Why Protein Shakes Are Never A Meal Replacement

Protein is heath. Obviously, right? Well, except it’s not. It’s not a meal. It’s not a complete package. It’s not the only thing you need. That kind of thinking it likely to earn you a pep talk from mother nature. She won’t be happy and will discipline you eventually. Despite these terms being used almost interchangeably, there are significant differences that may or may not serve you, especially if you’re eating a ketogenic meal plan and want to feel at your best. These are the differences you should look for between protein shakes and meal replacements when you’re supplementing to support a keto lifestyle.

Ratios Matter

A protein shake does exactly what it says on the tin. It gives you protein. It doesn’t do anything wrong by fulfilling this purpose. However, the crucial misstep is when there’s a misunderstanding about the real difference. When you’re in ketosis, you probably just want to eat protein when having a shake. That way you can keep tabs on your ketogenic ratios because you want to get 75% of your calories from fat, 20% of them from protein and 5% of your calories from carbohydrates. This perfectly supports a ketogenic diet. This means that more protein is not better. There’s a science to the ketogenic equation and overloading with any of the nutrients won’t serve you in the slightest.  If you’re choosing a meal replacement shake that’s going to be a complete substitute for something like lunch, then it should have these ratios built into it from the start. A regular protein shake cannot achieve this so a product that does will make it easy for you to keep track of your levels.

Nutrients Matter

Since a protein shake is usually drunk before and after training, micro-nutrients aren’t as important because you can get them from foods you’d eat at other times. When you’re replacing an entire meal, you need your micronutrients to be present in your supplement. Things such as vitamin C and vitamin E are the very least you need to keep your health in optimum condition.  Other additions that are crucial are things such as vitamin A and calcium, so that you can take care of your muscle bone health along with other functions. This is something a few scoops of zero carb whey simply can’t do. Always read the back of the label to make sure your meal replacement is ticking these boxes.

Why Keto Meal Replacements Are Useful

It’s important that your meal replacement doesn’t have any dead extras in it, like sweeteners that are high in calories. Sometimes you’re on the move and won’t have time to make a meal that supports a ketogenic lifestyle. With a meal replacement you can very easily hit your numbers with supreme accuracy. It’s also a good option to have when your energy is low and may feel hungry all the time. This is not the way you want to feel if you’re trying to exercise yet don’t have the oomph to even complete a few reps. The same advice is true if you’re working, and your brain is a little foggy to start off with during your ketogenic lifestyle. In all these cases, having a well-balanced, nutritionally sound ketogenic meal replacement, like American Metabolix’s Keto Meal Replacement, can help you fight the urges to ditch the diet. Instead, you’ll be able to have this shake, push through the tough times and get back on track to crush your goals.