It’s a daily occurrence. You’ve been up and about for only three hours, and your stomach starts growling. 

Of course, there’s a solution: preparing yourself a nice, hearty breakfast in the morning. 

The only problem? Your already chaotic mornings — the kid-wrangling and lunch-packing as a mom, or just the getting ready, commuting, and shuttling when you don’t have kids. 

There’s simply no time. 

And so, what’s a truly viable alternative for you? Meal replacement shakes. More specifically, those formulated with collagen for that extra satiating factor. 

How does collagen curb appetite?

For those unfamiliar with collagen, it is the main structural protein that forms the connective tissue throughout your body, from skin to bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. 

So, when you consume collagen as a dietary protein source (through collagen meal replacement shakes), you’ll experience more satiety than eating the same number of calories from carbs or fat. 

Why? 

A 2020 meta-analysis investigating the effect of short-term protein consumption on appetite found that protein intake:

Decreased ghrelin levels (less hunger), coupled with increased GLP-1 levels (more fullness) — that’s a potent satiety-promoting combination. 

Where’s the research?

Penty of studies highlight collagen’s effectiveness in a weight management plan.

In a 2019 study published in Marine Drugs, for example, researchers randomly assigned 90 participants with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 25.6 (category: overweight) to 2 groups:

• Group 1: 2 grams of marine collagen peptides daily
• Group 2: Placebo group 

After 12 weeks, participants who supplemented with marine collagen peptides reported a significant improvement in body fat percentage and body fat mass compared to those in the placebo group. 

A later 2023 study published in Clinical Nutrition Research reported similar findings. 

The researchers randomly assigned 74 participants to 2 groups:

After 12 weeks, the collagen group showed a significant reduction in total body fat mass compared to the placebo group, as evidenced by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) measurements. 

What to look out for in a collagen shake

Not all collagen meal replacement shakes are created equal. Here’s what distinguishes the best from the ‘meh’.

Quantity and quality of collagen

All collagen meal replacement shakes will contain collagen. 

But what you should pay attention to isn’t just the mere presence of collagen but, instead, how much there is and the quality:

Calorie content 

Since collagen meal replacement shakes are designed to promote weight loss, they should be low in calories. (Your overall energy intake is still the primary determinant of your body weight.)

While collagen and other good-quality protein sources should constitute the bulk of your collagen meal replacement shake’s calorie content, it should still feature some healthy fats to keep you full. Fats also:

• Help your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A (important for normal vision and the immune system), D (aids in calcium absorption, which is crucial for strong bones), and E (helps form red blood cells)

Another thing you want to look out for within those calories is added sugar. You want as little as possible — eating too much added sugar has been linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart and liver diseases, and even some types of cancer. 

It’s also bad for your skin; learn more about this unsweet sugar and skin relationship here. 

Dietary fiber

A side effect of replacing foods with meal replacement shakes is decreased dietary fiber intake. 

Unfortunately, that could adversely affect your bowel movements and gut health. 

That’s why your collagen meal replacement shakes should contain dietary fiber — and, in particular, a specific kind known as prebiotic fiber. These pass through your gastrointestinal tract undigested and can stimulate the growth and activity of certain “good” bacteria in your gut microbiome. 

Bonus: prebiotic fiber also slows gastric emptying, promoting satiety. 

Want a collagen shake that ticks all those boxes (and more)?

Um. That’s a long, long list of things to look out for in a collagen meal replacement shake. 

If you’re thinking, “There’s no way I’ll find a collagen shake that’s … all that,” well, we’re here to prove you wrong with The Collagen Co’s Glow Shakes. 

Every serving packs:

• 17.5 grams of hydrolyzed (read: bioactive) collagen peptides, plus 11+ grams of whey and milk protein isolate 
• 5+ grams of gut-nurturing prebiotic fiber
• Fat-burning MCT oil
• Energy-giving green tea extract
• 24 vitamins and minerals