OptiSlim in Australia: what a meal costs, and the rule that governs it
OptiSlim sells meal-replacement shakes, bars and soups, with its cheapest very low calorie diet shake working out at $2.14 a meal, read off its own site on 16 September 2026. The part its own shop page does not mention is that Australia's food regulator classes a very low energy diet as a food for special medical purposes, to be used under the supervision of a medical practitioner and dietitian, for no more than twelve weeks as a sole source of nutrition.
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Do you need a doctor to use a VLCD?
Yes, according to the regulator. Food Standards Australia New Zealand sets the rules for what may be sold as a very low energy diet in Australia, and it is unambiguous about how they are meant to be used.
“Very low energy diets (VLED) are food for special medical purposes specially formulated for the dietary management of overweight and obesity.”
“They are to be used under the supervision of a medical practitioner and dietitian.”
“VLED are total diet replacements that can be used as the sole source of nutrition for up to 12 weeks.”
FSANZ also states a VLED is not recommended for people who are pregnant, nursing or lactating, or for infants, children, adolescents and the elderly, other than under medical supervision.
OptiSlim's own VLCD collection page carried none of this when we read it on 16 September 2026: no supervision statement, no contraindications and no duration limit. That is the gap worth knowing about before you order, and it is why the first step here is your GP rather than a checkout.
How much does OptiSlim cost?
List prices on OptiSlim's own VLCD collection page, read on 16 September 2026. Cost per meal is the box price divided by the meals in it, which is the figure worth comparing against anything else you are considering.
| Range | Box | Meals | Per meal | Flavours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VLCD Classic Shake | $44.99 | 21 | $2.14 | 9 |
| VLCD Platinum Shake | $46.99 | 21 | $2.24 | 3 |
Prices can change without notice. View the current pricing on OptiSlim's own site before you commit. Last read 16 September 2026.
What OptiSlim sells
Four lines, read off the brand's own site on 16 September 2026: a VLCD range of meal-replacement shakes, an LCD range, low-calorie snacks including bars and soups, and a wellness range that had not been released. The shakes are sold in 21-meal boxes across nine flavours in the Classic line and three in the Platinum line.
The brand states it was established in 2001. We publish no claim here about how much weight anyone loses on it. OptiSlim makes such claims on its own site; whether any of them apply to you is a question for the practitioner the regulator says should be supervising you.
We earn a commission if you buy through that link, at no extra cost to you. We hold no OptiSlim code. The commission did not stop this page opening with the regulator's view that a doctor and a dietitian should be supervising you.
Common questions
- How much does OptiSlim cost?
- A 21-meal box of OptiSlim VLCD Classic Shake lists at $44.99, which works out at $2.14 a meal. The Platinum shake lists at $46.99 for the same 21 meals, or $2.24 a meal. Both figures were read off OptiSlim's own VLCD collection page on 16 September 2026. Prices change, so check the current figure before you buy.
- Do you need a doctor to use a VLCD?
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand, the regulator, says very low energy diets "are to be used under the supervision of a medical practitioner and dietitian". FSANZ classes them as food for special medical purposes under Standard 2.9.5 of the Food Standards Code, and says they can be used as a sole source of nutrition for up to 12 weeks. OptiSlim's own VLCD collection page carried no supervision statement when we read it on 16 September 2026. Speak to your GP before starting one.
- What is the difference between OptiSlim VLCD and LCD?
- OptiSlim sells both a VLCD (very low calorie diet) range and an LCD (low calorie diet) range, alongside low-calorie snacks such as bars and soups. The VLCD range is the one that falls under the food for special medical purposes rules described above. If you are comparing the two, the regulatory frame is the difference that matters most, not the flavour list.
- Is OptiSlim Australian?
- OptiSlim's own site states the business was established in 2001 and is Australian. We have not independently verified its corporate structure, so treat that as the brand's own statement rather than a checked fact.
- Does Refer Labs earn money from this page?
- Yes, through Commission Factory, if you buy after following our link. We hold no OptiSlim code. The commission did not stop this page telling you the regulator expects a doctor and a dietitian to be supervising you, which is not a sentence that sells shakes.
General information only. Nothing here is medical or dietary advice, or a recommendation that a very low energy diet suits you. Australia's food regulator says these products are to be used under the supervision of a medical practitioner and dietitian. Speak to yours before starting one. Figures were read on 16 September 2026 and can change.
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