SNEAK EATS Strawberry Meal Repalcement

My Experience

I bought the 1.7kg bag of the Strawberry flavour on sale for £20, which is exceptional value for a product with this kind of formula. The only potential downside to buying in such bulk is being stuck with a flavour you don't like, so the taste is a critical factor.

While this was my first time trying a Sneak meal replacement, I've had my fair share of powders from other brands, and this one clearly aims for the premium end of the market. The formulation is impressive, using a quality base of oat flour, a whey/pea protein blend, and a balanced fat profile that includes flaxseed for omega-3s. Its unique feature is the addition of Brainberry®, a nootropic ingredient intended to support focus. The main drawback in the formula is the use of Maltodextrin as the third ingredient. This high-GI carb provides quick energy but is a primary contributor to the product's overall sweetness.

The powder smells pleasantly of strawberry cream cake, and that's a good indicator of the taste: extremely sweet. The sucralose is very forward. While the strawberry flavour itself is decent and not too artificial, the sweetness is the defining characteristic in every combination.

Taste Test: Water Baseline

For the initial test, I used filtered water as a neutral baseline. The powder mixes well, though as expected from a complex formula, it is not perfectly smooth. There are fine particles suspended in the liquid, likely from the oat and flaxseed, which gives the shake a substantial texture that feels like a proper, complex meal.

Sweetness is the first and most dominant characteristic; the sucralose is clearly working overtime here. Once you get past that initial sweet hit, the strawberry flavour is fairly decent and manages to avoid tasting too artificial. The most interesting feature was small, occasional bits that released a burst of tartness. This was a very welcome touch, and I would have preferred more of these elements to better balance the overall sweetness and make the flavour profile more fruity.

For a baseline test with just water, it is a strong performer.

Rating (with water): 4/5

Taste Test: Whole Milk

Next, I tried the shake with filtered whole milk (Arla Cravendale). It was a bit harder to mix this time, but the resulting texture was undeniably creamier and much more indulgent.

However, this came with a significant downside. The natural sweetness from the milk's lactose amplified the powder's sucralose to an overwhelming level. It became so cloyingly sweet that I could not finish the last 50ml of the drink. While the texture was an improvement over water, the excessive sweetness made the overall experience far less pleasant.

Rating (with whole milk): 2/5

Taste Test: Oat Milk (Barista Blend)

For the third test, I used Califia Farms Oat Barista Blend, which has no added sugar. The powder mixed well and produced a fairly smooth consistency. Like the whole milk version, it was still quite sweet, but thankfully not to the same overwhelming degree. The strawberry flavour remained present, and the fine texture from the oat flour and flaxseed was more noticeable than it was with dairy milk.

Overall, it's a decent combination, but the inherent sweetness of the powder continues to be the dominant characteristic, holding it back from being a top-tier experience.

Rating (with oat milk): 3/5

Taste Test: No Sugar Soya Milk

For the final test, I used Alpro's No Sugars Soya milk. The thickeners in the soya milk made the powder harder to mix, but the final result was a pleasantly thick shake.

Most importantly, this combination successfully dampened the powder's intense sweetness, making it the least sweet and most balanced option of the four. The strawberry flavour was more subdued and less prominent than with water, but it was still present. In a way, this was the opposite of the water baseline: where water delivered a strong, sweet flavour, soya milk delivered a thick texture with a much more controlled sweetness. It's a very nice option for those who find the base powder too sweet.

Rating (with no sugar soya): 4/5