Australian Hiker

Rating

Real Meals Choco-Shake Review

This is an interesting offering from Real Meals and although this is sold as a ‘youth meal’ but it’s one that will keep adults happy as well. Also in this range is the Real Meals Berry Smoothie and its always hard too work out what makes a smoothie as opposed to a ‘shake’ and the only thing I can think of is the berry smoothie contains actual berries, but otherwise they really are the same thing.

The bonus of a smoothie/shake as a meal on-trail is that you just need to add cold water and once rehydrated it’s ready to eat; no hot water or stove required. Even though you can consume a smoothie at any time of the day, in my case this hits the spot as a lunch, but you choose how you use it.

Water wise the recommendation is to add 200ml and wait 10 minutes and given this is a liquid meal this works out well creating a not-too-thick, not-too-thin shake. Taste wise, from my perspective this shakes rates as one of the best on the outdoor market; it tastes like a good quality chocolate milkshake. In addition this shakes packs a punch with 480 calories and 22.2 grams of protein so it’s particularly useful to consume just after you stop hiking for the day to help rebuild muscle.

Now for the negatives. The packet that I had was nearing its use by date (my fault or not getting to it sooner) and I found that there were some lumpy bits still remaining after stirring it to death both at rehydration and prior to drinking. The end result was still a creamy chocolate shake but I had to finish this off by eating the chunky bits with a spoon. I would expect a packet that wasn’t so close to the use by date wouldn’t have this issue.

At AUD $11.99 RRP this is also the one of the dearest shakes on the market and if you just look at price alone then you may not purchase it and this is where you need to balance what’s on offer. The calorie load combined, with the high protein, and taste puts this shake back in the mix.

The other thing with this meal is that it comes in a standard freeze dried meal packet. So when you rehydrate it you can drink from the packet, but its a bit fiddly so you may be better off pouring it into a cup or mug.

If you are into smoothies and shakes as a meal option then this is definitely a high quality, quick and easy option but only you can decide if this is worth the price.

We Like

• Oh so tasty!
• Very lightweight meal alternative
• High on calories and protein. Very good calorie level to satisfy hungry hikers
• A good size and filling
• Easy to prepare

We Don't Like

• More expensive than other smoothies/shakes on the market but the quality is definitely there

Best Uses

• An easy to prepare meal, loaded with calories and protein for any time of the day

Buy One

You can purchase the Real Meals Choco-Shake from Snowys or from Wild Earth

Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Please note that our affiliations do not influence, in any way, the independence of our reviews. If we don’t like a product, you’ll hear about it from us!

Investment

AUD $11.99 RRP

Real Meals Choco-Shake as purchased

Real Meals Choco-Shake rear of packet

Real Meals Choco-Shake Nutrition and Ingredient panel

Real Meals Choco-Shake packet base folded out

Real Meals Choco-Shake unrehydrated in an open packet

Real Meals Choco-Shake rehydrated and ready to consume

Disclaimer

This review was done with product provided for testing by the Australian distributor of Real Meals

Last updated

21 March 2026

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