Meal replacement - What and Why?

Meal replacement ideally refers to a compilation of essential ingredients in a powder or bar form that is consumed instead of a meal. By law, meal replacement products must provide the recommended amount of nutrients needed for good health and their composition must conform to the standards set by experts and the law of the country it is manufactured and/or sold. Ideally, a meal replacement product must contain between 200 to 400 calories, at least 25 percent of protein, 23 vitamins and minerals and around 5-6g of fibre. They are supposedly healthier alternative to traditional sugar and fat laden breakfasts and dinners.

Meal replacements are used mostly for effective and quick weight loss, in a healthy way. Long term follow up studies have also suggested that meal replacements may actually help people to maintain their new lower weight. Meal replacement is a convenient option for preparing the food and also reduces the stress of counting the calories in each meal. However, meal replacements are generally priced higher than the traditional food and offer limited variety of flavours.

The happy news about a meal replacements are that none of the research published suggest any adverse side effects on using them. Latest research suggests that people can maintain the weight they lose, providing they receive advice and stick to eating a healthy, balanced diet even after they stop taking the products. Organizations such as National Obesity Forum, the British Dietetic Association and Dietitians in Obesity Management UK, say that meal replacement offer an alternative to other more conventional dietary treatments and may prove beneficial for some people. The meal replacement products take away the pressure of deciding what to eat for two meals each day, and yet allow an element of choice for one meal.