Rootana Review | Is this The Best Tasting Shake I’ve Tried?

September 5th, 2025

Rootana is my current favorite meal shake, and I didn’t expect to say that. I’ve cycled through a stack of powders over the years, but this one has become the pouch I reach for without thinking. The reason is simple - clean ingredients, no artificial sweeteners, and a flavor that tastes like food, not candy. It fits my day without fuss, keeps me steady, and doesn’t leave that syrupy aftertaste I’ve come to dread.

Taste and texture are spot on. It mixes fast in a shaker - about 10-15 seconds - and comes out smooth with no clumps. With water, it’s mellow and easy. With milk or a milk alternative, it turns creamy and more “meal-like.” I often chill it or add a couple of ice cubes and it hits the spot. No weird tang, no chemical notes, and nothing that lingers after you’re done.

The nutrition profile is balanced in a way that actually feels good an hour later. You get a sensible amount of protein, steady carbs, healthy fats, and real fiber, so you stay full for a while without a crash. I’ve used it as a quick breakfast before a busy morning, as a desk lunch on days packed with calls, and after training when I don’t want a heavy plate of food. In each case, it does the job: I feel satisfied, clear-headed, and not sleepy.

Another win: the label reads like a pantry, not a lab sheet. No artificial sweeteners, preservatives, or fake colors. That choice matters. It’s why the flavor is natural rather than dessert-sweet, and why I can drink it every day without getting bored. It also sits well with my stomach. No bloat, no chalky feel, and no sugar rush that sends you hunting for snacks 30 minutes later.

Practical stuff counts too. The price per serving is fair, especially for a shake that uses real-food ingredients and keeps additives low. It stores well, travels easily, and fits in a routine without any special gear - just a shaker and water. If you want to dress it up, it plays nicely with a shot of espresso, a banana, or a handful of berries, but it doesn’t need extras to taste good.

Why is it my favorite? Because it’s simple, honest, and reliable. It tastes like something you can drink every day, it keeps me full, and it lines up with how I want to eat—straightforward food, no artificial sweeteners, and balanced nutrition. If you want a healthy meal you can use daily without getting sick of it, Rootana is a strong pick that makes sticking to good habits feel easy.

Rootana Review at a Glance

• Ships to: US, UK, Europe
• Price:$3.94/£2.43 for 400kcal serving
• Subscription: Yes, additional 15% discount
• Type: Powder
• Nutritional profile: Vegan
• Allergens: Oats
• Kcal/meal: 400kcal
• User Reviews

Flavors: Dark Chocolate, Vanilla, and Original (unflavored).

Opinion

I’ve known about Rootana since it was launched. The founders asked me what people actually want from a shake - clean labels, real-food ingredients, no artificial sweeteners, and a fair price. After that chat, I stepped away. I didn’t help with the recipe, I didn’t test early batches, and I didn’t sit in on any trials. So the bag I opened at home was my first real go, with no expectations and no bias.

On paper, it ticks a lot of boxes: no artificial sweeteners, plenty of protein, solid carbs and fats, and a sensible price per meal. But shakes live or die on taste and texture, so I kept my mind open until the first sip. I mixed a scoop with cold water, shook for about 20 seconds, and poured it over a couple of ice cubes.

Good news: it tastes clean and natural, not candy-sweet, and there’s no odd aftertaste. The texture is smooth - no grit, no chalky mouthfeel - and it sits light. With milk or a milk alternative, it turns creamier and feels more like a full plate of food. I tried it as a quick breakfast, a desk lunch, and a post-workout meal. Each time it kept me full for a good stretch, which makes sense for a high-fiber, high-protein shake.

It’s not trying to be a dessert shake, and that’s part of the appeal. The flavor is steady and easy to drink every day. My stomach was happy - no bloat, no sugar crash. If you like to tweak your shake, it plays well with a banana, a shot of espresso, or a handful of berries. A blender isn’t required; a shaker works fine. Letting it sit for a minute after shaking makes it a touch thicker, which I liked.

Short take: I was pleasantly surprised. It’s very tasty, very filling, and simple to use. I’ll share more flavor notes and mix tips in the Rootana taste review section.

What I like

1. Well-priced. Rootana is very competitive offer for such a large pouch with a full 400 calorie serving size. Superb price for the quality.

2. High-quality ingredients. Rootana doesn’t just use oat flour, they use the best oats they can get their hands on. They don’t just use flaxseed; they use golden milled flaxseed. That extra attention to detail makes a huge difference.

3. High in fibre.

4. No artificial sweeteners and no stevia. Rootana’s biggest selling point is that unlike almost all meal replacement shakes it is completely free from artificial sweeteners. Using coconut sugars instead of sucralose, or stevia.

5. Completely plant-based.

6. Great taste. Dark Chocolate is one of the best-tasting chocolate meal replacement shakes you can buy.

7. Clean website. I love the info displayed on the site and the layout. The nutrition section is great to get more info about the product.

8. Metal scoop is great. You need to pay £5 for the metal scoop, but it will last you forever and it reduces waste.

What I dislike

1. No subscription option, yet. For regular consumers, subscriptions enable them to have some discounts and also not to have to worry about reordering.

2. Ordering more than 3 bags might be confusing at first.

3. Not gluten-free. It's not a big issue, but it would've been nice.

Improvements

1. Could include probiotics.

2. Bulk discounts or subscriptions for regular customers.

Nutritional Breakdown

Rootana is best described as a well-balanced meal replacement shake. Unlike some of the most popular competitors like Huel Black, it doesn’t go for the extremely high protein approach. Instead, it offers something closer to what most health guidelines suggest. Plus, this is sufficient protein to help with weight maintenance, muscle growth, and recovery. 

It also has a decent amount of healthy fats, and contains 44 grams of low GI carbohydrates, which really helps with satiety and energy levels. All of this within a 400-calorie shake. 

Rootana is well stocked when it comes to micronutrients, containing 24 vitamins and minerals, at 20% of your daily recommended intake per serving. 

Perhaps the biggest difference is that Rootana is completely free from artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and colourings. Thus, making it one of the most natural meal replacement shakes on the market. It is also a soy and lactose-free shake.

Rootana Nutrition Overview

Carbohydrates

Based on 400kcal serving:

• Total Carbs: 44g, 18% of DV.
• Net Carbs: 38.5g, (Total Carbs - Dietary Fiber - Non-digestible Carbs).
• Sugars: 13g, 13% of DV.
• Fiber: 7.1g, 24% of DV.

The main source of carbohydrates in Rootana is oat flour powder. Described as the world’s healthiest functional carbohydrate, oat flour powder is an excellent source of beta-glucan soluble fibre. Oats have been shown to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, lower your cholesterol, reduce inflammation, and help with weight loss. 

This is partly due to their low GI score, partly due to the beta-glucan they provide, and partly due to their ability to improve digestion and gut health. All of these can help with healthy weight management, and improved overall health. 

Rootana also gets some carbohydrates from its Golden milled flaxseed and the coconut sugars that it uses as a natural sweetener.

Added Sugars? Not a Problem

When looking at the nutrition label, some of you might notice that each Rootana serving has 13g of sugar. Most of which come from natural coconut sugar.

While this is often a red flag, in this world filled with extremely processed sugars, 13g of sugars is not that much. In fact, Rootana has chosen to have natural sugars instead of artificial sweeteners, as they believe this is a healthier alternative.

For many, this choice will be a welcome one, as they struggle with the artificial flavour of synthetic sweeteners, and the problems they might cause in their digestion.

Protein

Per 400kcal serving:

• Total Protein: 21g, 40% of DV.
• Source: Pea protein isolate, golden milled flaxseed, oat flour powder.

There are three main sources of protein in Rootana. Pea protein isolate is by far the biggest source, followed by oat flour powder, and then golden milled flaxseed. Pea protein is an excellent plant-based protein source as it has a complete amino acid profile.

It is also an excellent source of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) which play an essential role in muscle protein synthesis.

Fats

Per 400kcal serving:

• Total Fats: 14.3g, 14% of RI.
• Saturated Fats: 5.9g, 30% of DV.
• Omega-3s, ?g.
• Omega-6s: ?g.

The fats in Rootana come from a number of sources. The main sources are sunflower seed oil and sunflower lecithin, but you also get omega-3 fatty acids from the golden milled flaxseed, and the oats and pea protein also provide a small amount of fat.

Personally, I would love them to declare the omega-3 fatty acid content, as these are very important essential oils for your body. Plus, they are often lacking in our diets.

Micronutrients & Other Nutrients

Regarding micronutrient content, Rootana contains 24 vitamins and minerals, each of them providing 20% of your recommended daily intake, except for chloride which is 68% and sodium which is only 12%.

Unlike some other brands, Rootana shakes do not contain any probiotics; which have been a popular addition as of late.

Allergens

There is no soy or lactose in Rootana, and it doesn’t use artificial sweeteners, however, it contains oats which are an allergen for some. Even if oats don't contain any gluten, they are produced in a factory that handles gluten. Thus, Rootana is not gluten-free.

Taste Test

Pro Tip: Adding ice-cold almond milk to your shake can provide a much thicker shake if that’s what you prefer.

More about Rootana

This is one of the newest brands that have entered the complete food market. It's been in the making for a couple of years, but Rootana just launched in 2022.

In this space competition is fierce, but Rootana aims to attract customers with a simple yet, fairly natural formula. They don't use any artificial sweeteners or colourings, and they want to be a healthy and simple alternative for breakfast and lunch.

As with many other meal replacements, Rootana is also an environmentally friendly meal with a very low carbon footprint (see below).

Pricing & Shipping

As previously mentioned, Rootana is only available in the UK and the US.

In both countries, they are fairly affordable, particularly for the quality they offer and what the market prices are.

Pricing

Currently, you can easily purchase:

• Single bag (14 servings) --> £2.43/serving, £33.99 in total. $3.95, $55.24 in total.

While it's nice that you can buy a single bag without compromising on price.

This is perhaps something the company will offer in the future.

Is Rootana Worth the Price?

If you have been reading the review, you will probably know the answer to this question. The answer is yes. It does very well against most direct competitors.

In the US, it's slightly more expensive, but still much cheaper than direct competitors like Shakeology, Ka'chava or LyfeFuel Daily Essentials.

Shipping

Within the UK, Rootana should be delivered within 1 to 3 days. You will qualify for free shipping in orders of 2 bags or more. You cannot buy Rootana on retail stores like Asda, Tesco, or Sainsbury's, but buying online is more convenient.

In the US, shipping takes 3-5 days.

Rootana vs.

Regarding the competition Rootana faces, it must be said it's quite tough.

However, most shakes include some sort of artificial sweeteners or stevia; in order to reduce sugar content. Thus, it's really hard to find naturally sweetened meal replacement shakes in the UK and in the US. Even most artificial sweetener-free shakes include stevia.

Head to Head

Rootana vs Huel Black

One of the main competitors for Rootana will be Huel Black. Huel has multiple meal replacements (bars, powders, RTDs), and Black is their artificial sweetener-free formula.

Nevertheless, as mentioned above, it contains stevia which has a distinctive taste and puts many people off. This is where Rootana can give you a true artificial sweetener-free shake.

On the other hand, Huel Black will have a lot more protein, with almost 40g per serving. For most people, this can be too much protein, and opting for Rootana might be a healthier alternative.

When it comes to taste, I think Rootana's shakes are simply tastier (particularly Vanilla and Chocolate). However, Huel Black has a sublime Salted Caramel, and also offers more flavours in general (8).

Complete 360 vs Rootana

On the contrary, Complete 360 Meal offers vegan and whey-based shakes that contain sucralose (artificial sweeteners). 

It's also packed with more protein than Rootana (30g vs 21g per serving), and includes probiotics and ashwagandha. That said, Rootana will be more suitable for those looking for a more natural shake.

Rootana's Vanilla shake also tastes cleaner and does not have the aftertaste many shakes with artificial sweeteners do. It's also better for prolonged use since the flavours are not as aggressive.

Rootana FAQ

How does Rootana taste?

It tastes great, particularly the vanilla flavor. Cacao is also great, while the original is fairly neutral tasting. All shakes have a wonderful oaty taste, and don’t have that overly sweet aftertaste associated with artificial sweeteners.

Is Rootana Vegan?

Yes, all of the ingredients in Rootana are plant-based, and there are no animal products found in the ingredients list.

Is Rootana gluten-free or organic?

No, Rootana contains oats but it's manufactured in a factory that handles gluten.

Can I use Rootana to lose weight?

Yes, you can use Rootana as part of a calorie deficit diet to lose weight, but it is also possible to use Rootana for weight management or even weight gain. It depends on what else you are eating during the day.

Verdict - Rootana Review

Rootana is a great meal replacement shake for anyone who prefers a more natural product. It is high in protein and fiber, and big in taste. This is a great shake for people who are looking to improve their health or possibly lose weight. It is also a great source of plant-based protein for vegans or vegetarians. 

Furthermore, it is also priced quite competitively, albeit I would love to see some bulk discounts for regular customers.

In general, I think Rootana is a great alternative to Huel Black, particularly since Huel Black has too much protein for most people.

However, there's also room for improvement as Rootana is not gluten-free certified and could also include some probiotics. That said, it still offers great nutritional value.

If you are sick and tired of products that contain sucralose or stevia, then Rootana is the meal replacement shake for you!