If you want a drink that tastes good and offers some nutritional value, there are plenty of options. One popular choice in the UK is Nurishment.
This article covers what Nurishment is, whether it’s healthy, possible side effects, and more.
Nurishment is a flavoured milk drink marketed as a healthier alternative to soft drinks and energy drinks. It’s available in flavours like chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla. The product is designed to help you boost intake of vitamins and minerals—such as vitamins A, D, C and calcium—quickly and conveniently.
Ingredients and flavours
The main ingredients are whole milk (about 60% in some flavours) and skimmed milk (about 20% in some flavours). Other components include sugar, water, milk protein, and for chocolate, fat-reduced cocoa powder. Nurishment also has added vitamins and minerals—a total of 13 added nutrients, more than other enriched milk drinks in the UK. Emulsifier E471 and stabilizers E331 and E407 are also included.
Different flavours can have slightly different ingredient ratios. For example, the chocolate version is roughly 60% whole milk and 20% skimmed milk, while the vanilla version is about 68% whole milk and 15% skimmed milk.
Nutrition per can and per serving
A 400 g can typically contains around:
– 10 g fat
– 51 g carbohydrates, of which 50 g are sugars
– 20 g protein
– 0.8 g salt
– 0 g fibre
The drink is moderately high in fat but particularly high in carbohydrates and sugars. It provides about 5 g of protein per 100 g—higher than regular milk, which has about 3–4 g per 100 g.
Vitamins and minerals
A full 400 g can supplies significant amounts of fortified vitamins and minerals, which can help reduce fatigue and improve health for people with deficiencies. However, those high levels mean Nurishment can exceed recommended intakes for young children under 3 and for pregnant women, so these groups should avoid it.
Calories and sugar
The popular vanilla flavour contains around 396 calories per 400 g can (99 calories per 100 g). A 330 ml bottle is about 340 calories. Average daily calorie needs are roughly 2,000 for women and 2,500 for men, so a whole can or bottle adds a substantial number of calories. Much of these calories come from sugar: Nurishment has about 13.5 g of sugar per 100 g compared to about 5 g per 100 g in regular milk.
Health benefits
– The added vitamins and minerals can help people who are deficient and may reduce fatigue.
– The higher protein content can help active people meet protein goals for muscle repair and recovery.
Potential downsides
– The drink’s high levels of certain vitamins (especially vitamin A) mean you should avoid exceeding recommended amounts, as very high doses can be harmful.
– High sugar content raises the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease if consumed too often. Based on sugar guidelines, it’s sensible to limit intake to no more than half a can (200 g) per day, and pregnant or breastfeeding women and children under 3 should avoid it.
– If you have acid reflux conditions like GERD or LPR, the sugar could worsen symptoms—check with your doctor before drinking it.
When Nurishment might be right for you
Nurishment can be useful for short-term relief of specific vitamin deficiencies or as an energy boost for physically active people. It can help those trying to gain weight, but many of the extra calories come from sugar rather than protein, so it’s not the cleanest way to bulk. For bodybuilders or people with precise macronutrient targets, the protein-to-calorie ratio may not be ideal.
Alternatives
Most nutrients in Nurishment can be obtained from whole foods—fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and low-fat dairy—so it’s often better to rely on a balanced diet for long-term health.
Bottom line
Nurishment can be both helpful and problematic depending on how much you drink and your health goals. It offers vitamins and extra protein, but it’s high in sugar and calories, so limit intake and consider whole-food alternatives for sustained health.