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In a Rush?

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The Canadian Issue

Most meal replacements from outside Canada are unable to sell their products there or they get heavily taxed on the border; thus making consuming complete foods from foreign brands a really hard task. This issue has many layers to it; a lot of the problems come because the products are classified as meal replacements instead of food.

For instance, Huel is unable to sell in Canada (even if they have their North American manufacturing process there) due to the strict regulations applied to products classified as meal replacements. According to Huel staff TimOfficialHuel:

For example, the minimum amount of Vitamin D per serving in a meal replacement is 1.25mcg and the maximum is 2.5mcg. Huel contains, 5mcg per serving. So we do not meet the classification of a meal replacement, and thus would not be able to sell in Canada.

This is not the only point where we would be held up, but it is one of the most stark. […]

We are exploring different options to try and allow Huel to be sold in Canada, but these take a significant amount of time, and potentially product re-formulations. Concurrently, we are always reviewing our formula and trying to optimise Huel. Any change would reset the process.

Note: This issue has been around for over 4 years now and no real progress has been done.

The Harsh Rules of the North

Selling meal replacements in Canada is harder than in any other Western country. This is not because of logistical issues, but due to the strict requirements of the Canadian government and their loyal subjects of the CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency).

Any product that is sold under the “meal replacement” label will have to follow these rules:

• Minimum food energy value of 225 Calories per serving.
• A specified amount and quality of protein.
• Not more than 35% of the total energy from fats.
• A specified amount of various vitamins and mineral nutrients.
• If milk needs to be added,  they will carry a statement establishing the need to do so.

Plus, the labeling will have to be:

• Showing the energy in both Calories and kilojoules.
• Protein, fat, linoleic acid, n-3 linolenic acid (omega-3), saturated fatty acid and carbohydrate content in grams.
• The amount of the following vitamins and minerals expressed in % of daily values: vit A, vit D, vit C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folate, pantothenic acid; calcium, phospohorus, iron, iodide, magnesium and zic.
• On top of that, copper, potassium, sodium and manganese quantities will have to be expressed in grams; and biotin, selenium, chromium and molybdenum in micrograms.

As if these were not enough, any meal replacement that wants to advertise itself as a replacement for all meals, will have to reduce the maximum energy from fat to 30% and no more than 10% from saturated fats; with an energy intake of at least 900kcal a day.

Soylent, The Exception to the Rule?

From June 2015 until late 2017, Soylent was able to sell its products in Canada. This, however, did not last long and the US brand had to eventually stop.

There were many reasons for the CFIA to deny Soylent, including: the amount of fats (the regulations state less than 35% of the energy needs to come from fats); lack of bilingual labelling; the presence of sucralose; vitamins not meeting the required values by the FDR…

At the time Soylent founder, Rob Rhinehart, had to walk back with the tail between his legs; only leaving a dire message behind:

Dear Canadian Soylent customers,

Since June 2015, Soylent has been proud to sell and locally distribute our products in Canada. We are fortunate to have so many loyal customers who have supported our brand and community, even before we were officially available in the market. It’s been quite the journey we’ve taken together through some proud successes and startup growing pains, and today I need to share an unfortunate situation impacting our Canadian business.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) recently informed us that our products do not meet a select few of the CFIA requirements for a “meal replacement.” Although we feel strongly that these requirements do not reflect the current understanding of human nutritional needs, we respect the CFIA’s regulations and will fully comply with any regulatory action they deem appropriate. Unfortunately, this means we are unable to ship any additional product to our Canadian warehouses or sell Soylent to our Canadian customers until this is resolved. 

I want to reiterate that we are absolutely committed to working with Health Canada and the CFIA to resolve this as quickly as possible, but we don’t have enough information at this time to share any timing. In order to keep all of you fully up to speed on our progress, we will be sending out regular updates. In the meantime, we have posted a detailed FAQ to share all the information we have at our disposal. We sincerely apologize for this product disruption, and we hope to be back selling in our favorite country to the North soon. 

We want to hear from you, so please feel free to contact us anytime with questions, concerns and suggestions at [email protected]. Thank you for your continued support.

– Rob Rhinehart
Founder & CEO, Rosa Foods, Inc.

Soylent’s Return to Canada

Quite unexpectedly, Soylent announced that they were going to be back in Canada in 2020. Despite the mystery surrounding how this was achieved, they were indeed back in Q1 of 2020.

As shown in the picture above, only the meal replacements are available at this moment.

That said, both Soylent RTD and Soylent Powder can be purchased in Canada, and there are even flavors that are unique, like the beloved Soylent Strawberry.

On top of that, Soylent now offers bundles and packs to save and try out different flavors in an easier way, just like they do on their US site. This is a much welcome addition since trying all the different flavors can be really expensive otherwise.

Soylent Canada Details

So what is the price? Is there any change in the nutritional aspect? Has Soylent changed the formula in order to be able to sell in Canada? The answer to the last question is no. The formula seems to be almost the same, with some slight changes to meet Canadian standards.

When it comes to the price of the products, they are a little more expensive than in the US:

• Soylent Drink Cacao and Original are CAD$5.00 without a subscription and $4.58 with subscription (10% off).
• Powder Cacao and Original start at $2.51 and cost $2.09 with a subscription (17% off).
• Soylent Cafe Mocha is $4.75 without and $4.28 with subscription (10% off).

The RTDs (Drink and Cafe) are more expensive than the powder version, but that is standard. That said, Soylent now offers bulk discounts that lower the prices significantly.

When compared to the best Soylent alternatives, I think the price of the RTD is quite competitive, as there aren’t any ready-to-drink meal replacements available in Canada otherwise.

Another thing to consider is that for now, Soylent will only be available on their own website and not through Amazon too, like they do in the US.

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Canadian Meal Replacements

So we have spoken about Soylent, but surely there must be a local option? The short answer to that is, sadly, no. While there have been few brands (e.g. Tudo, Biolent, Vitalhouse), slowly but surely they have all run out of business.

Honestly, there isn’t a simple answer as to why this is the case, but here are some of the most important factors:

• Small demand. Clearly the market is not big enough to support multiple brads, in particular, when they cannot get their name out there.
• High costs. Being smaller companies, Canadian brands probably could not get the ingredients cheap enough or reduce the costs to be competitive.
• Canada’s topography. Another factor to consider is how spread Canada is and how that might affect shipping and costs related to that.

So, is there any Canadian meal replacement left?

	Complete?	In Business
HolFood	Yes	Yes
Vega All in One	No	Yes
Rumble	No	Yes
Tudo	Yes	No
Biolent	Yes	No
Vitalhouse	Yes	No
Kaizen Complete Meal	Yes	Yes

A Brief Look at Canadian Meal Replacements

As shown above, there aren’t many local options anymore. In fact, only HolFood is a complete meal, while the others are mostly protein shakes. Nonetheless, here is how they compare:

Hol Food Meal Replacement Shakes Overview

I believe that Hol Food is currently the best Canadian meal replacement shake you can have.

Hol Food is currently manufactured in Toronto. They have been around for a while; but they limit their trade to North America.

Furthermore, they only produce a single powder meal replacement in two flavours: Chocolate and Vanilla. Each offers 400kcal per serving, of which 45% comes from carbs, 36% from protein, and 19% from fats.

Hol Food is not a vegan shake, since most of the protein comes from whey. Fat sources include whole milk powder and canola oil; whereas carbs come from rice flour and organic cane sugar, mainly.

According to some Hol Food reviews, the new formula highly improves the texture and the flavour over the previous one.

The Shortcomings of the Local Goods

Even an onlooker or a newbie would identify some of the limitations of the local brands.

1. Lack of flavour diversity.
2. Lack of nutritional differentiation. Most meal replacements offered in Canada are high in protein (which I like), but there are not many meals high in fats. This is mainly due to the legislation.
3. There is only one true meal replacement: Holfood.
4. All companies are small enterprises. There is nothing wrong with this, but the meal replacement companies in Canada are small. This creates the limitations mentioned above, as well as, restrictions in customer service, delivery speed, product R&D…

Thus, if you are looking for keto shakes, or meal replacement bars, you need to look elsewhere.

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What Meal Replacements Are Available in Canada?

List of Available Meal Replacements in Canada

Price is based on their standard version without a subscription. The threshold for free shipping in each Canadian brand varies.

Labels:

• *Means that one of the products is but not all are.
• **Shipping is without import taxes and values are in CAD.
• ***Jake offers free shipping but the total price of the product will increase, because you will have to pay for taxes and brokerage fees.
• ****Free above C$200.
• Varies: It will depend on the size of the order. A good rule of thumb is at least half of the cost of the products.

Meal Replacements That Ship to Canada – Fees

Fortunately, many European brands – as well as some US brands – do ship to Canada. Although, this is not always found and dandy; since there are extra shipping fees often involved.

Not only that, but if your package gets stopped at customs, you might have to pay Canadian import taxes. Consequently, you might end up paying 5-20% of the value of the goods in order to enjoy the items.

European Meal Replacements Available in Canada

Therefore, even if the below mentioned do ship to Canada, be aware of the extra charges this might incur.

After making that clear, here are the meal replacement companies that currently ship to Canada:

• Queal. The Dutch company that offers a wide array of products (4 shakes, a bar and a nootropic supplement).
• Jimmyjoy. Plenny Shake might be the cheapest meal replacement, with little to no sacrifices in nutrition and taste.
• Jake. One more company from the Netherlands that offers a light, a standard and a sport meal replacement, as well as a bar. While they classify it as free shipping, the costs,  a 10.5% import duties, plus a brokerage fee (C$10-26), plus the HST/GST/PST will be included. Thus a product that costs 175CAD in Europe will cost you 214CAD. Not the worst.
• Vitaminfood. Once again a Dutch company that offers a meal replacement powder in 4 different flavours. The shipping costs are 20CAD which seem to include taxes.
• Vitaline. The French brand specializes in more natural meal replacements with organic ingredients.

The South of the Wall, US

Other brands that also venture to the North:

• HLTH code. They provide with natural keto friendly shakes with probiotics and digestive enzymes. Thanks to the USD 20 flat rate, they offer a unique premium shake at a reasonable price.
• BasicallyFood (Old Superbodyfuel). They subsidize orders outside the US, so your shipping will not be much of a problem. They offer powder meal replacements that then you need to add oil or milk to (depending the product). One of the, if not the cheapest option.
• Sated. A brand focused on keto meal replacements. The shipping costs start at $CAD45.

Solutions to Survive the Winter and Believe in Spring

There are temporary fixes that Canadian meal replacement enthusiasts can do:

1. If you are lucky enough to live close to the border, you can cross it and purchase your goods in the US. The border authorities should not put you any trouble when crossing (according to most reports). You will just have to declare it, but you should not be taxed. Nyaddress is a company that might help you getting you a place to ships your orders to, if needed.
2. Befriend someone that is willing to reship the products to you (extra cost).
3. Order from European companies that are willing to ship to Canada and pay the import duties upfront or risk to have to pay them later. According to Queal, only 10-30% of their Canadian customers report that their goods have been taxed.
4. Use reshipping companies (not recommended).
5. Consume local brands to increase demand and promote the proliferation of new businesses.
6. DIY Soylent. Give it a go, it is easier than what you might think.
7. Cry. Just kidding. There is always hope.

Regarding some more permanent fixes, the solutions are more complex. It is clear that the more the companies inquire due to internal and external (consumers) pressure, the more the awareness is going to spread.

As a single individual, you could also inquire the Canadian government about it (via your representative); or promote social campaigns, in Change.org or similar, acquiring signatures for the cause. The cause being a change in the legislation about meal replacements.

FAQ Meal Replacement Shakes in Canada

Latestfuels Recommends: What Is the Best Meal Replacement in Canada?

First of all, I would recommend going local. Not only because you will avoid any unpleasant surprises (extra payments), but because you will force the local industry to grow.

1. Hol Food – Best Shake in Canada

The best option currently in Canada is Hol Food. This Canadian manufacturer has been around for a while and has had its ups and downs. However, they now offer a great-tasting meal replacement shake that provides you with all the necessary nutrients.

Hol Food uses a whey protein and oat-based formula, offering the goodness of a complete protein and the complex carbs from the oats. It’s a simple, yet a great meal replacement shake.

Among its strengths, there are:

• 35g of protein per serving, one of the highest you can get.
• Contains all essential nutrients, good amount of fibres, nicely balanced macros.
• Ships from Canada.
• Affordable, with prices as low as CAD3.00 per 400kcal serving.
• Much improved taste; Rich Chocolate is delicious

However, it does have some drawbacks:

• It’s not vegan-friendly.
• They only offer 2 flavours.

All things considered, I truly enjoyed trying out Hol Food, and I would recommend it to anybody looking for a meal replacement in Canada.

Key Stats

	HLTH Complete Meal
Form	Powder
Energy (kcal)	400
Macros (C/P/F)	45/35/20
Protein (g)	35
Sugar (g)	9
Vegan	No
Flavours	2
Price (CAD)	3.00
All Micronutrients?	Yes

2. HLTH Complete Meal – Best Low Carb

So what if you want a keto shake? Getting good quality keto meals in Canada is not as easy as in the US, but HLTH Complete Meal is the ideal solution.

With only 4g of net carbs, 27g of high-quality fat (olive oil, coconut, MCTs) and 27g of protein per serving; you can get an easy tasty keto shake anywhere. Plus, you will get 50% of your daily vitamins and minerals per serving.

Plus, the Chocolate Macadamia is simply delicious. Make eating keto easy with HLTH shakes.

Unfortunately, HLTH ships from the US, and that means that you will have to pay a flat fee of $CAD20 for every order. I think that it’s worth it, particularly if you make a big purchase once every other month or so. That way you will be able to stock up, use the subscription discount to make the powder cheaper, and avoid the shipping fees.

Key Stats

	HLTH Complete Meal
Form	Powder
Energy (kcal)	400
Macros (C/P/F)	13/27/60
Protein (g)	27
Sugar (g)	2
Vegan	No
Flavours	2
Price (CAD)	4.23
All Micronutrients?	Yes

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3. Soylent Drink – Best Vegan Meal Replacement Shake

As far as Ready-to-Drink meal replacements is concerned, Soylent Drink might be your best option. Both the Cacao and Original flavour are some of the tastiest vegan shakes you can buy in Canada. Sadly, they are a little pricey.

For a more affordable option, you can try their powder, which are also quite easy to drink. They mix well, and they original has a very subtle taste that it’s hard to get bored of. It’s great to use it as a standalone or as a mix with fruits.

If you are looking for a caffeinated kickstart to your mornings, Soylent Cafe Mocha is not a bad option, either.

Key Stats

	Soylent Drink	Soylent Powder
Form	RTD	Powder
Energy (kcal)	400	400
Macros (C/P/F)	33/20/47	37/20/43
Protein (g)	20	20
Sugar (g)	9	16
Vegan	Yes	Yes
Flavours	3	2
Price (CAD)	4.75	2.51
All Micronutrients?	Yes	Yes

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4. BasicallyFood (Superbodyfuel) – Best Variety and Most Affordable

Last but not least, we have BasicallyFood (used to be Superbodyfuel), a US-based company with affordable meal shakes that has been supporting the Canadian meal replacement enthusiast for over half a decade now.

They provide you with 4 different powder options: Boost (cheapest), Build (extra protein), Balance (low carb), and Burn (keto).

For all of them, you will be required to add extra oil or milk to make the shake complete. However, the base powder will provide you with micronutrients, protein and complex carbs. This has 2 advantages, lower base pricing and the ability for you to customize the drink as you wish.

It also means that this is a vegan, gluten-free shake without any allergens, and therefore, can suit most people’s dietary needs.

Besides, you will be able to get up to 6 flavours, therefore making it harder to get bored of the shakes.

Key Stats

	Boost	Build
Form	Powder	Powder
Energy (kcal)	500	650
Macros (C/P/F)	45/20/35	40/30/30
Protein (g)	27	49
Sugar (g)	23	23
Vegan	Yes	Yes
Flavours	7	6
Price (CAD)	1.59	3.18
All Micronutrients?	Yes	Yes

Interesting Resources:

1. Reddit thread about why Soylent is still banned. Many people discuss about the reasons why Soylent is banned in Canada and give different arguments than the ones that appear here. If you type “canada” in r/soylent you will get multiple threads discussing the topic. Outdated

2. Soylent’s FAQ about why is banned in Canada. Outdated

3. Sign in to get to know when Huel Canada will be available. Probably not for a while

4. Labelling laws in Canada. An in-depth PowerPoint on how to label products in Canada.

5. Rules that a meal replacement product needs to comply in order to be legal in Canada.

6. Canadian import rules in goods received by mail or courier.

7. More on Soylent and CFIA interactions. Check page 15 and 16.