Any suggestions for a quality liquid meal replacement that is not made up of mostly water and sugar?

Doesn’t ensure have a new drink out? Seems like I saw a commercial for it. Less sugar and more protein.
I agree, ridiculous to have that much sugar and no valuable nutrition.
What about making your own smoothie? I do that and then I know what is in it. Or maybe ask about one at a health food store. Best of luck to you.

Just looked it up. Ensure max. Only one gram of sugar. Order it online if it isn’t available at your local store. Low sugar with extra protein. Ask her doctor about it if you aren’t sure if it’s the right one.

Core Power is very tasty and has a lot of protein and vitamins. It's not super high in calories, but at least its nutrition. I have difficulty w my appetite and I drink it often instead of eating. You can order on Amazon for about $30 for case of 12. The chocolate and coffee are best flavors. Vanilla is not bad either, I cant speak as to the strawberry or banana. Good luck to you.

The Ensure drinks are quite good. My wife with dementia, diabetes, and gastric disorders loves them and they are easy on the system as well.

Smoothies. They are flavorful and nourishing.

Have you considered making your own soups and/or pureeing some of your own meals so that she can consume them

Unless she is diabetic or has a food intolerance I don't see a need to avoid sugar, fat, or anything else that might be a dietary taboo for someone who isn't 98. Adding whey powder to smoothies is easy, I like to add a little oatmeal for fiber too.
Are you sure it is her teeth causing trouble and not a swallowing problem?

I’ve been buying Orgain shakes for a few years, check out on Amazon and see if the calorie/nutrition makeup looks like what you need. I hate all the artificial things listed on Ensure and Boost. Atkins shakes are pretty good too, and you can get them anywhere. But I also like the idea of making your own things when you can like lulu says! Good luck.

Orgain Protein Shakes. Buy online or at health food store.
Expensive yet so worth it, and truly nutritious.
Vanilla bean or chocolate fudge.
My dad loves them!

FYI: Walgreen’s has their house brand nutritional shakes with less sugar.

I lost my teeth to Sjogren’s a few years ago, a condition that makes your entire body severely dry and, also, until a few years ago I had an esophageal stenosis so severe that my esophagus was measured to be no wider than the inside of a coffee stir. I choked on food and water constantly. I survived on whey powder smoothies. You can vary the ingredients for the sake of nutrition and the amount of liquid or ice depending on her needs (for instance, if she has raynaud’s, she might not want ice at all). You can get powdered vitamin supplements as well or grind your own vitamins with a mortar and pestle. What’s nice about smoothies is that you can vary them according to what makes your mom happiest and still have the convenience of prepackaged meal replacements by just keeping your ingredients in the freezer ready to use. If you do go the smoothie route, you’ll want a blender that can create “snow” from ice. A Ninja blender does a great job.

I hope you and your mom find something satisfying and helpful to you both.

Take care,
b

I'm using Premier High Protein Shakes and I like them. 30 grams protein with only 1 gram sugar, 1 gram fiber and 1 carb. Right now it's cheapest at Sam's Club and comes in many flavors. I like the Cookies & Cream and the Banana & Cream. But also available in Chocolate, Vanilla and Caramel. They're bringing back Peaches & Cream but I haven't found it yet. 160 calories per shake and I use 2 a day myself.

There is a thickening agent that you can use to thicken regular foods like soups and juices. Check with a local pharmacy. I used one that came in small packets. They could be added to anything to make it thicker and easier to swallow.

I agree that the Pure Protien Individual shakes, available at Costco are good. They are tasty chilled or room temperature. My mom loved them. I felt it was a good way for her to get protein.

Get a consult with a nutritionist and learn how to make your own.

Get a whey protein powder for breakfast smoothies and add berries, which are lower in sugar. Half a banana may also be acceptable.

Whole foods can all be pureed. That means that when you make a healthy meal, that meal can be pureed by adding some liquid such as low-sodium broth.

The amount of money you will save by not having to pay for processed foods and packaged foods is astounding.

Vitamix blenders are the best but also ridiculously expensive. Even the refurbished ones are outrageous amounts of money. Get a blender that's in the $40-$50 range and it will do the job taking only an additional 45-seconds to get the consistency you want. Blenders work best for meat protein. Hand blenders work great for vegetables and soup.

Make your own buy a NutriBullet. And bug protein powder. They are healthier than store bought drinks.

Be careful with 30 grams of protein in one drink. The kidneys would have to work too hard with 3 of those per day. Also not enough calories. Your mom is 98, let her taste preferences guide you in what to drink. If she likes the store ones because they are sweet - so what- she’s 98! God bless her and you

Atkins french vanilla/or chocolate it has 1g of sugar and 20g of protein. I buy it for my 94 year old Dad that is trying to put on weight which he put on 11 pounds since Janusry and he is a diabetic. I put it in his coffee instead of his creamer.

Boost, low glycemic in assorted flavors. You will find them in many stores, and can order on Amazon.

Try "Real Food Blends". They are designed for tube feeding, but mixed with a liquid they are drinkable, and very good! And they are real food. My brother uses them and I have tasted one. You can buy them online at realfoodblends.com

LABRADA HIGH PROTEIN MEAL REPLACEMENT SHAKE paks with 20-30 grams of protein. Takes people out of a diabetic status over time and curbs the appetite like crazy. No wolfing during the day! Add PERFECT FOOD by Garden of Life and yay, all will work out!

Dr Coppertino

Your first step should be to meet with a nutritionist to see what type of blended foods can be had. There are many options. Speak with that specialist. That is their business.

Sweet is one of the last tastes to leave as your taste buds "die off" as they do when you age. That is why the sweetest is usually the most popular with elderly - it actually tastes like something to them. She is 98, let her eat or drink what she likes. My Grandmother did not like chocolate or sweets, yet for the last 2 years of her 96years she had Chocolate milkshakes everyday.

Talk to The Doctor about Pureed food now and Nutritious Ones, hun.

My sister loves Kate Farms Komplete meal replacement shakes, and ENU Vanilla Cream Shakes for Weight Gain. She can't eat solid food and has lost so much weight (hence the shakes for weight gain). She hates shakes with a lot of sugar...claims they make her sick.

You could have a registered dietitian help you out with this. If there is a swallowing issue, a speech therapist is in charge of handling that. I like a product called Phood. It has protein, fat and carb. It's vegan. 200 calories so I use it for a quick meal so I don't over eat. Alternately if you use frozen fruit, an oil such as coconut or olive and protein powder, you can make a cheaper balanced meal. Throw in a small amount of not too fiberous green veg if you like. With a cancer patient in the last few months of his life, I made shakes with frozen fruit, protein powder and heavy cream (not lactose intolerant) just to keep his weight up.

Have you heard of milk kefir? While you can now purchase it in most grocery stores it's not cheap or as beneficial as what you can make at home but certainly still good for you and an option. I make it myself and once you do it a couple times it's pretty easy and full of pro-biotics, enzymes and nutrients that are more readily absorbable/"bioavailable". It's made with live cultures called "grains" and milk and depending on your preference and method it can have the consistency of yogurt or buttermilk. Lot's of people like it just plain but I prefer adding fruit, fresh and or frozen blending it all up in my Magic Bullet and making a shake but you really could add almost anything to the shake. The homemade kefir by it's self though has a great balance of nutrients and healthy fat when you use whole milk. The grains (cultures) feed on the milk sugars converting them to probiotics etc so most people who are lactose intolerant can apparently drink the converted kefir. If you are interested in more info or in some grains feel free to message me. I always have more grains than I need because they multiply as you use them so I'm happy to share.

So I have been giving my mother baby cereal in her ensure for the added vitamins and minerals. She suddenly would forget or avoid taking the pill form. It has worked wonders not only for less battles in the am and pm but it keeps her fuller during the night and she has not been roaming as much. She is 88 and has anxiety and dementia but no other physical problems. I can also up it with a banana or some oatmeal when she does not eat a full dinner or eats an early dinner. It is also nice to have on hand in the frig for a quick lunch.

For a hot meal, you can add pea protein powder or brown rice protein powder to soup to thicken or blend all the soup together if they can not swallow whole food. It adds a lot of protein and will make them feel fuller.

Good luck everyone. It is a rough road as caregivers!

I had tongue cancer. Have been living on nothing but Ensure Plus for five years now.

My mom like the soy drink I got her at Wal-Mart, but it was quite sweet. (She liked sugar). I used to drink Vega One, but it has to much fiber for elderly. (Yikes). Whatever you do, watch out for too much fiber! My mom had dairy issues & IBS, so the soy drink worked best for her.