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Diet Supplements

What You Should Know About Meal Replacement

August 31, 2009
By J White

There’s nothing like a hot meal to warm your palates, but there are instances when you just don’t have the time or it’s just too inconvenient to prepare one. This is where meal replacements come to the rescue. These little darlings make it easy to make sure that you are getting the nutrition that you need, plus keeping those hunger gremlins at bay, which increases the likelihood that you will stay on your diet.

And because there are countless varieties to choose from, you need not concern yourself with choice. Your only problem in this matter will be deciding which meal is right for you.

Because there are so many to chose from, you need to become aware of what distinguishes one meal from another. Even though they all have the basic nutritional components in them, the quality and amount will vary.

What to look for when picking out a Meal Replacement

 

Carb Crazy

Some varieties of meal replacements offers tons of carbohydrates with very little protein. Any good meal replacement choice should have at least 15-20 percent of their calories from protein, which many having more.

Sugar or Sucrulose

Make sure to check the label for the type of sweetener used in the meal. High-fructose is found in some brands, though many typically use surculose and/or acesulfame. If real sugar is used, look for glucose as studies have shown that this type of sugar may have less of impact on your metabolism when compared with high-fructose. Also, look out for the amount of sugar included in a serving. Like soft drinks, some meal replacements come stuffed with extra sugar.

Fat Content

Since fat is viewed as the enemy to many people, many manufacturers sell theirs with only trace amounts of fats. However, if you favor a more balanced approach to your macronutrients, try Prolabs Lean Mass. This meal replacement has 40% protein, 40% carbs, and 20% fats. But be forewarned. It also has close to 400 calories in each packet.

Calorie Content

Whether you calories come from solid foods or a shake, if you eat too much, you are going to put on weight. That being said, make sure that you know how many calories you are ingesting. And if you are using a powder and are mixing it with anything else besides water, make sure to count the mixing liquid calories as well.

Fiber

Many meal replacements have on a trace amount of fiber despite the high amount of carbs that some may have. If would you would like some fiber in your meals, two brands that have a decent amount of fiber per serving are Perfect Meal and GNC Lean Shake.

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