Diet shakes such as Slim-Fast, Optifast and other commercial products can be an effective stopgap measure to avoid falling off your diet plan if you are caught in a bind; but not all diet shakes are created equal. Just because a product is labeled "diet," it does not necessarily mean that it is healthy or that you would want it as a part of your particular meal plan. However, with exercise of some consumer savvy, you can quickly and easily compare diet shakes to determine which one is right for you.
Instructions
1. Compare the ingredient lists on the labels to determine which product contains more natural, healthy ingredients. Remember when reading the ingredient list that the items are listed in order of amount, with major ingredients coming first. In other words, if you have two ingredient lists stating "sugar, water, whey protein" and the other stating "whey protein, water, sugar," the latter contains more whey protein and less sugar. Look for the diet shake that contains more recognizable ingredients without being filled with unhealthy items like sugars and sugar substitutes like fructose, corn syrup, dextrose, sucrose, and high fructose corn syrup.
2. Look at the total calories to determine how the two products match up serving per serving. All other things being equal, you will obviously want to choose the diet product that contains fewer calories, as this will facilitate additional weight loss. However, do not simply choose the lower calorie product if it is the less healthy product (as determined in step one). If this is the case, you are better off choosing the more natural product and adjusting the rest of your calories for the remainder of the day down in lieu of fueling your body with empty nutrition.
3. Match the diet shake against your dieting goal in order to find the product which works best for you. In other words, if you are following a low-carb diet and find yourself caught in a pinch where you can either miss a meal or consume a diet shake, choose the shake that contains fewer carbs. Likewise, if you are on a low-sodium or low-sugar approach, choose the shake that fits your needs, regardless of whether it is the "best" shake in general.
