When it comes to nutritional drinks, Ensure is one of the most popular and trusted brands. Ensure offers a variety of nutritional shakes and drinks designed to provide complete, balanced nutrition for people at different life stages and with different health needs.
One common question people have about Ensure is which options contain 350 calories. The number of calories per serving can vary quite a bit across the Ensure product line. So which Ensure drink actually has 350 calories?
An Overview of Ensure
Ensure is made by Abbott Nutrition and has been around since 1973. The brand offers shakes, powders, bars, and puddings in different flavors and formulas. Here is a quick rundown of the main product lines:
- Ensure Original: The classic nutritional shake with 9 grams of protein, 250 calories, and 24 vitamins and minerals.
- Ensure Plus: A higher-calorie and higher-protein shake with 13 grams of protein and 350 calories.
- Ensure Enlive: A drink with 20 grams of protein, 350 calories, and probiotics.
- Ensure Max Protein: Focused on protein with 30 grams of protein per serving.
- Ensure High Protein: Contains 20 grams of protein and 220 calories.
- Ensure Light: A lower-calorie option with 8 grams of protein and 190 calories.
- Ensure Clear: A flavored water beverage with 80 calories.
- Ensure Complete Nutrition: An all-in-one balanced nutrition shake.
- Ensure Immune Health: Focused on supporting immune health.
As you can see, Ensure offers a diverse product lineup. The number of calories per serving ranges from 80 calories up to 350 calories depending on the specific product.
The 350 Calorie Ensure Options
After reviewing the product line, there are two Ensure products that contain 350 calories per serving:
Ensure Plus Nutrition Shake
Ensure Plus is one of Ensure’s higher-calorie options. Here are the key details on this 350-calorie shake:
- Serving size: 8 fl oz (237 mL)
- Calories per serving: 350 calories
- Protein per serving: 13 grams
Ensure Plus provides complete, balanced nutrition with over 24 different vitamins and minerals. Some of the key ingredients include milk protein concentrate, corn maltodextrin, sugar, canola oil, and soy protein isolate.
This shake has a smooth, creamy texture and comes in flavors like milk chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, coffee latte, and wild berry. It’s designed for individuals looking for extra calories and protein in their diet.
Ensure Enlive Nutritional Drink
The other Ensure product with 350 calories per serving is Ensure Enlive. Here are the key nutrition facts for this drink:
- Serving size: 8 fl oz (237 mL)
- Calories per serving: 350 calories
- Protein per serving: 20 grams
Ensure Enlive contains a blend of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and 20 different vitamins and minerals. Some ingredients include milk protein concentrate, maltodextrin, canola oil, fat-filled milk powder, and feline.
This nutritional drink has a smooth, lighter texture and comes in flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. The key benefit is the higher protein content and the addition of probiotics.
Comparing the 350 Calorie Options
To summarize, here is a comparison of the key attributes of Ensure Plus and Ensure Enlive, the two Ensure products containing 350 calories per 8 fl oz serving:
| Product | Calories | Protein (g) | Key Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ensure Plus | 350 | 13 | Higher calories; balanced nutrition |
| Ensure Enlive | 350 | 20 | Higher protein; probiotics |
While both provide 350 calories per serving, Ensure Enlive contains more protein at 20 grams compared to 13 grams in Ensure Plus. Enlive also provides the benefit of probiotics for digestive and immune health.
Overall, both of these drinks can be good options depending on your specific nutritional needs and preferences. Ensure Plus provides more overall calories for weight gain or maintenance, while Ensure Enlive has a lighter texture and higher protein content.
Other Ensure Products to Consider
In addition to Ensure Plus and Ensure Enlive, some other Ensure products that may interest you include:
Ensure Max Protein
This shake provides 30 grams of protein per serving to support building and maintaining muscle mass. It comes in flavors like milk chocolate and cafe mocha.
Ensure High Protein
Contain 20 grams of protein and 220 calories per serving. It comes in chocolate and vanilla flavors.
Ensure Light
This option has only 190 calories and 8 grams of protein per serving. It comes in flavors like milk chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.
Ensure Clear
This nutritionally balanced flavored water has no artificial sweeteners or gluten and only 80 calories per serving.
So in summary, while Ensure Plus and Ensure Enlive are the two options that specifically contain 350 calories per serving, Ensure has a range of other nutritional drinks with different calorie and protein contents to suit different dietary needs and preferences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ensure have fiber?
Most Ensure products contain between 1-4 grams of fiber per serving depending on the specific formula. For example, Ensure Original contains 3 grams of fiber, Ensure Plus has 4 grams, and Ensure Enlive contains 1 gram.
Is Ensure good for diabetics?
Some Ensure options can be suitable for diabetics when used as meal replacements and consumed in moderation as part of an overall healthy diet. Options like Ensure Light are lower in sugar. Diabetics should consult their doctor to determine if Ensure can be part of their diet.
Does Ensure help gain weight?
Drinking Ensure can help contribute to weight gain when combined with an overall high-calorie diet. Options like Ensure Plus and Ensure Complete are higher in calories and can help increase caloric intake to promote weight gain.
Is Ensure better than protein shakes?
Ensure and protein shakes serve different purposes. Ensure is designed as a nutritionally balanced meal replacement, while protein shakes focus specifically on high protein for building muscle. Ensure does contain protein but also has carbs, vitamins, and minerals that pure protein powders lack.
Is Ensure covered by insurance?
In some cases, Ensure and other nutritional supplement drinks may be covered by health insurance plans when prescribed by a doctor for certain medical conditions that cause malnutrition or make it difficult to maintain weight and nutrition. Contact your health insurance provider to find out if Ensure could be covered.
The Bottom Line
To summarize, if you are looking for an Ensure option with 350 calories per serving, your two choices are Ensure Plus and Ensure Enlive. Ensure Plus provides all-around balanced nutrition, while Ensure Enlive has higher protein content and probiotics. Both can help you meet increased calorie and nutritional needs. And beyond these two options, Ensure offers many other nutritional shakes and drinks to support your health.