Can You Add Ensure to Oatmeal for a Nutritional Boost?

December 14, 2025 •

3 min read

According to Ensure's manufacturer, Abbott Nutrition, you can absolutely add Ensure to oatmeal for an easy, nutritious meal. This simple combination turns a standard bowl of oats into a power-packed breakfast, perfect for increasing calorie and protein intake with minimal effort. The key is knowing the right preparation method to preserve the integrity of the Ensure's nutrients.

Quick Summary

Adding Ensure to oatmeal is a simple and effective way to fortify your breakfast with extra protein, calories, vitamins, and minerals. Proper preparation involves mixing Ensure into oatmeal after it is cooked or using it as the liquid base for overnight oats. The combination significantly boosts the nutritional value of a simple bowl of oats.

Key Points

Combine After Cooking: Add Ensure to warm, not boiling, oatmeal to preserve its nutritional content.
Boosts Nutrition: The combination adds significant protein, calories, and essential vitamins and minerals to a simple oatmeal breakfast.
Great for Overnight Oats: Ensure can serve as the liquid base for overnight oats, creating a convenient, high-protein meal.
Choose the Right Ensure: Different Ensure products (Original, High Protein, Plus) offer varying calorie and protein levels to suit specific dietary goals.
Supports Weight Goals: This combination is beneficial for individuals needing to gain weight or increase their nutritional intake due to illness or poor appetite.
Supports Digestive Health: The fiber from oats paired with Ensure’s nutrients supports both gut and immune health.

Yes, You Can Add Ensure to Oatmeal

For individuals seeking to increase their calorie, protein, and vitamin intake, combining Ensure with oatmeal is an excellent strategy. The manufacturer provides specific instructions for incorporating their products into recipes like porridge, confirming its safety and nutritional benefits. The versatility of Ensure allows for its use in both traditional hot oatmeal and cold overnight oats, catering to different preferences and dietary needs. This fortified meal is often recommended for those with poor appetite, difficulty chewing, or those needing to gain or maintain a healthy weight. The synergy of oats and Ensure creates a meal that is not only rich in macronutrients but also packed with essential vitamins and minerals, helping to fill potential nutritional gaps.

How to Prepare Ensure with Hot Oatmeal

To ensure that Ensure's nutritional composition is not compromised by high heat, it is crucial to avoid boiling it. The proper method involves cooking the oatmeal first and then stirring in the Ensure liquid or powder at a lower temperature. This process is known as tempering and helps prevent clumping and preserves the heat-sensitive vitamins and minerals in the nutritional supplement.

Step-by-Step for Hot Oatmeal

Cook the oats: Prepare your rolled oats or steel-cut oats according to the package directions, using water or milk as your liquid base. Cook until the desired consistency is reached.
Cool slightly: Remove the oatmeal from the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes. The mixture should be warm but not boiling hot.
Stir in Ensure: Add one bottle of liquid Ensure or the appropriate amount of powder. Stir vigorously until the Ensure is fully blended into the warm oats.
Add toppings: Enhance the flavor and nutrition with your favorite toppings, such as fresh berries, nuts, or a drizzle of honey.

Making Nutritious Ensure Overnight Oats

Overnight oats are a fantastic no-cook option that is perfect for meal prep. Using Ensure as the liquid base instead of plain milk significantly increases the protein and calorie content, providing a satisfying and nutrient-dense breakfast ready to eat straight from the fridge.

Step-by-Step for Overnight Oats

Combine ingredients: In a jar or container, mix the rolled oats, one bottle of liquid Ensure, and any additional ingredients like chia seeds or nuts.
Stir well: Stir the mixture until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
Refrigerate: Seal the container and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 6 hours, to allow the oats to absorb the liquid and soften.
Serve cold: In the morning, you can serve the overnight oats cold, adding fresh fruit or other toppings before enjoying.

Nutritional Boost: The Combined Benefits

Pairing oats with Ensure creates a comprehensive meal that supports various health goals. The blend of complex carbohydrates from oats and the high-quality protein from Ensure promotes sustained energy and satiety.

Oats contribute:

Soluble Fiber: Rich in beta-glucan, which is known to help lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar.
Complex Carbohydrates: Provides a steady release of energy throughout the morning.
Gut Health: Promotes a healthy digestive system and regularity.

Ensure contributes:

High-Quality Protein: Essential for muscle health and repair.
Vitamins and Minerals: Supplies a wide spectrum of micronutrients, including vitamins A, C, D, E, and important minerals like calcium, iron, and zinc.
Added Calories: A convenient way to boost calorie intake for those needing to gain or prevent weight loss.

Choosing the Right Ensure Product

Ensure offers a variety of products, each with a slightly different nutritional profile. The best choice depends on your specific dietary goals. For instance, Ensure High Protein offers more protein with fewer calories and sugar, while Ensure Plus provides a higher calorie count. Ensure Plant-Based offers a dairy-free and soy-free alternative.


Ensure Product	Calories (8 fl oz)	Protein (8 fl oz)	Sugar (8 fl oz)	Features
Original Shake	220	9g	10g	Complete, balanced nutrition
High Protein	160	16g	4g	Higher protein, lower sugar
Plus	350	16g	15g	More calories and protein for weight gain
Plant-Based	180	20g	6g	Dairy-free, soy-free

Conclusion

By understanding the right preparation techniques, you can confidently add Ensure to oatmeal to create a highly nutritious and satisfying meal. Whether you prefer a warm bowl of porridge on a cold morning or a quick and easy overnight oat breakfast, combining Ensure with oatmeal provides a significant boost of protein, calories, vitamins, and minerals. It is an effective and simple solution for individuals needing extra nutritional support, from athletes to those with specific dietary needs.

For more Ensure recipes, you can find inspiration on the manufacturer's website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Boiling or exposing Ensure to high, sustained heat can potentially degrade some of the heat-sensitive vitamins and nutrients. The best practice is to cook the oatmeal first and then stir in the Ensure once it has cooled to a warm, but not boiling, temperature.

Yes, Ensure powder can be added to oatmeal. Mix the dry oatmeal and Ensure powder together before cooking, or stir it into your cooked oatmeal along with a liquid of your choice until it reaches the desired consistency.

Combining Ensure with oatmeal creates a well-rounded meal that is high in protein, calories, fiber, and vitamins, making it an effective and nutritious meal replacement, especially for those with specific dietary needs or a poor appetite.

For those looking to gain weight, Ensure Plus is often the recommended choice. It offers more calories and protein per serving than the standard Ensure Original, providing a higher energy density for weight maintenance or gain.

Yes, Ensure works perfectly as the liquid base for overnight oats. Simply combine rolled oats with a bottle of liquid Ensure, stir, and refrigerate overnight. This results in a thick, creamy, and protein-packed breakfast.

Yes. By choosing a high-protein variety like Ensure High Protein and adding protein-rich toppings like nuts or seeds, you can significantly increase the protein content of your oatmeal to support your dietary goals.

You can add a variety of flavors to enhance your oatmeal. Good options include fresh fruits like berries or bananas, spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, and toppings like peanut butter, nuts, or chia seeds.