Question:
Are Real Meals the #1 choice for protein supplements?

Anybody know how important it is to have a protein supp with 'peptides' in it? I rely on protein shakes to get in most of my daily protein and want to be sure I'm getting the best. If Real Meals is the best, who has the best prices? Lap RNY 4/1/03 260/176/160    — Vicki S. (posted on September 3, 2003)

September 3, 2003
Research has shown that whey protein w/ peptides is 100% absorbable. I do drink Real Meals and have lost very steadily with no plateaus at all. I stopped drinking them for 2 weeks out of boredom and the first week I lost 1 pound and the second week I gained it back! Needless to say I am back on them forever! After one week back on them and I lost 3 1/2 pounds. No easy feat for 7 1/2 months out with just 20 pounds to go. There are a few others with the whey peptides and www.protein-solution.com has a comparison of all of them if you want to check it out. They also have a great list of recipes so that we (I) do not get bored. Do a web search fo Healthy n Fit and you will find a few places that sell them. I use the website I mentioned because it is speedy and easy. I know that Real Meals seems like it costs a lot but at 60g of protein per pouch I split them into 2 30 oz. shakes and get 40 servings per box so it actually is a much better deal than one might think. Lap RNY 1/15/03 277/167/147
   — Carol S.

September 3, 2003
I agree with Carol! Real meals are great. I tried many other brands and this is the only one I didn't gag on : ) You can do so many things with them, they are great!!!
   — WendieS

September 3, 2003
If you haven't tried them, you might want to see if you can get some samples (though when I was trying to get them, the postage was exhorbitant and a nice person from this boards sent me a few packets). Not everyone likes them. I find them to be perfectly awful. They're the only protein drink I DID gag on. Everyone is different.
   — susanje

September 3, 2003
Generally speaking, whey protein is the best absorbed of your protein shake types, but the critical thing is finding a protein shake with a taste you like that you will actually use, and one that doesn't have a lot of extra carbs, sugars, or fats added to make it tolerable (by the manufacturer, or by you, if you wind up adding skim milk and/or fruit to the shake, which shouldn't be necessary all the time for a good one). Of course, the manufacturers also say that the most anyone absorbs is 30 grams per single serving (perhaps more for serious body builders), so you want to aim for that level per shake, too (which, with a protein powder, is pretty easy to do as they all allow you to mix to taste).<P>I suggest you try several different types and brands of shakes, in individual portion sizes, to see which ones you like. Try vitalady.com, or wlssuccess.com, for single-serving samples. Compare the nutritional info to see which ones are best from that angle, and then try adding things like sugar-free syrups, or a little sugar-free flavoring from SF pudding or jello powders, or maybe even some Splenda, to fiddle to get the taste you want. Or, if you're lucky, you don't need to add anything but water, if you find a shake you like.<P>I suggest you include Champion Nutrition's Proscore 100 Chocolate, Chocolate Whey Stack, and Banana Scream among the protein shake powders to experiment with. Those seem like popular flavors (and I don't work for any of these outfits, btw). All are good whey protein shakes.<P>Personally, I think the "peptide" thing is a little bit of mumbo-jumbo (though the shakes I just listed also have peptides, I believe, and are conveniently omitted from the list of "comparison shakes" on the RM site, 'cause they're cheaper and tastier than RM ... the last part is definitely JMHO, of course!).<P>Also, a word of caution: Part of the Real Meals advertising is based on the fact that they've apparently added a multivitamin to their shakes. However, if you've had the RNY, you should still be taking separate calcium citrate and iron supplements (and taking them separately, not together, or course, as one blocks absorption of the other). The fact that there's a multivitamin in RM would not affect my decision in picking a protein shake, given that you have to supplement separately anyway. But, RM otherwise seems like a good protein shake, and if you wind up preferring the taste of RM over others, then that's the one to go with, for you. It's just important that you know it's not the only one out there, and one reason I have never tried it is that it kinda bugs me is various claims I've seen about RM, such as how it has peptides (it is not unique in that regard), how it is loaded with vitamins (but they're not all you need, anyway), and, most troubling of all, the suggestion (made for several months by one poster) that using RM might keep you from getting saggy skin so you could avoid plastic surgery (this claim hasn't been made recently, as that poster has since had plastics, but it will forever bug me because I think people might've been misled by that claim). I've also noticed RM is fairly pricey compared to some of the other shakes out there. And, once in awhile, a Q&A pops up about this product that, from the very tone of it, just looks ... a little ... planted, to me. ;-)
   — Suzy C.

September 3, 2003
do try a sample before investing. I found them to be gritty and overly sweet, couldn't get past 1 taste and threw away the rest. I like designer whey. It is smooth not too thick, and a mild taste.
   — **willow**