Meal Replacement Products: are they a Viable Replacement?

As a product, meal replacement products (MRPs) are completely safe to consume. They contain a mixture of healthy and less healthy ingredients, but there isn’t anything in them that may make them unsafe to consume.
But it isn’t advised to ONLY consume MRPs. An all replaced diet may seem like the fastest and easiest way to lose weight, but despite their name, meal replacement products are not designed to completely replace all your meals.
There is a strong argument that there isn’t a feasible solution where you put everything present in whole foods into a bottle or bar. If you could, this would be a truly revolutionary product. You will not find enzymes or nutrients such as antioxidants in a meal replacement shake or bar. You will need those things to stay healthy, weight loss aside.

Can meal replacement shakes help you lose weight?

Most people can lose weight successfully reducing their calorie intake. Because meal replacement products often contain fewer calories than the average meal — anywhere from 200 to 400 calories. In most MRP, you will also find protein, fat, carbs, and fibre.

But are meal replacement products a good weight loss tool? Some studies have shown that replacing one or two meals per day with a shake can help promote weight loss. In order to lose weight and keep it off, though, you may need a more long-term plan.

For one thing, meal replacement products do not teach you how to buy or prepare healthy foods. They are nutritious — in the technical sense of the term — but they do not replace bad habits. They only replace a meal.

Similarly, meal replacement products will not make you skinnier or help you lose weight if you continue to eat large quantities of junk food. They may be convenient, but they definitely will not work if you end up indulging and adding to an already high daily calorie count.

Can they work? Yes. But their effectiveness may depend on the brand, what you are using them for, and the other lifestyle factors you have adopted (or have not) to promote safe and healthy weight loss.