What are the Pro’s and Con’s of meal replacement shakes?
Meal Replacement shakes are an interesting topic within themselves, what purpose do they serve, do they meet the criteria and can you actually live off them? Throughout this chapter we’ll try to answer all of these questions in an attempt help you navigate through this never-ending journey of Nutrition Education.
When we talk to clients about exercise or nutrition, the first thing that we discuss is sustainability. Congratulations on completing 3 marathons this week and dropping 10kg but is this something you see yourself being able to achieve long term or will you burn out and return to old habits? Of course, this is an over exaggeration but you get the point? Most people find themselves going through diet after diet when they’re on a weight loss diet but inevitably gain the weight back not long after it finishes, why? Because it wasn’t sustainable and the body finds comfort in the old habits.
Meal Replacement Shakes can definitely fit into the paragraph above! You drink them to lose weight (most of the time) and of course save time making breakfast, lunch or dinner but do you see yourself having a shake or two a day long term? or is this just a way to get rid of a few kilos in the short term? Losing weight requires a change to your diet long term and simply having a shake as a replacement won’t excuse the burger and chips you had for lunch, even if the shake has all the nutrients and vitamins the body has gone without in the precious meal. So if you’re looking at Meal Replacement Shakes you might want to consider the list of Pro’s and Cons below.
Pro’s
Can help you lose weight quicker
Filled with vitamins and nutrients that your body requires
High in protein which is what helps you with weight loss
A number of flavours to suit most peoples palates
Helps you avoid an unhealthy meal
Cons
Some shakes can be very high in sugar (even those specifically set out for weight loss)
Not a long term option
They won’t fix an unhealthy diet
So based on the list above you can see that whilst there’re benefits to having meal replacement shakes, like with anything, there’re also cons. Things to look out for when purchasing a Meal Replacement Shake:
Purchase a shake that is high in protein
Low in sugar
Low in artificial ingredients
Meal Replacement Shakes can be littered with harmful ingredients so you’ll need to keep an eye out if you plan on using it.
An alternative to purchasing Meal Replacement Shakes is to make your own! This way you know exactly what’s in there and your options are endless when it comes to flavours and ingredients! Take a look online for a list of shake options, they’re literally everywhere!
If you were thinking about trying shakes as a weight loss option, we hope these answered some/ if not, all of your questions and helped you make a well informed choice.
Justin Beard Pn1