Avoid the Replacement Shakedown

Q:IS IT OK to eat meal replacement bars, shakes and so forth?

Are these products good for dieters?

A: The compact, on-the-go food market is lucrative for the marketer and enticing for the convenience-starved consumer, but most registered dietitians and nutritional experts still do not believe pre-packaged processed foods meet all necessary nutritional needs.

We often, however, do not have the time or the access to eat properly. Convenience becomes a higher priority when we are rushed, stressed and starving. If the choice is buying a high-fat, high- sugar chocolate bar out of the candy machine, whipping through a fast food joint, or, pulling a “meal replacement” bar or shake out of your briefcase, go for the latter. Any item with a complex carbohydrate/protein/fiber combination is preferable to a greasy burger and fries or candy.

In 2003 the International Journal of Obesity published a review and analysis of the meal replacement literature. Of the studies reviewed — comparing the results from adults on meal replacement diet plans (one or two meals were replaced with commercially available products that included bars, shakes, and/or frozen entrees) with those on a conventional low-calorie diet of patient- selected foods — the weight loss at three months among the meal replacement group was 7 percent compared to the reduced-calorie food group at 4 percent.

At the end of one year, 74 percent of the meal replacement group had not only lost, but also maintained a 5 percent reduction in body weight, compared to only 33 percent of the other group.

The primary reason for this phenomenon is that meal replacements control portion size, an escalating problem in our “super-size me” culture. Another advantage is the variety. Since dieters often complain of feeling deprived of favorite foods, why not go for the Fettuccine Alfredo in calorie-appropriate portions that can be cooked in five minutes in a microwave oven? Not having to think about shopping, cooking, and measuring ingredients is

very enticing.

Dawn Jackson, media spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and practicing dietitian at Northwestern Memorial Wellness Institute in Chicago, uses replacement meals in her practice for all these reasons. And she notes that for some people, these are actually an improvement in overall nutrition.

Katherine Tallmadge, dietitian and author of “Diet Simple, Shed Pounds Without Even Trying” (Lifeline Press, $14.95) disagrees. She likes people to learn how to eat “real food” and keep weight off successfully through real food enjoyment, not eating on the run.

Real food rich in nutritionally dense complex carbohydrates (fruits/vegetable/grains/beans), lean protein and fat (primarily from unsaturated sources) is always a preferred food source for maximum nutritional benefit.

In the December 2000 issue of the Nutrition Action Healthletter, Bonnie Liebman, director of nutrition for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, points out that only whole foods contain the necessary phytochemicals and other nutritional nuances required for optimum health.

Regardless of the easy solution provided by packaged meals, bars and shakes, one adage remains true: Nothing to excess. Use them as tools for specific periods of time or in emergencies rather than as permanent aspects of a lifestyle.

For more information, visit http://www.TodaysDietitian.com or http://www.ShapeUp.org.