Purition Review: Complete Focus on Natural Shakes

This Purition review is an insight to one of the most unique meal replacement brands. Purition provides you with arguably some of the least processed shakes in the market. The UK based company believes that “nothing beats real food” and have taken this almost to the extreme. A brand which shakes are composed by chia seeds, nuts and protein mostly. The result is a very seedy shake available in multiple flavours, all without any additives or synthetic ingredients. All of these delivered in style and correctly priced.

• From:

• Ships to: World
• Price:£2.83/400kcal
• Subscription:
• Type:Powder
• Nutrition:Vegan*, GF, NGMO
• Allergens: Almonds, Sesame

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Flavours: Chocolate Orange, Macadamia & Vanilla, Chocolate, Coffee & Walnut, Strawberry, Coconut, Almond, Pistachio, Unflavoured, Vanilla, Hemp Chocolate, Hemp Original and Blackcurrant. Notice that some of these might be exclusive to the vegan shakes or to the original ones.

When I was approached by Purition, I was warned that they were slightly different to the products I usually reviewed. “Small meal, Real Food, Avoid Ultra Processing, and proud of the natural ingredients” were the words used to describe it. Even before having tried their products, I had to respectfully disagree; since their objective was very similar to any meal replacement I have tried: to offer a convenient, more complete and healthy alternative to “standard” foods.

I do however agree, that Purition falls into the niche of consumers that want real-food based products, and try to avoid any synthetic additives or processed foods. For those who value complete nutrition and ultimate convenience, Purition might not be it.

What I like

1. Tons of natural flavours to choose from. There are very few, if any, brands that offer so much variety: more than 10 flavours. All of which are not from artificial flavourings, but from food.

2. Strong advocates for real food. Whether you agree or not with their philosophy, I admire the degree in which they support natural shakes. Arguably, they have the least processed meal replacement shakes I have tried.

3. Natural taste. Similarly to Vitaline, their shakes might taste flat to those used to artificial flavourings and sweeteners. However, the lack of them really enhances the natural flavours of the seeds and nuts.

4. Low sugar, low sodium, gluten-free. Purition meals are quite healthy for most standards.

5. Lovely taster pack. The discovery box is awesome, a way to freely try any flavour that you might want. Plus, you can choose from both variations at a reasonable price. The packaging in which it comes is also great.

6. Vegetarian and vegan alternatives. I always love having the chance to choose which protein (plant-based vs dairy) I want to consume.

7. Good shipping terms to both EU and North America. Shipping to the UK is free, shipping in Europe costs less than €8 and shipping to the US is free after $66. They even ship to Canada!

What I dislike

1. Fails to deliver all the vitamins and minerals. I understand that this is part of their core philosophy, but not being a complete meal, you will have to supplement them through your diet.

2. You need milk to enhance the shakes and if you have a blender even better. Simply mixing them with water does not work as well as with other shakes, and flavours fall flat. Both adding milk and blending it properly really adds to the experience.

3. Price. I must admit that they feel rightly price for what the shakes are, but when looking at other meal replacements you will end up paying an extra quid or two per meal. Note that this won’t be the case against more direct competitors (real food based shakes).

4. No subscription option. Not being able to subscribe and save some money feels bad. It would be great if there were loyalty rewards.

5. Only one macronutrient profile. Purition shakes only come in low-carb, high fat macronutrient split. It is true that you can add milk to change it, but I would like to see some other options.

Improvements

1. More micronutrients. I like that they aim to provide all your nutrients from real food, but the client should have the option to get all of them, not only some.

2. Bars?It would be great to see a more portable options, since the shakes are meant to be blended and consumed on the spot..

Purition meal replacement shakes are the definition of natural tasting shakes. The overarching theme in all the different flavours is a very seed and nut heavy taste. Particularly noticeable are the chia seeds and the almonds, in which you can chew on. Despite this being slightly unusual in meal replacement shakes, it is a fairly enjoyable experience.

One thing to remark, before going into the different flavours is that Purition shakes might feel flat at first, if you are used to heavily flavoured artificial shakes. However, once you get used to them, you learn to enjoy the complexity and taste each ingredient.

Tip: Adding milk really helps, as opposed to drinking them with plain water. Also, if you blend them, I recommend consuming them soon after.

Purition Vegan vs Purition Original, Which Tastes Better?

In all honesty, prior to trying the shakes, I expected there would be a bigger difference between them. I say so, since the choice of protein is a big factor in the underlying taste of the shake. For instance, whey based shakes will be more milky.

However, the difference between them wasn’t as evident as I thought it would be and both variations (of the same flavour) were fairly similar beween each other.

Furthermore, if something, I must admit that I enjoyed the plant-based formula more, contrary to my usual inclinations.

Which Purition Flavour is Best?

From the flavours that I tried, I really enjoyed the Vegan Cocoa, Pistachio and Walnuts & Coffee. In both Pistachio and Walnut, you can actually taste the nuts, which I really enjoyed. However, I must warn you that Walnut & Coffee is like having an espresso shot (strong coffee bean taste).

On the “negative” side, I found Strawberry and Blackcurrant a little disappointing. I was hoping for a more punchy shake, and the truth is that the seeds overpowered the fruits.

If I had to choose 6 for my discovery box, they would be:

• Vegan Cocoa
• Pistachio
• Walnut & Coffee
• Macadamia & Vanilla
• Chocolate Orange
• Almond

Preparing Purition

The guys from Purition strongly recommend blending your shakes using a blender instead of using a shaker:

We are not refined powders and we do not add emulsifiers so we do not dilute in water or easily turn into a shake by adding water and shaking.

Alan Bird, from Purition.

In my experience, I found out that you can use a shaker and it mixes, but the seeds tend to precipitate. Thus, you will have to shake every time you sip your drink. It is also true that when I blended it, the shake was a little nicer.

On top of that, as stated above, I strongly recommend adding milk instead of water. Plus, since you are already blending everything, you can easily add a Banana or some fresh fruit to boost it.

I recommend you looking at the excellent recipes page if you are short in ideas.

Purition is a brand based in the United Kingdom that specializes in real food based shakes. As such, they avoid ultra processed ingredients, synthetic vitamins and minerals, or artificial emulsifiers. Their shakes are mostly based in seeds and nuts, which is reflected in the taste and nutritional profile. This is, their meal replacement shakes are mostly lower in carbs, while higher in fats and protein than other brands. In fact, Purition shakes can be used as part of a ketogenic diet.

Regarding the shakes that Purition offers they can be classified in two groups: vegan and original. As the names suggest, the first is a dairy free shake; and the second includes whey as protein source, hence is not fully plant based.

Purition Original

• Meal Replacement
• Powder
• 200kcal/meal
• 10C/35P/55F % of Energy from
• 2.9g of sugar/2.8g of saturated fats per meal.
• Price without subscription: $6.66/400kcal
• Starting Price: £3.83/400kcal
• Lowest: £2.83/400kcal
• Milk, Almonds, Sesame

Purition Vegan

• Meal Replacement
• Powder
• 200kcal/meal
• 13C/32P/55F % of Energy from
• 2.5g of sugar/2.9g of saturated fats per meal.
• Starting Price: £3.83/400kcal
• Lowest: £2.83/400kcal
• Almonds, Sesame

Be aware that each flavour has slightly different nutritional profile, thus I recommend you looking at the nutrition sheet for the exact values. The variation is mostly in the sugar content, some having lower than 2g per serving. Also, while the price is displayed for 400kcal, each recommended serving is only around 180-200kcal.

In fact, Purition advices to add some milk, or plant-based alternatives, as well as fruits, nuts or spices to add some calories to their shakes. Notice that this is not necessary though, since they already have plenty of nutrients.

Purition Taster Packs

As seen in the image above, one thing Purition can boost about is the amount of flavours that they offer. From having tried them, I can tell you that each is unique and different. In fact, I think most are worth trying out, before deciding which one you will like best.

As such, I believe that discovery box might be one of the best ways to start with Purition. You can choose 6 flavours from both Original and Vegan options and try them for just £12.96.

I got two of these to review, and I must say it was tons of fun.

I want to remind you that Purition uses two formulas: vegan and original. Therefore, the protein source will differ in both. However, besides that, the two have a very similar base: a nut and seed based mix with some protein and added fibre. All from real food ingredients, non-GMO, soy-free, no synthetic additives and no added sugars.

Ingredients (Original): Whey Protein Isolate MILK, Golden linseed (flax), Sunflower Kernels, Orange (freeze dried) (6%), ALMONDS, Coconut (sulfate free), Chia Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, SESAME Seeds, Cocoa (4%), Nutritional Yeast (B-vits), Psyllium Husk (fibre), Apple Pectin (fibre), Steviol Glycosides (Stevia).

Ingredients (Vegan): Proprietary Vegan Protein Blend (Pea, Rice and Hemp protein blend), Golden Flaxseed, Sunflower Kernels, Coconut (sulfate free), ALMONDS, Orange (Freeze Dried) (6.5%), Cocoa (4.5%), Chia Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, SESAME Seeds, Nutritional Yeast (B-vits), Psyllium Husk (fibre), Apple Pectin (fibre), Steviol Glycosides (Stevia).

As mentioned previously, the exact values will vary depending on the flavour and the variation you choose.

Carbohydrates

Per 40g serving:

The total carbs are displayed without taking the fibre into account, that is why they are so low. Despite that, it needs to be said that there are very few carbohydrates and sugars in Purition shakes. This can be seen in the lack of any proper carb source in the ingredient list (oats, maltodextrin, buckwheat, wheat etc.).

In fact, most of the carbohydrates are from almonds and seeds, which are mainly fat. This is, just a side consequence of using the seeds.

Because of the lack of carbs, Purition adds psyllium husk to the shakes, as a source of fibre. Consequently, the Purition drinks are actually really high, with over half of the recommended per serving.

Fats

Per 40g serving:

Rich in Fats, But Well Rounded

There’s no denying that Purition is richer in fats that your average meal. 55% of the energy per shake comes from fats, which is 15% higher than the recommended by health guidelines. However, the quality and the balance of the fatty acids in Purition is very high.

Two factors to look out for are the omega-3/6 ratio to be between 1 to 1 and 1 to 4; and the mix to be rich in MUFAs and PUFAs. The omega-3 in Purition comes from flax in as alpha-Linolenic acid (ALA), an essential fatty acid (your body can’t make it). ALA is necessary to synthesize eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). EPA and DHA have important roles in the immune system and protecting proper brain functions.

The lack of any trans-fatty acids or hydrogenated oils (due to not having any processed oils) is also very positive.

Protein

Per 40g serving:

Each variation has its own protein source. On one side, Purition original uses whey protein isolate, one of the purest forms of complete protein. On the other side, the dairy-free equivalent normally contains Purition’s proprietary vegan blend composed of pea, rice and hemp protein. Interestingly, they also have hemp protein concentrate only formula.

Either way, the reasoning for the blend in the vegan shakes is to provide you with a complete amino acid profile. Pea and rice protein are often paired (e.g. Huel) together in order to do so, but hemp is a curious addition.

Hemp Protein, A Promising Source

Opinions about help protein are mixed. While some research shows a complete amino acid profile; there are reports saying that it might be low in lysine (House et al., 2010; and Tang et al., 2006). More interestingly, hemp protein powder seems to have high digestibility, particularly when its made from cold-pressed seeds. In fact, Purition shakes use hemp protein obtained through this method.

Taking everything into consideration, it must be said that both Purition shake options will provide you with a great source of protein. This applies to both % of protein per meal; and, the quality of them.

Micronutrients

Regarding the vitamin and mineral content of Purition shakes, it must be considered that they do not add any from synthetic sources. Thus, unlike most meal replacements reviewed in this page, it does not come with all the micronutrients that you need per meal.

Displayed in the table below, you can observe the micronutrients that you get per 40g serving. To be complete, each serving should provide you with at least 10% of each. Some of the micronutrients not present include vitamin A, vitamin C, iodine etc.

Despite this criticism, it must be said that the shakes are fairly rich in micronutrients when compared to most food or shakes (protein shakes, for instance).

Allergens

Purition Original contains milk, almonds and sesame. On the other hand, Purition Vegan only contains almonds and milk.

As part of the review, I like to convey the spirit of the brand. This is not always easy or something that I succeed on doing, though. When it comes to Purition, they are a fairly unique brand that believes in the goodness of real food ingredients, as opposed to more processed, synthetic alternatives.

Nothing beats real food and the natural nutrition it contains, when it comes to supporting your healthy eating goals.

Purition website.

Packaging

There are two different Purition bags: the single servings (provided in the samples or the discovery box) and the 12 meal bags (500g). The latter is the one that I would recommend buying, once you’ve decided which flavours you like.

Pricing & Shipping

Regarding the price, Purition is not the cheapest meal replacement you will find, but it is priced similarly to other real food based shakes. These tend to be more expensive, due to the quality of the prime ingredients and the variety that they usually use.

• The starting price for Purition (one bag of 500g) is £22.95; which means that each serving costs £1.91.
• However, you can lower the price when purchasing more than 3 bags to £16.65 per bag, this is, £1.39 per serving.

When it comes to shipping, Purition is has surprisingly good rates.

• Free UK delivery.
• About £6.00 to deliver to Europe.
• Also delivers to Canada for £10 (very reasonable).
• Shipping to the US starts at $10, and free shipping in orders above $66! However, you need to access through Purition.com instead of .co.uk.

Truth be told, there aren’t many meal replacement shakes with a similar philosophy to Purition. I have covered my favourites at the best natural and organic meal replacements piece; but brands like Ample, Bertrand or Ambronite are the ones that come the closest.

• Purition vs Ample V (US).
• Ambronite vs Purition.

Ample V Vs Purition (US)

The US based brand Ample has a similar philosophy to Purition. They favour real food based ingredients, and they make all natural shakes. Similarly, they share the vision of low carb, high fat shakes, and they even have one of the best ketogenic shakes.

Flavours

Purition: Chocolate Orange, Macadamia & Vanilla, Chocolate, Coffee & Walnut, Strawberry, Coconut, Almond, Pistachio, Unflavoured, Vanilla, Hemp Chocolate, Hemp Original and Blackcurrant. Notice that some of these might be exclusive to the dairy-free shakes or to the original ones.

Ample V: Berry.

Ample also has their Original blend, and a Ketogenic blend (available in Chocolate flavour too).

Price

The price in Ample will depend on the format you buy (400kcal or 600kcal bottles, or bulk packages).

Nutrition

Purition shakes are usually higher in protein than Ample’s, and they use hemp, an ingredient that the US brand doesn’t. Another point of distinction is that Ample tends to add MCTs, and that is reflected in the higher saturated fatty acid content.

They both lack of any synthetic vitamins and minerals; which means that neither delivers all the micronutrients that you need.

What Should I Buy?

Ambronite Vs Purition

Ambronite is a Finish brand that manufactures plant based shakes, also using real food ingredients. They have 3 different formulas, including a ketogenic shake.

Flavours

Purition: Chocolate Orange, Macadamia & Vanilla, Chocolate, Coffee & Walnut, Strawberry, Coconut, Almond, Pistachio, Unflavoured, Vanilla, Hemp Chocolate, Hemp Original and Blackcurrant. Notice that some of these might be exclusive to the dairy-free shakes or to the original ones.

Ambronite: Original, Banana, Berry, Chocolate and Vanilla.

Price

Not all the Ambronite powders are priced equally. Check the review for full details.

Nutrition

I have taken Ambronite CMS as reference, but they also have Balanced and Keto Meal Shakes (which are slightly different).

The main difference, besides the macronutrient split, is that CMS delivers you with all the vitamins and minerals from natural sources, whereas Purition fails to do so.

Besides that, it is also worth noting that Ambronite products tend to have more sugar, partially from fruits (berries, apple etc) and in some shakes from organic coconut sugar.

What Should I Buy?

Verdict

As repeated multiple times during this review, Purition is a brand that brings you some of the most natural shakes in the market. The lack of any emulsifiers, synthetic additives (like vitamins and minerals), or ultra-processed ingredients, together the sole reliance of food to provide you with the nutrients makes this clear.

Consequently, the freshness and rawness of the shakes can be identified in the taste; a very natural, neutral and pure shake. One where you can taste the individual ingredients, particularly the seeds and the nuts. For instance, in the Pistachio flavour you can actually taste them, instead of an artificial flavouring.

However, this approach also comes with some shortcomings. For once, I feel that the shakes rely too heavily on adding milk and blending them to gain an extra “punch” – with water they taste flat. It does also fail to deliver all the vitamins and minerals, despite being rich in most of them.

In summary, I think Purition is a fantastic brand to buy from if you value getting your nutrients from food, and despise how meal replacement shakes can taste artificial. However, if you value completeness (getting all the nutrients) and portability, mayhap won’t be for you.

Purition

From £2.83/400kcal

4.05

Nutrition

4.0/5

Taste

4.3/5

Texture

4.0/5

Price

4.0/5

Pros

• Most natural, least processed shakes in the market.
• Tons of flavours to choose from.
• No artificial flavourings, sweeteners, synthetic additives or similar.
• Vegetarian and vegan shakes.
• Dairy free, gluten-free, low in sugar and low in sodium.

Cons

• Much better taste when you mix them with milk, and blend them.
• Does not provide with all micronutrients.
• Not the cheapest.