There are different nutrients that should be present in all meal replacement shakes. Some of these nutrients include vitamins and minerals. A good shake should also contain probiotics and two or more superfoods. All these components work in different ways to ensure overall body health. They also come with different features that make meal replacement shakes more efficient when it comes to weight loss. Click here to learn more about meal replacement shakes.

Below are some of the reasons why these components are important and should be part of any good shake designed for weight loss.

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins are important for body growth and development. They play a part in normal body functions such as immunity, building muscle, and digestion. Vitamins have also been found to play a key role in energy metabolism. With the right vitamins, your body will process foods easier, and this can lead to better metabolism and weight loss over time. Some of the vitamins that are instrumental in digestion include vitamin B1, B6, and vitamin C. Good meal replacement shakes should contain these vitamins among other essential nutrients. This way, your body gets all the nutrients required for optimal health. 

Similarly, minerals help in growth, development, and energy metabolism. Minerals are either macro or trace, and both categories are necessary for optimal health. Side effects of low mineral levels differ and can be anything from weak bone to fatigue and a slow metabolism. Since your body needs to be performing optimally if you are to lose weight, you need to ensure that you get most if not all the minerals that your body needs.

The best minerals and vitamins are found in nature. Different meal replacement shakes manufacturers have devised different ways of extracting these essential nutrients to ensure that you get maximum benefits from them. Look for a shake that contains a good portion of the vitamins and minerals you need on a daily basis so that you do not deprive your body of essential nutrients. 

Superfoods 

Superfoods are natural foods that are bursting with nutrients. Most superfoods contain most of the vitamins and minerals that should be part of a healthy diet. The superfoods also come with unique and potent compounds that are perfect for your health. This is addition to the fact that these foods come with a perfect delivery system and are easily digested and utilized in the body.

Some common superfoods include flaxseeds, almond, broccoli, avocado, and milk. Some berries are also classified as superfoods. A good shake should feature these foods or products of the above foods. Fortunately, there are enough shakes that come with a blend of the above and other superfoods.

If you want to up your consumption of the above foods, you can blend them together with your shake powder. You can also use low-fat milk or almond milk in place of plain water or other less nutritious beverages. You can also choose to have them together with your other meals.

Superfoods will boost your immunity, keep you healthy, and help heal and address some of the issues brought about by an unhealthy diet. These foods are also quite filling and they are also low in calories. They are, therefore, ideal for weight loss and the perfect companion in your meal replacement shakes. 

Probiotics

Probiotics include yeasts and bacteria that promote gut health. Thanks to their role in the gut they are regarded as the good bacteria. Probiotics help the body in different ways. They work to replace the good bacteria lost mostly when we take antibiotics. They also help ensure a good balance of the good and bad bacteria in the digestive system.

Gut health and weight loss go hand in hand which explains why good meal replacement shakes come with probiotics. When the gut is healthy, digestion is more efficient and there is no buildup of toxins that hinder digestion and slow down body metabolism.

All of the above nutrients are perfect for your health and are extremely important for weight loss. Take your time to read through the list of ingredients in different shakes and settle for the one that is rich in these nutrients. You should also ensure that the shake you choose also contains the right balance of other essential nutrients. In short, a good meal replacement shake should be rich in all the nutrients your body requires to ensure that you lose weight safely and acquire all the nutrients your body needs on a daily basis.

Meal replacement shakes, as the name suggests, are designed to replace a meal. These shakes are perfect for weight loss because they are much lower in calories when compared to a normal meal. They are also user-friendly and fit perfectly into our busy lives today.

Given the numerous meal replacement shakes in the market today, choosing one is not easy. Below we have compiled a list of the 5 main components of a good meal replacing shake. Any shake that does not contain any of these five ingredients is definitely not good for you.

Good Protein

Proteins are required for the function, regulation, and structure of body organs and tissue. Proteins are also hard to metabolize which makes them perfect for weight loss as the body needs more calories to process them. This is in addition to the fact that they also stay in the stomach longer making it easier for you to stick to a low-calorie diet.

The most common proteins that you find in meal replacement shakes include whey and casein. There are also shakes that come with plant-derived proteins such as pea, hemp, and soy. A good shake should contain at least 10 grams of protein in every serving.

The quality of a protein is determined by the number of amino acids that it comes with and its digestibility. Whey and casein meal replacement shakes are easily processed in the body. Pea, hemp, and brown rice proteins are also great since they come with other essential minerals. Shakes that contain soy protein should be taken in moderation since numerous studies have shown that soy can come with a number of unpleasant side effects.

Optimal Fiber

Fiber plays a key role in ensuring gut health and protecting against weight gain and the lifestyle diseases that come with extra weight. Ideally, we need to consume about 30 grams of fiber every day. This means that your meal replacement shakes should come with at least 5 grams of fiber. If you get one with a higher amount of fiber the better. Apart from considering the fiber content, you should also consider the source.

Fiber derived from whole foods is best.

Fiber is classified as either soluble or insoluble. Soluble fiber turns into a gel-like paste in the gut that slows down the absorption of nutrients. Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, leaves you fuller but come out of the body unchanged. Look at your ingredient list on your meal replacement shakes before you buy to make sure you’re choosing the right type of fiber for your body.

Low Calories

The essence of replacing a meal with meal replacement shakes is to lower your daily calorie intake. Good meal replacement shakes should, therefore, be low in calories. Fortunately, there are many shakes that come with less than 100 calories in a serving.

To keep the calorie content in your meal replacement shakes low, you need to use a low-calorie beverage to make the shake. This only applies if your shake does not come ready to drink. Anything from plain water to low-fat milk works just fine. You can also incorporate fruits, nuts, and vegetables into your meal replacement shakes. You just have to ensure that you use them in moderation and only choose fruits and vegetables that are low in calories.

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals have numerous functions in the body and they are classified as essential nutrients. Without an adequate amount of these vitamins and minerals, the body cannot perform optimally. Good meal replacement shakes should, therefore, contain a good portion of the vitamins and minerals your body needs on a daily basis.

It is important to note that too much of these vitamins and minerals can be harmful to your health. Check the content in your meal replacement shakes and ensure that the nutrients in your shake are within the recommended dosage.

Superfoods and probiotics

Superfoods are simply nutrient dense foods. Most of the superfoods are plant-based though there are a few animal-based superfoods such as dairy. Go for meal replacement shakes that feature foods such as blueberries, kale, pomegranate, and broccoli. These foods come with most if not all the nutrients that you need for optimal health.

Probiotics

Probiotics are the good bacteria that keep the gut healthy. Though these bacteria naturally occur in the body, we lose them when we take antibiotics. Taking probiotics help replenish the bacteria in your gut and keep them within the normal levels.

Recent studies have shown that probiotics are essential for weight loss. You should, therefore, go for meal replacement shakes that feature them in addition to other essential minerals.