Ensure seems to be a ripoff.

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techs

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,559
4
0
So, I got some of these Ensures from my cancer doctor. I checked them out online and they are very expensive. Yet, the 8 oz. ones I got don't seem like anything more than the nutrition of a glass of milk plus some sugar plus a vitamin pill.

They are very tasty but it seems a Carnation Instant Breakfast gives you the same thing at like half the price.
 
JEDIYoda

JEDIYoda

Lifer
Jul 13, 2005
33,986
3,320
126
Ensure is great for calorie replacement. Boost however, has less fat and alot the same nutrients. It does not taste bad, especially cold.
 
crashtech

crashtech

Lifer
Jan 4, 2013
10,652
2,257
146
There's nothing wrong with fat for a person who can't get enough nutrition. In fact, it's best for people with no appetite since it is calorie-dense.

But I tend to agree with the OP, as long as the will exists to make your own. Whole milk and whey powder are a good start, add flavor and sweetness of choice, as well as a vitamin supplement. Problem with vitamin pills is that they are often not well tolerated, hence their dilute addition to the Ensure.
 
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JamesV

JamesV

Platinum Member
Jul 9, 2011
2,002
2
76
I buy them for my great aunt who is 95. Seems like every other week she loses her appetite and just doesn't want to eat anything... but a chocolate drink (Ensure) is something she will drink, even if she is not hungry.
 
Scarpozzi

Scarpozzi

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
26,391
1,780
126
If they don't sell them on the dollar menu at McDonald's they're not a good value.

If you need vitamins, you can get a side salad on there for cheap. Otherwise, stick with the McChicken...there's lettuce strips in there.

/thread
 
Fritzo

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
Boost is pretty good (my wife was on those for a month or two). Get the powders and a couple of premade for portability. They also have juice based versions if you're having trouble with dairy.

If you have a Kroger near you, the Kroger brand drinks are also excellent, and can be had for $7/6 pack.

Hope you're getting better :)
 
monkeydelmagico

monkeydelmagico

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2011
3,961
145
106
techs said:
So, I got some of these Ensures from my cancer doctor. I checked them out online and they are very expensive. Yet, the 8 oz. ones I got don't seem like anything more than the nutrition of a glass of milk plus some sugar plus a vitamin pill.

They are very tasty but it seems a Carnation Instant Breakfast gives you the same thing at like half the price.
Click to expand...

It is a ripoff but ensure has been the go to caloric supplement folks with a prescription pad recommend.

Use whatever fortified drink taste good to you and I hope your prognosis is good and recovery
swift.

http://careresponse.com/wp-content/...l-Comparison-of-Drink-Supplements-vs-Food.pdf
 
lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,064
9,458
126
I like Ovaltine. Dunno how it compares to Ensure, but it has calories, vitamins, and an awesome malt flavor.
 
IronWing

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
71,882
31,958
136
There was an old man at the grocery store with a cart filled with nothing but Ensure and canned pears. Techs, are you an old man?
 
alkemyst

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
techs said:
So, I got some of these Ensures from my cancer doctor. I checked them out online and they are very expensive. Yet, the 8 oz. ones I got don't seem like anything more than the nutrition of a glass of milk plus some sugar plus a vitamin pill.

They are very tasty but it seems a Carnation Instant Breakfast gives you the same thing at like half the price.
Click to expand...

nice troll

Another "WTF is wrong with you?" moment.
admin allisolm
 
Last edited by a moderator:
M

mikeford

Diamond Member
Jan 27, 2001
5,671
160
106
I don't think many posters understand how old age and various medical treatments can make a person totally lose their appetite, nothing tastes good, nothing tastes right, and dangerous weight loss can occur.
 
G

gooseman

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2000
4,853
1
0
I lived on Ensure for about 2 1/2 months. I was having radiation treatments on my neck and head and the radiation really screwed up my throat. I could not get solid food down and virtually lived on Ensure. Yes, they are expensive but in certain circumstances they are needed.
 
Naer

Naer

Diamond Member
Nov 28, 2013
3,392
174
106
mikeford said:
I don't think many posters understand how old age and various medical treatments can make a person totally lose their appetite, nothing tastes good, nothing tastes right, and dangerous weight loss can occur.
Click to expand...

Yeah let's ruin our enjoyment for food and drink willfully
 
Arkaign

Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
20,736
1,379
126
Cancer doctor? Well if you are dealing with the big C, I send my sincere best wishes to you. I hate seeing people go through that.

Ensure doesn't bother me much, but yeah it is damned pricey. If I had to guess, it's because so many hospitals have it on the list of things to provide, and if any industry likes to overprice like mad, it's ANYTHING remotely to do with that industry. I swear to god, it's crazy.

A personal example from about 5 years ago :

I worked on some PCs that were being installed at a midsize hospital in Texas. Now these workstations didn't have any special hardware in them, they were semi-rebadged HPs (with a cover plate blocking the USB ports, glued on with a logo). They had XP Pro pre-loaded (this was just before Win7 launch, so at least they didn't have Vista). Other than that, all they did was run web-based apps to a hosted service for looking up info and entering appointments. They were Intel Pentium Ds with 2GB DDR2-667, 80GB Sata Drives, and no optical drives at all (which makes sense I guess). They had locks on the casing so they needed a maintenance key to replace/clean/upgrade if need be.

My job was to train a couple of people at the hospital in their use, and general troubleshooting, so that they could create some materials for bringing new hires up to speed as they came through. Anyway, I got to see the bill for these systems :

$3,800 each. The 17" 4:3 LCDs that came with them, another $400 each. Yep, $4,200 for a Pentium D and 17" LCD, complete with awesome 2GB ram and 80GB hard drive. No special software, no special hardware other than a glued-on plate to block the USB ports. The insane price didn't even include the service, that was a separate monthly charge of astronomical proportions. Perhaps the most insane thing about it was they didn't have a requirement to use any particular PC to access the site either, it was just 'recommended'. Hilarious.
 
techs

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,559
4
0
I fully understand the purpose of Ensure. Some days a delicious "milkshake" is all I could bear eating.

But for the three grams of fiber difference it's far more economical to have a Carnation Instant Breakfast with a little fiber stirred in.
 
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