I'd like to start taking Meal Replacement Shakes / Smoothies

2

Replies

  • KeriW626
    KeriW626 Posts: 430
    Peanut butter chocolate protein?! What brand is it? Where do you buy it?


    Frotress Body Whey Protien, makes a peanut butter choco, protien shake. Sells at walmart and wallgreens.
  • leska1216
    leska1216 Posts: 260
    I have tried going the shake/smoothie route. Not processed shakes but make my own. Doesn't matter what shake I make, I always feel hungry and then I end up taking in too many calories.

    I am not a milk drinker and know I need to consume some dairy products. So my shakes/smoothies consist of

    1 cup milk or juice
    1 cup yogurt
    1 banana
    1 cup fresh orfrozen fruit (any kind)
    2 scoops protein powder

    I don't have a blender so use an immersion blender. Mixes well./

    This tastes great but doesn't fill me up. Leaves me hungry.
  • leska1216
    leska1216 Posts: 260
    I've never been a breakfast eater so I have a shake in the morning. I eat a low calorie lunch and dinner is usually my largest calorie meal. I don't think I could do two shakes a day because I just enjoy eating and shakes would get old in a hurry!

    I agree. Shakes can/do get boring very quickly.
  • KareninCanada
    KareninCanada Posts: 961 Member
    I will take a scoop of chocolate, mix it with almond milk, and then mix that with a half-cup of black coffee as a mid-morning pick-up. If I want it to replace breakfast, I like to use a pre-made shake mix as a base and add a banana (frozen is yummy), chia seeds, oatmeal, or whatever, to make up a good smoothie that is thicker and has more good stuff in it. I do that some days, other days I do fruit/veggie juice. Then some days I do eggs and pancakes. Depends on my mood. :o)

    I won't recommend meal replacements as a long-term fix. As others have said, most of them are loaded with sugar (Slim Fast has about 25g per serving), it doesn't teach you anything about nutrition, and I found when I tried Slim Fast it would leave me looking for something to chew. They just don't have any substance to them. But they are better than grabbing a Snickers bar for an afternoon snack, and much better than eating a muffin or something greasy from a drive thru if you're in a hurry in the morning. Use them as a tool, but not a lifestyle.

    Myself, I buy the Attain shake mix from Melaleuca. You can message me if you want to try it, I can send you a link to info.
  • rm7161
    rm7161 Posts: 505
    I have tried going the shake/smoothie route. Not processed shakes but make my own. Doesn't matter what shake I make, I always feel hungry and then I end up taking in too many calories.

    I am not a milk drinker and know I need to consume some dairy products. So my shakes/smoothies consist of

    1 cup milk or juice
    1 cup yogurt
    1 banana
    1 cup fresh orfrozen fruit (any kind)
    2 scoops protein powder

    I don't have a blender so use an immersion blender. Mixes well./

    This tastes great but doesn't fill me up. Leaves me hungry.

    Needs more fiber. Fruit has a higher sugar to fiber profile, which is why I add chia seed and coconut flour.
  • whenday
    whenday Posts: 64 Member
    there is empirical evidence that "drinking" a meal turned into a drink slowed its digestion time, leaving you less hungry for longer periods. Mind you, the experiment involved taking an actual meal, combining it with a glass of water in a blender, grin - comparing stomach emptying times with the same meal eaten normally with a glass of water on the side. In the unpureed meal, the water quickly exited the stomach along with larger bits of food, while the puree meal took much longer to exit the stomach overall.

    So would it be better just to not drink water during a meal? I mean a regular meal that wasn't pureed?
  • hubtech
    hubtech Posts: 43 Member
    I've been using a meal replacement shake quite successfully.

    Caloric deficit over an extended period of time is the key to weight loss. If a meal replacement shake (or bar) helps you to achieve that then I say find one that works for you and do it. Clean eating of whole foods is a great goal too but if you're struggling with weight issues I think then it's better to get leaner and get yourself started in the right direction.

    Also some people that are looking for more protein find it easier and more palatable to get it from a whey or soy protein based product than from meats.

    Just my $0.02
  • hubtech
    hubtech Posts: 43 Member
    Peanut butter chocolate protein?! What brand is it? Where do you buy it?


    Frotress Body Whey Protien, makes a peanut butter choco, protien shake. Sells at walmart and wallgreens.

    You can also add Bell Plantations PB2 powdered peanut butter to any chocolate shake. They remove the peanut oil and all the fat calories that go with it.
  • rm7161
    rm7161 Posts: 505
    there is empirical evidence that "drinking" a meal turned into a drink slowed its digestion time, leaving you less hungry for longer periods. Mind you, the experiment involved taking an actual meal, combining it with a glass of water in a blender, grin - comparing stomach emptying times with the same meal eaten normally with a glass of water on the side. In the unpureed meal, the water quickly exited the stomach along with larger bits of food, while the puree meal took much longer to exit the stomach overall.

    So would it be better just to not drink water during a meal? I mean a regular meal that wasn't pureed?

    No, it was about turning the meal into a soup. Some of this was discussed in the BBC documentary, How to Be Slim, where I first heard about it. You still need to drink enough water.

    Some food items are particularly well suited to turning into a soup, like roasted vegetables.
  • NCVF
    NCVF Posts: 83 Member
    Thanks everyone for all the info! The home made smoothies sound yummy. I'll be trying different things out over the next week or two to see what I like and what works. In addition to clean eating. I'm not trying to starve myself. Just looking for some change and what the things I mentioned in my post.
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
    I've been using GNC Leanshake 25 made with greek yogurt and milk instead of water as a meal replacement after exercise, because solid foods upset my stomach after exercise. I buy it at Sams club because it is way cheaper. I wouldn't pay GNC prices. It DOES have fiber, but it's a non standard type. And in the mornings, because I have trouble with solid foods, I use regular protein powder and greek yogurt in my cold brewed coffee in place of half and half. If it weren't for the fact that I was having trouble getting enough calories in the day, I wouldn't bother with it in the morning.

    It's obviously not ideal, but I can empathize with not always having time or energy for meal preparation. It would be best to go with real foods, milk, greek yogurt, fruits and veggies (oddly pureed carrots work pretty well in smoothies), nut butters. And you can always add some psyllium or chia seeds for the fiber. Personally, such things weren't filling to me until I started adding greek yogurt.
  • Claire_x90
    Claire_x90 Posts: 94
    My issue with these is that they are so high in calories! 150 - 350 usually.

    You could eat an entire nice tasting meal for that if you select ingredients wisely.

    For 350 calories I would rather eat a bowl of oatmeal, a banana, a cup of strawberries, and a slice of PB toast, than drink a shake i was going to have again for lunch and dinner for the next few weeks.
  • nataliecarter2
    nataliecarter2 Posts: 24 Member
    EAS carb control protein shakes 100 calories. They are really good!
  • Claire_x90
    Claire_x90 Posts: 94
    I have tried going the shake/smoothie route. Not processed shakes but make my own. Doesn't matter what shake I make, I always feel hungry and then I end up taking in too many calories.

    I am not a milk drinker and know I need to consume some dairy products. So my shakes/smoothies consist of

    1 cup milk or juice
    1 cup yogurt
    1 banana
    1 cup fresh orfrozen fruit (any kind)
    2 scoops protein powder

    I don't have a blender so use an immersion blender. Mixes well./

    This tastes great but doesn't fill me up. Leaves me hungry.

    This is my point, if you ate a cup of fruit, then a cup of yoghurt, then a banana, with a drink of juice , maybe each item every 30 minutes or so wouldn't that fill you? instead of all of it at once.....

    thats how I work anyway, I eat all day long every 45 minutes or so, but just spread out my meals so I still only eat 1200 or so a day
  • samantha1242
    samantha1242 Posts: 816 Member
    You could check out VEGA One. http://myvega.com/products/vega-one-shake/features-benefits

    I will have this occasionally as a snack, or for breakfast in a smoothie with added banana/spinach/greek yogurt
  • nataliescalories
    nataliescalories Posts: 292 Member
    You could check out VEGA One. http://myvega.com/products/vega-one-shake/features-benefits

    I will have this occasionally as a snack, or for breakfast in a smoothie with added banana/spinach/greek yogurt

    I second that this is a good recommendation compared to a lot of protein powders on the market. You really don't need to be eating the ones chockablock with chemicals. At the same time, I actually cannot bear the taste of VEGA (sorry), but I do love Tera's Whey which you can get organic and r-BGH-free...oh...and gluten free.

    http://www.teraswhey.com/

    My recipe (this makes two BIG servings because I make it for my husband as well)


    1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil (I prefer vegetarian organic flax)

    2 scoops of whey protein (Also organic without GMOs or hormones)

    1 cup of yogurt (Prefer Greek or other pro-biotic)

    1 cup of coconut water

    1 cup of frozen cherries

    1 cup of frozen strawberries = All of the fruits can be exchanged for others

    1/2 cup of frozen pineapple

    1 to 2 cups of spinach

    All of the frozen fruit can be bought organic as well. I think it completely smokes using room temperature fruit. It's really like having an amazing milkshake or something.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    They pretty much are all going to work the same. I had a friend use a $16 one and another friend buy some super expensive one and they both are seeing great results.
  • NCVF
    NCVF Posts: 83 Member
    You could check out VEGA One. http://myvega.com/products/vega-one-shake/features-benefits

    I will have this occasionally as a snack, or for breakfast in a smoothie with added banana/spinach/greek yogurt

    It's one of the samples I purchased
  • NCVF
    NCVF Posts: 83 Member
    I have tried going the shake/smoothie route. Not processed shakes but make my own. Doesn't matter what shake I make, I always feel hungry and then I end up taking in too many calories.

    I am not a milk drinker and know I need to consume some dairy products. So my shakes/smoothies consist of

    1 cup milk or juice
    1 cup yogurt
    1 banana
    1 cup fresh orfrozen fruit (any kind)
    2 scoops protein powder

    I don't have a blender so use an immersion blender. Mixes well./

    This tastes great but doesn't fill me up. Leaves me hungry.

    This is my point, if you ate a cup of fruit, then a cup of yoghurt, then a banana, with a drink of juice , maybe each item every 30 minutes or so wouldn't that fill you? instead of all of it at once.....

    thats how I work anyway, I eat all day long every 45 minutes or so, but just spread out my meals so I still only eat 1200 or so a day

    You make a good point. lol. But one of these items wouldn't be enough for me AT the moment. I'm hoping smoothies will help me get to that point. Which is why I'll be snacking on fruits and veggies in between the smoothies. But what you say makes good sense. For breakfast I can toss all these snacks in a bag quickly and take them to work. But mixing them all together helps flavor all the other add ins like greens or flax seed (some of the things I will be adding).
  • ukjessi
    ukjessi Posts: 169 Member
    I love the 14 oz. GNC Total Lean (premixed not powder) ~ 170 cal, 6g fat, 25g protein, 6g carbs and a ton of other great vitamins/nutrients.

    These are perfect for when I'm running late in the morning or need a quick snack to fill me up. Strawberry is my favorite.
  • Desdemina
    Desdemina Posts: 150 Member
    I make my own smoothies sometimes for meal replacements, especially when I'm working hard (I'm working on my dissertation) and I want something I can eat (drink?) with one hand! But I make my own so I can control what goes in, though I do use protein powders tp increase the protein in them.
  • DaniAni19
    DaniAni19 Posts: 91 Member
    I have been using Vega One for awhile now. What I like about it is that it is a whole foods, plant based, protein supplement with probiotics. It is full of greens and I use it as a smoothie base with fruit and almond milk. Check it out: http://myvega.com/products/vega-one-shake/features-benefits
  • chellebublz
    chellebublz Posts: 568 Member
    I have been making my own, but I already know about nutrition and using this temporary. I just got an upper denture and I am still struggling to learn how to eat real food. I think it's ok in certain situations
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
    For some people that may be true, but for me, I just dont have the time. If I planned to eat every hour or two, it would never happen. I'm going to bolt something down before I see my first patient, so rather than a high sugar and fat coffee drink, I opted for a healthier greek yogurt protein coffee. If I'm lucky, I'll have time for a sit down lunch. Then when I get home I exercise and bolt something down before settling in to prepare a real dinner. I figure the shake is better than the package of cookies or easy cheese and chikin-n-biskit crackers, or the frozen pizza I used to have. And trying to get up to 1600 calories plus exercise calories can be grilling when you are trying to look at real food. I mean theres only so much time and energy in a day. You've just got to prioritize.
    I have tried going the shake/smoothie route. Not processed shakes but make my own. Doesn't matter what shake I make, I always feel hungry and then I end up taking in too many calories.

    I am not a milk drinker and know I need to consume some dairy products. So my shakes/smoothies consist of

    1 cup milk or juice
    1 cup yogurt
    1 banana
    1 cup fresh orfrozen fruit (any kind)
    2 scoops protein powder

    I don't have a blender so use an immersion blender. Mixes well./

    This tastes great but doesn't fill me up. Leaves me hungry.

    This is my point, if you ate a cup of fruit, then a cup of yoghurt, then a banana, with a drink of juice , maybe each item every 30 minutes or so wouldn't that fill you? instead of all of it at once.....

    thats how I work anyway, I eat all day long every 45 minutes or so, but just spread out my meals so I still only eat 1200 or so a day
  • fresh_start59
    fresh_start59 Posts: 590 Member
    I must confess that I drink the prepackaged diet shakes first thing every morning, but not because I think they are more filling than 200 calories in real food. Personally, I don't find them to be more filling than real food and a glass of water.

    For years, I've avoided eating breakfast. The idea of solid food first thing in the morning makes my stomach lurch. The shakes go down easy and stay down. And they have fewer calories and (I think) more nutrients than chocolate milk.

    I'm trying to create healthier eating habits, something that will last me for the long term. Since Christmas, I've been drinking a diet shake every morning, right after stepping out of bed. Come Feb. 1, the goal is to start eating some sort of protein (chicken, sausage, cheese) in place of a shake for at least two or three breakfasts a week and, hopefully, work up to a bit of protein and a piece of toast with a bit of sugar free jelly every morning.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    Try Shakeology from Beachbody. High fiber, pro-biotic, and packed with nutrients. Changes your entire digestive system.

    Lol what does it do to your digestive system?
    Maybe it makes it go backwards, or turns it upside down?
  • runfreddyrun
    runfreddyrun Posts: 137 Member
    The OP asked for suggestions on what to try, not for a lecture/sermon on why they are bad. Try Walker Diet Shake. I buy them at vitacost. They are about $1 a serving, have twice as much protein and vitamins as slimfast and are low sugar/low carb. Now if you look at the ingredient label you will see a long list, which isn't ideal. I might get a vitamix and start making my own shakes but these have been working for me for the past few months. I drink 2 a day and then eat 4 other meals.
  • Medic911ETH
    Medic911ETH Posts: 31 Member
    I use a ViSalus Sciences shake product, usually with unsweetened almond milk (120 calories), for several reasons. First, it's the best-tasting product I've tried to-date, it's quick and convenient, it's a nutritional meal substitute, and finally, it saves me money.

    I'm a truck driver. I haven't the room or cold-storage space I'd have if I were doing this at home. I also can't afford, health-wise and money-wise, to eat a restaurant breakfast every morning I'm out on the road. For around $2.00 a day, I can get a healthier and quicker start on my days, particularly when you consider the alternatives.
  • spamantha57
    spamantha57 Posts: 674 Member
    I like to think of meal replacement shakes more as a supplement instead of a replacement. I don't really think that real food should be "replaced." If/ when I decided to have something like this, I think of what I want to add more of in my diet (protein, fruits for more vitamins, etc.) & have it because it's easier or more convenient at the time.

    I used to drink Slim Fast shakes back in 2006 before I started learning about nutrition. I didn't lose weight, I actually gained. Then I began learning about food & read what's actually in it - basically milk & sugar. Haven't had one since.

    I like having Odwalla smoothies - Blueberry B & Vanilla Protein are my 2 favorites. I don't look at them as replacing a meal though, I think of adding something specific to my diet.
  • Muslimah1218
    Muslimah1218 Posts: 65 Member
    DONT DO SLIM FAST... IT IS EXTREMELY HIGH IN SUGAR CONTENT... NOT GOOD FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!

    Ive been drinking Slim Fast 3-2-1 Drinks in the morning and sometimes in mid afternoon to suppliment any snacking that I would ordinarily do. When they say "They curve the appetite for several hours", I have found that they do. I eat a cerial or hot breakfast every morning at around 7 Oclock , however, I start getting hungry around 10:00am, so I will have a slim fast to get me through to 12:30 when I have lunch. I also have nutrition bars and Almonds that give me an afternoon snack so I dont eat junk. By the end of the day, if Im lucky, I have about 400 caleries that I can use for dinner, inwhich I dont want dinner to be my biggest meal anyway. I am losing weight moderately and I feel great!

    The thing about Myfitnesspal is that as you enter everything you are eating/drinking, you can also monitor area's that you could be lacking in and suppliment whatever it is. I agree with one writer on here that commented that the key is learning to eat right. Right now, Im working on shedding off the weight, feeling better and staying healthy. These shakes help you stay in line with what you are trying to accomplish without feeling like you are starving, yet your getting the nutritions through your shakes and your regular meals, like salads, 3 course meals. Dont substitue for your regular meals, however, use them as a suppliment between meals. The ones that I drink are 110 cals.

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