: Pros and Cons of Meal Replacement Bars
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(457 Words)
With increasingly busy lifestyles, a lot of people choose to eat some meals as meal replacement bars. There are both pros and cons of such a decision, although for many there are healthier alternatives. Consider the following points.
Pros
They are quick
A meal replacement bar takes only a small amount of time to eat. You can just grab it and eat it in a matter of moments.
They are portable
You can take a meal replacement bar almost anywhere you go. It can fit in your pocket. It might make it easier if you are eating somewhere where you do not have a microwave or refrigerator or a lot of space.
Cons
They are not always healthy
A lot of companies will have you think that a meal replacement bar is exactly the same as eating a healthy meal but this is rarely the case. First of all, they will often have a lot of chemicals in them. A lot of processed foods and chemicals are not that good for people. Researchers might not even know all of the effects of some of these chemicals years down the road.
You should consider the claims of vitamins and minerals. Many of them have vitamins added to them so that they are similar to having a supplement pill. Unfortunately, a lot of times having a supplement is not the same as having the vitamins and minerals in the foods in which they naturally appear such as fruits and vegetables. The companies may try to sell you on the fact that you get all of these healthy benefits, but do not think that it is the same and that you can now skip your healthy natural foods.
They are often expensive
The meal replacement bars vary in price by the exact type, but a lot of them are relatively expensive. This may add up if you are having a lot of them.
They may not fill you up
For a lot of people, a meal replacement bar will not fill them up like a regular meal will. They may feel like they need to eat additional food in order to get full. You may not lose weight if you are snacking on other things.
There are alternatives that are convenient and low calorie, too
A lot of healthier or more natural food is easy to carry. For instance, there are natural granola bars that are portable. You can bring along some fruit that is easy to carry like an apple or a banana. You can make yourself a quick and healthy sandwich.
Although there are pros to meal replacement bars as evidenced above, there are many cons. Consider the above points when deciding whether it is right for you.
Updated On: 08/10/2010 Published On: 08/10/2010 Article ViewerClose
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