Review: Orgain Meal Replacement
Like many with gastroparesis, I rely on meal replacement drinks to supplement my nutrition and increase my protein intake, especially during flare-ups. But the chemicals, fake ingredients and high sugar content have always given me pause. How nourishing can it be if there aren’t any real ingredients in it?
So I was definitely intrigued when I came across Orgain, an organic meal replacement drink developed by Dr. Andrew Abraham, physician and cancer survivor.
After giving it a try, I’ll never go back to Boost! Here’s why:
- Orgain drinks are certified organic. There are no artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners or preservatives. It’s still not whole food but it’s better than the alternative.
- Each 11 ounce drink has 13 grams of sugar, which is about half the amount in an 8 ounce Boost or Ensure. Plus, it’s real sugar not corn syrup.
- It contains a blend of 5 organic fruits and 5 organic vegetables.
- It comes in two flavors: Sweet Vanilla Bean (made with real vanilla) and Creamy Chocolate Fudge (made with real cocoa powder). I prefer the vanilla but the chocolate isn’t bad.
- It’s not as sweet, thick or chemical-tasting as other meal replacement drinks.
- Orgain uses organic whey protein, which is often easier to digest than soy. (Note: whey comes from milk, so this isn’t for those who are lactose intolerant or have dairy sensitivities)
- It’s gluten-free.
- An 11 ounce serving provides well-balanced nutrition with 255 calories, 7 grams of fat, 16 grams of protein, and 2 grams of fiber. Plus antioxidants, Omega 3, and 24 vitamins and minerals.
I’ve been drinking Orgain for four days and I’ve found it really easy to tolerate. No nausea or regurgitation like I often get with Boost/Ensure. I mix half a carton (about 5.5 ounces) with 2 ounces of almond milk and a little bit of water and pour it all over ice. This ends up being a tasty little drink with about 4 grams of fat, 8 grams of protein, and 1 gram of fiber.
The downside? Definitely the price. It’s about $3 per 11-ounce drink box compared to $7-$8 for a 6-pack of Boost. But for me, it’s worth a few extra bucks to provide my body with more wholesome, health-promoting nutrition.
If you’re interested in a comparison, here are the nutrition facts and ingredient lables for Boost High Protein, Enlive! and Orgain:
Tags: Meal Replacement Drinks, Orgain, Supplements
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.12 Responses to “Review: Orgain Meal Replacement”
Leave a Reply
This sounds like a great supplement. Do you know of any soy (or lactose free) meal replacements that are similar? I drink Ensure but I’m not a fan of all the sugar in it.
Hi, Brittney. You might want to look into Spiru-Tein. It comes as a powder that you mix with water, juice, or dairy/non-dairy milk. It has a ton of vitamins/minerals, as well as three kinds of non-dairy proteins: soy, rice, and pea. There are a bunch of different flavors but it also comes in an unsweetened variety. You can add your own sweetener (or just blend with fruit instead). I’ve tried it with unsweetened almond milk and banana and thought it was pretty good. Hope that helps!
Thanks! I’ll look for the unsweetended kind. I know they sell it at the natural food store I go to!
I just tried it for the first time today. It seemed to go down just fine and no nausea at all. I tried the choc. If you have wholefoods in your town you can get it there. Thanks for the suggestion.
Ellen, so glad it worked for you! I’ve been having one each day for a couple of weeks now and I haven’t experienced any symptoms with it yet. Thanks for letting us know that they have it at Whole Foods.
I prefer Nature’s Way Alive! Rice Protein Vanilla for my liquidy supplements. (Vitacost or Amazon have the best deals on it) It has EVERYTHING that one could need….without the fat and fiber which those suffering from gastroparesis can’t handle. Even my high energy multi-vitamins back in the day didn’t have the B vitamins this does. Lots of good stuff missing from a persons gastroparesis diet… and even better, it TASTES great and mixes well. The Rice and Pea Protein is easier to digest than soy protein for me too.
http://www.vitacost.com/Natures-Way-Alive-Rice-Protein-Vanilla?csrc=GPF-033674155455
-Cheers,
Carrie
Just wanted to add that when compared with other powder protein and vitamin supplement mixes…Nature’s Way Alive! Rice Protein Vanilla takes the cake! Spirutein is tolerable…..but this actually tastes good and I look forward to my smoothie half at one point in the day and half later!
-Carrie
Thanks for the info, Carrie! I’ll check this out.
This sounds like a great supplement. Do you know of any soy (or lactose free) meal replacements that are similar? I drink Ensure but I’m not a fan of all the sugar in it.
Thanks for the info, Carrie! I’ll check this out.
[...] common dietary staple followed by nutritional supplement/meal replacement drinks (Boost, Ensure, Orgain, Carnation Instant Breakfast, etc.). Rice, pasta, cereal, bread/toast, soup, crackers, yogurt, [...]
[...] Note: This drink does have quite a bit of sugar, about 19 grams, most of which comes from the strawberry juice and banana puree. Still, it has less sugar [and far fewer fake ingredients] than Boost, Ensure or Enlive. [...]