Sabrina Del Fico Replacing a meal with a bar or a synthetic shake is not a very healthy idea: here are the risks of ready meals
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In recent years, ready-to-eat foods fortified with vitamins and minerals, along with meal replacements, have gained immense popularity.
These products are often chosen by athletes, people with restrictive diets, and health-conscious consumers who are attracted to the idea of maintaining a balanced diet even when time is short. Bars, drinkable meals, and baking mixes not only promise convenience and satiety but are frequently marketed as essential components of a healthy lifestyle. But how much truth is there in these claims?
Fortified foods: trend or genuine need?
The proliferation of fortified foods has led many to question whether they are indeed an effective solution for maintaining a healthy diet.
With the addition of vitamins, minerals, and proteins, these products seem to meet the growing demand for quick and balanced nutrition. However, not everything advertised as “healthy” truly is.
While labels and marketing campaigns emphasize the benefits of these products, they often overlook the full picture of their overall composition, which may include high levels of sugars, artificial sweeteners, and other unhealthy ingredients.
For instance, some “nutritionally complete” bars can contain the equivalent of five sugar cubes! Similarly, a drinkable meal rich in vitamins and minerals might actually have an unfavorable nutritional profile upon closer examination of the label.
Numerous studies and expert opinions have raised concerns about highly processed foods, even when fortified with vitamins. Despite the addition of nutrients, these products often remain little more than sugary treats disguised as healthy meals.
Consuming a bar as a main meal might satisfy your taste buds, but it doesn’t provide the same benefits as a balanced meal made from unprocessed foods.
Furthermore, these products often contain harmful ingredients, such as artificial sweeteners and chemical additives, and their promotion as healthy options can be misleading for less vigilant consumers.
Rediscovering the value of natural foods
While a protein-packed meal or a vitamin-enriched bar might serve as a convenient solution in emergencies, regular consumption is not advisable.
The human body is designed to obtain nutrients from natural foods, which contain a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and beneficial compounds in a bioavailable form.
Isolated vitamins, like those added to ready-to-eat foods, cannot replace the complexity and nutritional richness of unprocessed foods.
For a healthy and balanced diet, it’s best to focus on natural and unprocessed foods. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and vegetable oils not only provide all the necessary nutrients but do so in a form that the body can recognize and use most effectively.
So, while fortified foods may seem like a convenient shortcut, nothing can replace the value of a diet based on fresh and whole foods.
