flavour you haven’t tried and discover on day two that you hate it, that’s not particularly good value! If possible, I’d try a smaller quantity before committing to large amounts.
And because prices, bundles and offers change, check the current price rather than relying on figures from an old review – including one of mine.
My overall Optifast review
I was more positive about the actual products than I expected to be. Some were filling, convenient and perfectly pleasant. Others suited my tastes less and I didn’t like at all. But the most important thing I learned was that liking Optifast products and liking the Optifast diet are two separate questions.
I could happily consume some of the products again. I wouldn’t personally want to replace all my normal meals with them.
If you’re trying to decide whether the programme itself would suit you, rather than simply wondering which flavour to order, read my separate guide to how the Optifast diet works and my experience of trying it. That explains why I originally planned to use total meal replacement, why I changed my mind and why partial replacement suited me much better.
Other articles you may find helpful
If you are looking for a new diet to try and still undecided check out my full weight loss guide with lots of different plans. A few popular ones are:
- The Noom Diet
- Second Nature Diet
- Slimming World guide
- Ketogenic diet
- Weight Watchers
- Fast 800
- Do the unthinkable
- Weight loss surgery
- Lighter Life
