Some people don't eat breakfast most mornings; others even miss lunch and make up for the skipped meals with a substantial dinner. Some people have meals at the designated time but may be consuming inadequate nutrients. Meal-replacement shakes could be the substitute for these people.

The advantage of most commercial meal-replacement shakes and drinks is that they are already prepared, the calorie count is standardised allowing for an organised programme of weight loss or gain. Meal replacements are available in powder, liquid and, recently, bars and soups can be found on the market. The calorie count ranges from 200 to 400. Most of them are low in carbohydrates and fats, with up to 25 per cent protein, added fibre and some micronutrients.

Many people use meal-replacements as substitutes for two meals each day, and consume one regular meal and, sometimes two low-calorie snacks. Studies out of the United States indicate that meal replacements are as effective as traditional low-calorie diets in helping people to lose weight in the short term. There is one study that indicates that meal replacements can be sustained for up to 10 years.

Some disadvantages

However, in many studies, the organisers provide the meal replacement products free of charge to participants. Participants also receive intensive support from a health-care team, including a registered dietitian or nutritionist. The products are usually expensive and some people may not be able to stay on the regime outside of a research setting.

Another disadvantage of being on meal replacements is that sometimes people do not learn the skills and discipline of eating healthy from a wide variety of foods and sometimes tend to put the weight back on when they stop using meal replacements. Some meal-replacement plans offer healthy lifestyle guidelines including physical activity tips. Here is an example of a homemade meal-replacement shake.

Rosalee M. Brown is a registered dietitian/nutritionist who operates Integrated Nutrition and Health Services; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.