Are Meal Replacement Cocktails Really Good?
Dear Lifehacker, I have a colleague who swears Shakeology’s Meal Replacement shakes. I was shocked to see that a thirty-serving container cost $ 130! Is there any reason to believe that these shakes are really helping her? Better yet, are there other options I could convince her to use instead? I’m afraid she drinks Kool-Aid from a very expensive fad.
Regards, concerned colleague
Dear Concerned Colleague! Let’s be clear first that meal replacement shakes are not to be confused with protein shakes, although the differences are subtle: meal replacement shakes typically contain between 200 and 500 calories and are marked with a number of nutritional labels. added vitamins , minerals, fiber and some protein.
Meanwhile, a protein shake can contain 80 to 180 calories, has a narrower spectrum of vitamins, offers more flexibility in what you can do with it , and, unsurprisingly, contains a lot more protein. Most meal replacement shakes are marketed as weight loss aids, but others, such as Soylent , are designed to address the very first issue of wasting time preparing and chewing food.
I agree with you that Kool-Aid ads are great at this. There is a lot of fanfare around shakeology, and social proof is one of the strongest biases that lead people to believe that something could be good, or at least worth trying. Shakeology sounds reasonable at first glance: Shakeology’s chocolate-flavored serving offers a decent 17 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber, with an impressively long list of vitamins and health-promoting “superfood” ingredients . Sounds great, but now let’s put on our skeptics’ hat.
Generally, the added vitamins create a big health halo . People may think that just because vitamins have been added to the food, it is now supposedly better for you (example: vitamin Suga – I mean water), and it’s okay to have more. Don’t be fooled. In fact, if your diet is varied and balanced, mineral or vitamin supplements will not provide clear benefits, write the editors of this article in the Annals of Internal Medicine . More importantly, shakes (be they protein or meal replacement shakes) are not highly regulated by the FDA , so don’t expect a product to live up to its label promises or contain the ingredients it says. it is too. I’m not just talking about shakeology here. This applies to any plastic bottle full of hopes and dreams.
One thing’s for sure: Shakeology has convenience, but it’s expensive. If you count and break down the cost of one container, you get about $ 4.33 per serving. It doesn’t seem so absurd now. That’s roughly on par with Jamba Juice smoothies or Naked Juice’s Protein Zone bottle, but there are still more reasonably priced alternatives if you really really want cocktails. (Note: We do not support these products, but we provide them for comparison.)
- Calories Per Serving: 500 Calories
- Protein: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Price: 64 $
- Servings Per Container: 28
- Serving Price: US $ 2.28 per serving.
- Calories: 95 calories
- Protein: 12 g
- Fiber: 4g
- Price: $ 52.98
- Servings Per Container: 30
- Serving Price: $ 1.76 per serving.
- Calories: 170 calories
- Protein: 20 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Price: $ 49.99
- Servings Per Container: 19
- Serving price: $ 2.63 per serving.
ViSalus Nutritional meal replacement
- Calories Per Serving: 90 Calories
- Protein: 12 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Price: $ 63.99
- Servings Per Container: 30
- Serving Price: US $ 2.13 per serving.
But honestly, the best and most economical alternative is to just make a smoothie at home using a blender and regular ingredients. This way you can customize everything to your liking. For example, you can use Greek yogurt and milk for protein; add nut butter for creaminess and calorie content; or add frozen fruits and vegetables for more fiber and nutritional value. Check out our guide to making healthier smoothies and this graphic guide to making protein smoothies that are as effective and delicious as anything you buy pre-mixed in a container.
When Meal Replacement Shakes Can Help
If you’re always on the go, meal replacement cocktails will come in handy. They get extra points for portability and convenience. Ideally, they could easily grab a bite or snack when the other option is to run from under the rack to the nearest driveway, or worse, just starvation. Just add water (or milk) and it will soothe any loud, rumbling belly. Plus, there’s the added benefit of getting rid of the guesswork when planning and preparing healthier meals ; or, in the case of Soylent, having a quick bite when just eating is just a hassle.
As part of a weight loss regimen, smoothies can be beneficial if the drink means you are not consuming unnecessary calories elsewhere. So, if you replace your typical blueberry muffin breakfast with vanilla soy latte (potential 300-600 calorie difference), you’ll be eating fewer calories overall. Do this enough to constantly be in a calorie deficit and you’re on your way to losing weight! That’s all there is to it .
There is nothing magical about meal replacement shakes themselves, except for the fact that they have a thicker consistency, which helps to suppress hunger . In higher fat shakes like Soylent, fat can help you feel fuller longer because it leaves your stomach more slowly. Overall, it’s still a matter of calorie control . If you drink cocktails in addition to your normal eating habits, you can bet the scales will turn against your desires.
However, this means that they are ideal for people with the opposite problem who find it difficult to gain weight . These people usually lack the appetite to eat the calories they need to gain weight, so smoothies (and any additional calorie source, in fact) can be an easy way to get more calories without making them feel too uncomfortable and bloated.
Overall, meal replacement shakes like Shakeology have their place and can be beneficial for a lifestyle that constantly demands fast and convenient meals, but they can literally get expensive. In fact, we could all use a reminder that meal replacement shakes are just like any other supplement: use them if you need an extra increase in calories per day.
Regards, Lifehacker