Meal replacement supplements (MRP’s) have created a buzz in the market & claim to be a quick fix for weight loss. The term “meal replacement” refers to a calorie-controlled, pre-packaged product in the form of a bar or a drink (canned/bottled/powdered) that replaces a meal. However the term supplements stands for foodstuffs that are meant to supplement the normal diet not & not substitute it.
Meal replacement products generally provide around 200 to 400 calories per serving & are often fortified with more than 20 vitamins and minerals at “good” or “excellent source” levels. Meal replacers were earlier advised mainly for elderly or ill adults suffering from lack of appetite, difficulty in chewing & critically ill patients who suffered from nutritional deficiencies.
In modern times due to hectic schedules & lack of time to prepare home cooked meals meal replacers have gained popularity amongst fit adults especially those attempting to lose or gain weight.
Types of Meal Replacers available
- Pure Protein Formulations (whey & casein)
- Lean Muscle gainer or High Carb weight gainers
- Protein Bars
- Protein enriched vitamins & mineral Premix powders
Advantages of choosing a MRP Supplement:
- Meal Replacement supplements are fortified with all essential nutrients and so they help you cut down calories along with providing nutrients all in one meal.
- They save time involved in cooking and are extremely portable and can be carried easily in small containers.
- They can be ready to consume or mixed in milk/water as per convenience or consumed in the form of a bar and can be a quick fix to your mid meals or snack times where most people tend to cheat.
- They may help in faster weight loss due to absolute controlled caloric control.
Disadvantages for long term usage of Meal Replacement Supplements:
- Some MRP’s may contain unhealthy ingredients like added sugars, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, artificial flavours, emulsifiers and chemical preservatives.
- Some may also contain more grams of sugar than the grams of protein & hence must be carefully chosen.
- MRP’s cannot be used for long term basis and completely substitute food, also after attaining required weight loss when one switches back to a normal diet the chances of returning back to the original weight or even more a higher due to increase in caloric intake.
- MRP’s do contain fiber but lesser than the amount you could get through a healthy diet by the usage of fruits & veggies and this may lead to constipation.
- A healthy meal contains antioxidants from plant compounds and enzymes that are difficult to package in a can/powder especially Vitamin C as it is volatile in nature.
- Long term use of high protein supplements without consulting a qualified nutritionist may further load the kidney to excrete out the excess proteins & may be toxic.
How to choose an ideal Meal Replacement Supplement:
The MRP should contain the following nutrients:
- It must provide at least 15 -20 grams of protein per serving
- It must contain a minimum of 5 grams of fiber per serving
- Sugar content should be less than 10 grams per serving
- It should contain no corn syrup, added sugars, high fructose corn syrup, glucose,galactose, lactose,maltose,dextrose & sugar alcohols.
- It should not contain hydrogenated vegetable oils or lard
- It must meet 33% of the Daily Value for vitamins and minerals
Therefore if you are able to consume a well balanced healthy diet comprising of a good amount of grains, pulses/eggs or meat & poultry, nuts & seeds , fruits & veggies, then you may not resort to using MRP’s. However if that seems difficult to adhere to choose your MRP’s wisely and do consult your physician & nutritionist before starting off with them.