Can a Meal Shake Replace a Regular Meal?
Meal replacement shakes are a popular option for a handful of reasons. They are quick, tasty, often packed full of nutrition and can help support successful weight loss.
But with so many options available, how do you get the benefit of quick and convenient meals on the go whilst ensuring you're not missing out on any important nutrition?
Well, “all shakes aren’t created equal”.
What are Meal Shakes?
Meal shakes are basically a portable, convenient meal-on-the-go that supply a quick and concentrated dose of macro and micronutrients.
In general, most meal replacement shakes provide around 200 to 400 calories per serving along with an array of other nutrients, including protein, fiber, essential fats, vitamins and minerals.
They are designed to simultaneously fill nutritional needs and be used as meal replacements, snacks between meals or a pre or post workout shake. Versatility is their middle name and can be mixed with liquids such as milk, coconut or plain water or even added to smoothies, pancakes and cookies.
Are Meal Shakes Good for you?
Choosing the right product is very important if you want to maximise the benefits of meal replacement shakes. The question as to whether meal shakes are good for you can, in large, be answered by the presence (or absence) of artificial ingredients and the nutritional value they provide.
Artificial ingredients
A key point is that meal shakes should contain natural ingredients from real food, such as nuts, seeds, grains, veggies and herbs.
Depending on the type of shake, you may also find blends with lots of sugar (particularly in those that are highly artificially flavoured) and may appear in different forms including honey, dextrose and high-fructose corn syrup.
These are usually unnecessary and added purely for taste purposes, so instead consider adding your own ingredients such as fresh fruit or our very own SuperBerry or Cacao & Coconut natural flavour boosts.
Nutritional Value
Protein is one of the most important macronutrients for weight loss as it keeps you full and boosts your metabolism.
Many shakes can be low in protein, so choose the one that provides at least 20g of protein per serving.
In terms of micronutrients, look for meal replacement shakes that provide at least a third, or 33%, of the daily recommended intake of vitamins and minerals. You should be able to find this information on the label.
How to Replace Meals with Meal Shakes
Meal shakes can be incorporated seamlessly into anyone’s diet for many different uses. During a busy day (or week, or month...) a nutritious shake can help you feel fuelled and satisfied. Check out how you can add a shake to any part of your day:
Breakfast
You could opt to start your morning with a nutritious breakfast shake or adding a scoop to create a nutritious and filling bowl of porridge, such as this oat and quinoa porridge bowl.
Lunch
Swapping out a heavy carb-filled lunch for a light and nutritious shake can be a great swap for those looking to lose weight.
They can also be super convenient for those on-the-go or travelling around, with minimal time and effort required but with a maximum return on nutrition.
Dinner
Again, you can opt for a lighter dinner by swapping out one of your meals with a shake, or stir in a scoop (if it’s unflavoured, of course!) to a bowl of soup for a protein and nutrient boost.
Snacks
Meal shakes are an excellent snack-swap, and may help you resist the temptation of what may be an unhealthy snack with a drink that contains protein to keep you satisfied until your next meal.
This may help to stave off a three pm hunger attack, in addition to helping reduce cravings and mindless snacking - one of the key components of successful and sustainable weight loss!
Pre or post workout
A shake can give you a dose of energy before or after a workout - which can support both performance and recovery. No matter if you’re looking to tone up, build muscle or lose weight - a post-workout meal shake can help you reach any of these goals.
Dessert
Most people crave something sweet after a meal. Try curbing your sweet cravings by replacing it with a shake, or making it into ‘ice cream’ by blending it with ice and vanilla extract to satisfy those sweet cravings.
Genetically Personalised Meal Shakes
At NGX, we do things a bit differently. We’ve created the world’s first genetically personalised shake that uses results from a DNA nutrition test to bring you completely optimised and personalised nutrition.
Your BodyFuel shake contains 30 essential vitamins and nutrients, personalised precisely to your individual needs identified within your DNA nutrition report. What’s more is that each (35g) meal packs in 27g of lean plant-based protein and just 140cals. It is also suitable for almost any diet including low-FODMAP, keto and vegan diets.
So, you can be assured that replacing a meal with one of our shakes will provide you with all the nutrition you need and include the highest quality natural ingredients sourced only from whole, real foods.
