Nutrition & Meal Replacement Drinks
It wasn't many years ago you almost had to be admitted to a hospital to consume an Ensure® nutritional drink; now these energy beverages with vitamins and minerals for use as a meal replacement or snack alternative are everywhere. These drinks promise a full meal in an 8 oz drink.
Originally designed for hospitalized patients that were unable to swallow or refused meals, today's meal replacement beverages are loaded with all the things bodneed on the go: protein, fiber, calcium and an alphabet of vitamins.
Below is a table representing the some of the nutritional information, including the vitamin K and C information, on some of the products on the market.
| Ensure Plus® Shake (chocolate flavor) | Boost® Original (chocolate flavor) | Carnation Breakfast Essentials™ (chocolate flavor) | Slim-Fast!® Shake (chocolate flavor) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serving size | 8 oz (1 bottle) | 8 oz (1 bottle) | 11 oz (1 bottle) | 11 oz (1 can) |
| Calories | 350 | 240 | 260 | 190 |
| Carbohydrate | 49g (16%) | 41g (14%) | 41g (14%) | 24g (8%) |
| Protein | 13g (26%) | 10g (20%) | 14g (28%) | 10g (20%) |
| Fat | 11g (17%) | 4g (6%) | 5g (8%) | 6g (9%) |
| Calcium | 30% | 30% | 50% | 50% |
| Fiber | 4% | 0% | 5% | 20% |
| Vitamin C | 60% | 100% | 50% | 100% |
| Vitamin K | 25% | 40% | 25% | 25% |
| 1st three ingredients | Water, Corn Maltodextrin, Sugar (sucrose) | Water, Sugar, Corn Syrup | Nonfat Milk, Sugar, Water | Fat Free Milk, Water, Sugar |
% of daily value, percent daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
All nutritional information was acquired from the drink company’s websites.
High quantities of two important vitamins (vitamin K and vitamin C) that have been proven to affect your INR value.1 This does not mean these vitamins should be avoided. Communication remains the most important step before substituting or adding nutritional drinks to diets. While they are an effective way to add calories, maintain body weight and keep energy levels high, they can also affect the stability of your INR.
- Booth, Sarah L. Dietary vitamin K guidance: an effective strategy for stable control of oral anticoagulation? Nutrition Reviews Vol. 68(3):178–181.
