Chewing is so last century, so why not swap meals for smoothies? Particularly if your work phone guzzles away all your free time, so it makes sense to let one gadget neutralize the other’s shortfalls.
It’s the perfect strategy for the time-poor dude because both the meal prep and eating time combined is often shorter than waiting to hear your name mispronounced at Starbucks.
The negatives of swapping meals for smoothies
Reduced mastication is a relatively new adaption, but it does have a few potential pitfalls. First on the list is a paper in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, which found the slower you eat, the less you eat. Why?
Well, chewing is the memo your mouth gives your brain to release the chemicals needed to say you’re full (which is why chewing gum is the fresh little lie your mouth tells your stomach).
The longer you take to eat, the more moderate your overall calorie intake tends to become because munching triggers satiation.
Consider this: if you gnaw on your food 40 times before you swallow, then your calorie intake is roughly 12 percent less than if you adopt the Labrador approach and give it 15 cursory chomps before it hits your gut, says a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
How to swap meals for smoothies the right way
That’s not to say you can’t blend in the name of fat loss, but keep tabs on the smoothie’s overall macronutrient totals.
To replace an entire meal, you need two key extras: fat and fiber. Avocados are a healthy source of fat and are brilliant at creating a creamy texture, but coconut oil will also work the business.
Be heavy-handed with the fiber, which can come in the form of chai seeds, flaxseed or a handful of green leafy vegetables.
Lastly, the most underrated addition is almond meal, which has fiber, fat and protein and gels perfectly with most fruit or chocolate flavors.
Just don’t embrace the blended revolution over more than four meals a day – you’re not a cosmonaut, and some of your daily nutrients should always be savored slowly, not smashed like a plate at a Greek wedding.
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