You just finished your workout and are very hungry? You want to lose weight as quickly as possible? You are always short on time and do not have time to cook? You usually feed your body with whatever you can find close to your office? You are not sure whether your body is currently getting the nutrition it needs? You enjoy shakes? You also enjoy desserts, but try to stay healthy in your regular lifestyle? You want to change your diet entirely and finally start to eat healthy?
I could extend this list infinitely. If you can answer one of these questions with a “yes”, then meal replacement shakes are right for you!
Meal replacement shakes are often also known as protein shakes, even though there is a slight difference. Most protein shakes contain a huge amount of protein, but barely any other nutrients. Meal replacement shakes, on the other hand, contain also plenty of protein, but include all the nutrients your body needs to run properly and stay healthy. These shakes are meant to take instead of eating a decent meal, whereas protein shakes are most of the time only designed to make your muscles grow, lacking essential nutrients.
So what we have learned so far is that meal replacement shakes should be taken instead of regular meals, in order to lose weight. Nevertheless, they can also just be taken as a snack in between, if you crave a sweet treat or a dessert, as they taste deliciously good! The best about them is that you can counteract to get bored by mixing in some fruit, vegetables or different types of milk, such as coconut milk or almond milk. Does a vanilla shake with almond milk, half of a banana and raspberries not sound delicious? Or what about a shake with kale, apple and lemon for a fresher taste? These are just a couple of examples to show you how varied your shake can be!
It does not matter if you want to lose a decent amount of weight or just the last few pounds to get your beach body, meal replacement shakes will make you achieve your goal. Especially when following a weight loss diet, it is recommended to replace two meals a day with them and have a regular meal in between, which is of course also healthy. When mixing your shake you are allowed to add some fruit and veggies, but do not put too much more in it, if you do not want to increase your calorie intake too much. Nevertheless, make sure it is enough to keep you satisfied, as staying hungry will make you cheat more likely. Rather have more of a good diet shake than an unhealthy dessert afterwards.
What if you actually do not want to lose weight, but want your body to remain the same? You can still drink meal replacement shakes, as they are packed with protein, which will help you maintain your muscles. In this case you can go crazy in adding additional healthy ingredients to your shake to make it a thick and nourishing one. When I say healthy I totally mean it! There is no way of adding chocolate syrup or candy. You can totally go for fruit, veggies, nuts and an unsweetened beverage of your choice! Indulge!