Deciding what to eat can be hard for seniors. Many things can affect how well they eat a healthy diet. That’s why it’s important to know how to get the most nutrition from the foods they like or can eat.
Some people suggest using dietary supplements like Ensure and Boost for seniors. These drinks can help make sure seniors get the minerals and vitamins they need every day. But are these drinks as good as real, natural foods? Let’s find out!
First, we looked at two easy, healthy, and low-cost foods for seniors: an orange and low-fat yogurt. Together, these foods have:
12g of protein
31g of carbohydrates
3.5g of fat
206 calories
467g of calcium
71mg of vitamin C
3g of fiber
Next, we checked three common dietary supplements: Carnation Instant Breakfast Essentials, Ensure, and Boost. Here’s what we found:
Carnation Instant Breakfast Ready-to-Drink (10 oz.):
12g of protein
37g of carbohydrates
3g of fat
200 calories
500g of calcium
30mg of vitamin C
0g of fiber
Ensure (8 oz.):
9g of protein
40g of carbohydrates
6g of fat
250 calories
300g of calcium
30g of vitamin C
<1g of fiber
Boost (8 oz.):
10g of protein
41g of carbohydrates
4g of fat
240 calories
300g of calcium
60mg of vitamin C
0g of fiber
The results? The orange and low-fat yogurt are better in terms of nutrition, and they’re also cheaper. In a taste test, people preferred the natural foods over the supplement drinks.
Of course, supplement drinks still give good nutrition for those who can’t eat enough calories each day. It’s always important to follow the advice of a senior’s doctor when it comes to nutrition.