Is Yfood Healthy? What Is Really in the Vegan Meal Drink

Yfood promises a complete meal in a bottle, and plenty of people grab one at the office or on the road. We first looked at the drinks in 2022, back then in cooperation with yfood and with a free tasting pack. A lot has happened since: German consumer testers Stiftung Warentest and the Verbraucherzentrale have examined meal drinks, foodwatch nominated yfood for its “Golden Cream Puff” award for misleading marketing, and Nestlé has announced it is taking over the brand completely.

For this update in October 2026 we researched everything again. Our first version was too kind, and we are correcting that here. This article contains affiliate links, including to yfood. If you buy through them we earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

What is yfood, and who owns it?.

Yfood was founded in Munich in 2017 by Benjamin Kremer and Noel Bollmann and became famous through the German version of Dragons’ Den. The slogan “This is Food” is printed in large letters on every bottle, which is why many people search for the drink under that name. According to Nestlé, yfood had sales of around 150 million euros in 2025.

Nestlé bought 49 percent in 2023. In June 2026 the group announced it would acquire the remaining shares. Yfood is to remain a separate brand based in Munich, and the founders are leaving (Nestlé press release). If you prefer to buy from independent companies, that is worth knowing.

Is yfood vegan?

Not all of it. The Vegan range is vegan: Vanilla, Choco, Coffee, Berry and Banana, plus five vegan powders. The Classic and Fruity drinks are based on milk and milk protein, and the bars contain milk chocolate. Check for “Vegan” on the bottle.

What is in a vegan bottle.

This is the nutrition label of Vegan Vanilla per 500 ml bottle, according to the manufacturer (October 2026):

That is better than many people expect: lots of protein and fibre, hardly any sugar, little saturated fat. The milk-based Classic Smooth Vanilla has 23 grams of sugar per bottle by comparison. One catch: most of the fibre comes from isolated fibres, not from whole grains or vegetables. And 1.3 grams of salt is more than a fifth of the recommended daily maximum, in a single meal.

“26 vitamins and minerals” sounds impressive. In practice one bottle covers around a quarter of the daily requirement for each, which is what a meal is supposed to contribute. The Verbraucherzentrale Bremen notes that high percentages are not a quality marker and that very high amounts bring no extra benefit (Verbraucherzentrale Bremen, March 2026).

Is yfood healthy?

The shortest honest answer: it is better than a chocolate bar and worse than a home-cooked meal. Consumer testers come to a similar conclusion.

Stiftung Warentest, Germany’s leading product tester, examined six meal drinks in November 2025, including yfood and Huel. It did not give individual grades. Its verdict: acceptable as an occasional fallback, unsuitable as a permanent or regular replacement for balanced meals (test.de).

The Verbraucherzentrale Bremen, a consumer advice centre, analysed 16 ready-to-drink products from eight brands in March 2026. They averaged 445 kcal and around 21 grams of sugar per bottle, and twelve of the 16 contained sweeteners. Its verdict: handy in individual cases, unsuitable as a permanent replacement, partly because chewing and solid food help with satiety.

foodwatch nominated a milk-based yfood drink for its 2023 award for the most brazen marketing claim, criticising that a bottle sold as a complete meal was essentially milk with water, added vitamins and sweetener. Yfood came second in the public vote (foodwatch, 2023). Yfood rejected the criticism and stressed that its drinks are not diet products. In January 2026 foodwatch also reported that yfood drops from Nutri-Score A to E under the new algorithm, which rates such drinks as beverages.

Then there is the bigger question. Meal drinks like yfood count as ultra-processed foods. In a small, tightly controlled study, people ate around 500 kcal more per day on an ultra-processed diet than on a minimally processed one (Hall et al. 2019, Cell Metabolism), and in observational studies ultra-processed foods are linked with more cardiovascular disease and diabetes (Lane et al. 2024, BMJ). These are associations, not proof against a single product. But they are a reason not to make meal drinks your main source of food.

Is yfood good for weight loss?

The founders themselves say yfood is not a diet product. Studies on meal replacements show why. When meal replacements were part of a weight-loss programme with calorie targets and support, participants lost on average 1.4 kg more after one year than on other diets, and considerably more with intensive support (Astbury et al. 2019, Obesity Reviews). There is no study showing that a single bottle in everyday life helps you lose weight.

Liquid calories also tend to fill you up less than solid ones. In one experiment, people ate less at lunch after a whole apple than after the same amount of apple juice (Flood-Obbagy & Rolls 2009, Appetite). At 500 kcal, a bottle of yfood is a full meal. Drink it on top of your meals and you are more likely to gain weight.

Does yfood need to be refrigerated?

Not when unopened. Yfood keeps without refrigeration, and the manufacturer recommends storing it in a cool, dry place. The best-before date is printed on the bottle. It tastes much better chilled. Once opened, keep it in the fridge and drink it soon.

Price and where to buy.

In the German yfood shop a bottle costs 3.99 euros in a six-pack, 3.39 euros on subscription, and the vegan tasting pack with five bottles 19.95 euros (as of 20 October 2026). Prices in other countries differ. A home-made shake with oats, banana, soy milk and peanut butter costs a fraction of that.

If you want to try it: the vegan tasting pack in the yfood shop.

Our impression from 2022.

In autumn 2022 our team tried the vegan flavours available at the time, with a tasting pack provided free by yfood. The drinks were thick, kept us full for a while and did not taste artificial. We found them handy on travel days and long office days. What we did not put critically enough back then: a bottle is no substitute for a proper meal, and “complete meal” is the manufacturer’s marketing claim, not a tested certification. The recipes have changed since, and we have not done a new taste test.

Vegan alternatives to yfood.

Several brands make fully vegan meal drinks. If independence matters to you, look closely: Huel has also belonged to a corporation since September 2026, namely Danone. Figures from the manufacturers, German prices as of October 2026:

All four brands are fully vegan. Saturo’s former operating company went through insolvency proceedings in 2025, and the shop is now run by a different company.

The cheapest and freshest alternative is still a home-made shake, and if you can plan ahead, home-cooked food in a container is the best fast food there is.

And the animals?.

Most of the yfood range is based on milk. Behind every litre is a cow who has to have a calf every year to keep producing milk. The Vegan range shows it works without, with comparable nutrients and less sugar. So if you do reach for a meal drink, at least the flavour is an easy choice. If you want to understand why many people stop consuming animal products altogether, start with our ranking of the best vegan documentaries.

FAQ about yfood.

Is yfood healthy?

Fine as an occasional meal. The vegan flavours are high in protein and fibre and low in sugar. As a regular replacement for food, German consumer testers consider yfood unsuitable.

Is yfood vegan?

Only the Vegan range: Vanilla, Choco, Coffee, Berry and Banana. The Classic drinks contain milk, the bars milk chocolate.

Is yfood good for weight loss?

Not on its own. The founders say it is not a diet product. In studies, meal replacements only helped as part of a programme with calorie targets. One bottle has 500 kcal.

Does yfood need to be refrigerated?

Not when unopened. Once opened, keep it in the fridge.

Who owns yfood?

Nestlé has held 49 percent since 2023 and announced a full takeover in June 2026. The brand is to continue as a separate company.

Transparency and method.

The first version of this article was written in 2022 in cooperation with yfood, and we received a free tasting pack at the time. There was no cooperation for this October 2026 update. Nutrients, range and prices come from the yfood website as of 20 October 2026. We researched the studies in scientific databases and checked them at the original source. Nobody paid for this article. The yfood links are affiliate links.

This article is not a substitute for dietary advice.