Meal replacement shakes are a great idea for those who want to lose weight and add protein to their diets. They have been around for quite some time, but now there are so many choices out there it can be overwhelming at times.
These shakes are literally just shaken that are meant to replace a meal or a portion of a meal. These shakes come in many different flavors and types, but most of them have about 200 calories and about 20 grams of protein per serving. Some people will use them daily as part of their diet planning, while others may only use them once in a while when they’re in a pinch or traveling and don’t have time to eat something wholesome.
Why use one?
Well, if you aren’t getting enough protein in your diet, meal replacement shakes can help with that as well as make you feel fuller longer because the fiber will act as an appetite suppressant. They also usually contain vitamins and minerals that you need throughout the day.
Things to Know About Meal Replacement Shakes
These shakes come in a variety of flavors, textures, and brands. They also vary greatly on the sugar content (some only have 2 grams of sugar per serving), which is an important factor to consider.
These shakes can be high or low in protein, depending on what your goal is (if you’re trying to bulk up, you’ll want a higher-protein shake; if you’re trying to lose weight but maintain muscle mass, you’ll need a lower-protein shake).
Additionally, some shakes are high in vitamins and minerals while others are not. There are many different kinds of meal replacement shakes available, liquid, powder blendable with water or milk and each one will vary depending on the brand.
Nutritional Breakdown of Meal Replacement Shakes
Your most important nutritional consideration when picking a meal replacement shake should be the number of calories and protein in the shake. If your goal is weight loss, you will want to make sure that each serving contains between 150-200 calories and at least 10g protein.
If you are looking for more nutrition in your meal replacement shake, it won’t hurt to have more calories or protein. Whatever amount of calories or protein you prefer, make sure that it fits into your daily diet plan. In addition to paying attention to these nutritional components, look for fiber and healthy fats. This can help keep you full for longer periods of time.
Also, look for vitamins and minerals which will not only provide additional health benefits but also add flavor without many extra calories.
When scanning the list of ingredients on the label, take note of artificial flavors and sweeteners like aspartame. While this ingredient is generally well-tolerated by most people, many users report headaches after consuming products with aspartame so it’s best just to avoid this additive if possible.
Other additives like soy lecithin may not be harmful but they are unnecessary ingredients that are added simply to extend shelf life or improve consistency.
Benefits of Meal Replacement Shakes
Meal replacement shakes can have a variety of benefits depending on your fitness goals. If you’re looking to lose weight, they can help you create a caloric deficit by replacing some meals with lower-calorie shakes.
If you’re trying to gain weight, they can help you increase your daily caloric intake through protein shakes that pack more calories and nutrients per serving than regular foods. For those who want to maintain their current weight, meal replacement shakes are the perfect tool for creating consistency in the number of calories consumed each day so that you don’t deviate from your maintenance calories either above or below.
Meal replacement shake users also often report feeling fuller for longer than when they eat regular food due to the higher volume of liquid satiating their hunger.
Replacing a meal with one of these shakes can be great for your weight loss.
If you are trying to lose weight, replacing a meal with one of these shakes can be great for your weight loss. These shakes help with weight loss in a number of different ways:
- They reduce calorie intake. One of the easiest ways to lose weight is to consume fewer calories than you burn. If a shake has only 120 calories and you burn 2,000 calories per day, then drinking that shake means that you have consumed 1,880 total calories by the end of the day, a significant reduction from what you would eat if the meal had been solid food.
- They reduce appetite. This is another way in which meal replacement shakes make it easier to lose weight, they make it so that you are hungrier less often, and they do this both by filling up your stomach (literally) and also by giving your body everything it needs nutritionally, which means that there’s less room for junk food cravings down the line.
- They increase metabolism. There are ingredients in these drinks that may help boost metabolism for some people (including those who struggle with slow metabolisms), which helps keep your body’s calorie-burning processes working efficiently.