Last Updated on October, 2024
Many people tend to buy meal replacement shakes in bulk or make them and store them for later. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with doing either of these things. But, one thing to keep in mind is expiry dates.
No one wants to drink expired dietary supplements, do they? There are all kinds of health risks involved, and it doesn’t taste good too, which is why it’s vital to avoid this. That’s what we’re here to help with!
Keep reading to learn more about how long does meal replacement shake last. We’ll be covering more about their shelf life, including expiry dates, specific risks, and how you should store them away, based on our own experience and some pretty extensive research.
Table Of Contents
Does a Meal Replacement Shake Go Bad After a Certain Time?
The answer to this question should be pretty obvious. Like all other dietary supplements and food products, meal replacement shakes also go bad after a particular time.
They all have expiry dates and usually only stay good for some months. Pre-made ones only last for days. In a few cases, they might go bad well before their expiry date if you don’t do a good job of storing them. After that, you can’t drink them anymore. Why’s that so? Well, let’s discuss that next!
What Happens if I Drink an Expired Meal Shake?
For starters, you can forget about many of the benefits that these shakes offer once they’re expired. Remember that they use natural food ingredients as sources of proteins, healthy carbs, healthy fats, etc.
Once these ingredients expire, they aren’t as effective in terms of nutrition.
So, not only do you lose most of the benefits, but you also open the door for lots of adverse side effects to harm you. For example, you’re likely to develop digestive issues, mainly food poisoning or diarrhea. Additionally, you might feel weak and get sick in other ways.
How to Know if a Meal Replacement Shake Has Gone Bad?
The first and most obvious answer is the expiration date on the back of the packaging. That should tell you if it’s expired or how much time there’s left until it expires.
However, these dates aren’t always completely accurate. For example, sometimes meal replacement shakes might go bad after or before their expiration date. The best way to make sure of whether or not that’s the case is to look at certain qualities of the drink.
Two of the most apparent indicators are color and clumps. If you notice a change in color or prominent, strange clumps on the drink’s surface, it means it’s most definitely gone bad. If it looks okay enough, you could try smelling a bit of it from the container. If it smells horrible compared to the usual scent, that’s another indicator of expiration.
If all else fails, you could try to take a little sip. You’ll be able to tell if it’s expired just for a few drops on your tongue. Sure, that’s not the most pleasant option in the world. But, it’s still a sure-fire way of ensuring whether or not your meal replacement shake has gone bad.
All of these additional methods also apply to homemade meal replacement shakes.
Since they don’t have an expiration date, you can use any of these tips to find out if they’re still good or not.
How Long Do Meal Replacement Shakes Last After Being Opened?
If the meal replacement is homemade, you should drink it within 72 hours. After that, even if you keep it in the fridge, it’s likely to go bad.
As for store-bought ones, this depends on specific ingredients inside them and how you’ve stored the shake. For example, keeping them somewhere hot with no proper storage will make them go bad within days.
However, keeping them in ideal conditions, such as a cabinet, away from sunlight and moisture, can increase their life. If they’re pre-made, keeping them in the fridge would be better.
It depends entirely on the specific product. On top of all the details we’ve shared, your specific meal replacement packaging will likely include tips for storing it. Use these to prevent yours from going bad sooner rather than later.
Best Way to Store a Meal Replacement Shake
As we’ve mentioned, the best method usually depends on the specific product as they all have different ingredients and requirements. However, there is a sure-fire way of making sure your meal shakes last longer regardless of specifics.
If they’re already made, store the shake inside an insulated container inside the fridge. This will protect it from moisture, keep it fresh, and help it last longer with all benefits intact. As for powders, you can keep those in a clean container in preferable conditions (which will be given on the packaging), and then it’ll last until the expiration date.
If you’re looking to buy a top meal replacement product on the market, checkout this article.
Conclusion
As you can see, these supplements can last a long time as long as you know how to store them right. We’ve covered everything you need to know about that, so refer to the details above if you want to keep your meal replacements from going bad.
For any other things you want to know or any thoughts you want to share, mention them in the comments. We’ll be sure to clear any confusion up for you there!
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