Download Article Download Article

While meal replacements are used for a variety of reasons, their most popular use is as a tool for losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight. Using meal replacements can be a successful part of managing your eating habits so long as you understand your meal replacement options, carefully choose your meal replacement for optimum nutritional value, and regulate how often and how long you replace meals.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:
Deciding on the Best Meal Replacement Option

  1. 1
    Choose bars if convenience and feeling satisfied is important. You can easily stow away meal replacement bars in your purse or suitcase, and they make a good choice if you value convenience. Meal replacement bars tend to help you feel more fully satisfied than liquid meal replacement options.[1]
    • You can find meal replacement bars at grocery stores, health stores, or online.
  2. 2
    Find a shake if you prefer sipping your calories. A meal replacement shake is a good option for you if you want to slowly sip a meal. They’re easily consumed on the go, but are sometimes bulkier and more inconvenient than bars.
    • Meal replacement shakes come in a variety of forms that might need freezing or refrigeration. Shakes that are stable at room temperature are the most common variety.
  3. 3
    Make your own meal replacement. A homemade meal replacement is a great option if you’re looking to save money and know exactly what’s going into your meal replacement. You can make either bars or shakes at home.[2]
    • Making your own meal replacement will help prevent the monotony that comes with eating the same meal every day. You can mix up the flavors of the smoothies or bars that you create.
    • Cooking meal replacements yourself is a creative way to begin understanding what ingredients contribute to healthy eating.
    • Try your hand at making your own shake with this easy recipe: blend together half an avocado, .5 cup (64 g) of spinach, half a banana, .5 tablespoon (15 g) of natural peanut butter, .5 cup (236 mL) of milk, and 3 ice cubes to make a delicious meal replacement shake.[3]
    • You can also make your own meal replacement bars. Mix 14 oz (400 g) natural protein powder, 7 oz (200 g) rolled oats, .75 cup (180 ml) low fat milk, 3 oz (100 g) natural peanut butter, 3 oz (100 g) honey, 1 oz (30 g) cocoa powder, and a sprinkling of flax seed (optional). Use your hands to mix the ingredients. Form thirteen even-sized bars. Place the bars in the refrigerator. They will keep for a week.[4]

Part 2
Part 2 of 3:
Choosing a Healthy Meal Replacement

  1. 1
    Look for meals with 250 to 350 calories. An important part of choosing a healthy meal replacement option is reading the nutrition label. Choose a meal replacement that is roughly 250 to 350 calories in total to ensure that you’re getting enough calories to replace your meal.[5]
  2. 2
    Find a meal replacement with lots of protein. Meal replacements should have a high amount of protein to help keep you full longer. Look for about 12 to 20 grams of protein per serving.
    • A meal replacement with an appropriate amount of protein will keep you satisfied for 3 to 4 hours.[6]
  3. 3
    Go for meal replacements with fiber. Meal replacements should contain about 3 to 5 grams of fiber. Like protein, fiber also helps keep you fuller for longer.[7]
    • You could also have a few veggies or fruit on the side of your meal replacement to boost fiber levels.
  4. 4
    Look for replacements that are low in fat. Look for meal replacements with about 10 to 15 grams of fat per serving or less. You want to examine the fat content of your meal replacement for healthier fats. The best meal replacements will have more unsaturated fats, the healthy kind of fat, than saturated fats, the unhealthy kind.[8]
  5. 5
    Make sure the meal replacement is fortified with vitamins. Meal replacements should contain a third of your daily recommended dose of vitamins and minerals.[9]
    • You should check to see if the nutrition label has 33% of each of the following: Vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.[10]
    • The percentage of vitamins and minerals on nutrition labels is usually calculated based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
  6. 6
    Check for meal replacements that are low in sugar. Since many meal replacements are chocked full of sugar you should look for low sugar levels. High sugar levels aren’t useful for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.[11]
    • A healthy meal replacement bar won’t have much more than 3 grams of sugar.[12]

Part 3
Part 3 of 3:
Replacing Meals in Your Day

  1. 1
    Replace only one meal a day. Replacing one meal a day is enough to make an impact on weight loss. Because no meal replacement can ever truly replace the benefits of eating a real meal, it’s best to limit their intake to ensure that your diet is well rounded.[13]
    • If you’re only using one meal replacement a day, you’ll have the opportunity to learn how to make healthier choices with your other meals. Then when you’re eventually not using meal replacements, you’ll know how to make healthy choices for all of your meals.[14]
    • You can only safely replace every meal with meal replacements under the supervision of a doctor who provides you with medical grade products.[15]
  2. 2
    Use a meal replacement at breakfast. Because most people eat the same thing for breakfast every day, using your meal replacement at breakfast will reduce the monotony of eating the same meal replacement.[16]
    • If you’re prone to skipping breakfast, use your meal replacement for this meal since breakfast is the foundational meal for long-term weight control. People who eat breakfast are more likely to lose weight and eat less later in the day, because they start their day with the energy their bodies need.[17]
  3. 3
    Use meal replacements for short-term help. Meal replacements are best for helping you kick off weight loss. They can teach you portion control by helping you understand how much you should eat. They’ll also help you lose weight, which is a great motivator to encourage you to want to learn how to eat healthily for every meal. Learn how to develop healthy eating habits when you’re on meal replacements, so you don’t see the weight pile back on after you’ve gone off of them.[18]
    • Meal replacements aren’t great for long-term use because they’re monotonous, they’re expensive, and they’re not always readily available in real life situations like dining out.[19]

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left



      • Meal replacements are just one part of healthy weight loss. Make sure you’re also incorporating exercise and other healthy food choices into your daily routine for best results.



      About This Article

      Claudia Carberry, RD, MS
      Co-authored by:
      Master's Degree, Nutrition, University of Tennessee Knoxville
      7 votes - 100%
      Co-authors: 8
      Updated: May 25, 2021
      Views: 66,462
      Categories: Meal Planning

      Medical Disclaimer


      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 66,462 times.

      Did this article help you?