Ensure Plus or Ensure High Protein: Which Nutritional Shake is Better for Your Goals?

November 15, 2025 •

3 min read

As the #1 doctor-recommended brand, Ensure offers a variety of nutritional shakes to meet different health needs. Deciding whether to use Ensure Plus or Ensure High Protein depends entirely on your specific goals, from weight gain to managing hunger with controlled calories.

Quick Summary

This guide compares Ensure Plus and Ensure High Protein, detailing differences in calories, protein, and intended purpose. The best choice depends on individual goals, whether for weight gain or targeted muscle support.

Key Points

Purpose: Ensure Plus is for weight gain and recovery, while Ensure High Protein is for muscle health and weight management.
Calories: Ensure Plus provides 350 calories per serving, more than double the 160 calories found in Ensure High Protein.
Protein Content: Both shakes contain a similar amount of high-quality protein, with 16g per 8 fl oz serving.
Fat and Sugar: Ensure High Protein is lower in both fat (2g) and sugar (4g) compared to Ensure Plus.
Nutritional Density: Choose Ensure Plus for high caloric density, or Ensure High Protein for concentrated protein with fewer calories.
Target Audience: Ensure Plus is suitable for those with malnutrition, while High Protein is better for active adults and weight management.

Understanding the Nutritional Differences

Choosing the right nutritional shake is crucial for achieving your health objectives. While both Ensure Plus and Ensure High Protein are designed to provide complete, balanced nutrition, their formulations are optimized for different purposes. Ensure Plus is calorically dense, while Ensure High Protein provides concentrated protein with fewer calories, making them suitable for distinct dietary needs.

Ensure Plus: For Weight Gain and Calorie Support

Ensure Plus is specifically formulated for individuals who need to gain or maintain a healthy weight, especially those experiencing malnutrition or involuntary weight loss. A single 8 fl oz bottle provides 350 calories and 16 grams of high-quality protein.

Higher Calorie Density: Ideal for those with increased caloric requirements due to illness, recovery, or a reduced appetite.
Complete Nutrition: Offers 27 essential vitamins and minerals to support overall health.
Primary Goal: Gaining or maintaining weight is the primary purpose of Ensure Plus.

Ensure High Protein: For Muscle Support and Hunger Management

In contrast, Ensure High Protein is engineered to provide a significant protein boost while keeping calories low. Each 8 fl oz bottle contains 16 grams of protein but only 160 calories, along with 4 grams of sugar and 2 grams of fat.

Lower Calorie Profile: Supports muscle health without the higher caloric intake, suitable for those managing weight.
Targeted Protein: The high protein content helps to build and maintain muscle mass.
Satiety and Strength: Can help manage hunger and provide nutrition for strength and energy to stay active.

Comparison Table

To clearly illustrate the differences, here is a breakdown of the nutritional profiles of Ensure Plus and Ensure High Protein per 8 fl oz serving.


Feature	Ensure Plus	Ensure High Protein
Calories	350	160
Protein	16g	16g
Carbohydrates	47g	19g
Sugars	19g	4g
Fat	11g	2g
Primary Goal	Weight gain/maintenance, recovery	Muscle support, hunger management

Making the Right Choice for Your Needs

Your personal health goals are the most important factor in deciding between these two products. For an individual recovering from an illness or with a poor appetite, the extra calories in Ensure Plus are beneficial. For someone focused on increasing their protein intake for muscle health or weight management, the lower-calorie Ensure High Protein is the better option.

For Seniors

For older adults, the choice can be particularly important. Those experiencing age-related weight loss or who are at nutritional risk may benefit from the higher calorie and nutrient density of Ensure Plus. In contrast, healthy and active seniors looking to support muscle mass and manage their weight might find Ensure High Protein more suitable. Consulting a healthcare professional is always recommended for personalized dietary advice.

For Weight Management

If weight gain is the goal, Ensure Plus provides the necessary caloric surplus. If the goal is to manage weight while maintaining muscle mass, the high protein and low-calorie formula of Ensure High Protein is a more strategic choice, as protein can help with satiety.

Conclusion

The key distinction between Ensure Plus and Ensure High Protein lies in their calorie and carbohydrate content, even though they contain similar amounts of protein. Ensure Plus is a high-calorie, nutrient-dense shake built for weight gain and recovery from malnutrition. Ensure High Protein is a low-calorie, high-protein shake designed for muscle health and weight management. By evaluating your primary health objective, you can select the product that best aligns with your nutritional requirements. For more product details and to compare other options, you can visit Abbott Nutrition's official website.

A Final Word of Advice

Remember to consider your overall diet and consult a doctor or registered dietitian before incorporating new supplements. They can provide guidance to ensure that your choice supports your complete dietary needs and health goals.

List of Key Considerations

Calorie Needs: Assess whether you need a caloric surplus for weight gain (Ensure Plus) or a low-calorie option (Ensure High Protein).
Protein Goal: Both offer 16g of protein, so your choice is driven more by calorie and carb goals.
Weight Management: Ensure Plus is better for gaining weight, while Ensure High Protein is better for managing it.
Health Status: Medical conditions, recovery, or unintentional weight loss might make Ensure Plus a better choice under a doctor's supervision.
Lifestyle: If you're an active adult prioritizing muscle maintenance with lower calories, High Protein is ideal.

Compare Ensure products on Abbott Nutrition's official site

Frequently Asked Questions

Ensure Plus is the better option for gaining weight. With 350 calories per serving, it is formulated to provide the caloric density needed to help individuals gain or maintain a healthy weight.

While Ensure High Protein can support muscle mass, its low-calorie content (160 calories) makes it less effective for significant weight gain compared to Ensure Plus. It is better suited for muscle support and weight management.

An 8 fl oz serving of Ensure Plus contains 350 calories, while the same serving size of Ensure High Protein contains 160 calories.

Ensure High Protein is often a better fit for active adults or athletes. It provides a targeted boost of 16g of protein with fewer calories, supporting muscle health without contributing to unwanted weight gain.

Ensure High Protein is intended as a supplemental snack to boost protein intake, not a complete meal replacement. While it provides protein, its lower calorie and carbohydrate content is not sufficient for a full meal.

Yes, both can be used by seniors, but the choice depends on their needs. Ensure Plus is beneficial for seniors with weight loss or poor appetite, while High Protein is good for active seniors maintaining muscle mass.

Both products contain high-quality protein, which is essential for building and maintaining muscle mass. However, Ensure High Protein provides this protein with fewer calories, making it a more focused supplement for muscle support.