We’ve all done it too many times before: As you spend winter hiding in your sweats watching Netflix, the inevitable winter weight gain sets in.
You tell yourself you’re going to drop a few pounds and help the scales tip in a more favorable direction, but you forget to eat less and exercise more. Now summer is around the corner and you’re wondering how you can shed that extra weight and fast.
Could meal replacement shakes be the answer? Possibly.
Of course consuming a low fat diet packed with essential nutrients from whole-food sources is the best way to lose weight. However, sometimes in this fast paced world, preparing a nutritionally balanced, low fat meal that is rich in protein is just not practical or even possible.
For this reason, meal replacement shakes could sound appealing. But what are the best organic meal replacement shakes in 2023? Let’s take a look and find out.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Meal Replacement Shakes
Although packing your diet with fruits and vegetables should be your first choice when it comes to losing weight, meal replacement shakes do have their advantages.
Convenience
Meal replacement shakes are incredibly convenient, especially when you’re on the go. If you are super busy and running from meeting to meeting, a meal replacement shake could be a good way to meet your nutritional needs rather than reaching for fast food.
Also, they offer a mix of protein, complex carbohydrates, important nutrients and the calories have been counted for you. Therefore, you know exactly what you are putting into your body and can account it in your daily count.
Weight Management
Many people worry that meal replacement shakes are quick fix solutions that don’t lead to successful, long term weight loss. However, Australian researchers writing in the Journal of Nutritionfound that meal replacement shakes, were just as effective for producing weight loss when compared with conventional, structured weight loss diets.
In fact, one study found that those who use meal replacement shakes, especially early on in a weight loss journey, actually lost more weight (12.3%) than with a conventional food based diet (6.9%) over a period of 16 weeks. (source)
This can be beneficial for those wanting to kick start their weight loss.
Nutrition
Although a good quality meal replacement shake should have a balance of essential macronutrients, they do not contain all the essential nutrition our bodies need in order to flourish.
Omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants for example are completely essential for a well balanced, healthy diet which wards off the build up of free radicals and fights the development of chronic diseases.
Replacing a large proportion of your daily diet with meal replacement shakes will not give you enough of the right nutrition. Therefore, as once a day choice they may be okay, but not for anything more than this.
Sustainability
Again, when it comes to over use of meal replacement shakes, trying to lose weight solely with the use of meal replacement shakes is not a sustainable diet.
Although meal replacement shakes have been shown to be an excellent way to kick start weight loss, a long term weight plan needs to have a detailed, healthy nutrition plan with regular exercise. Otherwise, you are likely to regain your lost weight as soon as you stop the shakes and return to your regular diet.
What to Look For in a Meal Replacement Shake
When looking to buy a meal replacement shake, consider the following:
Check the label
Always look for quality organic ingredients without unnecessary fillers and additives
Mixability
You want to find a powder that can be mixed easily with water or milk
Calories
Check the calorie content, depending what your goals are may influence your buying decision.
Sugar Content
Too much sugar with too few calories defeats the object of a meal replacement shake.
Carbohydrates
Remember to check the shake is low on carbohydrates if you are following a low carb diet.
What Are The Best Organic Meal Replacement Shakes in 2023?
With so many products available on the market, making an informed buying decision can be difficult. However, I’ve done the hard work for you and checked out the best organic meal replacement shakes and chosen 5 top products to share with you today.
Our Choice
For me it has to be the Garden of Life meal replacement powder. Not only does it offer a high protein, low calorie powder packed with goodness for a great price. The fact that it is made by a trusted manufacturer in the USA, is USDA and NSF certified all just promote confidence in the quality of the product. All in all I think this makes an excellent choice for anyone looking to try a meal replacement.
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