Table of Contents
Even though everyone needs the same basic nutrients, everyone’s bodies and lifestyles are different. Before we get into the main meal replacement metrics you should consider when looking for replacement options, we always recommend consulting a doctor or licensed nutritionist.
This is especially true if you have food allergies, diabetes, hypoglycemia, or another preexisting condition that’s affected by what you consume.
More importantly, these meal replacement metrics can also be used to find the healthiest options for ALL packaged foods, so consider these next time you’re browsing the aisles of your local grocery store.
4 Meal Replacment Metrics
Vitamin and Minerals
Everyone’s always worried about getting their MACROS, but what about your MICROS? For adequate nutrition from a meal replacement drink, the first thing you need is a well-rounded supply of vitamins and minerals.
Macronutrients like amino acids, saturated fats, and carbs are prioritized because they directly affect short-term changes in our muscles and fat. However, over your lifetime, proper consumption of micronutrients like Zinc, Magnesium, and Vitamin E have just as much to do with our overall health & wellness.
The best micronutrient sources are fresh fruits, vegetables, and organ meats, but not everyone can make these a part of their daily intake. Living in inner-city “food deserts” or colder climates can make it really hard to find consistent sources of these foods. Also, the higher consumption of processed foods that are stripped of many micronutrients can compound the issue.
Besides a good multivitamin for insurance, a good meal replacement shake and/or bar can round out your daily needs. Not to mention, help you avoid fast food and other sources of “convenience” food when you’re on the go.
Protein
If you don’t work out regularly, loading up on protein can actually be bad for you. Besides causing you to gain weight in the form of fat, excess protein intake can also cause high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, kidney issues, and more.
However, if you’re replacing one of your meals with a shake, then protein content should be a top priority. As long as it’s balanced with other essential vitamins and minerals. That’s because it’s one of the main nutrients that keep you feeling full.
There’s a lot of confusion and differing opinions about the recommended amount of protein we need on a daily basis. For a lot of active people, it’s pretty hard to consume too much protein, so that’s why we concentrate on at least getting the bare minimum.
Based on research, we recommend at least 15 grams of protein per serving if you’re replacing a meal. Unless you’re working out 10-20 hours a week, 15-20g should be enough for a meal replacement shake, especially if you pair it with a meal bar or protein bar.
Healthy Fats
Between the Adkins diet and the Keto diet, fats have become even more of a hot-button issue. Gone are the days of recommending a low-fat diet. When Fat=Flavor, processed foods that are labeled low-fat have to make up for the loss of flavor somehow. They do this by adding salts and processed sugars, which can cause people to gain MORE weight over time.
Without getting too much “into the weeds” on fats, one of the main reasons we have them as a top metric is that fats play the biggest role in keeping you full. You can easily pair your meal replacement shake with a handful of nuts to increase your fat intake, but we really wanted to find “complete” shakes. If you pick a shake that’s lower in fat, just pay attention to your overall macros.
The other main reason it’s one of the top 4 metrics is that healthy fats can improve memory and other brain function. This should be very important for people in Active Mode. From students to business owners, it’s in our best interest to keep our body AND brain running at peak performance, especially when skipping meals.
If you want to learn more about how the right fats can improve your overall health and wellness, take the 28-Day Keto Challenge. Especially for beginners to nutrition and fitness, it’s a great foundation to build on. Even if you don’t fully stick with the lifestyle, your understanding of basic nutrition will positively change the way you look at what you consume.
Ingredient Quality
In our quest to find the purest meal replacement shakes and bars, many big names in the industry were easily eliminated simply for poor choices in ingredients. From preservatives to processed sugars, many companies put shelf-life and taste above proper nutrition.
Instead of calling them out specifically, we put the spotlight on the companies that put the customer first. Using premium ingredients and transparent labeling is the best way for companies to get on our “nice” list. Some 3rd-party testing doesn’t hurt, either.
