Ensure or Boost anyone use either of these?

[maiyasgram]

DH was treated for cancer last year and I am still trying to get his weight back to where it used to be. Although he eats pretty well I make him a protein shake everyday. I make it with whey protein, carnation instant breakfast and fortified milk. I would like to try Boost or Ensure but I know if it has a mediciny or artificial taste he wont drink it. So, if anyone has any experience with either of these I would love to hear your reviews.

Thanks!!
Cherie

 

[lovemygoofy]

When my granny started dropping all her weight and going through treatments, the doctor recommended these drinks. I'm actually have ensures this week as I've haven't been eating due to illness.

I take a can of ensure and mix it in the blend with a scoop of frozen vanilla yogurt and throw in some frozen fruit. Today I had vanilla frozen yogurt, vanilla flavored ensure with frozen blueberries and peaches. The other day I had the chocolate ensure, vanilla frozen yogurt and frozen strawberries and blueberries.


The boost/ensure stuff is not that cheap though. If you can, I would buy it by the case at Sams.

 

[cjlvsccm]

DH was treated for cancer last year and I am still trying to get his weight back to where it used to be. Although he eats pretty well I make him a protein shake everyday. I make it with whey protein, carnation instant breakfast and fortified milk. I would like to try Boost or Ensure but I know if it has a mediciny or artificial taste he wont drink it. So, if anyone has any experience with either of these I would love to hear your reviews.

Thanks!!
Cherie

I've tried both, and they're not horrible. Seriously, taste is so subjective, but to be honest I would rather have Carnation Instant B'fast. I did live on that (4x a day) for about 5 weeks in my teens, after a surgery. The "healthier" options at the time were just nas-tee!!

But using the Boost/Ensure as a base for a smoothie is a great idea! Give it a try and let us know how he likes it.

Wishing you and him all the best in his fight!!

 

[bballmom56]

We used these a lot for my mother when she dropped a lot of weight and really needed to gain weight. She had flavors she preferred, but I guess they were ok. She never said they tasted "mediciney".

Be sure to look for Ensure Plus or Boost Plus. The regular Ensure has 250 calories whereas the Ensure Plus has 350 calories.

 

[cristit14]

It has been several years, but after I had gum surgery I survived on Boost for awhile. The chocolate was good.

 

[Rora]

My grandma drinks these for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (which is not how they're supposed to be used but.. she's 90 and it's what she likes).

Grandma had been dropping weight and the DR recommended she started drinking these. It does help put the weight back on and has some nutrients.

I would think that these would be good for your DH as a side supplement to his regular diet.

Best of luck and prayers to him for recovery!

 

[C.Ann]

I have to drink Boost every single day - to try to maintain my weight.. I love the stuff and if it wasn't so expensive, I'd drink it by the gallon - LOL..

I prefer the vanilla - reminds me of "french vanilla" flavor.. The chocolate is "okay" - the strawberry (in my opinion) is horrible!!!!

As others have said, it's not cheap.. I drink 3 or more a day - per my doctors orders - but it's very beneficial to my health, so I just have to work it into my budget..

Wouldn't hurt to try it - and if he thinks he can taste something "off", add other ingredients to it to make smoothees and such.. It can also be added to puddings and things - rather than milk.. If you go to the Boost web site, they have some recipes there and unless he's watching you, he will never even know it's in the item that you make..

Good luck!

 

[Aimeedyan]

I've used them in the past during Crohns flares. I prefer Boost to Ensure and the vanilla was the tastiest flavor I found. I got them COLD and drank them with a straw. Made it feel more shake like.

They weren't awful. If he can have other stuff, like ice cream or fruit, using it in something would taste better. I just didn't have that option to try it that way.

 

[sharlon]

DD11 has to drink boost, thanks to a bowel resection and short gut syndrome. She's a gymnast and can't get enough calories/fat/protein to support her activity, so her doctor and dietician suggested she supplement. Let me say that she also is a super-taster and has extreme taste/texture issues and she will drink the chocolate boost, no problem.
One thing we did try at one point to help increase the fat content was make chocolate milk shakes with the chocolate boost and chocolate ice cream. She said it was really good.

 

[JessicaR]

I had to drink them for a while. I added a banana and some ice cubes in a blender to the Vanilla and it was very good.

 

[englishteacha]

My dad had Ensure for a while when he was ill. He didn't care for it. He did like the Carnation Instant Breakfast.

Do you make the Carnation with whole milk? That's how my dad liked his, and it helped keep his weight up for a bit.