{"id":29083,"date":"2023-02-21T11:41:50","date_gmt":"2023-02-21T09:41:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/workcarewellness.co.za\/healthwise\/meal-replacement\/"},"modified":"2023-02-21T11:41:50","modified_gmt":"2023-02-21T09:41:50","slug":"meal-replacement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/workcarewellness.co.za\/healthwise\/meal-replacement\/","title":{"rendered":"Meal Replacement"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Traditionally\u00a0meal replacements have featured predominantly in gyms, sports fields, hospitals and social development projects with the purpose of providing nutrient dense foods to meet increased requirements and\/or poor intake. However, with the fast-paced lives many of us now lead, meal replacements are quickly becoming a viable option for healthy meals on-the-go.<\/p>\n

Often, the healthy food everyone aspires to eat is simply out of reach for the time-strapped mom, meeting-bound dad or the active teen, who often simply settle for the combo-meal at their closest drive-thru.<\/p>\n

Healthy eating needn\u2019t be difficult, but it often is because many people just don\u2019t know what a balanced meal looks like, and for those that need to lose weight, most probably even more so. Here we take a look at what meal replacements are and how they might work for weight loss.<\/p>\n

WHAT IS A MEAL REPLACEMENT?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A meal replacement is a food, often in bar, bottle or powder format (to be mixed with fluid into a porridge or shake consistency), aimed at meeting the nutritional requirements of a balanced meal in a convenient manner, thus containing all macronutrients namely carbohydrates, protein and fats, as well as vitamins, minerals and fibre. Due to this requirement it is nutrient dense and offers recommended portioning. For those using a meal replacement for weight loss specifically, the energy is controlled, the portions are stated or pre-packaged, and may provide other functional ingredient benefits such as a low GI formulation and a high fibre content.<\/p>\n

According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) the\u00a0\u201cfood that is the subject of the health claim: is a \u201cmeal replacement for weight control\u201d, is defined in Directive 96\/8\/EC5 on foods intended for use in energy-restricted diets for weight reduction. Briefly, the energy provided by a meal replacement shall not be less than 840 kJ (200 kcal) and shall not exceed 1 680 kJ (400 kcal) per meal. Meal replacements for weight loss shall provide not less than 25 % and not more than 50 % of the total energy of the product as protein, not more than 30 % of the total available energy as fat, not less than 1 g of linoleic acid (in the form of glycerides), at least 30 % of the dietary reference values for adults of vitamins and minerals, and at least 500 mg of potassium per meal.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Take note that \u2018meal replacements\u2019 should not be confused or used interchangeably with \u2018supplements\u2019. A supplement is used as an addition to your daily meals and is often not \u2018balanced\u2019 in the sense that it will provide more of a certain nutrient to facilitate a specific function\u00a0e.g. Whey powder is frequently used in shakes post-exercise to assist in muscle repair and recovery, but wouldn\u2019t alone meet the requirements of a full meal.<\/p>\n

HOW IT WORKS FOR BEST WEIGHT LOSS RESULTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meal replacements increase one\u2019s awareness of the kilojoules you\u2019re taking in and therefore provide you with more control. They are also \u2018ready-made\u2019 or \u2018almost ready-made\u2019 and require no added ingredients (provided you mix it with water) ensuring you\u2019re taking in exactly what\u2019s on the label, and no additional hidden kilojoules.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re also super convenient, which often means when you may typically skip a meal, you\u2019re now fitting it in. Research shows that small frequent meals help reduce hunger cravings and overeating, while ensuring sustained blood sugar and energy levels, increasing your metabolism and ultimately assisting in weight management. Studies show eating breakfast assists in long-term weight control as those that eat breakfast consume less overall kilojoules in a day, even more so if their breakfast includes a protein. On top of that it takes the anxiety out of weight loss, making sure you don\u2019t need to worry or calorie count your every meal.<\/p>\n

In the\u00a0Journal of Nutrition<\/em>, researchers found that meal replacements or \u2018diet shakes\u2019, were just as effective for weight loss when compared to structured, conventional diets. It was also found that these study participants were more positive about their dieting in general, where they highly rated their eating plan for its convenience when compared to those on the \u2018regular food\u2019 diet plan. Convenience alone is often a huge motivating factor for those wanting to lose weight.<\/p>\n

According to EFSA, in order for a food to make a claim that it is a\u00a0\u201cmeal replacement for weight control\u201d\u00a0<\/em>with the aim of reduction in body weight, as per the above mentioned criteria, \u201csubstituting two daily meals of an energy restricted diet with meal replacements contributes to weight loss\u201d.\u00a0<\/em>Furthermore, in order for a food to make a claim that it is a\u00a0\u201cmeal replacement for weight control\u201d\u00a0<\/em>with the aim of maintenance of body weight after weight loss,\u00a0\u201csubstituting one daily meal of an energy restricted diet with a meal replacement contributes to the maintenance of weight after weight loss\u201d.<\/em>\u00a0These claims are backed through much research and many agree: In the\u00a0Journal of the American Dietetic Association<\/em>, a published study in 2001 saw that women who lost weight on a lower-calorie plan with the inclusion of meal replacement beverages maintained their weight losses after a year by consuming at least one meal replacement\/shake a day in place of a regular meal. The other counterparts in the study, who had lost weight on the conventional low-fat diet that had not used meal replacement beverages, landed up regaining most of their former weight.<\/p>\n

Take note that with any drastic change in your lifestyle it is advisable to consult a health professional to monitor your progress. Weight loss also doesn\u2019t come from 1 or 2 meals in a day but instead a combination of healthy eating habits and exercise.<\/p>\n

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR MEAL REPLACEMENT<\/strong><\/p>\n

So you now know all the potential weight loss benefits of a meal replacement, here\u2019s a guide to choosing the right one and getting the most from it:<\/p>\n