USANA Health Sciences is one of the Worlds leading companies in the field of health and nutrition.  Founded by Dr Myron Wentz in 1992, USANA develops and manufactures high quality nutritional supplements, healthy weight management products, and self-preserving personal-care products.

I am no stranger to weight loss supplements and meal replacement shakes, so I was excited when I was asked to try USANA for a review.   The first thing that caught my eye was the Nutrimeal, a meal replacement shake that I received in “French Vanilla.”  Since I drink meal replacement shakes often, I mixed this up the same way I do my “cake batter like” shakes – with Vanilla Silk Milk.  WOW I should have read the instructions that tell you to mix it with WATER – it was soooo thick.   I added water to get it to a better consistency, and I have to tell you… I like it better.

The USANA Nutrimeal was not as sweet as the other shake that I am used to, which I like.   Since I am not really a “sweets” person, I have struggled with replacing two meals a day with what tastes like straight dessert.  I have even reached out to try to find recipes that would give more variety – and only found things that would make them even sweeter, which of course is the opposite of what I was looking for.   I also liked that the USANA Nutrimeals come with more variety – chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, and even orange creme.  Yes you can add things to make the other shakes have a flavor, but not without adding calories and sugars and stuff.  With USANA Nutrimeals mixing with just water, I was also excited to not add additional calories and sugars with the Silk Milk.

The Usana Nutrimeal Shake kept me feeling “full” until after lunch time (which doesnt happen with the “other” shake either), when I decided to just have a Nutrition Bar instead of a full meal – I wasnt hungry enough to cook a full meal.   I had an Oatmeal Raisin Nutrition Bar which I was pretty skeptical about trying.  Besides the fact that I am not a fan of oatmeal raisin, most nutrition bars taste like cardboard.   It was chewy but firm, and had more flavor than most other bars I have tried.   It was also filling – I barely finished it.  My favorite part though was that like the shake, it wasnt overly sweet, so I felt like I was actually EATING, not just indulging in a sweet snack.  It kept me full till dinnertime where I ate a healthy meal and felt very good about my nutrition choices for the day.

I also tried the USANA Essentials Pack which I have been using daily for a full two weeks now.  I am embarrassed to admit that I do not take vitamins daily- mostly because of the zillions of vitamins out there, I do not know which ones are right for me, or even how to find that out.  The USANA Essentials Pack includes a Mega Antioxidant and Chelated Minerals.  This pack continues to be rated as one of the top supplements by the NutriSearch Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements.    I will be honest – I am not even sure what exactly I am taking, but I can tell you that in two weeks I feel like I have more energy and just feel better in general.  We have had some crazy weather – from highs in the 70s to highs in the 40s in the same 48 hours – and I have felt the same regardless.  I used to joke that the weather was a recipe for the Flu, but I have felt great no matter what.   Now, I cant make the claim that it is because of the USANA Essentials… but it is the only thing I have done differently, so you decide.

I will be ordering USANA from now on over the other shake.  The taste, the fact that I was full longer, the fact that I can mix with water and not add the additional sugars with other mixes, and the variety of flavors has me sold.    I am not waiting until January 1 to start my New Years Resolutions.  I am starting right now.

Check out USANA’s full line of products at www.USANA.com