Ever since they first appeared at the market, meal replacement shakes have been an absolute hit. There are many reasons why they have become so popular. Some of these reasons are lack of time to cook, then a lot of obese people, trying to keep the diet as balanced as possible and the like. It probably occurred to many that they would no longer have to worry about food at all, but would drink a few of these shakes a day and that was it. Of course this is impossible, because nothing can replace real food.
But certainly these shakes are very useful if used in the right way. Precisely because they are often mentioned and advertised, and little really analyzed, we decided to write for you what are the pros and cons of using meal replacement shakes. With special reference to keto shakes, because the keto diet is probably the most popular in the world at the moment.
What is keto diet?
Before we start analyzing pros and cons, let us first briefly inform you what exactly is a keto diet. It is a diet based on a large intake of healthy fats and proteins, and a small intake of carbohydrates. The goal is to trigger the use of fat deposits in the body, and not to use sugar as the main source of energy, while fat is deposited in the body. It is called keto because the body produces ketones during that diet. In order to start this whole process, it is necessary for a few days to pass for the body to start producing ketones. There are tests that can be purchased at a pharmacy to check if the process has begun. This is certainly one of the most popular diets because the results achieved with it are fantastic. It needs to be paused from time to time, but it is definitely as long-term sustainable as any Low Carb High Fat diet.
Pros
1.They are very convenient
Let’s be honest, this is certainly the first and main reason why so many people use meal replacement shakes. Nowadays, the obligations that people have at work and outside of it have become so great that according to some research, almost 90 percent of people do not cook regularly. And more than half of them never cook. This is one of the main reasons for the ubiquitous obesity. People eat fast food too often as they don’t have time to cook, and it’s too expensive to eat healthy in restaurants. This is where these shakes come into play, as they can create a balance between a healthy diet and saving time. Of course, they cannot be the only source of food, but for example you can cook once or twice a week and with these shakes, have healthy meals ready for the whole week.
2. Calorie tracking will be easy
Monitoring your daily intake of calories and all macronutrients can be quite a challenging task for a beginner. Although there are various apps that will do this for you, it is never completely accurate if you do not calculate for yourself. So you have to measure the amount of food you eat yourself, and then calculate the macronutrients and calories for each. This becomes easy over time when you learn what each food contains and how much, but in the beginning it will take a lot of time. That’s why many give up on it quickly, and that’s crucial for losing weight or growing muscle. When you drink keto meal replacement shakes, there are no such problems, because everything is written in detail on the label. So you will know exactly how it fits into your daily goal.
3. You will not experience bloating
Keto shakes are easily digestible. This is very important, especially when you have to ingest something while working. That is why many people skip meals and do not eat anything while at work, because after meal they feel very heavy and bloated. Since it is unhealthy to miss meals and it can derail you from your goal, then shakes are ideal because you will ingest everything you need and you will feel as if you have drunk water.
4. Great sources of vitamins and minerals
Most of these shakes are full of vitamins and minerals that you would otherwise have to take separately because there are not enough of them in your food. So we can say that these shakes are fortified food. Also, many have very healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which are necessary for the functioning of the brain and much more. Of course, not all of them have the same nutrients, minerals, vitamins and everything else, so it is important to pay close attention to what you buy. You can view more here and find out which ones you should buy.
5. Good even for athletes
How good and quality meal replace shakes are is best shown by the fact that professional athletes use them. There are many of them who can’t or don’t want to eat before the match, but they definitely have to ingest something. Then they decide to do drink one, because they will get everything they need, and they will not tire their body by digestion.
Cons
1. Price
Although they are not too expensive and are definitely worth as much as they cost, you will still spend significantly more money than buying and preparing food yourself. That’s why it’s best to find a balance between shakes and food, otherwise your budget will suffer.
2. Added flavors
You need to pay attention to whether you are buying one that has added flavors and similar unhealthy additives in it. The problem with regular meal replacement shakes is that they usually have too much sugar in them, and keto ones do not have sugar, but they can have added flavors that you should avoid.
3. You have to chew
The human body is made to consume solid foods, not just to drink fluids. If you would just consume shakes for a long time and not chew, it would be fatal for you digestive tract. You have to chew and give your stomach and intestines the right food to digest.
Conclusion:
As you can see for yourself, keto meal replacement shakes have much more pros than cons. You can avoid practically all cons by using them in the right way and by buying only quality ones.
