Though there are many different types of meal replacement shakes available, the best weight loss shakes will be low in calories while providing a highly-nutritious alternative to full, regular meals.
The best shake powders will offer a good amount of protein (often 15-20g), fiber (5-10g), and superfood ingredients to ensure you’re getting well-balanced nutrition in each meal, for a low calorie cost.
As part of a healthy weight loss solution, you typically want to replace 1-2 meals per day with your meal replacement shake. Then, enjoy a clean and healthy third meal.
But you may be wondering…When’s the best time to have your meal replacement shake?
Though there’s no right or wrong answer on when to enjoy your meal replacement shake, (since everyone’s bodies and schedules are different), we gathered some information from our 310 Community to create a daily meal plan that you can use (based on popular consensus), or alter slightly to fit your own routine and dietary goals!
Plus, we've included delicious recipe ideas and clean eating principles to help you stay on track with your weight loss initiatives!
Read on for more...
Daily Clean Eating Meal Plan
Most members of our 310 Community find that they like to enjoy their meal replacement shakes during breakfast, lunch, or both! And then they enjoy a healthy, clean meal for dinner.
If you need some inspiration, here’s a recommended daily meal schedule based on feedback from our 310 Community:
- Breakfast: Start your day with a 310 Shake in a breakfast smoothie recipe (ideas below!), or by simply adding a scoop of the shake mix into a Shaker Cup with your favorite milk and shaking up!
- Lunch: Enjoy a hearty 310 Shake Smoothie that has a bit more ingredients (like fruits, veggies, or nut butters), or use smart weekly meal prep tips to get a healthy lunch ready in advance!
- Snack: Grab a healthy snack between meals and/or pour a glass of 310 Lemonade, 310 Tea, or 310 Hydrate to stay hydrated and energized throughout your day, and help control cravings
- Dinner: End the day with a nutritious, well-balanced meal that uses proper portions
- Before bed: Enjoy a hot mug or cold glass of cleansing 310 Tea as part of a calming evening ritual
Breakfast
Our community's favorite meal of the day for enjoying a meal replacement shake is breakfast! Although pancakes, cereal, waffles, and French toast may be popular breakfast foods, having such large amounts of sugar can leave you feeling tired and lethargic within hours.
Instead, a healthy and nutritious breakfast smoothie helps kickstart your morning, boost your metabolism, and give you the energy and focus you need to power through your day. These delicious breakfast meal replacement shake recipes can help you work towards your healthy lifestyle and weight loss goals.
They’re full of whole food ingredients to energize, satisfy, and motivate you. Minus all the unhealthy processed sugar and additives you’ll find in many other “fast” yet unhealthy breakfast options. And as yummy as they all are, they’re also extremely functional for busy schedules:
- Banana Coffee Smoothie
- Morning Chocolaty Coffee Shake
- Hot Shake: Salted Caramel Coffee
- 310 Dalgona "Whipped" Coffee Shake Recipe
- Vanilla Oat Milk Latte Shake
- Raspberry Jasmine Tea Smoothie
- Chai Tea Smoothie
- Morning Glow Shake Recipe
- Salted Caramel Oatmeal Smoothie
- Keto Morning Mocha Shake
Psst… still craving pancakes or muffins?! You can do more with your shake powder then make smoothies, and that includes healthier versions of some of your favorite recipes. Try these Protein Pancakes, Classic Chocolate Muffins, or Lemon Blueberry Muffins!
Lunch
Another popular time to enjoy a meal replacement shake is lunch! You can pack some major nutrition and amazing taste into a meal replacement shake lunch smoothie, such as these recipes below. Plus, you can blend these up in minutes for those busy days where taking time to make a healthy lunch doesn’t seem realistic:
- Blueberry Greens Protein Smoothie
- Green Superfood Coconut Smoothie
- Keto Vanilla Blueberry Smoothie
- Lemon Bar Smoothie
- The Recovery Shake
- Superfood Spice Smoothie
- Keto Salted Caramel Protein Shake
- Green Glow Smoothie
If you’re not enjoying a meal replacement shake for lunch, here are some other options to help you stay healthy throughout your busy day:
- 3 Easy Keto Lunch Recipes + Meal Prep Tips
- Beginners Guide to Weekly Meal Prep
- Top 5 Keto Meal Delivery Services Right Now
- 310 Guide: The 5 Best Meal Prep Tips
- 15 Low-Carb Recipes That Make Losing Weight Easy And Yummy!
Snacks
Next, snacking on healthy foods throughout the day helps keep you feeling full and satisfied between meals. Opt for low-calorie snacks with healthy fats and as little added sugar as possible.
Here are some great snack options to try:
- Low-sugar Greek yogurt with fruit, nuts, and/or granola
- Banana with peanut or almond butter
- Whole wheat toast with peanut butter
- Fruit salad
- Tuna or sliced meat on whole-grain toast
- Assorted nuts and seeds (almonds, cashews, flax seeds, etc.)
- Cheese and whole-grain crackers
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Bean dip or hummus with veggies
Dinner
For most members of our 310 Community, dinner is the perfect meal to make at home using our clean eating principles outlined below. Or even dining out using these top 10 tips!
Here are some dinner recipe ideas that’ll help keep you on track with your weight loss goals:
- Simple One-Pan Tilapia Dinner Recipe
- Quick One-Pan Low-Carb Fajita Dinner Recipe
- 10 Easy & Healthy Chicken Recipes
- 20+ Mouth-Watering Vegan Dinner Recipes for a Plant-Based Diet
And make sure to check out our blog for even more healthy recipe ideas and clean eating inspiration!
Dessert
If you’ve been trying to avoid chocolate bars, ice cream, cookies, cakes, pastries, and more – but could use some help with ideas to fulfill your sugar cravings – these healthy dessert smoothies are exactly the thing!
All you need for each of the following recipes is your favorite flavor of 310 Shake, so you can create unique, tasty, and nourishing creations. Then, just combine the shake powder with simple, healthy ingredients in a blender to make these healthy dessert smoothie recipes to help crush every craving!
- Pumpkin Pie Paradise
- Blueberry Pie Shake Recipe
- Cinnamon Roll Shake Recipe
- Keto-Friendly Pumpkin Cheesecake Shake
- Low-Carb Chocolate Icing Pudding
- Tiramisu Cake Shake
- Keto-Friendly Cookies & Cream Frappe
Clean Eating Principles
Next, whether you’re making a meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, these clean eating principles help you stay on target with your weight loss goals:
Ditch the Processed Foods
Processed foods are filled with unnecessary and unhealthy ingredients that our body doesn’t need or want. When eating clean, we want to fill our bodies with real, whole food. Focus on foods that weren't made in a factory, like fruit, vegetables, high-quality proteins, oats, etc.
Check out our guide on Whole Foods vs. Processed Foods: Everything You Need To Know.
Focus on Fruits & Veggies
Fruit and vegetables are very nutrient-dense, meaning they’re low in calories but high in nutrients. Making sure you’re eating plenty of these foods will ensure you’re getting a good bang for your buck for your long-term health. Shoot for eating at least 5-9 servings of produce each day. Some of our favorites include berries and leafy greens!
Check out our Guide to a Healthy Diet for fruit and veggie ideas!
Choose Whole Grains
Rather than white bread and white rice, reach for whole grains like oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, barley, farro, and bulgur instead. Whole grains aren't processed or stripped of their fiber and other healthy nutrients.
Check out our Beginner’s Guide to Macronutrients for more of a breakdown!
Consume Healthy Fats
Not all fats are the same! The body needs healthy fat to thrive, but it can do without the “bad” fats. Some great sources of fat to work into your diet and keep you satisfied are olives, salmon, avocados, nuts and seeds, olive oil, and more!
Stock up on these 7 High-Fat Foods to Keep in Your Kitchen!
Choose High-Quality Proteins
When choosing protein, go for lean options including chicken/turkey breast, lean beef, fish, eggs, tempeh, beans, and legumes. If accessible, choose animal products that are grass-fed and do not contain antibiotics or hormones.
Learn more about the Best Types of Protein for Your Healthy Meal Replacement Shake.
Go Organic (when possible)
If you don’t go organic, can you still be healthy? Absolutely! But, if you have the option, always go organic. Conventional (non-organic) foods can increase the body’s exposure to pesticides, chemicals, antibiotics, and other harmful items used in the food industry.
310 Shakes are organic! Learn more about them here.
Drink More Water
Your body needs water for so many functions, including digestion and feeling full. You may even mistake thirst for hunger. Make sure you don’t reach for a snack when what you really need is hydration! Try to drink approximately 2 liters of water per day. If you’re in the habit of drinking sodas, try switching to 310 Lemonade, as it contains all the alkalizing minerals your body needs.
Here are 10 Reasons to Drink Your Weight in Water.
Limit Added Sugars
Sugar has snuck its way into so many processed foods these days. You might pick up a frozen meat and veggie dish thinking it’s healthy, just to realize the sauce has more sugar than a tub of ice cream. And just 1 soda has more sugar than the recommended intake for a few days!
It can take a few days of feeling withdrawals when you cut out sugar, but the longer you stay away from it, the less of a grip it has on you. If you have a sweet tooth, try switching to stevia-sweetened products instead!
Need some help? Here are our Top 10 Tips for Cutting Added Sugar From Your Diet.
Go Homemade
Though it can take more time, cooking your favorite foods can be a healthier option because you won’t be using all the added sugars or preservatives. Plus you can leave out or replace the unhealthy ingredients you want to stay away from. For example, instead of buying frozen meals try making your favorite meals from scratch!
Check out our blog for healthy home recipe ideas and clean eating inspiration!
Eat Balanced
Variety is key to making sure you’re getting all the nutrients you need to thrive. Ensuring your meals contain a balance of good sources of protein, carbs, and fat will help you maintain a healthy weight and feel your best. Don’t forget to include an abundance of veggies – always aiming for a colorful plate!
Check out our Guide to a Healthy Diet for helpful tips on how to get all your nutrients!
When to Take Meal Replacement Shakes: The Takeaway
Remember, there’s no right time to enjoy a meal replacement shake. It’s important to find the schedule and timing that works for you. But breakfast, lunch, or both are great places to start!
Just make sure your other meals are following the clean eating principles as much as possible. That way your diet is working with instead of against your weight loss goals!
Brand new to 310 and not sure where to start? Try our 310 Organic Starter Kit that offers everything you need to get started and try out 310 Nutrition before committing. This is our recommended starting point for anyone who is beginning their weight loss journey or hasn’t had success with their current weight loss plan!
And for more suggestions and ideas on how to successfully incorporate meal replacement shakes into your diet make sure to join our 310 Community and check out all our amazing recipes!
Sources
