Is “Ensure” A Good Protein Drink Option?

A new client asked if Ensure would  be a good option for a quick meal on-the-go. 

Ensure is a product marketed as, per their website, having “more protein than an egg, 21 essential vitamins and minerals, and 180 calories, Ensure Clear is the fat free, refreshingly clear choice to help fill your nutritional gaps. In delicious Blueberry Pomegranate and Peach!”.

Hmmm.. sounds good, but have a quick peek at the ingredient label and you’ll find:

Water, Corn Syrup Solids, Sugar, Whey Protein Isolate. Less than 0.5% of the Following: Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Phosphoric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose, FD&C Red #40, Zinc Sulfate, dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacinamide, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Cupric Sulfate, FD&C Blue #1, Vitamin A Palmitate, Thiamine Chloride Hydrochloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Chromium Chloride, Sodium Molybdate, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenate, Phylloquinone, Vitamin D3, and Cyanocobalamin.

Corn Syrup as ingredient number two is a giant red flag right off the bat; the artificial sugars Acesulfame Potassium and Sucralose don’t help the case, and the red and blue dyes really seal the deal.

So, no, I would not suggest ingesting this product.  Check out my recipe pages for some easy, tasty and Paleo friendly protein smoothies instead.