Relying on ready to drink meal replacement shakes as part of a healthy diet or weight loss program is pretty common these days but do you know which products are best for you? Get the nutritional 411 on some of the most popular weight loss shakes and find out which ones are best and why.
The Worst Shake EVER!
Let’s get stared with one of the worst yet most popular products on the market, Ultra Slim Fast. The commercial and website promote one shake for breakfast, a meal replacement bar for lunch and a sensible dinner plus a slim fast bar and fruit for snacks. Unless you’re interested in drinking about 78g of sugar from their products alone don’t even think about trying this diet. It’s a low calorie plan and if you're smart then you know what low calorie dieting does to your metabolism and why it's not a smart way to lose weight. This 8oz shake is 220 calories, 1 g fat, 46g carbs of which 35g are sugar, and 7g of protein. Anyone wishing to lose fat, and not just weight from water and muscle mass needs to steer clear of this product. There are much better options out there and the price difference (which is not that much more) is worth it.
Not So Good Shakes
Ensure Lite 8oz shake is 200 calories, 3g fat, 33g carbs of which 18g are sugar, and 10g of fat. Zone Perfect 8oz shake is 260 calories, 8g fat, 29g of carbs of which 22g are sugar, and 11g protein. These two options offer a higher amount of protein, and a little less carbs. The zone shake also offers more fat, which will help you feel full longer. The problem is the sugar content is still too high for products that are supposed to help you lose weight.
Decent Options for Carb Watchers
Myoplex Low Carb 11oz shake is 120 calories, 3.5g fat, 2g carbs of which 1g is sugar, and 20g protein. Atkins 11oz shake is 170 calories, 9g fat, 4g carbs of which 2g are sugar, and 20g protein. These are good products for people trying to moderate their carb intake and up their protein intake. They don’t really provide enough calories to be considered a meal so be sure to use them as snacks or pair them with a piece of fruit if you are not eating again for a while. The Atkins shake has more fat which is not a problem if you’re watching your fat intake from other sources. The biggest problem with both these options is they taste like chemicals and they don't satisfy for very long.
O.K. Option for Highly Active People
Metrx 11oz shake is 170 calories, 2.5g fat, 20g carbs of which 8g are sugar, and 20g protein. This is one of the most popular meal replacements around because it offers a decent number of calories with very little fat and a good amount of protein. The difference with this shake is even though the carbs are higher than myoplex or atkins the sugar content is considerably low. A good option for more active people who have moderate to high carb needs. The downside is it tastes awful.
Best Shake Ever: The The DIY Weight Loss Smoothie is your best bet because you know what's in it and you can customize it to your unique needs. Click the link for tasty recipes to learn how. If you do choose to buy a product be smart and read the ingredient list. Do the same if you’re buying powders or bars. Anything with too much sugar or too few calories can cause you to eat more and defeats the whole purpose of buying the product in the first place.
