Is Ensure appropriate for children?

Ensure milk-based nutrition shakes provide extra calories and nutrients to the diet of individuals who are elderly and unable to digest fat or those who have recently recovered from surgery or long-term illness and have been struggling to regain lost weight. These drinks have been specifically designed to fit the needs of adults, but can also be used as a supplement meal for children with a low appetite.

While Ensure drinks can be taken by either adults or children, they may not be suitable for your child. Unless your doctor has advised otherwise, it's best not to offer Ensure to children. These drinks provide large amounts of vitamins, minerals, and proteins that are not needed for young children and may not be safe in excess.

Instead of Ensure, PaediaSure (also made by Abbott Nutrition) may be a better choice. Specially designed for children, PaediaSure may be helpful in cases where your child may be may need to drink additional calories to regain weight that was lost during illness. PaediaSure can also be helpful if your little one is a picky eater or always on the go, meaning you struggle to feed them a range of healthy, balanced meals.

You should consult your paediatrician before giving your child liquid supplements.