It is practical, fills you up and gives the body everything it needs: drinking food is not only suitable for people who want to gain or lose weight. It can also be incorporated into your everyday menu as a healthy addition. Michael Wäger, BSc, has what you should pay attention to when consuming it regularly. MSc. and scientific director of the Miracon Science Institute at Biogena, Stern explains. Biogena has also been a strategic investor in Saturo Foods GmbH since December 2022. The brand now offers drinking nutrition tailored to individual needs and has adapted to different target groups.
Wäger explains that high-calorie drinking foods are products that contain all the nutrients necessary for life in the quantities required and can therefore be seen as a complete meal. They are available ready to drink or as a powder to mix in a shaker. “Many people find it easier to drink than to eat. For this reason, high-calorie drinking food, also known as astronaut food, was developed.” The nutrient composition is made up of the following components, which ensure completeness: proteins, carbohydrates, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, fiber, vitamins, minerals and trace elements. According to the expert, (high-calorie) drinking food can help to close the gap between daily nutrient requirements and nutrient intake through normal food intake.
By the way: There is a difference between fully balanced and high-calorie drinking food. The former is often suitable for target groups such as sick people, old people, people with chewing and swallowing difficulties or people before and after an operation, as it completely replaces nutrition. High-calorie drinking food, on the other hand, can be integrated into everyday life as a supplement.
Eat Complete drinking food, such as from Saturo or yfood or Fresubin, generally has many possible uses. “On the one hand for people who want to eat healthier and have little time, but on the other hand want to be well supplied with all the important nutrients that the body needs. There are no limits to its use, as drinking food has a long shelf life and is not stored refrigerated needs to be done,” says Wäger, explaining the advantages. There are also many different flavors that make the liquid food particularly tasty.
He goes on to say that, in principle, attention should be paid to a balanced diet that ensures that, in addition to proteins, carbohydrates, fats and fiber, all micronutrients, i.e. vitamins and minerals, are also consumed in sufficient quantities. “In various studies we see a significant undersupply of various micronutrients, for example with vitamin D or omega-3 fatty acids. At the same time, there is increasing evidence that a higher micronutrient status is associated with greater health, such as a reduced heart rate -circulatory risk or better mental health. Drinking meals provide a good basis here, as they contain all 26 essential vitamins and minerals,” says nutritionist Michael Wäger from Biogena.
“In addition, we all know everyday situations in which preparing a healthy meal is neglected and you then resort to something unhealthy in a hurry or, in the worst case, skip the meal.” Drinking meals then not only provide the body with a complete meal, but also do not create a feeling of fullness or tiredness, says the expert.
Drinking food can therefore be taken on days when you don’t have time to (pre-)cook. But it can also become an integral part of the diet. If it is used regularly, “the best way is to develop a routine associated with it. For example, always have breakfast at a certain time so that the body can adjust to the new nutritional routine,” advises the nutritionist. “This also allows you to get to know yourself better at the same time, as you can, for example, observe how many calories you need to consume from a drinking meal in order to be well satiated for around four hours until lunch.” It is also important to mention that a healthy diet should not be something that creates additional stress in everyday life; drinking food would therefore make everyday life easier and, if used correctly, can also lead to more energy.
Depending on what goal you are pursuing, you should pay attention to how many total calories are consumed throughout the day, as drinking meals should be viewed like a full meal, says Wäger. You have to know beforehand whether you want to gain or lose weight or whether you want to keep your calorie requirements the same. Accordingly, you then supplement the menu with drinking foods or replace meals or snacks with them. So you shouldn’t consume too much. Especially since the bottles or powder aren’t exactly cheap either. And: They complement a healthy diet, but should not completely replace it.
Sources used: Saturo / yfood / Fresubin
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