Update 3/10/20. This is a follow up to my post on Shakeology. When I wrote my first Shakeology review, my biggest disappointment was that I didn’t have any Shakeology to try. I could never find a BeachBody Coach to give me a few samples. Well that all changed when I was given several packs. The person gave them to me because she didn’t like the taste. I was surprised because Shakeology is so heavily marketed that I figured this stuff would have to taste great. So I was anxious to taste them. The flavors I received were Greenberry and Chocolate. I made the shakes with exactly 8 oz of cold water, just as Beachbody recommends. I blended the shakes up in my VitaMix. This is what I found…
I first tried Greenberry. I have to say Greenberry flavor Shakeology doesn't taste anything like a berry. Rather it tasted, well, kind of ‘green”. 
That’s about as good as I can describe the taste because I don’t think I've ever tasted anything like it before-and that's not a compliment. I think I tasted a hint of mint flavor (maybe) but there was definitely an aftertaste that I didn't care for. The bottom line is that Greenberry didn’t taste good to me.
It looked very dark green color– which wasn’t appetizing at all. I'm OK with that. It doesn't take much to make me happy. It was the taste that turned me off. It just tasted bad. I took the picture you see here. That's what it looked like.
A few hours later I tried Chocolate flavor. This did taste like chocolate but it wasn't good tasting chocolate. It had a kind of bitter taste to it 
and there was a bad aftertaste as well. Chocolate was better than Greenberry (anything would have been better than Greenberry!) but I've tasted much better products.
I know taste is an individual thing but for me, neither Chocolate or Greenberry Shakeology would be something I would pay for.
I predict that Beachbody will eventually reformulate Shakeology so it tastes better. I have no proof of this. I'm just guessing. I say this because I can’t believe no one hasn't complained to them about the taste.
Update: Shakeology has been reformulated. See my review of Vegan Chocolate Shakeology for more on this.
But don't just take my word for this. We are all different. I'm sure some people like the taste of Shakeology. I suggest that before you plunk any money down that you see if you can get some free samples to try first.
I actually like the chocolate a lot. Thick and creamy, tasted like carnation hot chocolate, but cold. Maybe they have reformulated it since you tried it.
Matt, its possible. I know they are working on a new and improved flavor. I’m not sure if they have rolled it out yet or not.
I am drinking my first chocolate shake as I type I had to look up some info cuz I thought I got a bad batch. First the smell.when I opened the bag reminiscent of an old barn with mouse feces! On to the taste not good ay all the texture is like chocolate peptobismal and the taste is really odd. All and all I would like to at least choke it down because O read about the gentleman that found all these supposed power foods all over the country and put them into this drink could explain the funky taste sooo I am plugging my nose as I drink it down CHEERS to me !-
I tried shakeology and found that it was gritty. Did anyone else have this problem? Did i do something wrong? I also tried Body by Vi, not sure how they made it but I really liked it. Too expensive either way.
So I just happened upon this website. I didn’t hate the taste of the chocolate sample I tried today but I am on a very tight budget and the price is just not worth it… I would like a study done with people who have the same specific meal plan and workout plan but 50 people use this and 50 people just drink water… and see what happens… A lot of it might actually be psychological … power of suggestion and all that
Great review Joe! I cannot figure out why so many do not like the taste. I been drinking this for two months and LOVE it. I drink it with some ice, 8 oz water and a banana. I can do without the banana, but I add it for the carbs in my breakfast meal to go with my cup of egg whites and 2 slices of ham. I sometimes add in a scoop of protein instead of the banana.
I have had my fair share of protein shakes and other shakes and this is great, which btw I am referring to chocolate. I’ll take others advice on green berry and have no interest on that flavor.
The high $$ makes me judge whether to continue, but have no complaints, besides the cost. If someone has a recipe to mimic or comparable alternative, I would be happy to try it to save some $, even with recently signing up for a coach membership for the extra discount.
Having weights, a treadmill and doing other things in my basement since college have not gotten me far, health wise, but P90x changed my life and has opened my eyes to good foods, bad foods, nutritional values, and has even gotten me thinking of vegan foods and what we put in our bodies.
I have also contemplated about a blendtec/vitamix for the benefits of blending whole fruits, veggies, etc.
Eating healthy never seemed so appealing as it does now.
Rafael, thanks. Ive put a smoothie recipe on this site that I use. I also have a vitamix and love it but any blender will work just as well.
Interesting to me that “Tonja” never returned to counter Joe’s facts, or answer his questions….I’ve tried the stuff, didn’t like it, felt it was very overpriced, and haven’t looked back. Now it’s just good ole raw organic fruits and veggies for me!
I have just started drinking shakeology and your thoughts on greenberry were right on. The only problem is that you are suppose to use the 30 day recipe chart they give you to blend the shake with. For instance day one i blended 1tbsp peanut butter, 1 banana, and 1 cup of milk with the chocolate shakeology pack and some ice (good combo). The next day i made the greenberry shake with 1/2 cup peaches, 1/2 cup strawberries and 1 cup water with ice (made it drinkable.) i hope they do revamp the flavors soon so people can drink it without blending
Shaun, I think the 30 day recipe chart is a method to get you to keep taking shakeology so it becomes a habit. They say it often takes about a month or so before something becomes a habit.
Retried chocolate day….I really want to like this stuff! The first sample went down the drain. This time I added a 1/2 of a banana. It was definitely better but still couldn’t finish it. The powder plus liquid, ice.& banana made so much & since the taste is really lacking, I just couldn’t finish it. Not sure I could commit to this especially for the high price.
John Hubler, thanks for your post/novel. I was the one who had just posted about going to the bathroom 5-6 times a day and had to stop drinking it. I thought it did taste bad, but was committed to drinking it for the nutritional benefits and for the ease of making breakfast that it afforded me. Because it has probiotics in it and I am on several medications it is cleansing the toxins out of me like crazy and my system just can’t take it. My beachbody consultant/friend wanted me to go to a doctor and take the bag with me to see what was causing the problem, but by the time I did all of that I would be out of the 30 day money back guarantee and I know that I have to stop drinking it because I could barely stay upright last weekend I was so weak from the trips to the bathroom.
I realize that my medications are what is causing the problems, and I don’t want my story to cause anyone to not drink shakeology. If the bathroom issue had not happened I would still be happily drinking the shake every morning because to be honest I had gotten used to the taste after 3 weeks and it was not offensive to me anymore. Thanks for your story. The drink really does have so much healthy benefits in it that for $4 it is really worth the cost, I just can’t handle it in my system so I am off to try the Juice Plus chocolate drink. Supplement-Geek have you done a taste test on that one? LOL!!!!! My sister sells it and still hasn’t tried her sample yet to tell me her thoughts so I am waiting till my order comes in. Do you know anything about it?
Lisa, Im aware of the Juice Plus shake but have not tried it. I will try to find a Juice Plus distributor who would be willing to give me a few samples to try. If they do I’ll write something up on it and post it soon.
Hi all,
I posted here a while back (when I first got my Shakeology), and have just finished my first bag. Just thought I’d do a little follow-up.
First with the taste. I am actually surprised at how vehemently people dislike the taste of it! It really goes to show just how different individuals taste buds are. For me personally, it’s my favorite meal of the day! I love the taste! It reminds me of a Count Chocula flavored milkshake (at least the way I prepare it – 1 cup of almond milk, 1 scoop of shakeology, and 3 ice cubes). It’s thick like a milkshake, it’s chocolatey and it’s cold. Like I said, I am actually quite surprised that people found it so awful. Maybe I just got a lucky batch? 🙂
As for the rest of Shakeology’s claims – here is what I have noticed in the month or so that I’ve been using it:
1.) I DEFINITELY noticed more energy throughout the day. I train in the martial arts, and the very first night that I took it, I had more energy at class than I have had in years! Perhaps it was just a fluke, but I felt turbo-charged. The feeling continued fairly regularly at subsequent classes (though admittedly, not every single class). In addition to that, prior to starting Shakeology, every single day, like clockwork, at 3:00 p.m. I would crash and start falling asleep at my desk. Since I’ve started taking Shakeology, that hasn’t happened yet.
2.) As far as causing me to have to go to the bathroom – I haven’t really noticed much there. If anything, I feel that I go less than ever before – but that also might be because I’m eating a lot less these days too, in attempts to lose weight.
3.) As a weight loss aide, I kind of agree with Joe on this one. I’m sure you could probably lose just as much weight on any other type of meal replacement shake, if you stay true to the plan. Eat less, and exercise more. So far, I’m down about 23 lbs., but like I said – that’s a result of meticulously watching my calories, and exercising regularly. Chances are, if I only added Shakeology to my former poor eating habits, I doubt I would’ve lost anything at all. The only reason I like Shakeology over Slim Fast, Boost, Ensure or Muscle Milk is just that it is all natural ingredients, and doesn’t have the artificial flavors or sugars.
4.) As an appetite suppressant, it does tide me over, but only for about 2 hours. Any longer than that, and I usually get pretty ravenous again. That being said, I never really had much of an appetite in the mornings anyway, so it’s a little hard to gauge the appetite suppressing aspect of it, when you don’t have much of an appetite to begin with.
And finally, just a few thoughts on the price. I absolutely agree that Shakeology is expensive, especially if you don’t like the taste. But I try not to think of it as a bag of really expensive powder. Since I am literally using it as a meal replacement, I try to think of it as a months worth of $4.00 breakfasts. Quite frankly, as it was, I was spending at least $4.00, and normally more, on breakfast each morning anyway, by stopping into Starbucks and getting a hot chocolate & cookie, or getting some hash browns at the drive-through, etc. So ultimately, for me personally, Shakeology is a cheap (by comparison), healthy breakfast that I enjoy drinking, gives me energy, and leaves me satisfied.
That’s just my personal take on it. I completely understand that different people are going to have different experiences with it – but if nothing else, my advice to anybody reading this would be to not let the negative taste reviews sway you just yet. While some people do indeed hate it – there are others out there that absolutely love it.
Finally – I am with Joe in that I’m really looking forward to seeing more research & tests done on Shakeology in the future to see if they can better back up their claims scientifically. We’ll see!
Sorry for the novel. Thanks for reading!
Nicely put John thanks for sharing 🙂
Fiber is not the only thing that eliminates toxins from our system. Apparently you’ve been misled by our government as well (the same government who put out a food pyramid telling us to eat 7-11 servings of grains a day – and one of those committee members later admitted they had no clue what they were doing – and now a few decades later we’ve sky-rocketed obesity.. Coincidence?)
Anyhow, research each of the ingredients.. Specifically the superfood blend and the greens. Plus the enzymes alone could help break up the gunk as well.
This article and website bases most of the reviews on taste.. And that’s ridiculous. Most people don’t like the taste of vegetables but we know we should be eating more. I’m sure there are better tasting drink mixes … But they contain far more sugar, usually artificial sugars and other artificial ingredients and don’t have anywhere near the powerful ingredients this product does. I signed up to be a coach ONLY for the discount so I could have this product every day for less $.
And I’m sure someone will say if they offer a discount then why do they mark it up so much. Don’t go there 🙂 every product we consume has an insane mark-up and most of that is from the person selling it… So this product is no different. It’s worth every single penny. And this coming from someone who researches like crazy before she eats, does or buys anything.
Tonja, I actually did research each of the ingredients in Shakeology -did you read my review? I see no good proof that shakeology ingredients make it superior to what I can make in my home.
can you give me the name of the committee member who said they didn’t know what they were doing when they created the food pyramid? Id like to look that person up. If you an give me the reference where you read it, even better 🙂
Of course the food pyramid had problems. But can you specifically show me which of the ingredients in Shakeolgoy that flush out the system – and do it better than the body can do for itself naturally?
Im still going to press you for what you mean by “gunk”. Do you mean feces, bacteria, viruses, “toxins” . If you can tell me what gunk we are talking about and provide published proof that the ingredients in Shakeology rid the body of that gunk – and do it better than the body can do naturally, I will be glad to hear about it.
Of course shakeology has a mark up – that’s capitalism and there is nothing wrong with it. Thats what makes America great! That said, given the grand claims BB coaches often make about shakeology, I will hold them to facts to substantiate those claims.
Fact. there is zero published proof that shakeology is better than anything else out there.
Fact . Shakeology has never been shown to reduce the risk of disease in a published peer reviewed study. Why? Why hasn’t Beach Body ever done any good research? Id like to see shakeology vs Slimfast. 100 people – 50 get shakeology / 50 get slimfast. Both workout the same way and eat the same # of calories. Lets see who loses the most weight (hey college students this would make a GREAT Research paper hint, hint, !!! ). Lets see who has the most drop in cholesterol etc.
Im glad your eating healthy and happy that you are happy with Shakeology. I have to ask these questions Tonja because so few others will challenge BB coaches about this stuff.
Lisa- me too.. It’s cleaning out the gunk in your system. Mine wasn’t uncomfortable, but I’d go 2-3 times a day. That lasted 4-6 weeks and I’m back to normal. Definitely give it more time 🙂 And make sure to blend it with almond milk and a banana at minimum.. Tropical comes out this fall. Email me through my website and I’ll let you know when it’s coming out.
Tonja, I have to ask what is the “gunk” that shakeology is removing? Shakeology only has 3 grams of fiber which is not a lot. I believe that’s less than a half cup of oatmeal.
Okay, so I held my nose and drank it for 3 weeks. The drink made me go to the bathroom 5-6 times a day for the 3 weeks that I drank it. Not fun. I was about to start buying stock in a toilet paper company. And it tasted terrible. So I quit and am asking for my money back. It has probiotics in it that is to help with digestion and BOY DID IT HELP WITH DIGESTION. So not only was it bad going in but it was bad going out too. Anyone else have this problem?
I have been on shakeology for over a month now. I have only tried the chocolate. At first…I wasn’t sure how to mix it…as I only got samples. But…my coach sent me the calendar with the different recipes and now, my favorite is to add 4 ounces of coffee, 4 ounces of creamer, and ICE…I have my Mocha-Latte. I have lost 6 lbs in one month…with little exercise…at first I didn’t “FEEL” any different, but…after the first FULL week…i realized I had more energy…and just over all felt better. It also well regulate your colon health…just saying! LOL
Caryn
thanks for sharing and I am glad its working for you 🙂
It tastes TERRIBLE! I mixed my chocolate sample with almond milk, peanut butter and ice. Two sips and it was down the drain!
Oh, and I meant to say….I am the person who tolerates beets and Kale in a juicer and drinks it just fine, but Shakeology – no way. I cannot believe so many people think this is good.
Beth, ditto on the taste. I dont understand how people like it either 🙂
I had a friend who is a coach send me samples, as I was so excited to try this. Keep in mind, I am not a picky eater at all, and have been using bariatric protein drinks for about 2 years. I have found powders I absolutely love, but my friend showed me how much more nutrients the Shakeology had.
However……….I will say with no exaggeration, that the Greenberry was worse than anything I have ever put in my mouth. The bitterness was unreal and the aftertaste was awful. I thought maybe the chocolate would be better so I tried that a week later (took me that long to recover from the Greenberry) and the chocolate was no better…it tasted exactly like the green but with a hint of chocolate.
I do not see how anyone drinks these…much less everyday. I am a veggie eater, grilled fish eater and all that healthy stuff…..I will try anything once, but this was horrible and I do not see how people pay to drink this. Just as a side note, I used GLOWELLE several years ago and people were saying how horrible it was, yet I thought it tasted pretty good or was pretty tolerable especially knowing the benefits.
Shakeology was not even tolerable knowing what benefits it might bring. I couldn’t force myself to drink this on any kind of regular basis even if it promised miracles. I guess the bottom line is….people’s tastes are different but for the love of God, please get samples before you buy…I am so glad my friend was willing to share some samples with me first!
Have you ever stopped to think about why you feel that the shake needs to be sweeter? If you have consumed loads of “sweet tooth” items, than maybe that is the problem? If you have yeast issues you will definitely be craving more “sweetness” in your diet and it will take more food to keep you satisfied.
As for me I have been dealing with these issues for a long time and I have found Shakeology to be a good resource for helping turn my yeast issues around. As well as getting rid of most of my sweet tooth cravings.
With anything there is no “FAST” solution. Although I have found Shakeology to be one of the “Faster” working products on the market.
Addressing the “I don’t stay full for very long” issue? Well what did you expect? If you juice you get the same results with needing to eat sooner. So why would you think that consuming a shake would keep you full for hours on end? What Shakeology does is to help you balance your meals out better.
You are supposed to eat smaller meals and more often after all. When you drink the Shakeology you are supposed to be eating healthier as well, which in turn speeds up the process to controlling bad eating habits and detoxing the bodies system. After about a week the body cleanse out enough to start accepting nutrients better and so you stay “fuller” longer. But you still have to eat at normal intervals. Our society is warped into thinking that bloat is feeling “FULL”.
As for “Taste” Greenberry is not my favorite. Tastes like Protoclear to me, a yucky supplement shake my Dr. put me on to get rid of my yeast. Which made it explode 10 fold! So bad I had to get a perscription to get it back under control again. So when I decided to try Shakeology, you bet I did some homework first. Tried the samples and after 2 days I was not waking up grumpy in the morning and have had more energy then I have had in a long long time. Anyways, if you don’t like the taste, don’t slam the product for being garbage as it is not garbage. Only not suitable to your palate.
Leigh, I never said thought Shakeology should taste sweeter. I said I thought it would taste better. Tasting better and tasting sweater are different.
When I wrote my shakeolgy review I wanted to be unbiased, something that I had a hard time finding when I did my original research. Almost everybody who talks about Shakeology online also sells shakeology. I never saw anybody who said Shakeology tastes terrible- but it does to me! I think people should have a place where they can see these words -even if they dont agree with me. I dont think I ever said Shakeology was “garbage”. I’m sure there are worst things out there but for me Shakeology was the wost tasting meal replacement drink I’ve ever had. Again, you dont have to agree with me. That’s just my opinion.
When I said I didn’t full after drinking Shakeology, I meant that I didn’t feel like I had eaten anything. Of course we do not have to feel stuffed but we should feel some satiety after drinking a shake. Now granted this may have to do with the volume of the shakes I made. I followed the directions and used 8 oz of water. Its possible I would have felt different had I used 12 oz as was suggested by someone. Maybe BB should listen to the recommendations of their customers and coaches and change their directions to using 12 oz of water instead of 8 oz.
As far as detoxifying the system, what specifically are we detoxifying? When I hear people talk about “toxins” they usually never specifically say what those toxins are. Yes we can all eat better and healthier but I have to be honest and say I am skeptical of the word “detoxify” as it pertains to supplements. The human body is very able to detoxify itself naturally. If it could not ,there would be no human life on Earth. We have been on Earth a long time and this is a testimony to our resilience as a species.
Yes eating better -more fruits and veggies etc -can help provide the body with many good things that may be lacking when people eat “junk” but does Shakeology fall into that category? Maybe, but I’m going to come back to my old mantra again and say ” do the research” and prove it.
As for the “fast solutions” I’m not a fan of those either and if Shakeology gets people into leading an overall more healthy life, then that is a good thing -even if it takes time – as long as the person can afford it.
Being more expensive does not mean something is “better”. I believe that for the $119 a month cost of shakeology people can buy a lot of fruits and veggies and make a shake that’s just as good – if not better – than shakeology.
As for mixing only with water for the cleanse (just read) – dairy is hard on your system.. anyone’s system. Even those not lactose intolerant. Removing all irritants from your body during a cleanse is the purpose of doing a cleanse.
Sounds like you should research the Paleo Diet next.
The Paleo diet is interesting because we really have no good proof at what cavemen (or cave women) ate. So the paleo diet that many people think of may be completely different than what real cave people ate.
I am a Beachbody Coach.. so I just thought I would say that 🙂
As for it tasting “better” – the greenberry does leave some to be desired, but the chocolate is good.. it just needs to be mixed with almond milk and not just water.. and more than the 8oz they suggest. Otherwise it IS too much.
As for altering the taste, they don’t use anything chemically derived for flavor. With all the greens and other ingredients in it that are good for you, it would be hard to completely mask the flavor. The chocolate comes from pure cocoa … to make it taste better would mean diluting the power of the product. Just sayin’
Suck it up and find a way to drink it.. cuz it’s good for you.