Household Ingredients Compared › Meal Replacement Shakes (Singapore)

Meal Replacement Shakes: what's actually in it?

Meal replacement shakes are not the same as protein shakes. A meal replacement is a complete, balanced formula — protein, carbohydrate, fat, fibre, and a full vitamin and mineral blend — designed to replace a meal, and in the case of Optifast VLCD, a very-low-calorie diet under medical supervision. The brands on Singapore shelves are mostly Abbott (Ensure, Glucerna), Nestlé (Optifast) and Mead Johnson (Sustagen), in powder and ready-to-drink forms. Powder and ready-to-drink versions of the same brand are separate rows, because their lists differ — the ready-to-drink versions start with water, the powders start with milk powder or maltodextrin. This page does not give medical or diet advice: if a product says it is for a very low calorie diet or for diabetes management, that is quoted from the source, not recommended here.

This page does not give a health score or a "best" pick. It shows the ingredient list as printed and flags what to notice.

The headline, in 30 seconds

Powder vs ready-to-drink is the first split. Optifast VLCD Chocolate powder starts with skimmed milk powder (31%); Ensure Osmolite ready-to-drink starts with water, then corn maltodextrin and corn syrup solids.
Glucerna is built around slow-release carbohydrate. The Wheat and Triple Care powders list sucromalt, isomaltulose and fructo-oligosaccharides alongside maltodextrin — the carbohydrate system is the product's point, and it is quoted in full.
Ensure Gold Plant Based is the plant-protein exception. Hydrolyzed corn starch first, then plant-based proteins (soy protein isolate, quinoa powder, rice protein) — no milk protein in the list.
Optifast VLCD lists aspartame and acesulfame potassium. The Chocolate powder also lists fish oil, glucose syrup and sugar alongside its milk proteins — read the whole list, not just the protein headline.
Regional lists are flagged. The Abbott Malaysia family-site lists (Ensure Gold Plant Based, Glucerna Wheat) and the India Ensure powder list are panelled as flagged regional lists, not SG pack lists; the SG pack must be checked before publish.

At a glance

Product	Group	First ingredient	Flag to notice	Pack size (as printed)	Country of manufacture (as printed)
Nestlé Optifast VLCD Shake — Chocolate	VLCD powder	Skimmed milk powder (31%)	Aspartame + acesulfame-K; fish oil listed	53 g sachet	not stated
Abbott Ensure Osmolite (ready-to-drink)	Ready-to-drink	Water	Corn maltodextrin + corn syrup solids	237 ml	not stated
Abbott Ensure Gold Powder — Plant Based	Powder, plant-based	Hydrolyzed corn starch	Soy + quinoa + rice protein	not stated	not stated
Abbott Glucerna — Wheat	Powder, diabetes range	Maltodextrin	Sucromalt + isomaltulose	not stated	not stated
Abbott Glucerna Triple Care Powder	Powder, diabetes range	Not stated in source retrieved	SG retailer listing; list not retrieved	800 g	not stated
Mead Johnson Sustagen — Chocolate	Powder	Non fat milk powder	Corn syrup solids second	not stated	not stated
Abbott Ensure Chocolate Flavour Powder	Powder	Skimmed milk powder	India listing — flagged	not stated	not stated
SlimFast Original Meal Replacement Shake (ready-to-drink)	Ready-to-drink	Fat free milk (US list)	US list — flagged	325 ml	not stated

Panelled with verbatim lists: 8 products. Seen-but-not-verified: see the list below. No prices are shown here: they change weekly and would go stale. This site compares ingredients only.

Nestlé Optifast Very Low Calorie Diet Shake — Chocolate

Pack size: 53 g sachet · Made in: not stated (as printed)

Ingredients (FairPrice ingredient section): Skimmed Milk Powder (31%), Milk Proteins [Calcium Caseinate (20%), Sodium Caseinate (10%)], Maltodextrin (Corn), Vegetable Oil (Canola, Sunflower), Minerals (Potassium Citrate, Magnesium Carbonate, Calcium Phosphate, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Phosphate, Ferric Pyrophosphate, Copper Gluconate, Zinc Sulphate, Manganese Sulphate, Sodium Fluoride, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Molybdate, Sodium Selenite, Chromium Chloride), Vegetable Gum (414), Fructo-Oligosaccharide, Inulin, Medium Chain Triglycerides, Glucose Syrup (Corn), Sugar, Fish Oil, Emulsifiers (472c, Soy Lecithin, 471), Sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame Potassium), Antioxidants (301, 304, 306), Flavour, Vitamins (Vitamin E Acetate, Nicotinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Ascorbate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Phytomenadione, Cholecalciferol, Cyanocobalamin, Biotin), Cocoa Powder (5%)+, Colour (Curcumin)^, Colour (Beetroot)#.

FairPrice describes the OPTIFAST VLCD Program as a very low calorie diet (reducing energy intake to below 800 calories per day). That is a medical-use statement quoted from the retailer, not advice from this page. The list is long because it is a complete formula: milk proteins, minerals, vitamins, fibre (fructo-oligosaccharide, inulin), MCT oil and fish oil — plus glucose syrup, sugar and two sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame potassium). Allergen: milk, soy, fish VLCD — medical use Via: FairPrice

Abbott Ensure Osmolite (ready-to-drink)

Pack size: 237 ml · Made in: not stated (as printed)

Ingredients (FairPrice ingredient section): Water, Corn Maltodextrin, Corn Syrup Solids, Sodium and Calcium Caseinates, Soy Protein Isolate, Canola Oil, Corn Oil, Medium Chain Triglycerides (Mct) Oil, Potassium Citrate, Magnesium Phosphate, Calcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Soy Lecithin, Monoglycerides, Ascorbic Acid, Carrageenan, Taurine, L-Carnitine, Potassium Hydroxide, Gellan Gum, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Dl-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Cupric Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin A Palmitate, Folic Acid, Chromium Chloride, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Molybdate, Phylloquinone, Sodium Selenate, Biotin, Vitamin D3, Cyanocobalamin.

FairPrice describes it as a "New Less Sweet Complete, Balanced Isotonic Nutrition Formula", gluten and lactose free, suitable as a sole or supplemental source of nutrition and for tube feeding. Water is first — this is the ready-to-drink form, not the powder. Note corn syrup solids third, before the caseinates. Allergen: milk, soy Ready-to-drink Via: FairPrice

Abbott Ensure Gold Powder — Plant Based — flagged Malaysia family-site list

Pack size: not stated · Made in: not stated (as printed)

Ingredients (Abbott Family (Malaysia) product page — NOT an SG pack list): Hydrolyzed corn starch, plant based proteins 20% (soy protein isolate, quinoa powder, rice protein), VEGETABLE OILS (high oleic sunflower oil, soy oil, canola oil), oligofructose, sucrose, MINERALS (potassium citrate, magnesium phosphate dibasic, calcium phosphate tribasic, potassium chloride, sodium citrate, sodium chloride, potassium phosphate dibasic, calcium carbonate, magnesium chloride, potassium hydroxide, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, chromium chloride, sodium molybdate, potassium iodide, sodium selenate), calcium ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate monohydrate (CaHMB), flavoring, emulsifier (soy lecithin), yeast beta glucan, choline chloride, VITAMINS (ascorbic acid, ascorbyl palmitate, Vitamin E, mixed tocopherols, calcium pantothenate, niacinamide, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, Vitamin A palmitate, thiamin hydrochloride, beta carotene, folic acid, phylloquinone, biotin, Vitamin D3, cyanocobalamin), taurine, L-carnitine.

The plant-based Ensure: no milk protein — the protein is soy isolate, quinoa and rice. Nutrition per 100 g on the same page: energy 432 kcal (1811 kJ), protein 17.33 g, fat 14.00 g, carbohydrate 56.21 g, dietary fibre 4.34 g. Flagged: this is the Abbott Malaysia family-site list; the SG pack must be checked before publish. Standard reconstitution per the page: 263.0 g of powder brought up to 1 L with water. Plant-based protein Regional list — verify SG pack

Abbott Glucerna — Wheat — flagged Malaysia family-site list

Pack size: not stated · Made in: not stated (as printed)

Ingredients (Abbott Family (Malaysia) product page — NOT an SG pack list): Maltodextrin, VEGETABLE OIL (high oleic sunflower oil, soy oil), calcium caseinate, sucromalt, isolated soy protein, maltitol, milk protein concentrate (cow's milk), MINERALS (potassium chloride, magnesium sulfate, calcium carbonate, potassium citrate, sodium phosphate, sodium chloride, magnesium phosphate, sodium citrate, potassium hydroxide, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, chromium chloride, potassium iodide, sodium molybdate, sodium selenite), fructose, fructo-oligosaccharides, isomaltulose, myo-inositol, oat fiber, flavoring, emulsifier (carboxymethyl cellulose), choline chloride, emulsifier (soy lecithin), stabiliser (xanthan gum), VITAMINS (ascorbyl palmitate, ascorbic acid, Vitamin E, niacinamide, calcium d-pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine chloride hydrochloride, riboflavin, Vitamin A palmitate, folic acid, phylloquinone, d-biotin, cholecalciferol, cyanocobalamin), taurine, L-carnitine, mixed tocopherols. Contains permitted flavouring substance. Contains stabilisers and emulsifiers as permitted food conditioners.

Nutrition per 100 g on the same page: energy 437 kcal, protein 19.50 g, fat 16.70 g, carbohydrate 50.11 g. Standard dilution: 220 g of powder brought up to 1 litre with water. Flagged: Malaysia family-site list, not an SG pack list. Glucerna is Abbott's diabetes-management range — that is the brand's positioning, quoted here, not a recommendation. Diabetes range (brand positioning) Regional list — verify SG pack

Abbott Glucerna Triple Care Powder — list not retrieved; nutrition only

Pack size: 800 g · Made in: not stated (as printed)

Ingredients (Singapore retailer listing (DNR Wheels) — nutrition table only, no ingredient list retrieved): No ingredient list was retrieved for this product in this pass — it is panelled here for its nutrition table only, and the ingredient list must be retrieved from the SG pack before publish.

Nutrition per 100 g on the retailer listing: energy 433 kcal, protein 19.51 g, fat 15.9 g, carbohydrate 52.15 g, sugars 11 g, fibre 6.14 g, sodium 405 mg. Standard dilution per the listing: 5 level scoops (52.1 g) for each 200 ml of water. This is a partial panel — the ingredient list is missing, and the page says so rather than borrowing the Glucerna Wheat list above. Nutrition only — list missing SG retailer listing

Mead Johnson Sustagen — Chocolate Flavored — flagged US listing

Pack size: not stated · Made in: not stated (as printed)

Ingredients (Open Food Facts (secondary, countries: United States) — NOT an SG pack list): Non fat milk powder, corn syrup solids, whole milk powder, sucrose, cocoa powder, minerals (calcium phosphate, cupric sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, potassium citrate, potassium iodide, sodium chloride and zinc sulfate), vitamins (alpha-tocopheryl acetate, beta carotene, biotin, calcium pantothenate, cholecalciferol, cyanocobalamin, folic acid, niacinamide, phytonadione, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, sodium ascorbate, thiamine hydrochloride and vitamin A palmitate), natural and artificial flavors (vanilla), and antioxidant (ascorbic acid).

Nutrition per 100 g on the same listing: energy 1591 kJ (380 kcal), fat 3.6 g, saturated fat 2.8 g, carbohydrates 64 g, sugars 49 g, fibre 6.9 g, protein 23 g, salt 0.725 g. Note the sugars: 49 g per 100 g, with sucrose and corn syrup solids both listed. Flagged: US listing, not an SG pack list. US list — verify SG pack Sugars 49 g / 100 g

Abbott Ensure Chocolate Flavour Powder — flagged India listing

Pack size: not stated · Made in: not stated (as printed)

Ingredients (Indian retailer listing (SastaSundar) — NOT an SG pack list): Skimmed milk powder, sucrose, maltodextrin, edible vegetable oil (high oleic sunflower oil, soy oil), cocoa powder (4.5%), fructose, fructo-oligosaccharide (3.9%), flavoring(s) (Nature Identical And Artificial — Chocolate), natural colour (caramel), Minerals, Vitamins, antioxidant (mixed tocopherol). Contains Milk.

Nutrition per 100 g (powder) on the same listing: energy 420 kcal, protein 15.10 g, total fat 11.50 g, saturated fatty acids not more than 4.00 g, carbohydrate 61.73 g, total sugars 35.00 g, added sugars 18.80 g, FOS 3.40 g. This is the rare case where a source states added sugars separately (18.80 g of the 35.00 g total) — quoted as printed. Flagged: India listing, not an SG pack list. India list — verify SG pack Added sugars stated: 18.8 g

SlimFast Original Meal Replacement Shake (ready-to-drink) — flagged US listing

Pack size: 325 ml · Made in: not stated (as printed)

Ingredients (Open Food Facts (secondary, countries: United States) — NOT an SG pack list): Fat free milk, water, sugar, gum arabic, canola oil, milk protein concentrate, cellulose gel, mono and diglycerides, potassium phosphate, hydrogenated soybean oil, maltodextrin, soy lecithin, cellulose gum, natural and artificial flavor, carrageenan, sodium bicarbonate, sucralose and acesulfame potassium, sodium citrate, citric acid. Vitamins and minerals: magnesium phosphate, calcium phosphate, sodium ascorbate, vitamin E acetate, zinc gluconate, ferric orthophosphate, niacinamide, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, vitamin A palmitate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, thiamin mononitrate, folic acid, chromium chloride, biotin, sodium molybdate, potassium iodide, phylloquinone (vitamin K1), sodium selenate, cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12), cholecalciferol (vitamin D3).

Sugar is third, and the shake is sweetened twice (sugar plus sucralose and acesulfame potassium). Flagged: US listing only — SlimFast's SG availability and SG list were not verified in this pass, so this panel is a reference, not an SG shelf claim. US list — verify SG pack Ready-to-drink

Seen but not verified — do not panel until checked

Nestlé Optifast VLCD — other flavours (Vanilla, Strawberry, Coffee) — Only the Chocolate powder had a FairPrice ingredient section retrieved; other flavours need their own lists.
Abbott Ensure Gold Powder (dairy) — Vanilla, Chocolate, Wheat — The dairy Ensure Gold powder sold in Singapore had no SG ingredient section retrieved in this pass; only the Plant Based variant (Malaysia list) and the India Chocolate powder list are panelled.
Abbott Ensure ready-to-drink — other variants (Ensure Plus, Ensure Max Protein) — US Open Food Facts lists exist (e.g. Ensure Max Protein: water, milk protein concentrate, coffee extract, calcium caseinate, soluble corn fiber); no SG pack lists retrieved.
Abbott Glucerna ready-to-drink / Glucerna SR — Glucerna SR powder ingredient summaries exist in Indian retail listings but no verbatim SG list was retrieved.
Herbalife Formula 1 / other MLM meal replacements — Sold in Singapore through distributors, not on supermarket shelves; no SG pack list retrieved in this pass.
Sustagen — other flavours (Vanilla, Hospital Formula) — Only the Chocolate US listing was retrieved.
Giant, Sheng Siong, Don Don Donki, Mustafa, Meidi-Ya, Le Petit Depot, Cold Storage, RedMart, Lazada and Shopee ranges — Checked only through the FairPrice listings and search results above in this pass; their full meal-replacement shelves (including pharmacy ranges at Guardian/Watsons, which are the main channel for these products) were not paginated in full. Cold Storage publishes no ingredient list on any product page.

Nutrition — what the numbers say

All figures in the table are as sold, per 100 g or per 100 ml unless the Basis column says otherwise. Click a column header to sort low to high; click again for high to low. Rows marked "not stated" always sort last — a dash is missing data, not zero. Per-serving-only figures are in a separate table below and are never sorted against per-100 figures, and are never converted to per-100 by guessing.

Salt and sodium: salt = sodium × 2.5. The table shows sodium as printed (in mg) with the salt equivalent in brackets. Sodium is not presented as salt, and salt is not presented as sodium. Where a source printed salt only, the sodium figure is the arithmetic conversion (salt ÷ 2.5) and is flagged as converted.

Total vs added sugars: most Singapore packs list total sugars, not added sugars. A total-sugars figure is never labelled here as "added sugar". Where a source states an added-sugars figure separately, it is noted. The ingredient list remains the evidence for added sugar (sugar, sucrose, glucose syrup) versus naturally occurring sugars.

Open Food Facts is a community database and is flagged as secondary where used: the pack and the retailer nutrition section take precedence if they disagree. Figures marked "not stated" were not in the source retrieved; they are not estimated, borrowed from another variant, or copied across flavours.

Product	Basis	Energy	Protein	Total fat	Saturated fat	Carbohydrate	Sugars	Sodium (salt equiv.)
Abbott Ensure Gold Powder — Plant Based (Malaysia list)	Per 100 g, as sold (powder)	432 kcal	17.33 g	14 g	not stated	56.21 g	not stated	not stated
Abbott Glucerna — Wheat (Malaysia list)	Per 100 g, as sold (powder)	437 kcal	19.5 g	16.7 g	not stated	50.11 g	not stated	not stated
Abbott Glucerna Triple Care Powder (SG retailer listing)	Per 100 g, as sold (powder)	433 kcal	19.51 g	15.9 g	not stated	52.15 g	11 g	405 mg (salt 1.01 g)
Mead Johnson Sustagen — Chocolate (US listing)	Per 100 g, as sold (powder)	380 kcal	23 g	3.6 g	2.8 g	64 g	49 g	290 mg (salt 0.73 g) — sodium converted from printed salt
Abbott Ensure Chocolate Flavour Powder (India listing)	Per 100 g, as sold (powder)	420 kcal	15.1 g	11.5 g	4 g (max)	61.73 g	35 g (added sugars 18.8 g as printed)	not stated

Observed numbers, no verdict: energy in the tabled powders ranges from 380 kcal (Sustagen Chocolate, US listing) to 437 kcal (Glucerna Wheat, Malaysia listing) per 100 g. Sugars range from 11 g (Glucerna Triple Care) to 49 g (Sustagen Chocolate) per 100 g — but these are different products for different uses, and the table does not rank them. The India Ensure powder is the only row with added sugars stated separately (18.80 g of 35.00 g total).

Seen but not verified (nutrition): no per-100 g nutrition panel was verified in this pass for Nestlé Optifast VLCD Chocolate powder, Abbott Ensure Osmolite ready-to-drink, or SlimFast Original ready-to-drink. Their ingredient panels are unchanged. No per-serving-only rows were tabled: the per-serving figures on the Abbott pages are for the reconstituted drink (230–237 ml), a different basis from the powder, and are quoted in the product notes instead.

How to read a meal replacement shake label — the jargon, in plain English

VLCD (very low calorie diet): A diet providing under 800 kcal per day, used under medical supervision. Optifast VLCD is labelled for that program — the label's medical-use statement is quoted, not endorsed, here.
Meal replacement vs protein shake: A meal replacement is a complete formula (protein, carbohydrate, fat, fibre, vitamins, minerals) meant to replace a meal. A protein shake is mainly protein — see the protein powder page. They are different categories.
Sucromalt / isomaltulose: Slowly digested carbohydrates used in Glucerna's carbohydrate system. They raise blood glucose more slowly than sucrose or maltodextrin — that is the brand's design claim, quoted from the product material.
Fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) / inulin / oligofructose: Soluble fibres (prebiotics) added to meal replacements. They are listed as fibre ingredients, not as sugars, even though they are carbohydrate.
Caseinate (calcium / sodium caseinate): Milk proteins (from casein) used in meal replacements and in Ensure Osmolite. They are milk allergens.
CaHMB: Calcium beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate, a leucine metabolite added to Ensure Gold Plant Based. It is listed as an ingredient, not a medicine.
MCT oil (medium chain triglycerides): A fat source (from coconut/palm kernel oil) used in Optifast and Ensure Osmolite. It is a fat ingredient, listed among the oils.

What this page is not

Not a health score, and not a "best" pick. The groups on this page are different products, and this page does not rank them.
Not a taste test, and not a price comparison. Prices change weekly; ingredients change less often, but still change.
Not complete. The products in seen-but-not-verified are not yet panelled, for the verification reasons given, not hidden. No page claims 100% completeness.

Sources and method

Checked 12 November 2026 from: FairPrice ingredient sections (Nestlé Optifast VLCD Chocolate; Abbott Ensure Osmolite); Abbott Family Malaysia product pages (Ensure Gold Plant Based; Glucerna Wheat — flagged regional lists); Singapore retailer listing (Glucerna Triple Care Powder, DNR Wheels — nutrition table only); Open Food Facts (Sustagen Chocolate, US; SlimFast Original RTD, US — flagged); Indian retailer listing (Ensure Chocolate Flavour Powder, SastaSundar — flagged). Full per-fact source list is in the accompanying research notes. Where a full pack list could not be verified, the product is in seen-but-not-verified instead of being panelled.