Real food vs Nutritional supplements

I mostly eat homemade stuff, but supplements come in handy- if I'm busy, a protein shake can fill in for breakfast. Or like after I had surgery and had no energy to make anything. A bit of protein powder in a smoothie can make it good for both fiber and protein.

Most people don't only eat them, and if a person is healthy on them, and it works for them go ahead. (Though there are some scary MLM scams out there that only make your wallet thinner while promising the impossible. )

AlabasterVerve wrote: »

They'll eat something else?

LOL

I'm Brad. I eat oatmeal, chicken, fruits, vegetables, beans, rice, cereal, meat, and lots of what I eat is processed because it tastes good; it's cheap; it helps me hit my macros. The world isn't going to end because I put 24g of protein in my oatmeal for flavor

butterflylady86 wrote: »

I'm Julie and I eat real food. I don't understand people eating only protein bars, shakes protein shakes. I cook for my family . We rarely eat out. What will happen when these people stop eating nutritional supplements?

I will have to take time to cook

I do on occasion but protein bars are great to use for travel and keep in the office for late nights

I get where you are coming from. Cooking is a valuable skill.

But since I don't like getting 1000 calories in restaurant lunch meals...

Quest bars are my travel companion!!

A great desert is sugar free cool whip, a Greek yogurt, stir in a scoop of protein mix and add a little milk.

Lots of protein and good dairy. And it is great for getting some fuel in to rebuild sore muscles.

In my case protein and meal replacement bars serve two purposes. I often don't have time for some meals, so it fills a void with something that gives me some energy. On days I exercise hard filling that calorie void often makes me feel like I have to eat the rest of the day and I end up feeling bloated.

I love breakfast food, any time of day. But the other evening I had a pound of steak and three eggs for dinner, and to be honest I was tired of eating. And even with some Greek yogurt in my day I still fell slightly short of my protein goal due to exercise offsets. I wish I would have just used a protein bar or powder earlier in the day and balanced my nutrition more from there.

I would never want to rely on supplements for the majority of my nutrition, but see nothing wrong with using them at times based on needs. I just view them as another food choice.


For those that use them more frequently, keep in mind that lifestyle choices have a big impact on the time to make real foods as well. I wish I had time to plan out balanced meals and make them every meal. With my current lifestyle I simply don't have that time.

kwtilbury wrote: »

butterflylady86 wrote: »

I'm Julie and I eat real food. I don't understand people eating only protein bars, shakes protein shakes. I cook for my family . We rarely eat out. What will happen when these people stop eating nutritional supplements?

As others have said, it's not an either/or situation. I eat plenty of whole foods, but supplement with bars and protein powder because it's a convenient way to meet my nutritional goals.

How is consuming a protein powder or bar any different than eating a box of cereal, candy bar or box of macaroni and cheese?

Like that last sentence!

Exactly how is a protein bar, protein shake, etc not "real food"?

It's a tool to meet whatever macro or calorie goal I have.
I eat plenty of "real food" and instead of having another 4oz chicken breast or other meat to meet my protein goal I might decide to have a tasty chocolate protein shake.

I love smoothies, not just for the convenience they offer with a 4 AM alarm and a 2 hour commute, but I can pack a lot of nutrition into my drinks (green veggies, flax, wheatgrass, etc) into one meal. Never known anyone to just eat these every meal, but it's absolutely a lifestyle choice I suspect.

butterflylady86 wrote: »

I'm Julie and I eat real food. I don't understand people eating only protein bars, shakes protein shakes. I cook for my family . We rarely eat out. What will happen when these people stop eating nutritional supplements?

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that most people aren't only eating protein bars, shakes, etc...most people do eat real food stuffs...and some people supplement with shakes and the like. I have a rather lofty protein goal which can be difficult to hit just eating...so I supplement with whey protein...which by the by, is a "real food"...Little Miss Muffet herself would agree.

Unfortunately, most people have no idea what a rational diet is. On top of this, not that many people know how to cook, or how to even use ingredients without following a detailed recipe, let alone how to identify certain ingredients. So, they resort to a quick fix to replace whole foods on a daily basis. These quick fixes are typically well marketed food supplements known for their popularity in the highly marketable fitness world as well as their convenience. That make spark some controversy, but it is the truth.

It's so ironic how the media can label fast food like McDonald's as evil and unhealthy, yet at the same time they label fast foods like protein powder and bars as miracle foods. Society buys into this bigtime because the word "protein" is seen in a positive light. But even so, if McDonald's sold these products first, society would not have the same positive connotation.

Some protein supplements are quality, but a lot of protein powder on the market is spiked with superficial aminos, which means you are not getting the promised protein value... More like 1/3 to 1/2 of what is stated. Companies have been sued over this, but that is another conversation.

In the end, it is extremely easy to obtain all of the necessary macros, fiber, and nutrients from meat, vegetables, fruits, and whole foods in general. People just like their quick fixes and convenience. It makes them feel safe that companies (which they blindly trust) are doing all the work for them.

Let me be clear that I am not against use of these products. Protein powder and bars are perfectly fine to use as insurance on occasion. Heck, you could technically live on them for quite some time if the world ended tomorrow. But if you RELY on food supplements on a daily basis to meet your nutritional needs, then there is inherently something wrong with your daily diet and that warrants revisitation. Stick to whole foods and treat supplements as their definition intends... Or continue to get 50% or more of your daily protein and fiber needs from processed fast foods... whatever floats your boat.

callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »

i have too many real problems to be worried about what people i dont know are eating.....

but it's a great time waster