No matter where you go, chocolate and vanilla are always two of the most popular flavors around. Even if you don’t have much of a sweet tooth, you’ve probably tasted a few samples of both flavors, as they can be quite hard to avoid; vanilla is used in everything from baking and cooking to aromatherapy, and chocolate graces just as many products in one form or another. Even meal replacement shakes often use these familiar flavor staples when turning healthful formulas into tasty, nutritious beverages. Despite the ubiquitousness of these flavors, however, many people still don’t know very much about the ingredients used to create them. So, what ingredients do vanilla and chocolate nutrition shake flavors come from? Keep reading as the people at ENU provide some answers.

Vanilla Flavored Ingredients in Meal Replacement Shakes

As commonplace as vanilla is, it may come as a surprise to learn that it’s actually the second most expensive spice in the world, after saffron. Vanilla is a product derived from a type of orchid, typically the species Vanilla planifolia. Two other species are also cultivated for their vanilla flavor – these are V. tahitensis and V. pompona – and although they are generally found in different parts of the world, all three major varieties of vanilla descend from a species that originated in Central America and parts of Mexico.

Today, the world’s biggest source of vanilla is Madagascar, which is so intrinsically linked to the spice that popular varieties are often referred to as “Madagascar vanilla.” Most of the vanilla on the market is the same V. planifolia variety grown on the island nation, though the number of food products that use true vanilla has decreased dramatically in recent years. Today, more companies use artificial vanilla – much of which contains synthetic vanillin created as a byproduct of the papermaking process – than use natural vanilla, in part because of the expense involved in using actual vanilla or even vanilla extract.

ENU meal replacement shakes rely on the real thing, though. Our vanilla cream shakes use 100% natural vanilla grown on Madagascar, which offers superior flavor while keeping with ENU’s dedication to natural meal replacement shake ingredients. Because our vanilla is high in quality but relatively neutral in flavor, these drinks can aid cancer patients – many of whom experience changes in taste or difficulty eating – in meeting their nutritional requirements.

Adding Chocolate Flavor to Nutritional Shakes

Though chocolate is most often used in sweet treats, the cocoa bean itself is actually quite bitter, thanks mainly to the natural acidity it contains. In the early 19^th century, however, a Dutch chocolate maker came up with a method of treating the beans with a solution of potassium carbonate, effectively neutralizing the natural acidity and changing the cocoa’s taste; this is called the Dutch process, and cocoa that has been treated in this way is generally referred to as alkalized or Dutch-process cocoa powder.

The chocolate in ENU meal replacement shakes is the Dutch-process variety, which is sometimes preferred due to its mellow, nonacidic flavor and better solubility. Dutched cocoa is used today in a variety of products, including candy, ice cream, hot chocolate, cakes, and cookies. Chocolate nutritional shakes from ENU can provide an excellent base for homemade protein shake recipes.

Other Important Meal Replacement Shake Ingredients

While the taste of your shake is certainly important, the nutritional aspects of your chosen meal replacement shake are even more so. Many of these products share a similar purpose – from sports nutrition to weight management tools – but the true test of quality is in what ingredients the drinks contain. For example, some brands add things like corn syrup to their products, not only to make them sweeter and improve the taste but also to boost the calorie count. A better option – and the one employed by ENU – is to use a natural, low-calorie sweetener like stevia to supply the touch of sweetness these shakes require without loading you up with harmful sugars or fats.

Of course, fats are a necessary part of meal replacement shakes; as one of the three macronutrients, they serve a number of important roles in the body, such as helping with vitamin absorption and providing calories to give you energy. There are good fats and bad fats, though; the unsaturated variety is critical for promoting heart health, which is why ENU uses beneficial unsaturated fats from coconut and sunflower oils in each shake.

Even our carbs are healthy. We make sure to include complex carbs derived from whole grains like brown rice and quinoa to supply extended energy, instead of using simple carbs like sugar. Each carton from ENU also contains 20 grams of protein from whey and soy isolates, two of the easiest forms of protein for your body to digest and use. Next time you pick up a nutritional shake and check the flavor, make sure you look at the rest of the ingredients, too!

Balanced Meal Replacement Shakes Available from ENU

When selecting a meal replacement shake, quality counts. Regardless of whether you’re looking to simply boost your calorie intake in a safe and healthy way, or you want a liquid nutritional supplement during cancer, it’s important that what you put in your body meets your needs without undermining your health and wellness goals. ENU nutritional shakes offer a blend of wholesome ingredients that can fuel your system without the harmful additives found in other products. To learn more about meal replacement shakes from ENU, visit us online or call (855) 266-6733 today.