Shaking Things Up: Comparing Protein Drinks and Common Meal Replacement Drinks

By Lee A. Mancini, MD, CSCS, CSN

People often ask what the difference is between the protein shakes that I often recommend athletes take to increase their daily protein intake and some of the popular meal replacement drinks like Ensure or Carnation Instant Breakfast drink. Before explaining to you the differences, I would like to show you a table breaking down the nutritional differences.

I will let you look this table over one more time. Normally the protein shake is consumed by mixing one scoop of protein powder into eight ounces of water. Because some people may choose to mix their protein powder in skim milk, I have included in parentheses the nutritional information for eight ounces of skim milk. Now let’s examine the tale of the tape.

Comparison #1 - Calories and Serving Size
The serving size for all four is exactly the same. The protein shake (just as the other three drinks) ends up being a total of eight ounces. The protein shake when mixed with water has less than 50% the calories of any of the other three drinks. Even if you make the protein shake with eight ounces of skim milk instead of water it still only amounts to 188 total calories.

Comparison #2 – Fat & Protein Grams
Even though the protein shake has fewer grams of fat then the other three choices, all four shakes have very few calories from fat. Also, when it comes to protein, the protein shake has the most, but all four have nearly the same. If you make the protein shake with skim milk, you add an additional nine grams of protein as well.

Comparison #3 – Carbohydrate Analysis
The most important number when looking at the carbohydrates in each of the four drink options is the number of grams from sugar. Clearly, the Carnation instant breakfast treats your body to the largest load of 38 grams. To put that into perspective one-quarter (1/4 cup) cup of Duncan Hines Chocolate frosting also contains 38 grams of sugar. Even making your protein shake with skim milk, you only take in twelve grams of sugar, 33% less than either of the Ensure shakes.

Comparison #4 – Sodium Content
Once again the protein powder when mixed in water has less than half the sodium of the other three drinks. However, when you mix the protein powder into eight ounces of skim milk, the sodium content increases dramatically to where it is slightly more than the other three drinks.

Many of you may have noticed that I have not mentioned the brand or name of the protein powder that I used to compare to the other three drinks. This was done intentionally. First, there were three different brands of protein powders that I looked at; all three had nutritional information exactly the same. Second, I do not want to endorse or promote any supplements or supplement brands on this website. The purpose of this article was simply to make people aware that many of the commercial instant meal drinks are not nearly as good for you as they would like to make you believe.

In conclusion, the protein powder when mixed with eight ounces of water contains fewer calories, more protein, less fat, less sugar, and less sodium than the Ensure, Ensure High Protein, and Carnation meal replacement drinks. Even when mixing the protein powder in skim milk, you still get fewer calories, more protein, less fat, less sugar, and only slightly more sodium than the other three. Now you know why I prefer a protein shake to an instant breakfast drink like Ensure or Carnation. The next time you reach for quick liquid nutrition, think about your choice.

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Note:  Lee A. Mancini graduated from Harvard as a two-sport athlete with honors in biology. Board certified in sports medicine and family practice, he works at the Family Health Center and UMass Sports Medicine Center in Worcester . He trains select clients as a certified strength and conditioning specialist and sports nutritionist. If you are interested in hiring him to design an individualized program, click here for our paid consultation services.