Is Premier Protein a Meal Replacement? Side Effects? Healthy?

The world is moving fast and we need to be quick to keep up with it.

Supermarkets today are stocked with quick drinks and protein bars that claim to give you all the nutrition you need while promising to help you lose those extra pounds too. But are they really what they claim to be?

Premier Protein is not a meal replacement. Although Premier Protein is a brand that manufactures protein-based drinks and bars, they don’t produce meal replacement products. Studies have proved that protein shakes may be good for the body, but are not good enough to replace solid food.

The adult human body requires a certain amount of nutrients on a daily basis in order to function efficiently.

Even though protein shakes like Premier Protein claim to offer all these nutrients, there is a risk of your body receiving an excess amount of protein, which can have adverse effects. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons in detail.

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What Is a Meal Replacement?

Meal replacements are products which are specially made to replace the nutritional value of a full-fledged meal, but with lower total calorie intake.

Meal replacements are usually intended and used for weight loss or weight management. It contains protein along with many other nutrients that are required for your body.

The protein is essential as it satisfies the hunger of the body while reducing the typical calorie intake significantly. A meal replacement can be used to substitute at most two meals a day and is deemed as a product that aids with healthy weight loss.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in the United States, obesity is a major problem that many Americans face, and a study they conducted for the last 15 years has recognized meal replacement products as one of the best means to tackle this problem.

These products are macronutrient focused, which includes protein, carbohydrates, and fats, the three elements that give your body most of its energy.

Many tests and RCTs have been conducted to develop a mix of the best macronutrients which promote the loss of weight in a healthy manner while including positive metabolic benefits.

What Is Premier Protein Used For?

According to Premier, each of their protein shakes contains essential amino acids, twenty-four vitamins and minerals, low fat, sugar, carbs, calories, and of course, protein.

The reason why people seem to stress the efficiency of protein shakes is that high protein is known to boost your metabolism and give you a lot of energy, which in turn may help you burn more calories and build muscle if you exercise.

Protein shakes are typically designed for athletic performance and act as an energy booster due to the high amount of protein content they provide.

Meal replacements, on the other hand, are used extensively for weight loss and management.

It is clear that these two drinks cannot perform the same tasks as the end goals they are designed for are different.

Can Premier Protein Be Used as a Meal Replacement?

In short, the answer is no. Protein shakes are often confused as meal replacements due to the high amount of protein they contain, but this misconception can lead to negative results in the long run.

If you are looking for a meal replacement which is intended to fully substitute a healthy meal, you are probably doing so for the following purposes:

To reduce weight in a healthy manner
To maintain your present weight

It is safe to say that a protein shake cannot perform the above tasks as efficiently as you would believe them to, simply because they are not designed for this reason.

Let us look at some of the reasons protein shakes are used and how they fall short of being a meal replacement.

Intended as a Supplement

Protein shakes are intended to be used as an additional supplement to a regular, nutritious diet. This is because a healthy meal consists of protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.

These are found in everyday products that we consume like vegetables, fruits, meat, nuts, eggs, and dairy products.

Protein shakes do not give you all these nutrients in balanced proportions, as can be found in a healthy meal.

Metabolism Booster

The primary purpose of a protein shake is to boost your energy. That is the main reason why they are consumed before or after a workout.

They typically contain 25g of protein per serving, as protein tends to increase one’s energy expenditure.

Additionally, they have less than 5g of carbohydrates and do not contain any added vitamins or minerals other than what exists in the primary protein source.

This is because they are not intended to be used as solid meal substitutes, but as energy giving supplements.

What Are the Benefits of a Meal Replacement Shake?

Now that we’ve seen the main uses of a protein shake, let’s have a look at how a meal replacement shake differs from a protein shake.

Intended to Substitute One or Two Meals a Day

Meal replacements are specially designed as solid food replacements and hence contain all the nutrients a body receives from a proper meal.

According to the European Union, a meal replacement must meet the following compositional criteria:

Energy: 200-250 kcal
Fat: Less than or equal to 30%
Protein: 25-50%
Vitamins and minerals: More than 30%

Protein and fiber play an important role in meal replacement products as these two components have the ability to curb a person’s appetite.

Protein and fiber-rich diets are used extensively in weight loss regimes as you tend to feel quite full after ingesting them when compared to other nutrients. The reason for this is listed below:

Protein and fiber are digested more slowly than carbohydrates, which leaves the individual feeling full for a long duration of time.

Their slow rate of digestion causes them to be present in the gastrointestinal tract for a longer period of time.

You will have to drink quite a lot of water to help with the digestion of fiber, which in turn causes you to feel full and curbs your appetite.

We see that even in meal replacement products, protein seems to play an important role, which is why they are often confused with being the same as protein shakes.

What Are the Side-Effects of Using Premier Protein as a Meal Replacement?

A meal replacement is designed to give the body the nutrition a meal would, and hence, it can be used to substitute even two meals a day.

A protein shake like Premier Protein is only intended to give you an energy boost when you exercise. Here is a list of reasons why it is not advisable to use Premier Protein as a meal replacement:

Protein has calories, so ingesting a lot of protein and not exercising can lead to fat deposits in your body, which is the opposite of your intended goal of losing weight.

If a protein shake is taken too often, it may lead to high cholesterol and also be a strain on the kidneys.

Protein shakes can seem like they promote weight loss, but the results are not long term or guaranteed.

Conclusion

Based on the article above, you can now make your decision in accordance with the goal you have in mind. Using the right product will enable you to achieve quicker and better results.

While Premier Protein is an excellent energy booster to fuel intense workouts, a meal replacement shake is perfect if weight loss is your goal!

ORDER PREMIER PROTEIN HERE

Looking for a meal replacement that will give you “Your Daily Dose of Dense Nutrition”?

Our Number 1 pick is Shakeology. It’s low in calories and offers several super foods from around the world to help you stay full and improve your health.

Read our Shakeology review here to see if it’s a good option for you.

Our Top Recommended Meal Replacement Shakes

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Beachbody Shakeology

Shakeology

Shakeology is our most recommended meal replacement shake because it's a nutrient dense shake that includes:

Protein
Digestive Enzymes
Prebiotics & Probiotics
Adaptogens
Superfoods
Antioxidants
Vitamins & Minerals
Omega-3 From ALA

Thus, making it perfect for weight loss, increased energy, digestive health, reduced cravings, and overall better health.

Plus, Shakeology has stood the test of time as it has been around since 2009 without compromising its whole food ingredients. Instead, Shakeology has improved their flavors in taste and potency, and has even added vegan and gluten free options.

Learn More About The Clinically Tested Shakeology Shake Here

Ample Meal

Ample Meal

Ample Meal is an interesting meal replacement as it focuses more on healthy fats. Ample Meal includes:

Healthy Fats with Coconut & Macadamia Nut Oil
Prebiotics & Probiotics
Antioxidants
Electrolytes

With Ample Meal, you can get a nice fulling 400 calorie meal with 2 scoops or do a single scoop of 200 calories if your goal is weight loss. Similar to Shakeology, it’s free of all the artificial junk that most meal replacement shakes have today.

Learn More About Ample Meal Here

Macro Meal

MacroMeal

MacroMeal is another interesting meal replacement shake as it contains a blend of fast, medium, and slow digesting protein that delivers sustained energy. MacoMeal also includes the following core ingredients:

Coconut Oil Powder
Antioxidants
Probiotics
Multivitamins & Minerals

Although not technically a meal replacement as it’s low in carbohydrates, people have found it to be filling because of the MCT oils and slow digesting proteins.

Learn More About MacroMeal Here