When we think about a healthy alternative meal and a quick solution when we are too busy to have a proper dish, we usually think about replacement shakes. These products are made for those who want to stay healthy and for those who are interested in shedding some pounds in the long run. However, there are a lot of questions that every person who comes into contact with these products has. Are meal replacement chicks actually good for you? In this article, we’re going to talk about that and we’re going to give you more information if you should use these products daily or if you should try and stay healthy with something else.
What are they?
Source: livescience.com
The first thing we’re going to talk about is what these shakes actually are. First and foremost you need to know that there are so many different brands on the market and some offer better ingredients than others. You need to be aware of what you’re purchasing before you put your money into something because it’s not rare for people to spend their hard-earned cash on something that ends up being just chemicals.
If you’re looking for good products you should check what they contain, and more often than not you should be expecting freeze-dried plants, vitamin and mineral mixes, and nutrients from juice extracts. Don’t forget that they are usually high in protein and don’t forget to check how much fiber they have.
How do shakes do compared to whole food meals?
Source: womenshealthmag.com
Now let’s talk about how they are compared with proper meals and if it’s better to replace any meal that you have with protein shakes. If we try and compare them to a salad, a fast food meal, or of freshly made smoothie that you can make in your home, you will see that there is a huge difference between each and every one of these options.
As you probably imagined, everything is better than eating a nice juicy burger. Even though we all love the taste and even though we all want to indulge in this food every once in a while, you should know that it’s far better to opt for replacement cheek than for any type of fast food. Even if we compare it to pizza or anything similar when we check out the calories, added sugar, sodium, and even saturated fat, we will see that it is far better to have a shake than to have any type of fast food.
When we think about salads, more often than not we want to add some dressing to them, and that is not always necessarily healthy. If you’re eating a salad that does not contain any type of dressing or if it’s just extra virgin olive oil and some balsamic vinegar, this meal is going to be healthier than the protein shakes. Keep in mind that every option can be tweaked and at the same time, there are a lot of different brands of shakes that are way more healthy than others.
Before deciding that you’re going to opt only for homemade meals you need to check what the options are when it comes to healthy ways of replacing these meals. You can view more here if you want to find out what the best options on the market are.
Finally, if we think about the freshly made smoothie, if you choose the best, freshest ingredients any type of homemade smoothie is going to be better than a protein shake. The benefit of protein shakes is that at the end of the day they are going to provide you with almost the same amount of nutrients that are going to be beneficial for your day-to-day life, they are a quick option when you have no time to make the homemade smoothie or the salad, but if you have the option to do the former you definitely should.
Other things you need to be aware of
Source: myfitnesspal.com
Now let’s talk about some of the other things you need to be aware of when choosing which type of meal you need to have. You need to be aware of the fiber that is contained in any of the possible options you have. Adults should have at least 20, no more than 35 grams of fiber per day, and unfortunately, most of us don’t get even half of that.
We need to opt for foods that are high in fiber, and this is all contained in the healthy meals that you can eat every day. There are many brands of protein shakes that offer you the needed fiber in your life, but you need to be aware that if you are taking replacements that have the needed amount of fiber per day, you should be careful about what else you need that day.
You need to keep in mind that you also need vitamins and minerals. No matter what type of fast food you choose, chances are it is not going to contain any of this. Most protein shakes contain a mix of vitamins and minerals that are going to be beneficial for you, and you should choose them over any type of pleasure food. Nevertheless, you should once again check the label that is usually on the back of the package and see if it actually contains the needed nutrients.
Keep in mind that these shakes contain sugar and if you eat all of your desserts per day, if you snack or something, but if you drink at least one shake per day, chances are you’re going to add too much sugar to your diet.
All of this information begs the question, is it better to choose shakes when you’re hungry and when you’re on the go or do you need to always make time for a proper meal? The answer to this is pretty simple, as long as you find the right brand and as long as you are aware of what all of these replacement meals contain, you are free to have them every once in a while. It is definitely not good if you choose to replace all of your meals, every single day with these products, but if you want to lose some weight, and if you want to stay healthy even when you don’t have time, it is good to choose shakes instead of fast food delivery.
