Personal Story

I love a good smoothie! For many years, I made smoothies for my children as a summer breakfast on Thursdays. They ate a freshly baked homemade whole grain muffin to provide them with energy for a busy day of work and play. Recently, I have been adding nutrient dense ingredients to smoothies, so they keep getting better and better. Now, it’s my grandchildren who get to choose what goes into their personalized smoothie. They love to use their straw to get the last drop!

Types of Nutrition Drinks

There are two main varieties of nutrition drinks.

Shakes, such as Ensure or Boost, are intended to help you meet general nutrition goals such as increased protein or calories. They usually are fortified with vitamins and have added sugar to improve their taste. These drinks do not necessarily need to be cleared by your doctor, but if you are on any medication, it would be good to check in case there are any ingredients that could interfere with them.

Formulas are designed more for a specific disease, such as chronic pulmonary disease, cancer, or later-stage kidney disease. These are usually supervised by a doctor.

In this article, we will focus on shakes that do not need a doctor’s approval.

Risks of Nutrition Drinks

• Too much sugar
• Too many calories. Or too few- Ensure only has 250 calories, so replacing meals with them would not provide enough calories and thereby promote weight loss, in an unhealthy way.
• Reduced nutrition from a bottle tarther than from whole food. Ensure, and similar products, should not be drunk in lieu of meals by the elderly. They are better thought of as a nutritional supplement.
• There is a possibility of interactions with medications, so please check with your doctor before using a nutrition drink.

A Good Alternative to Nutrition Drinks

A smoothie usually is a blend of whole foods and has all the nutrients that are in those foods left intact. Protein, fruit, vegetables, and other nutritious ingredients come together to make a balanced drink.  

A smoothie that is food based can found in the refrigerator section of the grocery store. Brands to consider are Naked Juice Protein Zone, Odwalla Super Protein, and Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus.

Better yet, make your own fresh smoothie in a blender with protein, healthy fat, and added superfood ingredients. Protein possibilities include almond or coconut milk, pulse, Greek or dairy-free yogurt, or a protein powder. (A pulse is an ingredient derived from chickpeas, lentils, peas, or beans.) Fruit such frozen blueberries or a banana adds nutrition and helps cool the beverage. Vegetables, such as fresh spinach, beets, or riced cauliflower provide fiber and nutrients.  Healthy fats include almond butter, avocado, chia seeds, nuts, nut butters, and coconut milk. Other superfood ingredients are cacao powder, cinnamon, or fresh mint. You might even put in some apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, or ginger.

Smoothies Are a Meal

Remember that all those proteins, fats, fruits, and veggies are whole food that would fill your plate if they were in their whole state. The smoothie is your meal; you do not have to eat a meal along with the smoothie. If you do, you will consume too many calories and probably gain weight.

Action

Some nutritional drinks are bad for you, so create your own smoothie or purchase a smoothie today. Smoothies are a great way to start your day!

Resources:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/supplemental-nutrition-drinks-help-or-hype

May God bless you on your wellness journey!

Joni

P.S. Do you use nutrition drinks? Please tell us your opinion of them.