Slim-Fast is a commercial meal replacement weight loss program. On the Slim-Fast program, you drink two Slim-Fast shakes or eat two meal bars, eat three snacks of fruits, vegetables or a Slim-Fast snack bar, and eat a sensible 400-calorie dinner with a lean source of protein, vegetable and healthy grain. Slim-Fast claims you can lose one to two pounds a week following this moderately low-calorie diet. Always consult your physician before starting a diet that includes weight loss meal supplements.
Types
Slim-Fast products include snack bars, meal bars and shakes. Each product comes in a variety of flavors. Shake flavors include Chocolate Royale, French Vanilla, Milk Chocolate and Strawberries n' Cream. Meal bar choices include Chocolate Cookie Dough and Fruit & Yogurt Trail Mix. Snack bar flavors include Chocolate Mint and Peanut Butter Crunch.
Servings and Calories
Ready-to-drink Slim-Fast shakes, meal bars and snack bars come packaged in individual portions. Each ready-to-drink 325 ml shake contains 180 to 190 calories. Meal bars provide 200 calories, and each snack bar contains 100 calories. Slim-Fast also offers a powdered shake mix that you mix with eight ounces of skim milk to make a 200-calorie shake.
Protein, Fat and Carbohydrates
Each ready-to-drink Slim-Fast shake contains 10 g of protein, 6 g of total fat, 1.5 g of saturated fat, 25 g of carbohydrate and 5 g of dietary fiber. Each meal bar contains 9 g of protein, 7 g of total fat, 2.5 g of saturated fat, 23 g of carbohydrate and 5 g of dietary fiber. Each snack bar contains 1 g of protein, 5 g of total fat, 2.5 g of saturated fat, 14 g of carbohydrate and 1 g of dietary fiber.
The shakes and meal bars contain high amounts of dietary fiber to help control hunger. Slim-Fast shakes, meal bars and snack bars also have a significant amount of saturated fat. Your total saturated fat intake should be limited to 7 percent of total calories, according to the American Heart Association. On a 1,200- to 1,400-calorie weight loss diet, saturated fat intake should be limited to 9 to 10 g per day. Following the Slim-Fast plan, your total saturated fat intake with Slim-Fast products alone could be as high as 10 g per day. High intake of saturated fat increases blood cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease.
Vitamins and Minerals
It is important to meet all of your essential nutrient needs when you're following a meal-replacement diet. Each Slim-Fast shake provides one-third of your daily vitamin and mineral needs, according to the company's website, and each meal bar provides about 20 percent of your daily vitamin and mineral needs. Snack bars are not as complete, but provide about 10 percent of most essential nutrients. Consult your doctor about the nutritional adequacy of your diet when following the Slim-Fast weight loss plan, and whether you need additional nutrient supplementation.
Expert Insight
Meal-replacement diets like Slim-Fast are as effective in helping you lose weight as a reduced-calorie diet, according to a study in "The Journal of Nutrition." Manny Noakes and colleagues at the Commonwealth Scientific industrial Organization in Australia conducted a randomized parallel design study comparing the effectiveness of a meal-replacement diet versus a traditional food-based diet on weight loss in a group of 66 overweight and obese individuals. The study participants were divided into one of two groups: the meal-replacement group or the low-fat, low-calorie diet group. The meal-replacement group was provided with Slim-Fast products to replace two meals, and told to eat a low-fat dinner. The low-fat, reduced-calorie diet group was provided with food vouchers and written instructions on their diet plan. Over the six-month study period, both groups averaged a 20-pound weight loss.
Member Comments