How to Choose Meal Replacements
Choose bars if convenience and feeling satisfied is important., Find a shake if you prefer sipping your calories., Make your own meal replacement., Look for meals with 250 to 350 calories., Find a meal replacement with lots of protein., Go for meal...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Choose bars if convenience and feeling satisfied is important.
You can easily stow away meal replacement bars in your purse or suitcase, and they make a good choice if you value convenience.
Meal replacement bars tend to help you feel more fully satisfied than liquid meal replacement options.You can find meal replacement bars at grocery stores, health stores, or online. -
Step 2: Find a shake if you prefer sipping your calories.
A meal replacement shake is a good option for you if you want to slowly sip a meal.
They’re easily consumed on the go, but are sometimes bulkier and more inconvenient than bars.
Meal replacement shakes come in a variety of forms that might need freezing or refrigeration.
Shakes that are stable at room temperature are the most common variety. , A homemade meal replacement is a great option if you’re looking to save money and know exactly what’s going into your meal replacement.
You can make either bars or shakes at home.Making your own meal replacement will help prevent the monotony that comes with eating the same meal every day.
You can mix up the flavors of the smoothies or bars that you create.
Cooking meal replacements yourself is a creative way to begin understanding what ingredients contribute to healthy eating.
Try your hand at making your own shake with this easy recipe: blend together 1 avocado, 1 cup of spinach, 1 banana, 1 tablespoon (15 g) of natural peanut butter, 1 cup (236 mL) of milk, and 6 ice cubes to make two delicious meal replacement shakes., An important part of choosing a healthy meal replacement option is reading the nutrition label.
Choose a meal replacement that is roughly 250 to 350 calories in total to ensure that you’re getting enough calories to replace your meal., Meal replacements should have a high amount of protein to help keep you full longer.
Look for about 12 to 20 grams of protein per serving.
A meal replacement with an appropriate amount of protein will keep you satisfied for 3 to 4 hours., Meal replacements should contain about 3 to 5 grams of fiber.
Like protein, fiber also helps keep you fuller for longer.You could also have a few veggies or fruit on the side of your meal replacement to boost fiber levels. , Look for meal replacements with about 5 grams of fat per serving or less.
You want to examine the fat content of your meal replacement for healthier fats.
The best meal replacements will have more unsaturated fats, the healthy kind of fat, than saturated fats, the unhealthy kind., Meal replacements should contain a third of your daily recommended dose of vitamins and minerals.You should check to see if the nutrition label has 33% of each of the following:
Vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.The percentage of vitamins and minerals on nutrition labels is usually calculated based on a 2,000 calorie diet. , Since many meal replacements are chocked full of sugar you should look for low sugar levels.
High sugar levels aren’t useful for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.A healthy meal replacement bar won’t have much more than 3 grams of sugar., Replacing one meal a day is enough to make an impact on weight loss.
Because no meal replacement can ever truly replace the benefits of eating a real meal, it’s best to limit their intake to ensure that your diet is well rounded.If you’re only using one meal replacement a day, you’ll have the opportunity to learn how to make healthier choices with your other meals.
Then when you’re eventually not using meal replacements, you’ll know how to make healthy choices for all of your meals.You can only safely replace every meal with meal replacements under the supervision of a doctor who provides you with medical grade products., Because most people eat the same thing for breakfast every day, using your meal replacement at breakfast will reduce the monotony of eating the same meal replacement.If you’re prone to skipping breakfast, use your meal replacement for this meal since breakfast is the foundational meal for long-term weight control.
People who eat breakfast are more likely to lose weight and eat less later in the day, because they start their day with the energy their bodies need., Meal replacements are best for helping you kick off weight loss.
They can teach you portion control by helping you understand how much you should eat.
They’ll also help you lose weight, which is a great motivator to encourage you to want to learn how to eat healthily for every meal.
Learn how to develop healthy eating habits when you’re on meal replacements, so you don’t see the weight pile back on after you’ve gone off of them.Meal replacements aren’t great for long-term use because they’re monotonous, they’re expensive, and they’re not always readily available in real life situations like dining out. -
Step 3: Make your own meal replacement.
-
Step 4: Look for meals with 250 to 350 calories.
-
Step 5: Find a meal replacement with lots of protein.
-
Step 6: Go for meal replacements with fiber.
-
Step 7: Look for replacements that are low in fat.
-
Step 8: Make sure the meal replacement is fortified with vitamins.
-
Step 9: Check for meal replacements that are low in sugar.
-
Step 10: Replace only one meal a day.
-
Step 11: Use a meal replacement at breakfast.
-
Step 12: Use meal replacements for short-term help.
Detailed Guide
You can easily stow away meal replacement bars in your purse or suitcase, and they make a good choice if you value convenience.
Meal replacement bars tend to help you feel more fully satisfied than liquid meal replacement options.You can find meal replacement bars at grocery stores, health stores, or online.
A meal replacement shake is a good option for you if you want to slowly sip a meal.
They’re easily consumed on the go, but are sometimes bulkier and more inconvenient than bars.
Meal replacement shakes come in a variety of forms that might need freezing or refrigeration.
Shakes that are stable at room temperature are the most common variety. , A homemade meal replacement is a great option if you’re looking to save money and know exactly what’s going into your meal replacement.
You can make either bars or shakes at home.Making your own meal replacement will help prevent the monotony that comes with eating the same meal every day.
You can mix up the flavors of the smoothies or bars that you create.
Cooking meal replacements yourself is a creative way to begin understanding what ingredients contribute to healthy eating.
Try your hand at making your own shake with this easy recipe: blend together 1 avocado, 1 cup of spinach, 1 banana, 1 tablespoon (15 g) of natural peanut butter, 1 cup (236 mL) of milk, and 6 ice cubes to make two delicious meal replacement shakes., An important part of choosing a healthy meal replacement option is reading the nutrition label.
Choose a meal replacement that is roughly 250 to 350 calories in total to ensure that you’re getting enough calories to replace your meal., Meal replacements should have a high amount of protein to help keep you full longer.
Look for about 12 to 20 grams of protein per serving.
A meal replacement with an appropriate amount of protein will keep you satisfied for 3 to 4 hours., Meal replacements should contain about 3 to 5 grams of fiber.
Like protein, fiber also helps keep you fuller for longer.You could also have a few veggies or fruit on the side of your meal replacement to boost fiber levels. , Look for meal replacements with about 5 grams of fat per serving or less.
You want to examine the fat content of your meal replacement for healthier fats.
The best meal replacements will have more unsaturated fats, the healthy kind of fat, than saturated fats, the unhealthy kind., Meal replacements should contain a third of your daily recommended dose of vitamins and minerals.You should check to see if the nutrition label has 33% of each of the following:
Vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.The percentage of vitamins and minerals on nutrition labels is usually calculated based on a 2,000 calorie diet. , Since many meal replacements are chocked full of sugar you should look for low sugar levels.
High sugar levels aren’t useful for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.A healthy meal replacement bar won’t have much more than 3 grams of sugar., Replacing one meal a day is enough to make an impact on weight loss.
Because no meal replacement can ever truly replace the benefits of eating a real meal, it’s best to limit their intake to ensure that your diet is well rounded.If you’re only using one meal replacement a day, you’ll have the opportunity to learn how to make healthier choices with your other meals.
Then when you’re eventually not using meal replacements, you’ll know how to make healthy choices for all of your meals.You can only safely replace every meal with meal replacements under the supervision of a doctor who provides you with medical grade products., Because most people eat the same thing for breakfast every day, using your meal replacement at breakfast will reduce the monotony of eating the same meal replacement.If you’re prone to skipping breakfast, use your meal replacement for this meal since breakfast is the foundational meal for long-term weight control.
People who eat breakfast are more likely to lose weight and eat less later in the day, because they start their day with the energy their bodies need., Meal replacements are best for helping you kick off weight loss.
They can teach you portion control by helping you understand how much you should eat.
They’ll also help you lose weight, which is a great motivator to encourage you to want to learn how to eat healthily for every meal.
Learn how to develop healthy eating habits when you’re on meal replacements, so you don’t see the weight pile back on after you’ve gone off of them.Meal replacements aren’t great for long-term use because they’re monotonous, they’re expensive, and they’re not always readily available in real life situations like dining out.
About the Author
Douglas Scott
A seasoned expert in education and learning, Douglas Scott combines 12 years of experience with a passion for teaching. Douglas's guides are known for their clarity and practical value.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: