Slim-Fast is a division of Unilever and the Slim-Fast program combines its products with real foods to help you lose weight. The program also has online tracking tools and informational resources. Slim-Fast products include meal bars, snack bars and shakes. The shakes come in chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and cappuccino flavors.
Benefits
Slim-Fast shakes provide some benefits for a weight loss program. They are convenient because they are either ready to drink or require minimal preparation. In addition, the program is easy to follow because it has specific instructions and only recommends one daily meal with real food. The program is less extreme than many diets because it does not eliminate food groups or cut calories to dangerously low levels. Another benefit is that the shakes are interchangeable with Slim-Fast meal bars, so you get to choose which to have.
3-2-1
Slim-Fast shakes are part of Slim-Fast's 3-2-1 plan, which instructs you to eat six times per day. You are supposed to choose three nutritious snacks, such as Slim-Fast snack bars, or nutrient-dense foods like vegetables, fruit or nuts. You choose either two meal bars, two Slim-Fast shakes, or one of each, to replace two of your normal three meals. Finally, each day you eat one balanced meal that provides 500 calories from lean meats, vegetables, and starches.
Nutrition
Regular Slim-Fast shakes provide about 180 to 200 calories per 12 oz. serving. They have 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat and 10 g protein. According to the Slim-Fast website, the shakes supply about one-third of the daily recommended intake for most essential vitamins and minerals, and they have about 50 percent of the daily recommended intake of calcium. Drinking two of these shakes per day as part of the 3-2-1 program can help you achieve your daily nutrient recommendations while reducing your calories.
Variations
Slim-Fast also makes high protein and low carbohydrate shakes. The high protein shake has 15 g protein. The low carbohydrate shake has 6 g carbohydrates and 1 g sugar. The non-caloric sweetener is sucralose. The low carbohydrate shake has 9 g fat and 20 g protein. The rest of the nutritional information for both of these shakes is similar to that of the regular shakes and you can interchange them when you are following the 3-2-1 plan. Both the low carbohydrate and high protein shakes come in ready-to-drink and powdered-mix forms.
Considerations
Slim-Fast shakes can help you lose weight by replacing higher calorie meals. A goal of 3-2-1 plan is to keep you full by allowing you to eat six times per day, but liquid calories from meal replacement shakes are not necessarily satiating. In addition, the diet relies heavily on processed foods and may not include recommend amounts from all of the food groups. If you are going to start a diet, you should consult a doctor to determine the best plan for you.
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