In this era of health awareness and fitness influencers, the trend of meal replacement shakes has also been on the rise. You may have seen your favorite influencer or fitness instructor post fitness shakes on their social media.
They take it in the morning when they wake up or right before they work out. It all depends on what they take their meal replacement shakes for.
But what exactly is a meal replacement shake? We’re here to help you get to know what exactly these shakes do, what the best meal replacement shakes are, and how they can help you.
What is a Meal Replacement Shake?
Meal replacement shakes are exactly what they’re called. They are quick and easy meal shakes that you can take like a meal on the go. Some people can also use them to lose weight.
The best meal replacement shakes can replace your 3 main meals of the day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And they’re filled with all the nutrients that you need, but with fewer calories.
It sounds like something straight out of a futuristic movie, but that’s what modern technology has done for our health and nutrition. It’s easy and complete. But how do you properly use them? And how can you incorporate them so that they can benefit you in your daily routine?
Let’s find out.
How Can a Meal Replacement Shake Benefit Your Daily Routine?
How you would use your meal replacement shake depends on your goal. It could be to lose weight, to aid in gaining muscle and mass, or just to keep you healthy. Here are some of the ways it can benefit and help you.
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It Helps With Your Nutrition and Weight Loss
For someone who has a hard time tracking their calories or often eats more than they should, a meal replacement shake is a good way to start. It helps with your nutrition and weight loss.
We usually gain weight when we eat more calories than we are supposed to. Cutting calories and eating just the right amount helps you control your weight. You can even lose weight if you cut enough calories from your diet.
Meal replacement shakes servings usually have all of the nutrients you need for exactly one meal. With this in mind, you won’t have to consume anything else for that meal in particular. You cannot accidentally eat too much or too little.
This helps with weight loss as you can keep your calorie consumption in control. You won’t have to worry about not getting enough protein, carbohydrates, or fats since it was made to satisfy all your body’s needs.
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It Aids in Your Working Out
You may be someone who watches workout for lower abs videos or workout at home videos. No matter what kind of workout you do, you must always have the nutrients such as supplement drinks to help with building muscle and losing weight.
The best benefit that you can get from your meal replacement shake is its protein content. A meal replacement shake already has the complete nutrients that you need, including protein.
Protein is needed when you work out as it is one of the major sources of energy and it helps build muscle mass. Without it, you may feel extra fatigue, weight gain, or muscle loss. This would just defeat the purpose of exercising.
Having a meal replacement shake helps you to complete your nutrients and they are convenient to prepare before working out. It is recommended that you eat before you exercise so that you would have enough energy for your workout.
Drink your meal replacement shake for at least 60 minutes before you work out. This is especially good for when you have strength training days.
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Maintain Overall Health and Wellness With Meal Replacement Shakes
Even if you’re not looking to lose weight or supplement your workouts, a meal replacement shake can still be a good part of your daily routine.
For those who just need a quick meal on the go, a meal shake could do just the trick. This can be done for any other meal in the day too as they are healthy to drink.
If you are someone who typically misses meals because you have no time to prepare them, a meal shake could also be a good solution for you. It can be prepared in little time but gives you just as many nutrients as a normal meal would.
You do not have to wait to be overweight or in need of gaining muscle to take measures in getting the right amount of nutrients in your body. Preventive measures are important too.
What Should You Be Looking for in a Meal Replacement Shake?
When looking to buy a meal replacement shake, you should still take note of the nutritional value of what you are going to drink.
First of all, make sure each serving has one-third of the daily value of the vitamins and minerals that you need. Since you need three meals a day, one meal replacement shake needs one-third of this amount.
If you are looking to lose weight, your meal replacement shake should only be from 150-250 calories. If you are looking to gain weight, then you should choose an option that has around 300 calories and above.
Your meal replacement shake also shouldn’t have any unhealthy additives. Anything with too much sugar, corn syrup, or fructose would be bad for your health. Oil, fat, gum, and thickeners are also something you should avoid.
Lastly, check the macronutrient content. It should have no more than around 5 grams of fat, 25 grams of carbohydrates, and 15 grams of protein per serving.
When drinking a meal replacement shake, always follow the serving instructions as you need to stick to it to get the proper amount of nutrients.
Conclusion
Meal replacement shakes are a quick and healthy way to get the daily amount of nutrients you need. This is helpful for individuals that need to lose weight, are working out, or just want to stay fit and healthy!
When used correctly, a meal replacement shake can be good for everybody. We hope that you learned about how these shakes can help benefit your daily routine!
