Formula 1 or Protein Drink Mix: which one do you need?
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The short answer: Formula 1 replaces a meal. Protein Drink Mix does not. If you want something to have instead of breakfast or lunch, you want Formula 1. If you already eat your meals and want more protein without more food, you want Protein Drink Mix.
They get confused constantly, and it is easy to see why. Both are vanilla-ish powders, both come in a similar tub, both get mixed with liquid, and both are Herbalife. The difference is not the taste. It is what is inside.
The difference in one table
| Formula 1 Shake Mix | Protein Drink Mix | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A meal replacement | A protein snack, or a booster |
| Replaces a meal? | Yes | No |
| Protein per serving | 18 g (with 250 ml semi-skimmed milk) | 15 g |
| Vitamins & minerals | 26 | 22 |
| Servings per tub | 21 | 21 |
| Serving size | 2 scoops (26 g) | 2 tablespoons (28 g) |
| Mixed with | 250 ml milk | 250 ml water |
| Allergens | Soy and oat | Soy and milk |
| Sugar | Contains fructose | Sugar-free |
What Formula 1 is for
Formula 1 Healthy Meal is built to be a meal. It carries protein, carbohydrates, fibre and 26 key vitamins and minerals, so that when it takes the place of your breakfast or your lunch, you are not simply eating less — you are eating something complete.
It is a meal replacement shake for a calorie-controlled diet. Substituting two of the main daily meals of an energy-restricted diet with meal replacements contributes to weight loss; substituting one contributes to maintaining weight after weight loss.
This is the one most people start with, and it is the one most people stay on. One tub is 21 shakes: about three weeks if you have one a day.
What Protein Drink Mix is for
Protein Drink Mix does a different job. It is not built to replace a meal — it has no carbohydrate load and fewer nutrients — and it is not meant to. It exists for the gap in the afternoon when you are hungry but it is not dinner time, and for people who find they are simply not getting enough protein across the day.
Two tablespoons in cold water gives you 15 g of protein and 22 vitamins and minerals, sugar-free, in about a minute.
Its second use is the more interesting one, and it is the reason a lot of customers end up with both tubs open at once. See below.
Yes, you can use them together — and there is a reason to
Two scoops of Formula 1 with two scoops of Protein Drink Mix and 300 ml of water makes a shake with more protein, less sugar and no dairy than Formula 1 mixed with milk. This is the standard “shake with water” that people mean when they say they make theirs without milk.
If you want that version to be entirely dairy-free, use the Vegan Protein Drink Mix rather than the standard one, which contains milk.
And Formula 3? That is a third thing again
Formula 3 Personalised Protein Powder is not a drink. It is a neutral, almost tasteless powder that you stir into whatever you are already eating — a shake, a smoothie, a soup, a sauce. One tablespoon adds 5 g of protein and 23 calories, and a tub holds 40 servings.
If Protein Drink Mix is a snack, Formula 3 is an ingredient. Choose it when you do not want another drink in your day, you just want more protein in the food you already have.
What each one costs per serving
| Tub | Servings | Per serving | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formula 1 Shake Mix | £32.90 | 21 | about £1.57 |
| Protein Drink Mix | £38.90 | 21 | about £1.85 |
| Formula 3 Protein Powder | £29.65 | 40 | about £0.74 |
Milk or water is on top of that. These are our current prices, all below Herbalife’s list price.
Still not sure? Pick the line that sounds like you
- “I want to skip breakfast but not skip breakfast.” → Formula 1
- “I am starving at four in the afternoon.” → Protein Drink Mix
- “I already have Formula 1 and want more protein in it.” → Protein Drink Mix, stirred in
- “I want my shake without dairy.” → Formula 1 with Vegan Protein Drink Mix and water
- “I do not want another drink, I just want more protein.” → Formula 3
- “I am starting from scratch and want the lot.” → a Breakfast Wellness or Body Goals pack
Common questions
Is Protein Drink Mix a cheaper Formula 1?
No, and it is not cheaper either. It costs more per serving and it does a different job. If you buy Protein Drink Mix expecting it to replace your lunch, you will be hungry.
Can I have Formula 1 twice a day?
Yes. Substituting two of the main daily meals of an energy-restricted diet with meal replacements contributes to weight loss. One tub then lasts around ten days rather than three weeks.
Which has more protein?
Formula 1 does, at 18 g per serving when made with 250 ml of semi-skimmed milk, against 15 g for Protein Drink Mix. Made with water alone, Formula 1 has less — which is exactly why people add Protein Drink Mix to it.
I am vegan. Which of these can I have?
Formula 1 Shake Mix is made with vegan-sourced ingredients, though it contains soy and oat, and you would need to mix it with a plant milk or with water rather than dairy. The standard Protein Drink Mix and Formula 3 both contain milk. You can also browse everything whose label states it is suitable for vegans in our vegan range.
Do I need a coach or a membership to buy any of this?
No. You order here the same way you would from any other shop. If you would like a hand choosing, write to info@herbalstoreuk.com.
Enjoy these products within a balanced and varied diet, as part of a healthy, active lifestyle. HerbalStoreUK is operated by an Independent Herbalife Member. Orders are fulfilled through the official Herbalife UK distribution network. This site is not the official Herbalife website.