Do you need to take a vitamin supplement when you use a meal replacement?
Yes, quite likely but it depends on whether you are male or female, your age and the product you choose.
The majority of products available in Australia are not nutritionally complete when it comes to vitamins.
The first table below highlights the nutritional gaps for females aged 31 to 50 years.
The second table is for guys aged 31 to 50 years.
RDI is short for Recommended Dietary Intake. AI is short for Adequate Intake.
✔ brilliant, this means it contains enough. It meets or exceeds the RDI/AI
✗means contains more than 75% but less than 100% of the RDI/AI (close but not quite there)
✗means contains less than 75% of the RDI/AI or not specified by manufacturer
The brands listed with a * have many weight loss products within their range, not all of which are labeled VLED or VLCD. Note the specific name of the product reviewed.
I rely of manufacturer's information and label nutrition panels to collate these tables and assess the products. In some cases I needed to clarify nutrition information panel listings with the manufacturer due to conflicting product claims.
I collated the information in these tables for a dietitians' workshop event at the Australian New Zealand Metabolic and Obesity Surgery Society conference event in Oct 2019.
Slide the tables across to read all the vitamin columns.
| for FEMALES aged 31 to 50 years: average of product range when consumed three times daily | vitamin A mcg | thiamin mg | riboflavin mg | niacin mg | pantothenic acid mg | vitamin B6 mg | vitamin B12 mcg | vitamin D3 mcg | vitamin C mg | vitamin E mg | vitamin K mcg | biotin mcg | folate equiv (DFE) mcg |
| Dr MacLeod’s VLED Bars, Soups, Shakes | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Formulite VLCD Shakes Formula | ✗ | ✗ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| KicStart VLCD Range: soups, shakes | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ |
| Optifast Protein Plus VLCD shakes | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Optifast VLCD Range: bars, soups, shakes | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Optislim* VLCD Platinum Plus VLCD Shakes | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Optislim* VLCD Shakes, bars, soup range | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Proslim* VLCD : bars, shakes, soups (not Rapid Shake)* | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Tony Ferguson* VLCD Shakes | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ |
| Optislim* VLCD Platinum Rapid Formula Shakes when made up with 200 ml skim milk | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Proslim* Rapid VLCD: made on 200 ml skim milk | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
but why does the label say the meal replacement is complete?
The standards governing what goes on nutrition panels for meal replacement products have not kept up with current knowledge about vitamin needs.
The manufacturer must abide by Food Standards Australia law for nutrition panel information. Unfortunately, the law is very out of date and refers to RDI and AI figures from 1991. That's 29 years ago!
These old regulatory ‘one-size fits all’ figures mean that information in the % RDI columns is totally worthless. Ignore that information. It doesn't reflect the different requirements for age, gender against the current Nutrient Reference Values.
Slide the table across to read all the vitamin columns.
| for MALES aged 31 to 50 years: average of product range when consumed three times daily | vitamin A mcg | thiamin mg | riboflavin mg | niacin mg | pantothenic acid mg | vitamin B6 mg | vitamin B12 mcg | vitamin D3 mcg | vitamin C mg | vitamin E mg | vitamin K mcg | biotin mcg | folate equiv (DFE) mcg |
| Dr MacLeod’s VLED Bars, Soups, Shakes | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Formulite VLCD Shakes Formula | ✗ | ✗ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| KicStart VLCD Range: soups, shakes | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ |
| Optifast Protein Plus VLCD shakes | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Optifast VLCD Range: bars, soups, shakes | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Optislim* VLCD Platinum Plus VLCD Shakes | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Optislim* VLCD Shakes, bars, soup range | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Proslim* VLCD : bars, shakes, soups (not Rapid Shake) | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Tony Ferguson* VLCD Shakes | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ |
| Optislim* VLCD Platinum Rapid Formula Shakes when made up with 200 ml skim milk | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Proslim* Rapid VLCD: made on 200 ml skim milk | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
This information, whilst very detailed, does not replace information and advice from your own dietitian and health practitioners. If you are concerned, take this information to your next medical and dietitian's appointment so you can discuss it with your team who knows your health situation.
This is article is impartial, unbiased and free from industry, government and other influence.
I have no affiliation with the brands and products named here. I do not accept money or incentives to review products.
I am self-funded through book sales.