>Break your fast
>Label detective
>Made just for me

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If you’ve been too intimidated by the variety of mixes and add-ins to replace one of your meals with a shake, you’re not alone. But even with the tricky lingo and labels, it’s relatively easy to find a shake that’s right for you.

Despite modern conveniences, many people say they don’t have enough time to do the basics — eat healthfully, get enough sleep, and relax with family. And marketers have convinced us that we will have all the time in the world if we just forego all that silly cooking and fill our shelves with convenience foods instead. Of course, these foods are often processed and less healthy, but they don’t always need to be. Using a nutritional shake as a meal replacement can be a safe way to manage weight and get the vitamins and nutrients your other meals might lack.

“Use in moderation” is the mantra most nutritionists and health professionals attach to meal replacement or snack shakes. But what kind of shake is right for you? Some can be bought premade in disposable containers for the greatest convenience (but the biggest expense), and others can be made from powdered mixes or from scratch with your blender (typically the cheapest option). It’s easy to “healthy them up” with some basic additions, and many already have enough supplements and ingredients to make any health nut happy.

Lisa Tartamella-Kimmel, a nutritionist with the Yale-New Haven Hospital in Conn., says, “It’s better to have a shake than going to the vending machine or skipping a meal.” Although she adds, “While most shakes and shake mixes have cleaned up their act nutritionally, it’s still important to make sure you get two ‘real’ meals a day if you have a meal replacement.” That’s because it’s important for your body to go through the process of digesting whole foods. More than one shake a day might be popular for weight-loss, but should only be undertaken as a diet plan under a doctor’s supervision. Also, many shakes are considered dietary supplements and are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which means that any claims on the package aren’t necessarily supported by scientific research.

Break your fast

A popular time for consuming a shake is in the morning. An American Heart Association survey reports that 13 percent of women and 16 percent of men skip breakfast, and this can lead to lower energy throughout the day, as well as unhealthy blood-sugar fluctuations. Nutritionists and health advocates from Andrew Weil to the late Dr. Robert Atkins agree that it’s not healthful to skip breakfast, and several studies have pointed out that people who skip their first fuel-up tend to be heavier than their counterparts who stop for a morning munch.

If you’ve wanted to try a shake for breakfast or another meal, consider your health. Nutritionally, there are five things to look for to put together a great shake.

Label detective

Tartamella-Kimmel advises picking up whatever shake or shake mix sounds good to you and looking at the label before anything else. “First look to see how many calories are in it, and check the serving size (there could be two or more servings in a container),” she says. “Depending on your intention, whether replacing a meal — in which case something with substantial calories might be OK — or as a snack, when you’d want something lighter, make your choice, then incorporate it into the context of your overall diet.”

Look for something that is low-fat to begin with, or if the directions call for milk, soymilk, or yogurt, make sure to pick skim, 1 percent, or light soymilk to limit your saturated fats. “Look at the total carbs. If sugar or a sugar derivative is at the top of the list of ingredients, it’s probably high in refined carbs, which should be avoided,” says Tartamella-Kimmel.

If you’re going to be replacing solid food with a liquid, consider that most premade shakes (with a few notable exceptions) are not high in fiber. If you make a shake yourself, add some fresh or frozen fruit — particularly berries, which are low in calories, flavorful, and add fiber. Fiber will help you feel full and aid in weight loss if that’s a goal. Hemp seeds, wheat germ, flax seeds, and ground nuts are also heart-healthy antioxidants and sources of good fats and fiber. Look on the label for ingredients such as oat, wheat, or rice bran; dried fruits; and guar gum if fiber is a concern. Additionally, make sure you get lots of fresh leafy greens, whole grains, and other sources of fiber in your non-shake meals to keep your digestive tract happy.

Protein is the last piece of the healthy shake puzzle. The majority of shake mixes and some premade shakes get their protein from soy, though many others use dairy as a base (usually in the form of whey, which is protein derived from milk that is separated out), and some use an egg base. (Salmonella poisoning is a risk, so avoid adding raw eggs to shakes.) Soy protein is high in phytochemicals, which the FDA has concluded might reduce the risk of heart disease if consumed along with a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. But this kind of protein isn’t for everyone. Rice protein isolates are also available for those with soy allergies or for those who would rather limit soy in their diets.

Made just for me

After you’ve covered what’s in the nutrition shakes, the last thing you need to consider are your drink options. There are a variety of flavors and textures, from fruity to chocolaty, to nutty or coffee-flavored.

There also are shakes and mixes made for every lifestyle or health concern. Women should look for shakes with added calcium and vitamin D. Older people and those with cancer, diabetes, and other diseases tend to have difficulties getting all the nutrients they need from their food, so super-fortified shakes such as Ensure, made especially for those folks, can help them fill the gap. And vegans can use shake mixes based on soy or rice protein rather than whey or eggs.

There also are additives designed to help you achieve weight loss, such as the natural metabolism boosters willow bark, pyruvate, and chromium picolinate, as well as caffeine. For years, athletes and those looking to gain muscle have consumed high-protein shakes.
More and more health food stores are stocking “natural” shake mixes, such as Spiru-Tein, which provides a balance of fats, carbs, and proteins and is made from nongenetically modified (GMO) soybeans. Spiru-Tein also includes such goodies as spirulina, a protein source and purported immunity enhancer; bee pollen, papaya, and bromelain for digestion; and bran, cellulose, and apple pectin for fiber. All GeniSoy powders contain soy protein from soybeans processed through the Identity Preservation Program (IPP Certified), a certification program guaranteeing non-GMO soybeans.

Anatomy Whole Food Mixative from Intelligent Nutrients is 100-percent organic, high in fiber, and is made from whole foods, including soybeans, flax seeds, and broccoli sprouts instead of the more conventional protein, vitamin, and mineral isolates. Some natural health practitioners think whole food ingredients provide more reliable nutrients.

Stonyfield Farm makes yogurt-based smoothies with inulin, a natural fiber source; lots of calcium; and six live active cultures. Westsoy makes tasty soymilk smoothies, which are great as a snack, and Vigoraid, a meal replacement, with added vitamins and nutrients.