Meal replacement shakes or on-the-go meals are very useful and people use them for various reasons. The first reason is that with their help you can much easier meet the daily intake of macronutrients, which is a big problem for many people due to the pace of everyday life. In this way, they eat enough micronutrients and macros without wasting time on food preparation and even consumption. Another reason why they are so popular is that they are very effective in weight loss. People often do not know how to correctly calculate the calorie intake from food and therefore fail to be in deficit. With meal replacement shakes you will know exactly how many calories you consumed.
Finding quality vegan meal replacement shakes can be a big problem. If you have eliminated all animal products from your diet for ethical or health reasons, your choice of meal replacement shakes has been significantly reduced because they mainly contain whey and similar animal products. While of course there are quality vegan shakes, there is a possibility that you will not be able to find them at your local store. However, this does not have to be a problem, because we will tell you how to make your own vegan meal replacement shake, which can be an even healthier option.
Table of Contents
How to make it?
In order to make a quality vegan meal replacement shake, it is necessary that it contains all the ingredients that are required for the proper functioning of our body. This primarily refers to proteins and fats, but we also need carbohydrates, although low carb diets are currently popular, it is not healthy to avoid carbs. Also, it is good to enrich your shake with micronutrients, which, although they do not serve as a source of energy, are necessary for the maintenance of all bodily functions. So we will give you ideas of what ingredients you can use to satisfy your daily goal macros and micros. And don’t worry, it will be tasty.
Proteins
When you are vegan, it is certainly harder to meet the required protein intake, as most sources of protein are of animal origin. But various concentrated protein powders that are made for vegans are becoming more and more available. There is much ongoing debate about how effective plant proteins are due to incomplete amino acids, but they are certainly effective enough and should be consumed regularly. Proteins have a building role in our body, primarily for muscles and connective tissues so we can live without it. Role of protein as an energy source is also often overlooked and much other roles. What you can put in your vegan shake is a protein powder that is most often made from rice and peas. There are ones made of soybeans and many others, but peas are probably the best. Also, you can add various seeds, quinoa,
and many other things that will enrich your shake with a sufficient amount of proteins. According to the info we got from Latestfuels, the best vegan meal replacement shakes contain around 25 grams of protein per meal, so you should try to have the same amount of protein in your one.
Vegetables and fruits
Vegetables and fruits are certainly by far the biggest part of your diet. It is something that fits perfectly into the vegan philosophy and is also very healthy. It is recommended that everyone eat large amounts of fruits and vegetables, not just vegans. Also, fruits and vegetables will give a nice taste to your vegan meal replacement shake, so you can use whatever you want. It is best to mix several types of fruits and vegetables, of course, take care of what it will taste like in the end. You should also consider sugar intake. Although the sugars found in fruits are much healthier than the industrial sugar and glucose-fructose syrup found in sweets, you should still be moderate when it comes to sugar intake. In the end, when sugar ends up in our bloodstream, every type of sugar is similar. So if you use one fruit that has a large amount of sugar, in addition, choose berries that have a lump of low sugar and use several types of vegetables. The goal is to keep everything balanced.
Fats
The third macronutrient you need to add to get a perfectly balanced meal are fats. Fats were unfairly neglected because they were considered unhealthy, but healthy fats are absolutely necessary for us. In addition to being a primary source of energy, because they contain twice as many calories as proteins and carbs, they also have a positive effect on our cognitive and many other functions. If you neglect your fat intake, your glands will not work properly, especially the thyroid gland. Since you do not consume fish, meat, and eggs, you may not be getting enough fat. But it is very easy to make up for it. For example, you can put coconut oil in a shake and it will give it a very nice taste if you like coconut.. Also, add almond or peanut butter, which is very healthy and so tasty. The next thing you can add is avocado, which will make everything creamy. So you have a lot of choices when it comes to healthy fats.
Before or after a workout?
If you work out regularly, you know for sure that there are different opinions when it comes to the time when it is ideal to consume protein and meal replacement shakes. Some argue that it is best to drink it after a workout, to nourish your muscles and make up for depleted body reserves. It certainly makes sense and you won’t go wrong if you do. However, there is logic in the claim that it is good to drink before training so that the body can use it as energy, and not to use muscles and other supplies to fuel your workout. In any case, if you are not a competitive bodybuilder, it is much more important to meet daily goals, and whether you will do it from two larger meals or several smaller ones, is not that important.
Conclusion:
It is important to be creative when making your vegan meal replacement shake. We’ve told you all the ingredients you can use, and you can mix them however you want. You have so many choices in front of you, that you can make something completely different every day, equally healthy, tasty, and nutritious.