Meal Replacement Shakes

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engakwasdky
engakwasdky Posts: 19 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm on the search for a meal replacement shake to buy for weight loss purposes (I'm looking to lose about ten pounds). I've used slim fast in the past with reasonable results, but I want something that has less chemicals and crap in it. I'm also wanting something I can buy in the stores for convenience (no shakeology, please) as well as something that is reasonably affordable. I plan to use a Blender Bottle to take it with me on the go for work, and will use either almond milk or coconut milk with frozen fruit. Any suggestions would be fabulous! Thanks in advance :)

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  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    All meal replacement shakes are going to have chemicals, whether powdered or premixed. If you are someone who feels the need to eat organic or "clean" you'll have to buy those types of things online or in specialty nutrition stores.
  • Kexessa
    Kexessa Posts: 346 Member
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    If you are wanting something for on the go you could make your own smoothies. Far cheaper and superior than gimmicky meal replacement shakes. There are some protein powders that it seems the majority here prefers over others. I can't remember what they are though since I don't use them. But there are lot of threads talking about the different ones.
  • engakwasdky
    engakwasdky Posts: 19 Member
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    Homemade shakes may be worth looking into, thanks for the idea! I'm not needing something totally clean, but basically the fewer ingredients the better. Slim fast just has a long list of junk, so something with minimal additives would be great. I'll go ahead and start looking online too though. Thanks!!! :)
  • ScreeField
    ScreeField Posts: 180 Member
    edited July 2015
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    engakwasdky wrote: »
    almond milk or coconut milk with frozen fruit.

    This is a great start. Just add a couple more real foods from lots of options:

    yogurt (either dairy or non-dairy)--protein
    oats--fiber and phyto's
    hemp seeds--protein and fiber
    ginger
    kale or other green leaf veg
    cocoa powder
    peanut butter (or other nut butter)
    coconut flake, etc.

    That's pretty much all you need. No freaky powders necessary.

    Most powders are just whey isolate and a bunch of vitamins. Here's the label from one:

    Ingredients: Protein Blend (Milk Protein Concentrate, Whey Protein Isolates, Whey Protein Concentrate), Carb Blend (Carrageenan, Fructooligosaccharides, Maltodextrin, Xanthan Gum, Cellulose Gum, Oat Bran, Resistant Starch), Creamer(Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Maltodextrin, Sodium Caseinate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60,Monoglycerides, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Vitamin and Mineral Blend (Biotin, Folic Acid, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Tricalcium Phosphate, Sodium Ascorbate, Chromium Chloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Ferric Orthophosphate, dl-alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Thiamin Hydrochloride, Cupric Oxide, Vitamin A Acetate, Sodium Molybdate, Sodium Selenite, Dimagnesium Phosphate, Maltodextrin (glucose polymers), Potassium Iodide, Niacinamide, Calcium Carbonate, Cyanocobalamin), Nonfat dry milk, Titanium Dioxide, Lecithin, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Ensure or Boost are the most popular and well-balanced.
  • engakwasdky
    engakwasdky Posts: 19 Member
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    Thanks for all the feedback! ScreeField, those are some awesome ideas... I especially like the idea of just using oats and yogurt as part of the base. I love the idea of using a protein powder, but the long ingredient list gets me and I may try the homemade shakes until I find one that fits what I'm looking for. Much appreciated!!!
  • angelaraedesigns
    angelaraedesigns Posts: 68 Member
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    I'm using Vega One as a meal replacement. It's whole food, vegan, gluten free, gmo free and I think Unicorns make it. :) The taste takes some getting used to, but I love it now. and unlike what one of the posters has said, you DON'T have to buy this chemical free meal replacement online or in a specialty nutrition shop. I buy mine from London Drugs and when they have it on sale, it's a bargain!

    here's the website for Vega. http://myvega.com/

  • rocknrobin65
    rocknrobin65 Posts: 28 Member
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    I use Vega One too. It's tasty, comes from whole foods, is high in protein and low in sugar and carbs. I usually add fresh fruit, so mine have more carbs
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,034 Member
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    Kalikel wrote: »
    Ensure or Boost are the most popular and well-balanced.

    I'm not sure ensure would be good for weight loss though.

    IME people use it when they need to gain weight, eg post surgery or frail elderly in nursing homes.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    What would be the point of meal replacements to lose 10 pounds? If you are currently eating at X calories to maintain your current weight, and lose the 10 pounds after a few weeks on meal replacements, what happens when these pounds are off? You go back to eating what you are eating now and then are back where you started in a few more weeks? I can see how something like this might work for long term goals, but how can meal replacements help for just a few pounds?
  • slimmjim78
    slimmjim78 Posts: 6 Member
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    www.soylent.com. This is what I use to replace meals. Might not be exactly what you're looking for as far as short ingredients list, but it works great for me. Remember everything is made of chemicals, even organic fruit.
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    edited August 2015
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    1. Protein shakes do not help people lose weight. That is not what they are designed for. Caloric restriction and increased activity is what promotes weight loss.
    2. A "meal replacement" or "mass gainer" shake is not a protein shake. The former is a high calorie, liquid food. Do you actually prefer drinking your lunch vs. eating it?
    3. Don't fall a victim to marketing. Ignore the rules of fad diets and stick with foods that fit your personal preference and tolerance, predominating your intake with a rich variety of whole, minimally processed foods.
  • Soundwave79
    Soundwave79 Posts: 469 Member
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    I used to pony up for Shakeology but recently have switched to IdealShape shakes. Which I get at a quarter of the price of Shakeology. It doesn't have all the exotic ingredients but it has a ton of the essentials. The Vanilla and the Chocolate are delicious too. Where I used to have to blend Shakeology with stuff like PB2 and Almond milk just to make it palatable I can drink these Ideal Shakes straight out of the Blender Bottle. The Choc tastes alot like Nestle Quick and the Vanilla actually tastes like Vanilla... which is rather rare when it comes to shakes I've tried.

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