Meal replacement facts for kids

A meal replacement is a special food, like a drink, bar, or soup, that takes the place of a regular meal. These products are designed to have a specific amount of calories and important nutrients. Some come as powders you mix with water, or as ready-to-drink shakes. They can sometimes be cheaper than buying and preparing a full meal with the same health benefits.

Doctors might suggest certain meal replacement drinks if someone needs specific vitamins and minerals. Also, people who are very active, like bodybuilders, sometimes use meal replacements. They help save time when they need to eat many meals a day.

Different countries have rules about meal replacements to make sure they are safe and healthy. These rules often control how many calories and nutrients the products must contain.

Rules for Meal Replacements

Rules for meal replacements help make sure these products are safe and provide the right nutrition. Different parts of the world have their own rules.

Rules in Europe

In countries that are part of the European Union, meal replacements are split into two groups. One group helps control weight, and the other can completely replace all your meals for a short time. Rules make sure these products have enough energy (calories) and important nutrients like vitamins and minerals. For example, a meal replacement must have between 200 and 400 calories. No more than 30% of these calories can come from fat. The packaging must also give advice, like not using the product for more than three weeks without talking to a doctor. This helps keep people safe from not getting enough nutrients.

Rules in the United States

In the United States, there isn't one strict definition for "meal replacement" from the Food and Drug Administration. But generally, it means a pre-made food like a bar, drink, or powder that has a controlled number of calories. These products usually have about 200 to 250 calories per serving. They also often contain more than 20 different vitamins and minerals. They are usually low in fat and sugar.

Rules in Canada

In Canada, meal replacements are checked by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. They must meet certain rules for calories, protein, and vitamins. Because of these strict rules, some products sold in the US are not allowed to be sold in Canada. For example, a popular American meal replacement called Soylent was not allowed in Canada for a few years, but it became available again in 2020.

Rules in Asia

In Asia, meal replacements don't have as many strict rules as in Europe or North America. However, countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia are very careful about what companies can say about health benefits or weight loss. Meal replacements are not as popular there and are mostly used for medical reasons. Still, some new companies in Asia are now focusing on making meal replacements.

How Well Do They Work?

Meal replacements can help people who are overweight lose weight. They can also help keep muscle mass better than some other very low-calorie diets. These other diets might not have balanced nutrients.

Meal replacements can also be useful for people with diabetes. The American Diabetes Association says that using meal replacement products once or twice a day can help people with diabetes keep their weight down. But to keep the weight off, they need to continue using the meal replacement plan.

Scientists are still studying if meal replacements help people with certain mental health conditions, like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, with their weight. The results are not clear yet.

Meal Replacements in Stories

Meal replacements have often appeared in science fiction and fantasy stories.

• In a 1911 story called Ralph 124C 41+, people got their food as a liquid through a tube.
• In L. Frank Baum's 1913 book The Patchwork Girl of Oz, there was a "Square Meal Tablet." This tiny pill, no bigger than a fingernail, contained a whole meal: soup, fish, roast, salad, and dessert!
• Food pills also showed up in the 1930 movie Just Imagine.

Later, meal replacements appeared in space travel stories. These include the 1964 movie Santa Claus Conquers the Martians and the TV show Lost in Space from 1965.

See also

In Spanish: Sustituto alimenticio para niños