A meal replacement shake can be a great option to replace a meal with, especially if you wish to control your weight and have a diverse diet. Still, not all the shakes available on the market are suitable as well. To your surprise, very many contain a high amount of sugars and flavors, and very few fibers or vitamins, making their nutritional value very low. Thus, to come to your aid and support you in the process of choosing the most suitable and healthy meal replacement shakes, here are some valuable pieces of advice. Remember that your health and well-being are at stake, so don’t make any compromise when it comes to meal replacement shakes, since they have a crucial task, and that is to offer the value of a meal.
There are many types of meal replacement shakes that serve different purposes. Some are for body builders, so they will have a higher amount of protein, to sustain their constant physical effort. Also, there are shakes that promote weight loss, having a greater amount of fiber and low fats and sugar. The point is that a meal replacement shake should be a healthy version of you meal, meaning that it should contain a balanced amount of fibers, minerals, vitamins, and a good ration of carbs and proteins. Practically, it should give you enough energy to get you through the day, without endangering your purpose.
It is crucial to do research about meal replacement shakes before buying one. As mentioned before, some are filled with unhealthy ingredients, which is not what a meal replacement shake should be. This is not a sweet and soft drink, so it may not have the most heavenly taste, but it should provide your body with all the right stuff. So read customers reviews about particular meal replacement shakes and see what they have to say about them. Try not to get caught by any flashy commercial, trying to sell you an awesome product. You need to see first what experiences others had with them and if they are satisfied with what they got. Check out all our reviews of the most popular meal replacement shakes on the planet.
Even if you made it to the shop shelves, don’t toss a meal replacement shake in your shopping cart and continue your shopping. Take a good look at the ingredients list. They should have a lot of natural ingredients you can read and understand, like vegetable fibers, vegetable proteins, carbs and many minerals and vitamins. They should also have a low content of fats, and they should come from animals. And do be careful of the content of sugar or other sweeteners. Unfortunately, some companies that claim to make meal replacement shakes opt for making them taste delicious, but without giving you any benefits for health. Thus, when you think you are enjoying a tasty but healthy drink, you are actually drinking a lot of sugar.
Sucralose, or Splenda, aspartame, and acesulfame-k are all sweeteners used in various meal replacement shakes, instead of sugar, but they are just artificial products. Also, instead of sugar you may find sucrose, glucose, refined sugars, dextrose, cane sugar, molasses, processed honey, brown sugar, even evaporated cane juice and high fructose corn syrup. Keep in mind that fructose is safe to be consumed, but only in small amounts, and the ones that are low glycemic. Also, avoid shakes with soy protein. You may think it is a good idea to take proteins out of soy, but regarding that most soy is genetically modified, it can produce a broad range of severe health issues. Read more about The Danger of Soy on one of our other blog article.
There are many people that are intolerant or have an allergic reaction to a particular food. So, if you are not aware of having any specific food intolerances, it is still advisable to be careful when you start introducing them in your body. When beginning to consume them, be careful at any sign that may indicate that there is a problem with your new food. Nausea, stomach issues, headaches, or any symptoms that will not make you feel right may indicate the fact that the shake is not suitable for you. You either switch to another brand or just stop using the product. The best way to figure out what is wrong is by talking to your doctor and taking some medical exams. Maybe an one specific ingredient is causing you all the trouble. Thus, it is advisable to get a smaller quantity in the beginning and see how it goes with that particular shake.
Regardless of that type of shake you chose to use, remember that their purpose is. They are meal replacement shakes, so they should replace a meal, or maximum two. You should not start consuming only shakes and neglect your real meals. Also, some shakes will keep your belly full for a longer period, helping you not to feel the need to have additional food or snacks. Thus, this type of shakes are usually best consumed in the morning, or at noon, to give you a boost through the day. So don’t make them a regular meal, because it is not the healthy way to diet. And don’t forget to add fresh fruits and vegetables when consuming shakes. It is never a bad idea to supplement your meal replacement shakes with fresh foods like these.
So as you can see, picking a meal replacement shake is not as easy, even if it represents an excellent idea to get all you need from a meal when you have a busy schedule. Always remember that it is your health at stake, so don’t make any compromises. Cheap meal replacement shakes may not provide you with everything you need, so, for your well-being, it would be best to invest in shakes that cost a bit more, to make sure that their content is valuable. Still, be very careful to avoid fake healthy products.
