What are good drinks for an elderly man to have when he isn’t meeting all his nutritional needs?

I had subscribed to a newsletter from Hormel Health labs. Today I received a notice they have Thick & Easy Dairy Drinks in vanilla and chocolate, in two different consistencies. I have not looked at their nutritional profiles, but thought I would post this information in case you wanted to check it out. I wish more companies would offer samples. But sometimes our local hospital has given us samples of items (mostly Ensure brand) when we have requested it.

You can get yogurt smoothies and "shots" at most grocery stores. They contain both protein and helpful probiotics.

Common brands are Chobani, Activia, and there's one marketed for kids called Danimals.

I've seen several people suggest Ensure. If he needs to watch his sugar intake (and who doesn't) Ensure is not a good choice....it has 15-20 grams of sugar in it, depending on the flavor. Does not seem like a nutritious choice to me.

Premier Protein is much better choice, and also comes in several flavors: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pure+protein+shakes&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

..................... Ensure................... Premier Protein
Protein........ 9 grams ..........vs ..... 30 grams
Calories....... 220..................vs........... 160
Sugar..........15-20 grams.....vs.....1 gram

If he needs more calories, give him a couple a day. More calories with more sugar and less protein, doesn't seem like a good way to go.

Also, you can get Pure protein bars. They also come in several flavors:
https://www.amazon.com/Pure-Protein-Healthy-Support-Chocolate/dp/B00GJ82VK4/ref=sr_1_5?crid=OTXPRWW8RIRZ&keywords=pure+protein+bars&qid=1673213016&sprefix=pure+protein+bars%2Caps%2C174&sr=8-5

200 calories, 20 grams of protein and 2 grams of sugar.

I'm always going to vote for more protein (especially as we age), and LESS sugar.

No, I don't sell either product...just a big fan.

sorry left comment in incorrect thread

I find that frozen fruit with a water base in a blend and some over ripened bananas serve 2 goals: thickness and nutritional value and some natural sweetness.

I use water flavored enchantments to my mom's water one 1/2 cup at a time. Find out what are his favorite flavors.

Mom because of her osteoporosis has lost a good number of her teeth and find if I add some broth to soften here meals and they seem to be more satisfying to her and she'll eat most or all of her meal.

My brother would only eat grits and scrambled eggs when he got out of the hospital confused and toothless.
the gastroenterologist suggested smoothies
I made scrambled omlets with a combinations of the “imperfect” veggies I had delivered online.
he ate his eggs.
Later the hospital served ensure enlive to my husband when he was not eating well

Hey, i usually give my granny ensure milk plus. It comes in different flavours. It has a lot nutrients and it's tasty. It helps him a lot because most of the foods he eats not nutritious. Yah

Perhaps your elderly one fondly remembers malted milks or malted shakes.

My aged FIL was losing weight unintentionally, and thank goodness we struck gold by buying various malted milk powders to put into his milk or shakes. The flavor reminded him of his youth in a good way. Malted Milk powder or granules are delicious and provide some good nutrition. I can recommend Nestle Carnation Malted Milk powder which is available at virtually all supermarkets, and even more nutritious but harder to find is Horlick’s powder which we buy in our local grocery’s “international food” section. The Horlick’s only mixes well in hot liquid. We all like to flavor our morning oatmeal with Horlick’s. 

Perhaps you can plump up nutrition and calorie count via malted milk powder, and adding banana, or strawberry, or peach, or other fruit your elderly one may like. 

Good luck!
————————————-
Fun tidbit re Horlick’s in WWII: 
https://mamabox.sg/blogs/news/did-you-know-horlicks-malties-played-an-important-role-in-world-war-ii

Edit: Kbelreivins - sorry, I erred on spelling your username.

Kbelreivns: A friend blends different food such as spinach, bananas, protein powder and honey. Perhaps this can help your elderly man.

ensure is a good all around drink. add a protein drink to it - maintains muscle over increasing weight. all the nutrient drinks that i see come in vanilla flavor. You can add a scoop of ice cream or a banana to change up the taste a little.

Check with this man's MD in case there are some additives / ingredients he shouldn't have. I make myself a bullet (blender) drinks almost daily.
Some below I put in my own and other items (whey) I don't.
Find the combination of what he likes, i.e., cocoa (?), instand coffee (flavor?)

My main protein: yogurt
ginger root (very small piece)
garlic clove (small or 1/2 of one)
Juice (natural - no sugar)
* You can also make ice cubes with the juice
* Whey powder (I don't use; too gassy)
* Protein powder (I don't use; don't feel I need it although is full of vitamins.)
* Green powder (go to health food store and ask)
Cinnamon is very healthy (a teaspoon or less)
Banana - I cut up and freeze them. I use about 4-5 pieces
Fish oil (I use a liquid tablet and open it and toss in)
Fruit - whatever he likes; I like frozen strawberries / blueberries from Costco
Prunes (2)
Almonds or nut butter / nuts (high in fat)
If he needs more calories, consider milk if he can digest it (whole milk) - or as others say, ice cream.
You can also add lettuce or a little vegetable(s) pieces, i.e, carrot.

If you use a bullet, all the frozen foods need to go in first - although I first put in 2 prunes, garlic and ginger root so the frozen items won't stick to the bottom. Don't forget the juice ! Bullets are incredible. They will grind up just about anything, including almonds, carrots, etc, an entire watermelon (cut it up first !)

Gena / Touch Matters

Besides drinks you can make puddings and baked custards. Be sure to use whole milk for higher Calorie content. You can also add powdered milk to the liquid milk to increase the protein content and mix in butter or margarine for more Calories.

Check out Very High Calorie Boost shakes which have 530 nutritionally rich calories in each 8 oz container. You can even put one of these shakes in the blender with ice cream and a bit of milk, if he likes that.

Make your own milkshakes with as much ice cream as can be blended in and add protein powder. You may need to experiment with protein powders b/c some people do not tolerate whey or soy or pea proteins. For the same rrason, they may not tolerate Boost or Ensure.
Since he likes vanilla ice cream, you can add whatever you want to that your father still likes the taste of. Your homemade milkshake concoctions will be much better than commercial supplement drinks, but don't skip the protein. He needs that in addition to the ice cream.

I had problems with my husband's dietary needs. He would eat soft foods, but spit out meat or other solid foods. I put his meals in a blender now and he eats everything very well. I give him Ensure Plus (350 calories) which he seems to enjoy (sometimes with a scoop of ice cream in it). He likes yogurt as an inbetween snack. He is maintaining his weight.

Geriatric Dietician
https://thegeriatricdietitian.com/high-calorie-soups/

Shop:: https://thegeriatricdietitian.com/storefront/

I did a search and found the above; I didn't know there was a career called, "Geriatric Dietician."

Maybe you can get him sugar free (using Stevia) vanilla milkshakes for dessert.

Boost High Calorie. I also recommend "Soft Foods for Easier Eating Cookbook: Easy-to-Follow Recipes for People Who Have Chewing and Swallowing Problems" by Sandra Woodruff (Author), Leah Gilbert-Henderson (Author)

If he tires of sweet smoothies and cold drinks, home-made creamed soups are a great idea. Cook up any veggies he likes in home-made stock or low-salt commercial stock. Include higher calorie vegetables such as squash, sweet potatoes, beans (can use drained canned beans) or lentils, and white potatoes. When cooked until soft, run the soup through a blender or use a hand held immersion blender. Then, add whole milk, cream, or half and half to thin the soup to desired consistency and heat through. You can also cook tender meats with the veggies, though it's harder to blend those to a smooth consistency. There is a commercial high calorie product called "benecalorie" that can be added to soups, smoothies, mashed potatoes, puddings, hot cereals, etc. It is unflavored and has 330 calories and 7g high-quality protein per 1.5 fl oz serving. Or you can add a few tablespoons of "good" fats to the soup for extra calories, e.g. olive oil, peanut oil, avocado oil, etc.

If you want good nutritional drinks that he will like, make smoothies using fruit, vegetables and protein powder. There are plenty of free recipes on the internet. You can use any type of milk as well as yogurt and/or water.

The drinks should be as natural as possible because too much sugar is bad for diabetes and prediabetes. Consult with a nutritionist. If hard to reach, get referral from the doctor and explain your grandfather's condition.

Does he like plain yogurt?

Homemade is the best method using a processor.

I have found that old people love them a milkshake! I was researching the very topic you have asked as I have a loved one with the same problem of not eating. There are countless high calorie smoothie recipes online.

See what his doctor recommends. Be careful with Boost and Ensure, as they contain a TON of sugar. My mother lived on Boost for the last seven months of her life, and she developed gout in her hands from it. They switched her to the diabetic formula, and it cleared up, but it was terribly painful for a quite a while.

Although they aren't the most nutritionally balanced boost, ensure and others like them are a godsend for those who can not get enough calories, but they can be expensive. Home made smoothies tend to be naturally thick so they should be OK for his dysphagia, are great tasting and there are countless variations. For protein you can choose protein powders, silken tofu or Greek yogurt, then and add milk or milk alternatives, or fruit juice,with soft fruits like bananas, strawberries, mango or peaches. I like to add a little bit of oatmeal or ground flax to mine. All you need is a blender, and my immersion blender works too...

Wholefoods Has Pressed Juices with Vegetables and fruits - I would try those they are fresh andIn the refrigerator in the Produce section .

You should consult with a nutritionalist. Have you spoke to his physician about your concerns? That would be a good place to start.