Meal replacement bars for an easier diet

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Meal replacement bars for an easier diet

By Yin Lu (Global Times) 11:07, November 06, 2013

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With meal replacement bars,a couple of bites equals a meal. Photo: Li Hao/GT

Gu Shenyu is on a diet, and it's been easier than he thought.

In the morning, the 21-year-old college student usually eats yogurt and oatmeal, but if he's running late for class, he grabs a box of milk and a meal replacement bar.

"They're very useful for people who aren't able to enjoy a solid, nutritious meal," Gu said. "If used correctly, meal replacements can minimize the troubles of planning a balanced diet." Thanks to his strict diet plan and running schedule, Gu has successfully lost 17.5 kilograms since April.

Distinct from the energy bars that provide calories in carbohydrate form, as well as the protein bars that are designed to help people build muscle, a meal replacement bar is designed to supply the variety of nutrients found in a balanced meal.

The products owe their popularity in part to the fast-paced lifestyle of city-dwellers who are too busy to eat a proper meal during the workday; for them, meal replacements are a convenient way to fill up. But most people who turn to meal replacements are hoping to lose weight, since the products are advertised as containing a meal's worth of nutrients but with minimal fat.

On taobao.com, China's largest online market, a keyword search for "meal replacement" yields about 25,000 results, with prices ranging from 0.5 yuan ($0.08) to 3,500 yuan for bars, cakes, cookies, drink powders, jellies and other forms.

Nutritionist Yang Wenjiao told Metropolitan that most meal replacements contain a lot of soluble fiber, which absorbs water and swells up as it moves through the digestive system, thus creating a feeling of satiety. "The calories are indeed lower than that of a normal meal," she added.

Using meal replacements differs markedly from the conventional idea of dieting - in a good way, Yang said. "Without professional guidance, dieters may simply choose foods that are low in calories. Eating nothing but cucumbers, apples or vegetable juice can damage the body, while a meal replacement bar is easy, convenient and offers balanced nutrition," she said.

Unlike Gu, who only eats a meal replacement bar for breakfast, Li Lü subsisted on meal replacement powder for both breakfast and dinner for about four months. She lost about 10 kilograms. "I look smarter and feel more vigorous," Li said. "But I've also been losing a lot of hair these days. I don't know whether it has something to do with a nutritional imbalance."

Yang warns people to take it easy on the meal replacements. "I suggest using them only once a day, for dinner, after having had a filling and balanced breakfast and lunch." Under the supervision of a doctor or nutritionist, one can try to replace two meals a day, she said. "If you replace all three meals, the energy you get will not be sufficient for the body's needs."

"Students and people with a heavy workload should not use meal replacements - it could cause serious consequences such as loss of mental focus and fainting spells. It could even be life-threatening," Yang said.

While excessive dieting and rapid weight loss can be hazardous to one's health, Yang reminds consumers that the more measured weight loss achievable through meal replacement bars can still be undone afterwards if one is not vigilant. "After all, dieting is a lifetime venture," Yang said.