Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — namely, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis — can cause a number of gastrointestinal symptoms, including abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, and weight loss. Some of these symptoms can make it difficult to eat. What’s more, inflammation from IBD can put you at risk of becoming undernourished or malnourished.
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For some people living with IBD, meal replacement shakes help provide vital nutrients and improve their quality of life during flare-ups. As one MyCrohnsAndColitisTeam member shared, “Eating more makes me feel awful, so I’m researching meal-replacement powders/shakes to add in some crucial calories and nutrients.”
Meal replacement shakes can be a good option when inflammatory bowel disease makes it hard to tolerate solids, get enough nutrients, or gain or maintain weight. However, no one dietary approach is guaranteed to work for people with IBD. If you’re interested in trying meal replacement shakes, it’s a good idea to discuss the options with your health care team and a dietitian.
Meanwhile, here’s a closer look at meal replacement shakes and how they may be helpful for people with Crohn’s and colitis.
What Are Meal Replacement Shakes?
Meal replacement shakes are a type of oral nutrition supplement known as a polymeric formula. Polymeric dietary supplements are high-calorie nutritional beverages. They can help people with IBD get the calories and nutrients they need when they can’t get them through their diet. These beverages come in powdered or liquid formulas that are quick and easy to drink.
You may have heard of some common meal replacement drink brands, like Ensure and Owyn. One MyCrohnsAndColitisTeam member said, “Boost and Premier protein meal replacement shakes have often been the only things that will stay in my tummy, along with oatmeal.”
Everyone’s experience with IBD dietary management will be different. The trick for many people with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis is finding which meal replacement shakes work for them. As one member noted, “Only you can determine what you can and can’t eat.”
Meal Replacement Shakes and IBD
Your doctor may recommend considering meal replacement shakes during flare-ups, as is the case with some MyCrohnsAndColitisTeam members. “In a Crohn’s disease flare, my doctor stopped all solid foods to rest my bowels,” wrote one. “I was put on Vital nutritional shakes. It was tough. I was also supplemented with Ensure.”
Meal replacement shakes may also be recommended to help manage the following IBD-related issues such as weight loss and nutritional deficiencies.
Weight Loss
Weight loss is common among people with IBD, especially during flares. Crohn’s & Colitis UK notes that high-calorie, nutritious meal replacement drinks can help people with Crohn’s and colitis maintain their weight and avoid malnutrition during IBD flare-ups.
Nutritional Deficiencies
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If you find it difficult to eat during flare-ups, you may have a hard time getting all the nutrients you need. Many meal replacement shakes contain vitamins and minerals (such as folic acid and calcium) and protein and carbohydrates to help make up for this deficit. Your doctor may also recommend taking special vitamin and mineral supplements that provide the nutrients your body requires.
As when making any dietary change, talk to your gastroenterologist or health care team before turning to meal replacement shakes. Health experts recommend working closely with your doctor or a specialist, like a dietitian, to make sure that you benefit as much as possible from your meal replacement program. Your doctor can also advise you on the best way to try these products before you invest a lot in this approach.
Find out how to make IBD care more affordable.
Types of Meal Replacement Shakes
You can find many types of meal replacement shakes and nutritional beverages. Options include commercial meal replacement shakes and protein powders, as well as homemade protein shakes and smoothies.
Commercial Meal Replacement Shakes and Protein Powders
Commercial shakes contain nutrients and calories. Protein powders may be helpful if you have a hard time getting enough protein from the food you eat.
MyCrohnsAndColitisTeam members often ask each other for recommendations regarding the best meal replacement shakes available at the grocery store. “I am trying liquid shakes, Ensure Plus and Boost Plus, to try to gain weight,” one member wrote. “In your experience, which do you find is better for Crohn’s disease? Why do you prefer one brand over another?”
Boost
Boost sells ready-to-drink and powder meal replacement drinks, such as high-protein, high-calorie options and products targeted to people with diabetes. Some members enjoy this brand. “I prefer Boost over other brands. It gives me energy,” one member wrote.
Others find that this brand doesn’t agree with them. “I have tried strawberry high protein Boost, which upsets my stomach,” wrote another member. “I’ve also tried plus and original Boost — still the same effects.”
Ensure
Ensure offers many types of shakes with various amounts of fat, protein, and other nutrients, including vegan products. “I use Ensure Plant-Based because it doesn’t have any dairy or whey protein, which I’m sensitive to,” one member shared.
Fortisip
Fortisip, a brand of nutritional drinks more commonly found in Australia and the United Kingdom, can sometimes be purchased online in the United States. “They were very good at helping me put on weight when I was massively underweight,” one member shared about Fortisip products. “They do help massively with my symptoms — my oral ulcers heal, no bloating, no pain — but they do give me constipation.”
Homemade Protein Shakes and Smoothies
Some MyCrohnsAndColitisTeam members prefer to make their own shakes, like one who wrote that they “make shakes with frozen bananas, avocados, and protein powder.” This may be a good strategy if you’re concerned about potential triggers, like lactose, in commercial shakes.
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Homemade smoothies offer another option. One member shared that their “new protein drink in the morning really helps their digestive system.” Another preferred “1 cup of kefir mixed with six ice cubes and two fruits … a delicious protein drink for breakfast.”
These can be a good place to start if you’ve never tried meal replacement shakes. Always be sure to check labels for triggering ingredients or modify recipes according to your needs.
Factors To Keep in Mind With Meal Replacement Shakes for IBD
People living with IBD must carefully balance the need for essential vitamins, an ideal protein intake, and other dietary factors with potential flare-ups and symptoms like cramping, bloating, or vomiting.
As the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation notes, it’s important to pay close attention to what’s in foods and drinks. Always check labels or change recipes as needed to avoid potential triggers. This is especially important if you are also following a diet such as:
- The low-Fodmap diet — Avoids high-Fodmap foods (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols, per the “Fodmap” acronym), such as raw fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and whole grains
- A lactose-free diet — Cuts out dairy products, which can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, gas, and abdominal pain in some people with IBD
- A low-fiber diet — Wards off diarrhea during flare-ups
Before you commit to one option, consider consulting your health care provider, and be aware of any other factors you have, such as lactose intolerance or gluten-free requirements. One MyCrohnsAndColitisTeam member suggested that people with IBD avoid maltodextrin, a common ingredient in meal replacement shakes: “It causes inflammation in the gut and is definitely not a good idea for anyone suffering from IBD.”
Cost-Effectiveness
If you decide that meal replacement shakes are right for your IBD diet, you might wonder how much they cost. Commercial brands, such as Boost, Owyn, and Fairlife, sell shakes priced from $1.48 to $3.52 a bottle. What you actually spend might vary based on where you shop and whether you purchase shakes in bulk or individually.
Find out how to reduce costs of IBD treatment.
Homemade meal replacement shakes may be either more or less expensive, depending on the ingredients you include and where you purchase them. Try not to sacrifice good-quality ingredients that work well for your digestive system for cheaper replacements that you might not tolerate as well.
Read about ways to eat healthy on a budget with Crohn’s and colitis.
Find Your Team
MyCrohnsAndColitisTeam is the social network for people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Here, more than 180,000 members come together to discuss their experiences, offer advice and support, and meet others who understand life with IBD.
Meal replacement shakes are often hot topics for discussion. Have your experiences with these drinks been good or bad? Do you have tips for others who are thinking of using them? Share your thoughts in the comments below or by posting on your Activities page.
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