Protein shakes are a powerful solution for seniors – particularly low sugar protein shakes. The idea might seem odd, as whole foods are normally considered better for health. Even so, protein shakes can be relevant in many situations.
Among other things, they help seniors to get the nutrition they need. Shakes are especially important when seniors need soft foods and in cases where they don’t want to eat. After all, a shake is often appealing even when regular food isn’t.
There are plenty of shake options out there, but most are high in sugar. Some products even end up being worse than a candy bar – containing plenty of sugar and little nutrition. The items in this post are all healthy alternatives, ones that are low in sugar.
Ensure Protein Shakes
While most of the shakes from Ensure are high in sugar, there are some interesting options that keep the sugar content low. The first of these focuses on protein and can be seen below.
This type of shake is mostly designed for people who are trying to promote muscle building and/or weight loss. The shake contains 30 grams of protein and 1 gram of sugar.
While the nutrients are impressive, this type of shake often gets a mixed reception. A shake with this much protein is never going to taste as good as something that’s low in protein and high in sugar. As such, it might not be the best choice for seniors. Some would still enjoy the shake, while others may find it too much.
The Ensure High Protein shake would be an easier choice in some situations.
This one offers 16 grams of protein per serving, along with 4 grams of sugar. The nutrient profile means that the shake is still healthy, but should taste better.
There is also a Light Nutrition Shake. This one just contains 12 grams of protein per serving and no sugar. While the protein content is lower, it could be enough for many situations.
Boost Protein Shakes
Like Ensure, Boost has a wide range of shakes. Most of them are high in sugar, but a few have a better balance of nutrients. The first of these is their Max Protein drink.
This chocolate shake contains 30 grams of protein and just 1 gram of sugar. Most of the reviews are positive, although some people mention that the shake doesn’t taste like the other chocolate Boost shakes. This is to be expected, due to the low sugar content.
The glucose shake is a more intermediate option. It contains 16 grams of protein per serving and 4 grams of sugar. While the overall nutrient balance isn’t as good as the previous example, the shake should be tastier. Reviews suggest this too. The shake gets better reviews for taste than most other low sugar options.
The Calorie Smart drinks take a similar approach. They contain around 15 grams of protein per serving and 4 grams of sugar. There are fewer reviews and this type of shake seems to be harder to find. Still, if you can get it, the shake is worth considering.
Glucerna Protein Shakes
Glucerna specifically focuses on blood sugar management. It doesn’t have the same wide product range that Boost and Ensure offer – but it doesn’t need to either.
Instead, the main options are flavor, with the following versions available:
- Butter Pecan
- Chocolate
- Chocolate Caramel
- Strawberry
- Vanilla
The shakes contain 10 grams of protein each and 4 grams of sugar. This nutrition profile makes them fairly low in protein, while the sugar content is similar to other brands.
Still, the shakes do get especially good reviews. They’re popular too, which is always a good sign. You can find their main product here.
Premier Protein Shakes
This is a brand that I’ve relied on myself, partly due to availability. The low sugar versions of Boost and Ensure can sometimes be hard to find, while the Premier Protein shakes can be found in many local stores (such as Meijer).
A serving contains 30 grams of protein and just 1 gram of sugar.
While some people don’t enjoy the flavor of the shakes, I found them enjoyable. The shakes weren’t as amazing as a high sugar alternative, but that’s to be expected. For the amount of protein and the low sugar content – Premier Protein has done a good job with the flavor.
Make Your Own
If you have the time, making your own low sugar protein shake will always be the best option. Preparing the shake yourself gives you full control over the ingredients. This means that you can customize the amount of sugar included, along with the final flavor.
The simplest way to make your own shake is to rely on protein powder. You can often make a basic shake by just mixing the powder in with water, milk or a plant-based milk (like coconut milk or almond milk). You can also get as complex as you like, adding in other ingredients to make the recipe more interesting and complex.
There are plenty of great brands to choose from, so we’re just going to feature a few.
Naked Whey Protein Powder
This brand is a very good low sugar choice, as the pictured product is just whey protein – nothing else. There are also flavored versions: matcha and chocolate. The matcha is low in sugar too, while chocolate isn’t.
The unflavored version wouldn’t taste the greatest if you’re just mixing it with liquid. However, it would be perfect if you plan to make a more complex shake.
Advantages: The unflavored version just contains whey, so there are no additives to worry about.
Disadvantages: The unflavored nature might not appeal to everyone.
Garden of Life Sport Protein Powder
Garden of Life is a popular brand, with a focus on plant-based protein powders. This one offers 30 grams of protein per serving and doesn’t have any added sugars at all. The powder is also vegan, organic, dairy-free, gluten-free and soy-free.
Advantages: You’re getting an excellent balance of nutrition with this protein powder, along with a high-quality product.
Disadvantages: The product is more expensive than some other brands. The lack of any added sugar may make the protein powder taste unappealing to some.
Perfect Keto Chocolate Protein Powder
This protein powder is designed for a keto diet, which ensures that it will be low in sugar. It is also gluten-free and dairy-free. The powder also contains collagen and MCT oil powder. These ingredients are meant to promote health, although they aren’t common choices for the senior popular.
Advantages: The Perfect Keto power works well if you have a focus on quality.
Disadvantages: This product is more obscure than most and is expensive for the amount that you receive.
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