Ensure ingredients [0]: Water, Corn Maltodextrin, Sugar, Milk Protein Concentrate, Blend of Vegetable Oils (Canola, Corn), Soy Protein Isolate, Nonfat Milk. Less than 0.5% of: Magnesium Phosphate, Potassium Citrate, Natural & Artificial Flavor, Cellulose Gel, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Cellulose Gum, Potassium Chloride, Monoglycerides, Soy Lecithin, Carrageenan, Potassium Hydroxide, Liquid Sucralose, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Acesulfame Potassium, dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Chloride Hydrochloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Palmitate, Riboflavin, Chromium Chloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Sodium Molybdate, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenate, Phylloquinone, Vitamin D3, and Vitamin B12.

Nutritional Facts [0]: Amount Per Serving % Daily Value Calories: 220 Calories from Fat: 50 Total Fat, g: 6 9% Saturated Fat, g: 1 5% Trans Fat, g: 0 Polyunsaturated Fat, g: 2 Monounsaturated Fat, g: 3 Cholesterol, mg: <5 <2% Sodium, mg: 200 8% Potassium, mg: 370 11% Total Carbohydrate, g: 32 11% Dietary Fiber, g: <1 <4% Sugars, g: 15 Protein, g: 9 18%

Conclusion: Drinking 9 of these a day to reach 1980 calories does not make the % daily values add up to 100, so it's not balanced/complete. By the way, one bottle is only 220 calories, which won't come close to filing you up.

[0] https://ensure.com/nutrition-products/ensure-original#vanill...

Throw in a daily supplement, vitamin needs solved. Probably a bit light on the fats, though.

> one bottle is only 220 calories, which won't come close to filing you up.

This depends greatly on your age, your body, and your expectations. If you eat many small meals, 220 calories might be a perfect meal.

From what I heard Ensure doesn't aim to be nutritionally complete. It's designed to replace unhealthy snacks with a healthier alternative.

Soylent on the other hand can replace most (possibly all) of your meals, if you want that. And if you don't get a moldy batch.

> From what I heard Ensure doesn't aim to be nutritionally complete. It's designed to replace unhealthy snacks with a healthier alternative.

The main Ensure product on the market does not, but there are versions that are used for literally this exact purpose. I forget whether Ensure (the brand) produces it or if it's under a different company/name, but it's definitely there. You just have to read the label - it'll indicate if it's meant as a complete food substitute or not.

Ensure has way more sugar and doesn't claim to be nutritionally complete.

Ensure Complete.

"a little cheaper"? That product you linked to is more than twice as expensive even compared to the Soylent 2.0 bottles. Whenever Soylent comes up there's always the "soylent is nothing new, it's just marketing" claims. But I have yet to see a link to a comparable product. Is there a pre-existing product that is a nutritionally complete meal replacement in the same price range?

My impression is that Ensure isn't marketed to the general public for use as a 100% meal replacement, but is commonly used that way in hospitals.

I drank Ensure fairly regularly in college when I had mismanaged my schedule too badly to eat a proper meal, and I never had any health trouble. I'd expect you can find as many anecdotes in favor of Ensure as in favor of Soylent.

This is 100% incorrect. Soylent is nothing like Ensure.