Glucerna for Weight Loss

Glucerna is a brand that makes a number of packaged food products intended to serve as healthy snacks for people with diabetes. Glucerna products are formulated to have minimal impacts on blood sugar, and some of the snacks are low in calories, so they can aid in weight loss. Glucerna products are not intended as weight loss supplements, so you should consult a doctor before starting a diet or using any supplements.

Cereal

Glucerna offers three varieties of breakfast cereal, Crunchy Flakes 'N Raisins, Crunchy Flakes 'N Strawberries and Crunchy Flakes 'N Almonds. These cereals may aid in weight loss, as they are low in calories, with 100 to 110 per serving, depending on the flavor. The Glucerna cereals are low in fat and protein and rich in carbohydrates with 5 g of fiber per serving. Fiber is an essential nutrient that can help aid in weight loss, as it promotes feelings of fullness and keeps blood sugar levels stable.

Meal Bars

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Glucerna's meal bars are intended to act as low-calorie meal replacements for times when you're on the go. Glucerna offers two flavors of meal bars, and both are low in calories, with 210 in the Chocolate Chunk bar and 220 in the Chocolate Peanut bar. These bars are high in carbohydrates, with 34 g, and fat, with 6 g total and 4.5 g saturated. The meal bars are higher in protein than the cereal, which can facilitate weight loss; research from the May 2008 issue of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" notes that protein is more filling than other nutrients and promotes increased calorie burning and reduced appetite 2.

Mini Snack Bars

Glucerna's mini snack bars are the product most suited to weight loss, as they are very low in calories, with between 70 and 80 calories each. These bars contain 4 g of protein, 12 g of carbohydrates and 2.5 g of fat, with less than 1 g of fiber each. The protein comes from soy protein, which research from the March 2011 issue of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found to be more satiating than whey, a type of protein often used in powdered supplements and snack bars 23.

Snack Bars

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Glucerna snack bars can be helpful for weight loss due to their low calorie content; the Blueberry flavor contains 140 calories, while the Caramel Nut and Chocolate Caramel flavors contain 150. Each bar provides 6 g of protein and 1 g of fiber as well as 25 g of carbohydrates and 4 g of fat.

Snack Shakes

Glucerna offers 140-calorie snack shakes, which may be better than the snack bars, as they contain 7 g of protein and 3 g of fiber, with only 19 g of carbohydrates. The snack shakes are rich in chromium, which a research review from the September 1998 issue of "Nutrition Reviews" explains may help promote weight and fat loss.

Shakes

Glucerna offers four flavors of shakes -- Rich Chocolate, Homemade Vanilla, Creamy Strawberry and Classic Butter Pecan -- each of which contains 200 calories. These shakes contain just 3 g of fiber but 10 g of protein. The shakes are high in fat, with 7 g, and high in carbohydrates, with 26 g. Thus, they may not be as good for weight loss as the snack shakes.