Meal replacement drinks are a popular choice when you’re trying to achieve a healthy weight. However, like any diet plan that is considered to be temporary, weight maintenance may be a challenge after discontinuing the plan. It doesn’t have to be that way. Meal replacement drinks can be part of a long-term healthy eating plan to keep you looking and feeling healthy and well.

Used as part of a well-balanced healthy diet, meal replacement drinks can help support weight maintenance.

Continue reading to learn how you can use meal replacement drinks to help you maintain a healthy weight for the long term.

Remember That Meal Replacement Drinks Are Meant to Replace a Meal

One of the biggest problems people run into when using meal replacement drinks is consuming them as a snack rather than a meal. When this happens, it can be easy to overeat which can sabotage your weight maintenance efforts. It may take a little work on your mindset to transition from thinking of meal replacement drinks as snacks or supplements to viewing them as complete meals.

If you find that you are still hungry after your shake, you may need to make a few small changes to make it more satiating. Consider your caloric needs to ensure that you do not go over your calories for your meal. Many male replacement drinks are fairly low calorie and leave some wiggle room for some add-ins to customize the flavor and nutrient profile. Adding in a small amount of healthy fats like MCT oil, almond butter, or avocado can help make your meal replacement drinks more filling.

Choose Meal Replacement Drinks That You Actually Like

No matter how healthy a meal replacement drink is, if you do not like the taste, it is going to be nearly impossible to maintain a healthy eating plan with it. There are many different types of meal replacement products out there in a wide variety of flavors, so there is bound to be one that you truly enjoy.

Keep in mind that you can customize the flavor of your meal replacement drinks by adding in other healthy ingredients like frozen berries, cacao powder, or even chilled coffee. Choosing the right base liquid is helpful too. Some people find that just using water is not as desirable, so experiment with cow’s milk, almond milk, oat milk, or other dairy-free alternatives, to find out which you like most. Almond milk is a popular choice as it is low calorie and can easily be found in unsweetened versions.

Meal Replacement Drinks Don’t Cancel Out Poor Eating the Rest of the Day

The belief that having one meal replacement drink a day counteracts poor dietary choices the rest of the day runs along the lines of thinking that eating a salad for lunch means you’ve met your fruit and vegetable needs for the day and can indulge for breakfast and dinner. This philosophy has had a negative impact on the weight maintenance goals of many.

When you want to achieve optimal health along with a healthy weight, your healthy eating plan needs to be part of a lifestyle change. That means looking at your food differently and finding new and appealing ways of preparing healthy foods. Meal replacement drinks make it easy to plan one of your healthy meals each day. Take some time to find easy-to-prepare healthy meals and snacks for the remainder of the day to keep the positive momentum going.

USANA Nutrimeal

The USANA Nutrimeal 28-Day Variety Pack can be an integral part of your long-term healthy lifestyle. Even for those with the busiest of days, USANA Nutrimeal can provide a balanced, nutritious meal replacement in a snap. Keep a packet handy at work or in your car to help you stick to your health and wellness goals for life.