Are meal replacement beverages adequate?

People in today’s society are always in a hurry. It’s hard to find time to exercise and eat right. So naturally, quick and easy “beverage meals” have been gaining in popularity in recent years. These beverages are supposed to replace a meal while still containing all the vitamins and nutrients that a busy person needs.

However, upon closer inspection these beverages might not be all they’re cracked up to be. The average meal replacement beverage is between 170 and 280 calories and between seven and 20 grams of protein. An average meal should provide closer to 500 calories and around 20 – 30 grams of protein.

For a weight conscious person these low calorie beverages may be tempting, but a beverage usually doesn’t you the same satisfaction a meal can. Eating satisfaction comes from the taste, texture and feeling of fullness a meal provides – liquids often lack that “feeling of fullness”, meaning you may end up eating more not less.

Source: American Dietetic Association

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