Update: This page was written pre-COVID, and in the intervening years, only the chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors are available.
As I’ve previously recounted, I was quite sick just over a year ago and was hospitalized. In the process, I lost a lot of weight, and needed something to provide easy nutrition. As a result, I became something of a connoisseur of nutritional drinks, the most familiar brand names being Ensure and Boost. These products are designed to partially replace part of one’s normal diet. They generally contain a warning that you shouldn’t use them as your sole source of nutrition without consulting your physician, but they are a good supplement to ensure you’re getting adequate calories and nutrition. Most, for example, provide about 350 calories.
As I discovered, some tasted better than others. My health has recovered, and I guess there’s really no medical need for the added nutrition. But I like them, and they make an extremely convenient breakfast if I’m in a hurry. The 350 calories keep me going even if I don’t have a chance to eat anything else. They’re now part of my routine.
The major brand names tasted OK, but I also sampled some of the store brands. Initially, the Walgreen’s store brand was my preferred choice. Unfortunately, however, at some point they changed the formula. The old version’s label stated that it provided 25 vitamins. The new label proudly proclaimed that it now had 26 vitamins. Unfortunately, the changed formula didn’t taste as good. So I had to do more shopping, and tried the Walmart store brand.
Initially, I was a bit disappointed. I bought the chocolate, and it wasn’t quite as good as the Walgreen’s brand. It’s hard to articulate, but something about the chocolate flavor seemed a bit artificial, and the overall experience wasn’t as “smooth” a taste as I wanted. Fortunately, however, I decided to try some of the other flavors.
My favorite was the mocha flavor. If you like coffee, you’ll like this flavor. The addition of the coffee flavor brings back the “smoothness” that was missing in the plain chocolate. In fact, if you ordered an iced mocha at Starbucks and they served you one of these, you would be quite satisfied.
I also enjoy the strawberry and banana flavors. It’s also available in vanilla, but I haven’t had a chance to try that flavor yet. While they can be consumed at room temperature, they are best served chilled. Refrigeration of the unopened bottle is not necessary, so they’re handy to keep a few on hand.
If you’re looking for a product with fewer calories, the Walmart brand, as well as most of the other brands, offer an “Original” version. The “Plus” version is 350 calories, but the “Original” version is 220. Look for the words “Plus” or “Original” on the label, or glance at the Nutrition Facts label to make sure you’re getting the 350 calorie version.
I much prefer the Walmart store brand to the name brands. As an added bonus, as you might have guessed, the store brand is also cheaper. Tastes may vary, but if you or a loved one have been prescribed a nutritional drink, you’ll want to consider trying this less expensive store brand. In addition to saving a little money, you very well could prefer it. And if you’re a busy person and might occasionally miss a meal, it’s not a bad idea to keep one in the back of the fridge, or even in your desk at work, to quickly give you the nutrition to keep going.
And while one of these products is too expensive to buy in bulk for emergency food storage, it might fill a niche, and keeping some on hand for emergency preparedness purposes might be prudent.
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